Start 'em young: Affordable new Alpha Youth air rifles from Hatsan

Hatsan is adding a new youth model airgun to their catalog for 2014, the appropriately-named Alpha Youth. It will be launching in two versions, a simple black rifle and a Muddy Girl camo-patterned model.

If you’re looking to give your little shooter something a step up from airsoft but not up there with other Hatsan air rifles — which are quite capable and more than enough for taking small game with — the new Alpha Youth guns might be what you’ve been searching for.

One of the main features that makes the Alpha Youth stand out is the lightweight cocking mechanism that only requires 14-pounds of pressure to actuate. That being said they still push pellets at speeds up to 495 feet-per-second, ensuring a good, predictable, flat-shooting gun.

The Alpha Youth will also be offered in two calibers, .177 and .22. The .177 is rated at 495 feet-per-second and the .22 at 400. Both speeds are great for backyard marksmanship without having to worry about collateral damage.

And of course, with rimfire ammunition availability being spotty at best, pellet guns have the advantage of being cheap and easy to feed. Being single-shot rifles, a tin of pellets will last a good long time.

Hatsan is well-regarded for making accurate and durable airguns with German-made rifled steel barrels. Their focus on ergonomics is clear and their rifles are quite easy and natural to shoot. They’re also built to last and will run forever if not neglected.

Other features include micro-adjustable rear and hooded front fiber-optic sights by Truglo, an 11mm-grooved barrel for scopes or other optics, an adjustable metal, not polymer target trigger and a lightweight checkered Monte Carlo stock. The Alpha Youth has a 13-inch length of pull and weighs in at just over 5 pounds.

Additionally the gun has an ambidextrous manual safety and automatic cocking safety.

These airguns are priced to move with recommended retail prices at just $99 for the black model and $129 for the Muddy Girl model.

This could be just the air rifle to get your kid on the range as soon as possible, even if secretly that kid is you. For more details and specifications head over to the Alpha Youth product page and for all things Hatsan, check them out on Facebook.