Found myself with £400 to play with. Springer time.

[Arthur John Smithsplease]

I know many of you would have looked for a good second hand pcp or one top of the range springer. So what did I get? Two (that's right two) brand new ones.

I bought a HW99s in 22 and a HW30s in 177. Money well spent.

It's over thirty years since I had a 22 springer (my springers - and pcps, when I had them - have been exclusively 177 for three decades), but felt it was high time I revisited the calibre of my youth.

Took my HW99s to the range today and used it for the first time. At 209 quid it is superb value for money. Didn't even clean the barrel. Never did in the old days, so I thought sod it. Light, beautifully balanced and very smooth. Initial shots were very encouraging , but then I got into conversation with other shooters, and, concentration interrupted, accuracy inevitably dropped off. But when you shoot it right it does the job. I had to learn the 22 trajectory all over again.

From the factory it's a bloody good gun, with very little recoil, but I will eventually do a few things to it to make it even better - strip and relube, delrin guide and top hat etc.. Cocking required some effort but was initially very smooth. After about a hundred pellets it seemed a little graunchy, and that may be an indication that it needs some attention, even though it's the latest model. I felt it might benefit from a little more weight up front (a sleeve or barrel weight) and the trigger was heavy in the second stage but impressive nevertheless. I have a Walther LGU and an LGV which I rate very highly, but the 99s has rekindled my love for the Rekord trigger unit.

It's a handsome little gun for the money and very pointable, especially with a lightish scope like my Nikon Prostaff EFR, and in future I will be trying my hand at standing shots with it.

I doubt however that I will keep the Nikon scope on it however. It's a lovely scope but my tired old eyes can't cope with x9 magnification any more. Although I take most of my shots at x6 or x7 I like to see where they land on paper, and with x9 at 30 yards plus I just can't do that. I have found that I need a minimum of 12 for that purpose, but I intend to start another thread on that in the future.

As for the 30s, I haven't shot it yet. It is a pretty little springer and a joy to hold. I bought it with half a mind to getting my wife involved in my hobby. Something tells me, however, that she will struggle to get it out of my hands.

Thanks to all those, especially TonyL, who helped me make up my mind about buying these little gems.

[Trumpetier]

Fine choices Arthur, enjoy

[Lightning1981]

Got my hw99s today in .177 and love it already 😀

[PCPShooter]

I use rws shp's in my 177 30s, with fibre optic opens - my bell target set up

It soots em, super I used to use hobbies but too much like tennis - often returned !

[frazier]

rws shp's

what are these?

[frazier]

btw Arthur. The 99s I've tried and you cannot go wrong. The 30s is highly thought of and one I'd like to try to compare with my Diana 240 classic.

You've been looking long enough - now it's time to enjoy them

[MattyBoy]

what are these?

Super Hollow Point

Matty

[TonyL]

Congratulations, Arthur.

It sounds like you're made up already, and rightly so. And just wait until you use the little 30. I know I've said it many, many times, but they really are little gems. If not used for long range, they really are superbly accurate, easy to use all day long and so, so forgiving.

If you didn't want to strip the 99 just yet, get some moly paste (Drake Tooling have the 60% variety), whip the stock off and check that it is the latest type (the anti-galling strip will be obvious), apply some of the paste and see how you go.

If I had £400 to spend, I'd spend EXACTLY as you have done, on these two little beauts.

[Dan944]

Lovely choices,
I have both although the 99s is relatively new and not even shot 50 through it, as its gonna be a caliber change project from .177 to .22.

The hw30s on the other hand, I do have experience with and have turnt mine into one of my favourite springers ( and I have quite a few which really is a understatement! )
With ought doubt as tony above says, they really are a absolute gem. I've had a venom bull barrel shroud with the front vents made for mine by mr pope, and have tube all internals and the thing will outshoot many many high end guns when there's no wind.

It's obviously mid power at 7.5 ish but I can tell you that with mine I have put in a group of around 7mm at 55 yards with no wind and that's with jsb express 452. It's an absolute amazing little thing with hardly any recoil, and since I added the heavy bull barel shroud and the internal Vmach tuning, the recoil is near non existent and is why its so accurate to shoot!

Enjoy

Daniel

[landymick]

what are these?

I think he means R.W.S Super hollow points.
As Matty says.

[Mrrubberglover]

Ive got a hw30s. Its got a hawke Panorama 3-9×40 on it and it is a joy to shoot .
id be happy putting it up against anything out to 40yrds. Mine likes Air Arms 4.52s as do all my .177 springers. Sometimes it makes me wonder why youd need more !!!!

[TonyL]

As for the 30s, I haven't shot it yet. It is a pretty little springer and a joy to hold. I bought it with half a mind to getting my wife involved in my hobby. Something tells me, however, that she will struggle to get it out of my hands.

C'mon, Arthur, been wondering for days.......

Have you managed to have a good play with the little one yet??

[Arthur John Smithsplease]

Not properly yet, Tony.

My spare scope is a cheap Walther 6x42 AO that came "free" with a gun I got from Germany. I've never used it.

It's about 13" long and really needs a set of high mounts. I don't have an extra set of highs at present, and, anyway, I think the scope is too long for the hw30s - will spoil its lines.

So I'm looking at getting a cheap alternative - maybe a Mountmaster as a temporary fix, or better still a Hawke 2-7x32.

[TonyL]

The open sights are pretty good, Arthur, but then I seem to remember that you may have a few issues using opens?

Some of the Mountmasters I've looked through have seemed pretty good, to be fair.

And I've heard good things about the newer Hawke 2-7x32 AO with glass etched reticle.

[Arthur John Smithsplease]

Yes, my eyes aren't what they used to be Tony. Opens are OK for the back garden but on the range I really need a scope.

I've noticed that even most 4 x 40 scopes are about 12" long, so I think I might try the Walther after all. It's proably as good as most cheap Chinese scopes and seems quite bright.

It's got some cheap mounts with it which would be OK for a pcp, but probably not strong enough for a springer. However the HW30s is a low powered gun. Even though it has mount holes in the receiver, does a 6fpe air rifle really need a mount with an arrestor pin?

Not a problem (I've got a spare set of Sportsmatch two piece mediums) but I just wondered.