Air rifle help and advice needed

[georann]

Hi All
So yesterday I won a Weihrauch HW97k (in .22) at the British Shooting Show.
I know what I'm doing when it comes to .22 Target rifles (I compete with the uni with them) but air rifles are a whole new game to me.
I've shot plenty of them and know a bit, but don't really know where I'm going with this one so hopefully some of you wonderful people can help!
Most of my shooting will probably be FT and plinking, but maybe with the odd bit of target thrown in (not planning on doing any hunting)
I know most of my questions wont have definitive answers, but your personal opinion is all I ask.

1. What pellets should I use? It came with a tin of Weihrauch F&T Special
2. What scope should I buy? I'm on a student budget so something around the £50 mark, for the above types of shooting at anything between 10 and 50 yards. Also scope mounts to go with it?
3. Any recommendations on gun slips and slings? This is gunna sound daft, but something I could cycle with on my back would be ideal (my bike is my main method of transport at uni!)
4. Is it possible to add an iron sight to this gun? I imagine the built in silencer makes this quite difficult, but would be more what I'm used to if possible.
5.Bipods? I imagine they're a bit pointless with the underlever and a rest would be better if at all
6. Anyway to cut the weight down? Haven't really handled it much (waiting for a friend to drop it round my house as I couldn't cycle home with it in its box!) but it seemed fairly heavy
7. Any other advice?

Its tempting to swap it with someone for something more suited to me, especially as I know they're well regarded guns, but that doesn't seem right considering I won it in a charity draw.

Thanks in advance
Dan

 

[wales1]

1.Air rifles can be pellet fussy, so would recommend trying a few brands, crosman acupells seemed ok in my old hw97 when I had one.
2. Hawke scopes are good value for money. Just steer clear of their cheapest ones like the hawke sport (I found the crosshairs quite thick on the sport, maybe just being fussy).
3. Gun slip, I have certainly never tried cycling and carrying a rifle, but would imagine something like a tactical rifle bag would be ideal. Looks more like a guitar bag with two straps to secure it to your back, and i have cycled with a guitar, so know a bag along them lines will do.
4. Not sure about iron sights.
5. Bipod on a spring rifle, not a great idea if you want any sort of accuracy. You can get away with it on a bullet rifle as they react differently to an air rifle.
6. Yes the Weihrauch is a heavy rifle, interfering with the weight/balance of the gun would only lead to issues with accuracy i think. You will struggle to better the rekord trigger unit on the weihrauch too.
7. Any other advice- if you are planning on target shooting with the this rifle, trade it for a .177 calibre, perhaps also consider getting it tuned. Out of the box, the hw97 is great, but get it tuned professionally and it's a whole different beast

steve

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Ok I have a hw97k mk1.

I put a venom kit inside which lessened the recoil and allows me to get much longer accurate shots. Other than than that take it to tony and Sandwell field sports he's amazing he will make that 97k out of this world. I put the kt synthetic stock on it and it is a fair bit lighter. Bipod IS A COMPLETE NO GO! It will completely ruin the gun and you'll never get a consistent shot! Scopes are down to personal preference. I like mtc mamba lites and hawke sidewinders. But then again you might not get on with them. Also you can unscrew the inbuilt silencer on the end with a 7mm Allen and get a adaptor and fit another silencer if you plan to do any hunting with it. And hw97s in all fairness aren't really known to be all that pellet fussy. Try aa field diabolos. Mine loves them!



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[georann]

Hi Steve thanks for the advice!
Any suggested model Hawke scopes in my price bracket for the type of shooting I'm doing.
I agree with you on the .177 trade, but unlikely to find someone with a new .177 wanting to swap (I've also thought about a HW77 in .177 as a swap)!

 

[georann]

Thanks John. I think a venom kit and/or taking it to be tuned is probably a bit too pricey for me though!

 

[wingstoo]

Plenty of bag options on Ebay, depends what you want to pay, and if you want a pack as well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=m570.l3201&_nkw=backpack+rifle+bag&_sacat=0

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Honestly buddy best £70 you'll ever spend!


