My last springer purchase.

[bozzer]

I have owned 35 and the 77K but in 177, so I am not unfamiliar with both guns, but believe I would prefer them in 22.

So, what do you reckon?

This isn't really advice ... just ramblings.

I'd normally ask what people want to use the springer for. However, this seems a desire to just own one of the rifles, for the sake of owning it, and that's just fine.

I am struggling to get my head around this a bit though.

The best 77k I have ever owned was an old dog of a 0.22 in 25mm that I rescued from a local shop. It was in a dreadful state. I did the usual ... polished up internals ... new seals ... finished off the spring properly ... Top Hat and Rear guide ( Delrin ) ... relube. It shot absolutely superb. It was the easiest 77k I've had to hit things with. Hardly a nudge in the shoulder etc etc. The problem was it was doing about 14.5fp. So it had to be turned down to under 12fp. It was still nice at 12fp ... but my word it was sweet at 14.5fp. It felt like that's where it should be.

So, if you are buying a brand new 26mm 0.22 ... it's going to want to be around 17-18fp plus. So running it at about 11fp ... it's a crippled gun.

Hence the ravings about the 0.177 25mm 77s as they are, tuned up, pretty much where they should be at 11-12fp ( ok prob more like 12-13fp ).

So I'd struggle having a rifle that was running crippled in it's standard out of the box form and I'd have to start ripping it open and doing things to the insides so it was running more efficiently ( reducing volume etc ).

Most 0.22 springers, running non crippled, are usually better to shoot than 0.177. Usually less kick because the gun is making the power with less effort ( usually less spring ).

You obviously shoot at Atherton up the stairs, off a bench. So that's about 40 ish yards max.

Off the bench if you are zeroing or dialling for each range you shoot at it won't make any difference if you are shooting 0.177 or 0.22 ... just aim on and shoot. The 0.22 would be more challenging in that scenario if you didn't zero or dial, and just aimed over and under. You'd have to know the amount to aim over/under. More so than a 0.177. However, with modern multi point scopes that won't make that much difference either unless you stick with a basic 30/30 ret. Up to 40 yards there won't be that much aiming off but it's an added challenge if you are shooting at tiny kills or looking for very tight groups on paper.

I suppose my answer/advice ( ... and you've sort of already had it above ) comes down to whether you insist on buying a brand new rifle. If you don't ... then I would be screaming at you to get hold of an old 25mm 0.22 77k. If it isn't already tuned up then throw in a basic kit ( is Tinners still doing these ... I've been away for a wee while ? ). Then enjoy shooting that at Atherton. If it's not really what you'd hoped then sell on and try the HW35 0.22. You won't lose hardly anything if you bought at the right price. As above, you could even buy both second hand for under 400 notes.

If it's defo brand new then I'd get the HW77k in 0.22. You already have the break barrel LGV. If you want to play iron sights ... full length 77 ... but indoors ... off a bench ... scoped ... I don't see the need ... unless you need something very long to compensate for other issues. The rifle version is slightly easier to cock due to the longer cocking arm leverage but it's not that hard to cock a 77k in 0.22 that's doing 11fp. The extra weight of the 77k or 77 rifle isn't going to make that much difference from Atherton car park and up the stairs.

[Arthur John Smithsplease]

Thanks for the replies.

And sensible advice.