Weihrauch air rifles

[Peter Pan]

I have always wanted an air rifle as far as I can remember but my dad would let me have one so now of mature mind and years and with a few bob to spare I went out at the weekend and acquired one. I did a bit of research beforehand and decided on a Weihrauch air rifle based upon the reviews I had read and the extent of my purse. I picked up for £150 a second hand .177 Weihrauch HW 85K . However this model I am struggling to find much info on. Can anyone can shed some light on this for me on its pros and cons and equally just as important its maintainance.

On a seperate note the rifle is beautiful and to me worth every penny with its pros so far being very accurate over 35-40 yards with a lovely action though somewhat heavy to carry. My aim is to do a bit of hunting on my friends farm in Dorset though I feel my skills as a marksmen are not good enough before I venture out to kill game. My second question therefore is what practise/exercises should I put in beforehand, as the last thing I want to do is not have a clean kill.

 

[pierre girard]

I have always wanted an air rifle as far as I can remember but my dad would let me have one so now of mature mind and years and with a few bob to spare I went out at the weekend and acquired one. I did a bit of research beforehand and decided on a Weihrauch air rifle based upon the reviews I had read and the extent of my purse. I picked up for £150 a second hand .177 Weihrauch HW 85K . However this model I am struggling to find much info on. Can anyone can shed some light on this for me on its pros and cons and equally just as important its maintainance.

On a seperate note the rifle is beautiful and to me worth every penny with its pros so far being very accurate over 35-40 yards with a lovely action though somewhat heavy to carry. My aim is to do a bit of hunting on my friends farm in Dorset though I feel my skills as a marksmen are not good enough before I venture out to kill game. My second question therefore is what practise/exercises should I put in beforehand, as the last thing I want to do is not have a clean kill.

Simple phrase - practise makes perfect. When shooting, practise squeezing your whole hand, not just the trigger finger. Even when you're not shooting, you can practise holding the stock and sights steady. Some folks do this while looking in a mirror.

I don't know too much about air rxxxxs, but I don't believe you are supposed to fire them without a pellet in the tube.

PG

 

[nitram55]

Great air rifles weihrauch had loads luv em.

The main thing to remember is that the kill zone on most air rifle quarry is very small (head shots) so you need to be placing shots consitently in a 25mm circle at your anticipated hunting ranges, as pierre has said practice makes perfect and the more you do the better you will become.

Hope this helps and good luck with the hunting.

Regards
Martin

 

[Longstrider]

Pierre has two things dead right. Practice makes perfect and NEVER fire the thing without a pellet in the chamber. I could go to lengthy explanations of why not, but suffice to say that doing so will knacker your Weihrauch in no time.

As for the make, Weihrauch never made a bad 'un in my reckoning. TheHW85 is basically just a slightly lighter (and very slightly less powerful) version of the HW80 despite having a slightly longer barrel. I've never used an 85 myself, but my battered and much beloved HW80 (.22") has been the bane of more rabbits, pigeon, and squirrels than I could ever count. I ordered it before they had ever been imported officially and got one of the first batch brought into the UK by Hull Cartrige. I shortened the barrel (the K version was not available when I bought mine) added a Venom silencer and, after some while, a decent scope. It's done more service than I could have ever expected it to and it's still as good a tool as it ever was.

I personally do not like .177" for rabbits, believing that a well placed .22" has more of an impact on the quarry and helps to ensure cleaner kills, but I know that many folks swear by the effectiveness of the lighter calibre. The .177" does have the advantage of a flatter trajectory (for the same power) so can be easier for a beginner to get to grips with when it comes to allowing holdover or holdunder when shooting at ranges other than that at which the sights are set.

All in all, if your new toy is in good order (you might want to fit a new mainspring as you don't know what use it's had) and you can get some serious practice in with it, I'd say that your money was well spent indeed.

You might like to take a look at the comments and info on the thread http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=12013 about setting the sights and please heed my words of safety on that thread too. Happy hunting!

 

[weekend_warrior]

When I first started out with air ri4l*s, we used old match boxes at 30 yards as a means of getting our eye in and ensuring consistant accuracy. If you can hit them time after time at that range (or 35yards) you should be fine for rabbit etc. More than 35yards with a .177 (IMHO) you risk the pellet not having enough ommmph for a clean kill. I found that the best tips I got were; remember to breathe (!) and to squeeze, not pull the trigger. Enjoy!