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[Jonbodthethird]

Thanks John. I think a venom kit and/or taking it to be tuned is probably a bit too pricey for me though!

Honestly matey best £70 you'll ever spend to improve that gun for the money. Makes it unbelievably better.


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[Jonbodthethird]

Also while your at it polish the trigger mechanism with a dremel and some thin cutting paste. Helps make it a little better.


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[peaks]

+1 for Sandwell. They transform rifles with their tuning.

 

[wales1]

I can certainly second the venom tuning. Have had a couple of lazaglide tuned guns (not sure if they still do the full lazaglide tune since webley bought over venom). With regards to an ideal scope, for something in the 50 quid bracket you would be looking at secondhand. A hawke varmint, AirMax or if your really fortunate with a bargain hunt a decent Simmons whitetail classic perhaps. Been a few years since I last bought a scope so may well be some better options now. Just steer clear of base models/cheap and nasty's, nothin worse than crowning a decent rifle with a tat scope

steve

 

[georann]

Thanks guys.
Tuning may well be an option, but only after I've shelled out the £100 its gonna cost me for a slip, scope and mounts!
I'm guessing ebay is the place to go for 2nd hand scopes?

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Thanks guys.
Tuning may well be an option, but only after I've shelled out the £100 its gonna cost me for a slip, scope and mounts!
I'm guessing ebay is the place to go for 2nd hand scopes?

Wouldn't buy a 2nd hand scope from the internet transit will practically write the a good scope off! Never been a fan of buying scopes through the internet. Better going to a decent shop and literally getting a feel and good look down them. Hawke do make a good setup. I'd spend loads on the scope and get some medium scope rails nothing to high or it will change the potential of the scopes accuracy.


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[wingstoo]

Thanks guys.
Tuning may well be an option, but only after I've shelled out the £100 its gonna cost me for a slip, scope and mounts!
I'm guessing ebay is the place to go for 2nd hand scopes?

And new ones... Needn't be too expensive either, after all it is only short range stuff you will be using it for, so 3 or 4 times magnification X 40 will be ample.

Bag and scope well under £100.

 

[georann]

BSA scopes seem quite affordable such as the BSA essentials 3-9x40IR, but I guess they're pretty pants

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Don't worry about a good bag. I use a semi hard case for transit.


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[georann]

Don't worry about a good bag. I use a semi hard case for transit.

Not really an option on a bike though!

 

[Swallow]

BSA scopes seem quite affordable such as the BSA essentials 3-9x40IR, but I guess they're pretty pants

I've just been looking at those as well as I've been looking in the same price bracket so would be interested in opinions as well.

But I'm looking at attaching it to a very 2nd hand BSA as a complete novice setup rather than a Weihrauch.

 

[wingstoo]

I have a BSA scope that is pretty good, got it from cash converters for about a tenner...

Don't get too hung up about names and powers, the bigger the power the bigger the error.

A 3X at 50mtrs is the same as shooting at about 15mtrs... at 30mtrs it is 10mtrs, a scope isn't really (or certainly shouldn't be) necessary at ranges under 300mtrs... I used to fire 7.62mm military rifles at three hundred without a scope and could put group of 5 in 63mm at 100mtrs so an air rifle at 50mtrs it is more for placing of a single shot more than anything.

 

[Swallow]

I have a BSA scope that is pretty good, got it from cash converters for about a tenner...

Don't get too hung up about names and powers, the bigger the power the bigger the error.

A 3X at 50mtrs is the same as shooting at about 15mtrs... at 30mtrs it is 10mtrs, a scope isn't really (or certainly shouldn't be) necessary at ranges under 300mtrs... I used to fire 7.62mm military rifles at three hundred without a scope and could put group of 5 in 63mm at 100mtrs so an air rifle at 50mtrs it is more for placing of a single shot more than anything.

In my case it is about learning to keep my Bunny Boiler in the style she is accustomed to.

Spring rifle = single shot in that scenario as I understand it.

Do you recommend scope or no scope in that case? Rifle is good for 40 yards with a scope I'm told.