Due to Shortages Considering Air Rifle

[bobm]

You're going to like that 95, cw308. My 80 has no respect for optics. It has trashed numerous brands of "springer rated" quality scopes. I'm done with trying any more. The sights that come with the rifles are precise and repeatable. The smallest front post is my preference. I had to tighten up the rotating leaf with a teflon spacer. The weak coil spring could not keep it from rotating from shock vibration.

No scope, no problem. My eyesight is still near perfect. I just fired at this little card size plate set at 40 yards out. Standing in the hot sun with zero wind. No rest was used.

 

[Schutzen2]

A shooting buddy of mine broke out a break barrel pellet rifle at our indoor range . I started looking into air rifles , is a whole new world. Same as reloading , pellets have different weights , sizes and shapes . I just ordered a HW95 in .177 , is a good substitute until things get back to normal. You can buy a air rifle from $ 150 to $ 2000. Spring powered or Co2 , I'm starting out with a springer. Anyone out there into air rifles?

Get one (or two). I bought a weihrauch hw97k .177 early this year for the same reason. Lots of fun. Sent it to David Slade (airgunwerks) in Tennessee and the trigger is really nice now. Then I found a RAW .25 chassis while my weihrauch was with David. Great rifle and very accurate.

 

[Brians356]

My 80 has no respect for optics. It has trashed numerous brands of "springer rated" quality scopes. I'm done with trying any more.

That's one reason I wanted the Beeman R7, only ~700 fps velocity so not as hard on scopes as the "magnums" and also very accurate. Not for nothing called the "Sweet Seven". The more violent the springer, the harder it is to hold and follow through consistently. I put a Beeman Blue Ribbon scope on it, ostensibly built for the two-way recoil of springers, and it has held up for a thousand rounds or so.
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[bobm]

I had a Beeman "Blue Ribbon" 2-7x scope (Hakko made) on a FWB 124 Sport Deluxe .177. 25K shots with no issues at all. That was a rifle comparable to your sweet R7. I am sure my 80 would break it, too. I have been running the extra powerful Vortek main springs since the original factory spring went soft at 4300 shots.

The 80 is heavy at 9 pounds, no scope. It does not have a harsh shot cycle. It is a joy to shoot like the FWB I had. Keeping a coating of high viscosity synthetic brake grease on the spring mostly eliminates vibrations. VibraTite thread lock is a must use on all screw threads.

 

[cw308]

Well guys it looks like you love shooting air guns just as much as , what do call them " powder burners". I should have my first Wednesday. Thanks for all your time and great posts. Looking forward in getting started.
Chris

 

[FNSafari]

I think I would rather watch grass grow !

 

[cw308]

No comment.

 

[Brians356]

I tested three .177 pellets from about 17 yards using my FWB 300S indoors off a bench. The rifle has a cheap red dot sight in place of the rear aperture sight. I just put five of each downrange in quick succession: Beeman Laser, Beeman Crow Magnum, and H&N Match.


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[cw308]

Doesn't look like your barrel is pellet sensitive

 

[Brians356]

Doesn't look like your barrel is pellet sensitive

It's a Lothar Walther barrel, with the bore choked slightly at the muzzle.

PS Nice thing about air rifles? Barrels don't heat up. The H&N Match were shot last.
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[cw308]

356
I just received my HW95 in .177 cleaned it up , installed the Williams aperture sight on the back but I was hoping I could leave the original rear sight on but it sits too high. Removed the peep , I'll see first how the original sights work. I'm only shooting paper at a indoor range , max. 30 yards so I wanted to only go iron sights with this rifle.
Will eventually give the peep sights a try and remove the rear sight , it comes with a globe fixed front sight which sits high to start with. I'm use to peep sights from the military , I'll see how it goes , have four different pellet types to try . Be Well.
Chris

 

[flatlander]