 

[pierre girard]

Air Rxxle Story:

I have a friend who is an avid hunter. He was raised in a rural environment, but now lives in a large city. This weighs on him.

Last time he came to my place, he brought out his solution to the problem, a Diana air rxxle with a scope. We shot the thing about a 1000 times and I'd have to say I was impressed with the accuracy.

When I next visited him, he was living in the upper story of a duplex. He would make sure the room was dark, open the window, and shoot squirrels off the roof of the house across the street. The plan was to go and collect them after dark and have a big feed. While he was shooting the squirrels, eye to the scope, he was not able to see what I could see.

As squirrel after squirrel fell from the roof and trees near the house, the neighbor came around the side of the house with a very quizzical look on his face, several dead squirrels in his hands. As he looked up toward the roof, the last shot squirrel fell off the roof and landed on his upturned face. I had to stuff a towel in my mouth, I was laughing so hard.

PG

 

[leon-1]

I would say that stability is a factor to take into account when shooting, the more stable the platform (your shooting position), the better your accuracy.

In the military they do "pokey drill" to strengthen the muscles in the upper body, you can get a similair effect by using weights (4Kg's should do it) held at arms length and waving your arms around in a slow controlled manner (the slow movement makes the muscles work and brings a level of control).

Shooting also has a lot to do with comfort, all the positions that are taught in the military are stylised so that everyone teaches the same thing, this is for the instructors benefit not the instructee (it makes life easier for the shooting coach if everyone does everything the same).

Snipers are taught to make themselves comfortable, relax whilst shooting, if they were tense they would tire very quickly, which in turn leads to the shakes and an instable firing position. They are also taught that all the postions in the pamphlets are only guidelines and when they are tested and thier firing positions are assessed this is taken into account.

One of the other guys mentioned breathing, breath normally, none of this nonsense where you are holding your breath as this once again starves the muscles of oxygen and will bring on the shakes.

Initially practice in prone position (laying down), get a nice stable position to shoot from and develop your shooting style and whilst practiceing use iron sights untill you are nice and stable (they are probably better for hunting and snap shooting anyway).

As you become more stable in one position start to practice other less stable postions working from the most stable (prone) through to the least stable (you'll have a list that goes like this, prone, sitting, kneeling, squatting and standing) and each one can be supported.

Try to keep things fluid, squeeze the trigger, breath at a comfortable rate. Effectively all they are saying is be comfortable when shooting.

 

[Klenchblaize]

God does not take from ones life the time spent squirrel hunting with an air ri-le. Or at least that is what he should have said and not something similar of those who catch fish and then throw them back!

Simply the finest sport to be had with this particular bit of kit and of similar benefit to improved marksmanship - something that is not just about putting ten shots in the ten ring from a fixed position but rather learning to judge distance, wind conditions and the effect of shooting at different angles. Or put another way knowing when to 'hold':
1. Above or below.
2. Left or right.
3. Any combination of the above as conditions dictate and without undue delay in releasing the trigger (please)! The latter being not particularly noticeable when watching "field target shooters" dialling the windage and elevation into their scopes before shooting at their mark of a known/indicated distance.

Cheers
Ps: Nothing more than a 4X scope, and less if possible, for this sport if you wish to avoid "re-acquiring the target", with head raised from stock, whenever old flicker tail does a runner - which is rather often!.

 

[CLEM]

Different mates of mine have had HW rifles at one time or another,one a HW95 another a HW77 another HW97K an a HW100 every one an excellent rifle.Me I stuck with my Webleys

 

[Rocket]

The 85k (the K is for Carbine, the shorter barrel version) is a great Rifle that should be shooting at around 11ftlb, but I'd try and get it crono'd to be sure it doesn't go over the 12ftlb limit. Weihrauch are one of the best springers that money can buy in my opinion.

Couldn't agree more with what the rest of the posters have stated. Practice is sometimes tedious, but essential!


For more information on the 85K and Air Rifling in general, I'd suggest airgunbbs amongst others.

Good luck, and be safe!

 

[Peter Pan]

Many thanks guys for all the effort and time you have all put in in responding.

