Classics versus new

[Hsing-ee]

Modern pellets make a massive amount of difference to the accuracy of rifles. If you try an old, good quality rifle, which has been lubed properly, with modern pellets, they give very good results.

For example in the last year I got the following results

1978 Weihrauch HW35 Export, with .22 Air Arms Field pellets - 24mm group 45 yards.

This would never have been possible 30 years ago, you would have been looking at 50mm at least, even with the best pellets.

1975 BSF Bavaria B55, with H&N FTT, .177 - 20mm group at 30 yards. I remember this rifle would do 70mm at 40 yards with the old pellets.

1979 Feinwerkbau Sport, .177, with H&N Match, 7mm group 25 yards, average, some of them much smaller and spread was probably down to my poor technique. This is about as good as a HW97/ProSport etc...


Etc etc ... Of course air-rifle design has improved - best place to see this is in the development of the Air-Arms rifles from the rather crude Jackals through the more sophisticated Air Arms sidelevers to the TX200 series and then to the immaculately conceived ProSport. The direct-loading fixed-barrel sporting rifle was a great step forward, but the pellets have given alot of the increase in accuracy. Even the leather washers don't affect things that much in the old guns, and I have a feeling they might actually be better, especially in a variable climate like the UK has.

I suggest you get a quality older springer, like an early 1970s HW35, and try it out after scrubbing the barrel and giving it a clean and re-lube. You might be very pleasantly suprised ...