Almost certainly, the new Umarex AirJavelin is the most powerful CO2 airgun ever put into volume production! This new arrow-firing airgun was launched at the 2020 SHOT Show last month.
At a Street price of around $170, it’s waaay cheaper than any other arrow rifle and likely will open-up a whole new market for backyard airgun arrow shooting. Make no mistake: this is a revolutionary product!
The AirJavelin is already in stores and one has just arrived in the HAM offices. Well done Umarex…
The manufacturer is conservatively claiming “more than 34 Ft/Lbs” of Muzzle Energy for the AirJavelin when firing 170 Grain arrows. However, the packaging shows test data peaking at 39 Ft/Lbs of energy with 323 FPS velocity.
As Umarex tells us that this testing was undertaken at 70 degrees Farenheit, it’s pretty-well guaranteed that the velocity – and hence energy – will increase to well over 40 Ft/Lbs in hotter weather. Whatever the energy you choose to compare – 34, 39 or 40+ Ft/Lbs – this is the most powerful CO2 airgun ever to break cover from a major manufacturer.
Moreover, one 88 Gram CO2 cartridge gives as many as 30 shots. Factory data for the first 10 shots is shown in the table below.
| Shot Number | Muzzle Velocity | Muzzle Energy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 323 FPS | 39 Ft/Lbs |
| 2 | 319 FPS | 38 Ft/Lbs |
| 3 | 315 FPS | 37 Ft/Lbs |
| 4 | 303 FPS | 35 Ft/Lbs |
| 5 | 298 FPS | 34 Ft/Lbs |
| 6 | 309 FPS (likely a typo?) | 36 Ft/Lbs (typo?) |
| 7 | 292 FPS | 32 Ft/Lbs |
| 8 | 290 FPS | 32 Ft/Lbs |
| 9 | 286 FPS | 31 Ft/Lbs |
| 10 | 279 FPS | 29 Ft/Lbs |
Continuing factory data for shots 15 and 16 show 261 FPS, 26 Ft/Lbs. By shot 20, the figures are 240 FPS and 22 Ft/Lbs. It’s not until shot 29 that the numbers fall to 200 FPS and 15 Ft/Lbs. That’s pretty impressive!
As Umarex explained to HAM: “That’s at least 15 high power shots for hunting anything as big as a coyote. There are at least another 15 shots with sufficient energy to kill foxes, rabbits, squirrels, etc.”
“Alternatively, there are over 30 shots for backyard target fun!”
In Umarex testing, “Hot Hands body warmers will keep the 88g CO2 bottle and expansion chamber at 70F for several hours when the outside temperature is 38F. In our experience, these warmers have not taken the CO2 to a dangerous temperature when applied at any ambient temperature.” That’s great additional information for hunters who may wish to use their AirJavelin in cooler weather.
The AirJavelin is supplied with an ambidextrous bolt handle for the straight-pull cocking action. Just screw it into either the left or right side to your choice. There’s also front and rear sights for you to attach. Easy!
The front sight has a red fiber optic insert. The rear peep sight is adjustable for windage and elevation.
Although the AirJavelin is described as having an integrated to Picatinny rail, this is not strictly correct. It’s actually a “Picatinny style” rail. This is because “teeth” of this rail do not match standard Picatinny dimensions and spacing.
In our photograph, the AirJavelin rail is placed above a Leapers UTG Picatinny rail. You can see how the slots progressively differ in location, moving to the right.
However Picatinny-fitting accessories that use only one slot seem to fit just fine.
The AirJavelin has an adjustable, AR15-like buttstock. This provides a wide range of trigger pulls from 13.5 Inches to 16.5 Inches. So just about everyone will find it convenient to shoot.
This most powerful CO2 airgun is shipped with three Umarex 170 Grain arrows. You’ll need to but some 88 Gram CO2 cartridges and – of course – use safety glasses when shooting. Additional arrows are available, too.
Also make sure to check out the Airgun Sporting Association map for an indication that it’s legal to hunt with any arrow gun. You can then check with your state’s Conservation or Hunting Agency for more details and confirmation.
HAM will bring you a full, comprehensive test of the Umarex AirJavelin when weather conditions improve. Currently temperatures are around freezing and we have about a Foot of snow. That’s not ideal conditions for testing any CO2-powered airgun – most powerful or not!
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Umarex AirJavelin
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