Definitive Guide to JTS Airacuda

The JTS Airacuda PCP air rifle features an attractive hardwood stock with laser-cut checkering on the forearm and pistol grip, complemented by a soft, grippy rubber butt pad.

The rifle comes with two all-metal magazines that use O-rings to retain pellets without damaging them, a significant improvement over plastic magazines found in many other airguns in this price range.

The JTS Airacuda pellet rifle utilizes a smooth side lever action for cocking and features an adjustable hammer spring and a fully adjustable trigger. A small silver knob on the right side allows for power adjustment, enabling the rifle to be used for everything from backyard plinking to small game hunting.

Setup & Operation

Today, it is rare to see an air rifle that only uses a 3000 psi fill and is easily charged by a hand pump. Yet, it shoots to similar specs as other air guns, requiring much higher fill pressures.

Air guns that require 3000 psi are relatively easy to hand pump, taking only 5 minutes, and can get 25-40 shots per fill. This is typically sufficient for a morning of hunting.

While it's possible to hand pump to 4500 psi, it's significantly harder and is better suited for compressors. However, most affordable compressors are rated for 4500 psi, and repeatedly filling to this level can drastically shorten their lifespan. To extend the life of your compressor, only fill your gun to 3000 psi, even if it's rated for 4500 psi.

The JTS Airacuda air rifle is only available in .22 and .25 caliber in the United States.

The Airacuda has what looks like a "bull barrel" but is, in fact, a shroud that surrounds the real barrel and uses the internal airspace and some internal baffles to quieten the rifle's report when fired.

The JTS Airacuda includes an industry-standard Foster fill fitting, eliminating the need for proprietary probes.

The JTS Airacuda pellet gun comes well packaged, encased in laser-cut foam. The box includes the two metal magazines, an instruction manual, and a small bag with spare seals for future maintenance.

Loading the all-metal magazines is easy; just insert the pellet and rotate the shuttle. Keep doing that until you have loaded 10 shots (in .22 caliber); the pellets are retained by an O-ring.

After mounting a scope, like the UTG SWAT 4-16x44 Accushot, on the picatinny rail, it was time to get down to business.

Performance & Accuracy

We recommend shooting at least one tin of pellets through a new rifle to learn its quirks. Try different power levels and different pellets to see how the performance changes.

Three pellets were chosen for accuracy: the JTS Dead Center 18.1 grain domes, AEA Center Punch 18.3 domes, and JSB Jumbo Heavy 18.13 domes.

Shooting indoors from a rested position that supports the entire rifle at 25 yards, the JSB pellets made one jagged hole.

5 shots, one hole- it doesn't get much better than this. An American dime is shown for comparison.

Next up was the AEA Center Punch 18.1 domes. At the same 25 yards, 5 of the Center Punch pellets went into a slightly larger group.

The first shot went into the bullseye, the other four shots went slightly low into one hole! The JTS Airacuda can shoot!

Moving to the JTS Dead Center pellets, they didn't disappoint. Five shots went into one hole and was the smallest group of the day.

It just keeps getting better! Again, five shots, one hole.

We moved the target back to 50 yards and shot the same pellets from the same rest indoors. After refilling the rifle, we took five sighters and started shooting for score.

The JTS Dead Center pellets did not disappoint. Again, five shots went into one hole. Albeit a slightly larger hole than 25 yards, but that is expected.

Still one hole!

Changing to the AEA Center Punch pellets, they also went into one hole at 50 yards.

Airacuda is the name; consistency is the game!

The last pellet is the JSB 18.13 Jumbo Heavy. At 25 yards, the JSB pellet shot the largest group. Now, at 50 yards, it shot the smallest group at that distance.

The JTS Airacuda is not pellet-picky, shooting most brands well, but the JTS Dead Center, AEA Center Punch, and JSB Jumbo Heavy pellets were particularly effective.

During testing, the JTS Airacuda demonstrated impressive accuracy. With the power set at position 5, JTS 18.1 grain pellets achieved 950-960 fps velocities. However, the rifle performed best at power position 4, with 880-890 fps velocities.

With these three pellets, there was not enough of a difference in accuracy to make a difference.

Adjusting Power for Velocity and Noise

The JTS Airacuda air rifle offers adjustable power settings for velocity and noise control. At the highest setting, 18.1 grain pellets achieve a mid-700 fps muzzle velocity. Lowering the power to the lowest setting results in 14.3 grain Crosman Premier domed pellets achieving 420-430 fps, ideal for backyard plinking and beginner shooting practice.

Reasons for Lower Power Settings

Lower power settings offer several advantages:

• Target Practice: Paper targets and cans at close range don't require high velocities for penetration.
• Backyard Shooting: Lower power controls pellet penetration, protecting your backstop.
• Air Efficiency: Lower velocity shots use less air, increasing shots per fill.
• Noise Reduction: Lower power settings result in quieter shots.

Summing Up

The JTS Airacuda, with its slender wrist and forearm and well-placed controls, is a handsome and high-performing rifle that feels great in the hand and on the shoulder. The Airacuda Max, with its different stock design, is better suited for bench work and shooting from a rest, while the JTS Airacuda is better suited to hunting.

The JTS Aricuda, with its classic design and solid construction, is reminiscent of older guns, reflecting a quality that JTS backs with a 3-year factory warranty. The Airacuda proves you don't need to spend a fortune to achieve your desired outcome.