Air Arms Jackal High Power Review

Overall Rating

It is solid powerful reliable and accurate, what more can you ask

The auto feed is a bit hit and miss, and you can't load pellets that are too long as it will cut the nose or tail off

I had an original Jackal Fire power, brand new back in the 80's when they first came out, it was a great gun, and I had it for years. I loved the military styling and the power was there to hunt bunnies or rats etc. I can tell you how powerful it was as I still have the pellet lodged in the back of my leg, where a "friend" who was a bit on the stupid side shot me from about 25 yards. My leg just flew up in the air like I was kicking a football, and then went completely numb, Thankfully! The pellet went through my jeans and about 2 inches into my leg, so yep it's powerful ok. Years later like a fool I sold it still in perfect condition, then a few years ago I still missed it and bought a good example from a seller at the War and Peace show in Kent. I managed to track down the loading tube and brackets for the missing load tube, and being a later model it has the improved front sight. The original was a bit of flat steel wrapped round the barrel, and although it is not as powerful as I remember the original to be, I expect a new ox spring or gas ram will fix that. Accuracy is down to the shooter, as if you put it in a vice, it hits the same spot over and over again. When you pick it up, it's all your own skill or lack of it that keeps it on target. I have no problem hitting a 2 pence piece at 30 feet and a pellet tin at 45 feet. The hollow stock makes a horrible noise, so I stuffed an old jumper inside to deaden the noise, which worked well, and it has the silencer (of dubious effect) on the front which also acts as a muzzle weight for the end of the Walther barrel and looks cool! All in all I love the thing, it may not be everyones taste, but it is solid powerful reliable and accurate, what more can you ask. Yep people might think you are all politically incorrect for liking the way it looks, but hey, I don't like Skodas so that too is up to the individual. If you see one get it, although I have other airguns, it is still my favourite rifle, I thoroughly recommend it.

Members' Comments onColonel Chimp's Review

• jbhelixroveda on 18th Apr 2006

  Hi, I am interested in the multi-shoot-mechanismen; can you give me some more informations, maybe some close pics?
  regards JHB

• paul3775 on 6th Dec 2006

  I used to own a jackal. Me and my mate used to shoot holes in breeze blocks at a London council depot. The kennels in fact, but not at the dogs. They would have your hand off.

• Colonel Chimp on 14th Dec 2006

  Hi there, sorry for taking soooo long to answer, but didn't get notification of your comments on review, the semi auto load is a tube of pellets that sits on top of the barrel, looks a bit like the front of an ak47, and this tube bends in and down to the pellet tap, and when you open the tap it drops one pellet at a time down into the chamber, it has a little arm that is worked by an angled cam which stops the other pellets falling in, although it was discontinued years ago, i contacted air arms, and amazingly enough they still had some in their parts store, the only thing they didn't have was the cam, which i made myself, it is only about 4 mm high on one side, and tapers down to nothing on the other, and is about the size of a penny, it goes on the opposit flat end of the tap, and the high bit opens the feed tube when the tap is shut, and as you rotate and open the tap, the arm is let in to close the tap, so that no more pellets go in, very simple, but effective, air arms are in hailsham sussex and were formerly known as sussex armoury, so you should be able to find them in the book, i don't have their number sorry, good luck Cheers

• jbhelixroveda on 14th Dec 2006

  Hello,
  When did you get the spares from AA? If a long time a go asking would be waste of (their and mine) time.
  Regards, jbhr

• Colonel Chimp on 15th Dec 2006

  I got mine a couple of years ago but they were well out of date even then - they said they were just on the shelf as new old stock spares, so you never know you may still be lucky. Asking is never a waste of time as even if they say no, then you know you have to go the second hand route and so can stop wondering. They are still out there and not everyone loves them like I do so you may get a bargain - or you could get an old beaten one for spares. Cheers

• halfling on 20th Dec 2006

  I have just got my hands on 1 it does look cool , thank you for the tip about the jumper it does make a hollow noise when shot .
  However i love! It i find it a bit to front heavy for my liking however still a very cool weapon ...
  Thank you ....

• jbhelixroveda on 18th Jan 2007

  Hi, what model did you will? Greetings, j.b.h-r.

• Colonel Chimp on 18th Jan 2007

  Het no need to thank me, i am just happy that you like em as much as i do, just wondering how much you paid, and what condition it is in, also if you find it a bit front eavy, you could remove the barrel weight (the thing that looks like a silencer) may help a little, cheers

• pillboxspotter on 13th Feb 2009

  I agree with this review because i still have one. I did have two but sold one some years ago.
  I liked it because you loaded up the auto loader and didnt need to keep getting pellets out off you pocket with bits of fluff from the pocket.
  Iv not used mine for years so i will have to get it out and see if it still works.
  Im glad to hear that there are some still about.

• jbhelixroveda on 18th Feb 2009

  Hello,
  maybe you want to sell it in future. If so please give me a notice.
  Regards, jbh