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tuck1
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Hello all

 

I'm after an old air rifle for occasional hunting trips. For the purposes of this I don't want or need anything requiring scuba gear, pumps or any of that malarky. In short, I'm thinking a springer, must be up around the 12lb mark, and consistently accurate. Tatty but useable is the watchword here, for the odd maggie and squirrel in the garden, and a few trips out with a lad who I'm showing the ropes to. He'll probably lose interest soon and be into XBox or something next week so cheap is the way forward.

 

This thread is a two parter really. It's been a long time since I was in the worls of airgun hunting, so I'm after advice too. Are there any suitable deals/kits out there? Links to good places to buy?

 

To show my age, when I was into this, the HW77 and HW80 were the benchmark "achievable" rifles, guns like the theoben scirocco were dream guns. I know things have moved on a lot since then, but these are the type of thing I'm looking at.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

I should have stated, I'm left handed so an ambi stock is essential.

Ta

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Hello all

 

I'm after an old air rifle for occasional hunting trips. For the purposes of this I don't want or need anything requiring scuba gear, pumps or any of that malarky. In short, I'm thinking a springer, must be up around the 12lb mark, and consistently accurate. Tatty but useable is the watchword here, for the odd maggie and squirrel in the garden, and a few trips out with a lad who I'm showing the ropes to. He'll probably lose interest soon and be into XBox or something next week so cheap is the way forward.

 

This thread is a two parter really. It's been a long time since I was in the worls of airgun hunting, so I'm after advice too. Are there any suitable deals/kits out there? Links to good places to buy?

 

To show my age, when I was into this, the HW77 and HW80 were the benchmark "achievable" rifles, guns like the theoben scirocco were dream guns. I know things have moved on a lot since then, but these are the type of thing I'm looking at.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

I should have stated, I'm left handed so an ambi stock is essential.

Ta

hi you could catch a theoben sciroccos for around £150, ive seen a few in gun mart..well hw are still up there at the top of the range springers but there heavy beasts.

id recommend a used bsa lightning, you should catch one for £100 or a webley xocet, both i beleive but not 100% are ambidextrous..i mention these 2 for reasons, there verry light, solidly built and made to last a life time..the weight will suite your junior too..if the recoil does your head in you could opt for theoben gas ram being fitted for around £50.... i know you didnt want a pcp but there is alot of bargains used around..i not long ago got a venom viper with pump,scope and logun lamp £180 verry cheap the rifle alone new are £380..ive also bought pcp titans for £130 used obviously..hope ive helped you a bit

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Thanks all. I've managed to pick up a HW35. This thing is heavy! I'm not sure how I'm going to get on with it really, could have been a mistake. I can't believe how loud it is. Can a gas ram be fitted to it?

 

I really should have waited and taken some more advice. The washer that goes around the breech where the pellet is loaded seems to be a bit degraded, can I replace it/should I bother? It seems to have plenty of power.

Cocking system seems to take a bit of getting used to too.

 

Hmm. What do you think? Is it worth hanging on to it and giving it a try? Is it worth much second hand?

 

Thanks for all the info.

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Guest The Outlaw

Its not a plinker I am familiar with but yes you should be able to get new seals for it, I have an old side lever Diana .22 that needed every thing fixing.

My local gunsmith sorted it out and even fitted a sound moderator to it.

It is great for the kids to bunny bash with because of the weight it doesnt bouce back as much.

They wanted me to make a bipod for it though so we improvised with a bank stick or a chair when in the garden target shooting.

I let them use my Finewerkenbaur .22 (cant spell it the top of my head but you know what I mean)its easier to cock and a bit lighter now they are used to the kick.

Tony

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Unfortunately I just can't justify that kind of cash, it really is going to get VERY occasional use. Haven't had the HW35 out yet really, but the two pellets I put through it sounded very loud, at least compared to my rimmy. Can that be right? Maybe it just goes to show how far things have moved on with rimfires and moderators.

 

The washer bit around the breech where the pellet goes in looks a bit degraded, looks like it could be a leather one too. Does anyone know if this is easy to replace, and if it is affecting noise/power? I know Chambers do things like this but DIY is not my forte. (Come to think of it, I'm not sure if I have a Forte....)

 

I might well be interested in a gas ram for it if the price is OK, the improvement worthwhile and if it is available, purely because this could well be a gun I keep for 20 years, as long as I can shoot it straight.

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Bad news for you If you want to fit a gas ram spring bud, It cant be fitted to any H W spring powered rifle that does not have the trigger ***/sear locking on the piston tube itself.! the HW model 35, 80 ,95, 97,etc that is fitted with the Record trigger ***, can not be converted. !thats why when H W intoduced the HW 90 (really the HW 80 Model) it was the same gun but with the piston held back by the sear release on the new piston tube.

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tuck1

 

i'm pretty much old school too when it comes to springers

 

and IMO the three weapons you mention were icons and pretty much the pinnacle of their kind

 

strong, robust, accurate but alas heavy and noisey

 

seek one out, good examples are still around at fair prices

 

either that or come aboard the good ship PCP, you won't regret it

 

TP

 

ps don't think you can get silver jet pellets no more :huh:

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:good: Time to enter the new millennium for me do you think TP?

 

I think you are right, I am very interested in all the new gear that's around, and will hopefully be getting something on the PCP front when money permits - the problem that I have is that I don't fancy having to have more diving gear than the SBS sitting round the house! Quickfill adaptors, stirrup pumps - sounds like a Prague stag do!

 

If I get one, can any mate with a dive bottle charge me up, or is there loads of different accessories I'll need to do it?

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Tuck

 

a bottle, hose and gauge don't take up much room and if you have access to some one elses air all the better :sly::lol:

 

shed load of second hand PCP's around, complete outfits make good buys people seem to out the lot and buy afresh, i've been guilty of that one

 

i can remember years ago in the early days of FTR comps when PCPs first came along and trounced all before them

 

definately a huge leap forward :good::/

 

ps, so long as your mates bottle contains breathing air and has adequate pressure , all will be good

 

TP

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A good springer on a budget?

Gun snobs stop reading here!

Just before the online sales ban, decided I fancied an new "shoot'n Iron" but not got a lot of dosh, what to do?

Local online retailer hasn't got his FA dealers licence thro & was unloading stock.

SMK XS20 copy of the Weihrauch HW95K (or Beeman R9 copy if you prefer) in .22

Gun £80 Scopes 3-9x40 Mildot £25 Accushot mounts £12 total £117 fetched it myself to save £10 postage.

Metalwork=excellent, Stock=plenty good enough, trigger=copy of the HW Rekord trigger excellent, Accuracy=as good as any springer i ever had in 33 years of airgunning, power= right up there where it should be.

Alright, so it's not a HW95K or R9 but barring a few minor cosmetic differences, you'd be hard pressed to tell in any regard that matters. More importantly for me, the rig didn't cost me the £300 I haven't got.

I'm not about to get into the cheap imports argument & no doubt some of the low end SMK stuff is pants. However, for the money it looks & performs like the dogs danglies.

Squirrel had the audacity to enter my garden just an hour ago. Only a 20 meter shot, but a single headshot exactly where I put the cross hairs. Game over.

Reasonable quality squirrel-slayer, on a budget, can be done

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