 

[running bare]

as a point of reference " dont rest your rifle on a solid object ie rock,fence or tree as your shot will miss due to the recoil of the spring action"

 

[Damascus]

Like others here I have a HW80 and its still going strong, it is .177 and have had no problems with rabbits, always a head shot. Now pratice makes perfect as they say and I was blessed with a long garden to practice in and targets, End on beer or such like cans, the inner dome is about the right size for a rabbits head. Place them about the place so you get the feel and use to hitting targets at different ranges and finally drinking the contents as an added bonus.

Before anyone says don't drink and shoot, you will spill it!!!!

 

[swyn]

I agree with Klenchblaize that squirrel s**ting is the finest sport! I have a BSA (30 ft lb) which is a heavy old thing although the weight stops twitching. As everyone else has suggested practice, practice, practice. Snap sh**ting the little furry blighters will soon become second nature. The practice will also strengthen what muscles you are not used to using. i.e what Leon 1 says 'pokey drill'.
I still remember my first day with this, 10 sh*ts at a stationary squirrel almost vertical into a Beech tree... every one a miss simply forgot gravity behaves differently! It got away as I was reloading.
Have fun with your Weihrauch, I have never had one so can't help there.

 

[Snufkin]

Listen to what everyone else has told you, it's good advice. I would add that it is a good idea to test a bunch of different pellets, find the one that is most accurate with your g*n and then stick with it.

 

[moko]

Hi PP. Congrates on a fine purchase. I have HW and do a fair amount of hunting for the pot. (mainly bunnies) My pennies worth has to be 'head shots only' please.
Its the only sure way to disbatch an animal with the least amount of suffering. With that said, it is far from easy to hit a target the size of a chicken egg at 30 odd yards whilst standing - so get some serious practice in. You could take the hide option and stake out a warren or other habitat.

 

[Burnt Ash]

Hi PP. Congrates on a fine purchase. I have HW and do a fair amount of hunting for the pot. (mainly bunnies) My pennies worth has to be 'head shots only' please.
Its the only sure way to disbatch an animal with the least amount of suffering. With that said, it is far from easy to hit a target the size of a chicken egg at 30 odd yards whilst standing - so get some serious practice in. You could take the hide option and stake out a warren or other habitat.

There's an old saying: " A shot through the head is dead. A shot to the body is shoddy". With small game (squirrels, rabbits, pigeon, etc.), that's a fair rule of thumb.

With open (iron) sights I was taught always to focus on the fore-sight (not on the target or the rear-sight). Breath normally while aquiring the target in the sights. Half exhale and hold your breath as you steady to take the shot. Squeeze the trigger as if it were a soft fruit that you didn't want to bruise. All else being equal, the fitter you are and the lower your resting pulse rate, the more accurate a rifle shot you should be.

Burnt Ash

 

[leon-1]

as a point of reference " dont rest your rifle on a solid object ie rock,fence or tree as your shot will miss due to the recoil of the spring action"

Interesting as soldiers that have hit what they require with no problems at all are taught to do exactly that. People are taught not to fire with the barrel not resting on another object as this will effect the natural obduration of the barrel and thus affecting the accuracy of the shot.

They do however use the furniture of the rifle as the resting part and not the barrel of the weapon itself. The other option is to use a part of your body in the way, i,e; your hand or a bean bag to absorb vibration.

I have been shooting for a long time (since I was about 5 and a lot of the time for food), with kit that not many people have ever used, I started with air rifles, and I still love them to bits today and still use them. There are not too many people who could say that they have used the same kit that I have and most of them are not military. I have shot targets upto a range of 2400m wtih the object being less than 18 inches in diameter.

This is my major point about shooting being to do with stability, if you are not comfortable, then you will not hit on the majority of the times and that applies to both physical and mental comfort.

Don't shoot because you are forcing yourself, shoot because you both enjoy it and you want to, if you are hunting then be aware of the consequences (you kill it and gut it, or whatever the prep needed to eat it) and don't kill for sheer pleasure.

 

[MartiniDave]

I very recently picked up a second hand HW77, finally fulfilling a 20+ year ambition to own one. Despite being .22 - my preference is for .177 - it is a cracking good bit of kit, pushing my AA Tx200 very hard for accuracy.
As far as I know the HW85 was a development of the BSF 55 Bavaria (HW bought BSF in the 80's) I don't think it was a great comercial success but that doesn't mean that it was not a good rifle. Enjoy it.

Dave

 

[tomtom]

i have a venom'd HW80 and its shoots pretty sweet its a nice full power springer though a little on the heavy side i get on pretty well with it.. they are nicely made guns!