I bought a HW50S from Beeman in 1978. Aside from installing a fresh spring & leather seals, it's pretty much like it was when I got it, which is to say, very accurate with quality (H&N or RWS) match pellets. Almost 30yrs ago, while visiting friends in the Albuquerque, N.M. area, I bought a raffle ticket at a local gunshop down there, and wound up winning the raffle for a Rem 11-87 shotgun. When the shop called to let me know that I'd won, I asked if they had any quality air rifles that I could take instead of the shotgun, and wound up with an el Gamo single stroke pneumatic match rifle, which I enjoyed shooting offhand in the basement for at least 15yrs before it shot craps. No service or parts were available, as far as I was able to determine, so I bought a lightly used single stroke pneumatic Walther LGR from Neal Stepp at I.I.S. in Ft. Worth. This is by far the finest air rifle I've owned, and is still a joy to shoot offhand. Only drawback is that my shoulder joints are getting worn-out, and it doesn't take long for them to both get sore after a bit of shooting the LGR.

I keep looking at the PCP rifles, but after investing beau coup $$$ in several V-22/V-22S/RimX 22RF rifles, I'm hesitant to spend any money on another air rifle...

 

[divingin]

divingin
I think I'm hooked on this air rifle stuff , look into a forum on air rifles , Gateway to Airguns , opens up a whole new world. I'm starting with the HW95 in .177, good entry level springer , break barrel. To give it a go I wanted a decent trigger to start with. I want to thank everyone that answered my post .
Chris

If you really want to get in over your head, the competition guys are on TargetTalk.org. Look in the Olympic Rifle sub-forum.

 

[cw308]

divingin
Will check it out , this reminds me of the movie , The Manchurian candidate.

 

[cw308]

flatlander
I can't shoot off hand , both rotator cuff are shot from sport injuries , past the point of repairs . That's how I got into benchrest shooting , now I'm going to be a benchrest shooter with Springer's. More then one way to skin a cat , I love target shooting at 75 still going strong. Be Well.
Chris

 

[Brians356]

I'll see how it goes , have four different pellet types to try .

If you're shooting paper indoors, you'll pretty much be wasting time and money on anything other than match pellets, unless you don't value small groups above all else. The gold standard has long been H&N but I think Crosman and probably a few others now make match pellets. Having said that, the HW95 is a sporter, and typically intended for the field, where other types of pellets can shine, so it's good to know which hunting pellets your rifle prefers.
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[cw308]

356
It's my first entry level springer and will only use match grade pellets. Why use anything else , whether hunting or target shooting you want to hit what your aiming at. My Remington 700 would give any high end shooter a run for the money at 200 yards. Most cases it's the person on the trigger , yes a firearm has to be capable of the task . I've seen some great rifles owned by some horrible shooters. I have changed my 700 into a full blown benchrest shooter , completely blueprinted , match grade barrel , bedded and Jewell trigger. I just love shooting my one and only 308 , I do reload . I see some size their pellets. Looking forward to get started.
Chris

 

[divingin]

If you're shooting paper indoors, you'll pretty much be wasting time and money on anything other than match pellets, unless you don't value small groups above all else. The gold standard has long been H&N but I think Crosman and probably a few others now make match pellets. Having said that, the HW95 is a sporter, and typically intended for the field, where other types of pellets can shine, so it's good to know which hunting pellets your rifle prefers.
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The gold standard in match pellets kind of varies. R-10's (RWS) are pretty popular, as are the higher end H&N's, I think Eley is relative newcomer in air; and there used to be a couple of really good quality Chinese pellets (Qiang Yuan was one) that seem to have disappeared in the US.

My opinion is that if you're not trying to get on the Olympic team, the top end pellets likely aren't going to be much of a benefit (unless lightening up your wallet helps your accuracy.)

I shoot the RWS Meisterkugeln pellets ($9-12/500) and that's likely overkill for me. I don't see a lot of difference in my scores between those and the RWS Basic's (no idea now, but used to be about $5/500.)

Top end pellets run high teens to around $25/500 in bulk, or up to about $50/500 for true match stuff (packaged in trays, with the pellets separated like CCI primers.) All of those are imported, so cost is fluid on trade and shipping costs.

And, just like powder burning rifles, air guns have ammo preferences. A little experimentation with different pellets may help if you're looking for precision.

 

[acloco]

Have visited and read this thread with some interest.

Friend gave me a springer rifle a few years back. Imagine my surprise this evening....it is an FWS 124! No sights, but..........