300S Junior - Any being used in the UK?

[zooma]

I would like to find and buy a nice example of a Feinwerkbau 300S Junior for my wife to have a go at bell target and target shooting as my 300S is too big and too heavy for her to use

I have never actually seen a 300S Junior, but I am guessing as it has the same action but with a shorter stock and no barrel weight and that it would be a good choice for her to start with - but it would be good to hear from anyone who has any experience with one or who knows of a better option.

The only other sensible choice I am aware of would be the LGR Junior, but this would be harder to cock than the 300S Junior - but again I have never seen one of these either!

[Wadhill1]

I have a junior a match and a universal.

The way they shoot is exactly the same.
The junior is obviously lighter and as a rifle is beautiful to shoot.
The shorter stock make standing shots very comfortable and the rear iris is perfectly placed to the eye.

HTH

Charles

[Hsing-ee]

It is an ex-club gun and it has seen some action. It is lighter and 'handier' than the regular 300, doesn't have the barrel shroud, has a shorter, lighter stock, but is a very fine, accurate rifle.

[zooma]

Thanks for your replies - it seems like the 300S Junior would be ideal for my wife to learn to shoot with, and by the sound of it a nice rifle for me to have a go with as well!

I look forward to getting one here to "play with" and to see how I like it compared to my own elderly ( but good) 300S - it should be very interesting as both have the same action but are sufficiently different to give an alternative feel.

The smaller size and lighter weight should be "ideal".

[Jimlad]

Hi Zooma,

The 300s Junior is a fine rifle, as you say the same action as the full 300s only a little shorter and lighter, If you wife is of a physical stature that it is impossible for her to use the full 300s it would be an option, although the lighter rifle is not always an advantage, they jump and wonder around a lot more, we have a 17 year old girl not much more that five foot tall using a full 300s and to a good standard, it is all down to the shooters stance, the weight of the rifle should be supported over the feet and body it will make a huge difference, I don’t know your wife and it would be impossible for me to say, if she should be able to use the full 300s or not, but if she is unable to use the 300, and because you don’t see many 300 juniors coming up for sale, another option maybe the Air Arm Pre Charged 400 MPR an excellent rifle that we use the kids on the youth Proficiency Schemes, probably a little lighter than the 300s Junior, a superb trigger, easy to load and an adjustable cheek piece.

Jim

[Hsing-ee]

Plenty of space in the stock to hide some lead ballast!

[Jimlad]

As I said the heavier the rifle the better, he already has a full size 300s, i don't see the point in buying a junior rifle and adding lead to it, it rather defeats the object?

Jim

[Hsing-ee]

As I said the heavier the rifle the better, he already has a full size 300s, i don't see the point in buying a junior rifle and adding lead to it, it rather defeats the object?

Jim

So his wife can have a rifle?

[Bartmick]

I bought a 300S junior for my daughter, she is 4'11" and about 7stone and 14yrs old, she absolutely adores her rifle and chooses it over the AA200 and the AA400, the recoil is minimal and it is well balanced, I have also used this rifle in competition and done reasonably well with it, a fair few at our club have shot this rifle and no one has ever said anything bad about it, I find it a pleasure to shoot and I have a waiting list of shooters who want to purchase it. It is a rifle you could practice all day with, without effort, a true classic, but hard to obtain
Mick

[zooma]

I bought a 300S junior for my daughter, she is 4'11" and about 7stone and 14yrs old, she absolutely adores her rifle and chooses it over the AA200 and the AA400, the recoil is minimal and it is well balanced, I have also used this rifle in competition and done reasonably well with it, a fair few at our club have shot this rifle and no one has ever said anything bad about it, I find it a pleasure to shoot and I have a waiting list of shooters who want to purchase it. It is a rifle you could practice all day with, without effort, a true classic, but hard to obtain
Mick

My wife is also slightly under 5ft and weighs not much more than 7 stone, so I am thinking the 300S Junior with its slightly shorted length and lower weight would be an ideal rifle for her to start with, and I am delighted to read such favourable comments about its performance.

Maybe if she gains some confidence and experience with the 300S Junior she would be in a better position to shoot with a full size 300S ( or similar) in the future, but I do know of at least one female shooter that has done very well with "junior" sized rifles and has chosen to stay with this size up to and including national and international competition use.

Time will tell, but I am now even more convinced that this is the way to go at this stage and I would be happy to see if the rifle is ever "grown out of" in terms of size and weight etc, or whether this size of rifle remains her choice in the longer term.

[RobinC]

As I said the heavier the rifle the better, he already has a full size 300s, i don't see the point in buying a junior rifle and adding lead to it, it rather defeats the object?

Jim

Because the Junior is shorter and better ballanced for the more petite shooter, adding weight to the butt brings the ballance back and makes it even better. Weight is rarely an issue for the shorter shooter, length and ballance point is. Now these old rifles are classics and owners are more reluctant to shorten them so it is perfectly logical to look for a Junior

If your 17 year old shoots reasonable with a full size rifle think how much better she may be with a rifle that fits!
Do you think its just a fashion that modern rifles rifles are adjustable in length? Rifles such as the 300s were made long to fit the average person, any one who was any good then alterered it to fit, and having spent the last 40 years sawing bits off of rifles I can assure you its very important to get the fit correct.
Good Shooting
Robin

[avanti]

Now these old rifles are classics and owners are more reluctant to shorten them so it is perfectly logical to look for a Junior
Rifles such as the 300s were made long to fit the average person, any one who was any good then alterered it to fit, and having spent the last 40 years sawing bits off of rifles I can assure you its very important to get the fit correct.
Good Shooting
Robin

Hi Robin - I have a beautiful Diana 75 in superb condition,the only problem is I am Left Handed an the Diana sits in a R/H stock.I have been tempted to have the cheek-piece altered by a professional to make it more comfortable to shoot (The grip area is not a real problem for me so I will leave this alone) - My question is ;
If I do have it altered will it totally ruin the rifle and make this classic unsaleable if I decide later to sell it and just to stick with my FWB 300S L/H?

Thanks

Dick

[zooma]

Hi Robin - I have a beautiful Diana 75 in superb condition,the only problem is I am Left Handed an the Diana sits in a R/H stock.I have been tempted to have the cheek-piece altered by a professional to make it more comfortable to shoot (The grip area is not a real problem for me so I will leave this alone) - My question is ;
If I do have it altered will it totally ruin the rifle and make this classic unsaleable if I decide later to sell it and just to stick with my FWB 300S L/H?

Thanks

Dick

Hi Dick,

I have a nice left handed Model 66 - if you would consider some sort of an exchange deal with your Model 75, please PM me.

[RobinC]

There you are Dick, Zooma has the perfect answer! Grab it quick they are rare!

The not so perfect one is, my wife and I have always bought our rifles to shoot not collect, we have also kept our old guns when we bought new ones. So we have no classics, just rifles (and pistols!) we bought to shoot that have become part of our shooting history and some have now become classics.
From my experience the collector is a finicky sod and any alteration to a classic will devalue it in their eyes, so I'd think very carefully before you alter it.
People like me don't see it that way. I would dearly love to get back one of the few guns we sold, my wifes Original 75 which was extensively modified for her, I would see it as sacriledge if some one had restored it to standard.
Have Fun and Good shooting.
Robin

[Jimlad]

Hi Robin,

The young lady concerned has tried quite a few rifles ( 300s, 300s junior, FWB P70 Junior, and an AA400MPR) and has returned to the full 300s with better results.

Jim