Lightweight springer for lightly built pensioner

[Huttles94]

Hi all. I'm not a big poster on here these days and am a bit out of touch with the airgun scene, so I'm hoping you may be able to help me with this please.

My father has decided that after many years of work, kids, fishing and the like, that he'd like to get back into shooting. He's a lightly built just over 5' chap, still healthy but I think he'd struggle to swing my HW80 around, and he doesn't want to use a PCP so that's my HW100 out too. He wants a wood stocked, break barrel .177 with iron sights. It needn't be powerful as he's thinking he may shoot the odd rat from under the shed now and again, but will mainly be shooting targets in the garden - 20 yards tops. He will of course get the hang of targets before taking on anything living, he's a country lad born and bred so no worries there.

I've been out of the airgun scene for a good while. I shoot centrefire rifle mainly and that's where my interest lies. So I don't really know what's about and what would be good for him? The gun would need to be relatively old fashioned - I've showed him the latest BSA supersport and he doesn't like it. Not sure I do either, but you can see where this is going! The HW30S looks great but I'm not sure if he'd be better off with a rifle that the safety catch could be operated manually, and more importantly be able to be reapplied.

What's out there now? I'm aiming at sub 6lbs, not big and anything about above 6ft-lbs muzzle energy should do what he's asking. The main thing is to meet those specs - traditional wood stock, iron sights, break barrel. I'd appreciate your thoughts. Budget, well for the specs he's looking for I'd imagine most things will be ok. He said he'd be happy to pay up to about £400 - I'm pretty sure he doesn't need to!

Get him a BSA break down pattern and a nice jacket. Great little rifles and he'll look the part to 😎

[Hawkeye20]

Just go to a shop and try some. Simple

[njc110381]

We will be driving over to my local RFD soon. I was just after some basic suggestions so I could check their stock before leaving - it's quite a drive.

Dauntsey currently have a HW30, HW99s, a BSA Supersport and a Gamo Junior Hunter. Plenty to look at!

As with all things these days it's good to research before jumping in with the cash. I hate those moments when I come home with a new tool or toy only to read reviews and find out lots of folk have had issues. This way I'm going there with a plan of attack.

[les allam]

We will be driving over to my local RFD soon. I was just after some basic suggestions so I could check their stock before leaving - it's quite a drive.

Dau
Tntsey currently have a HW30, HW99s, a BSA Supersport and a Gamo Junior Hunter. Plenty to look at!

As with all things these days it's good to research before jumping in with the cash. I hate those moments when I come home with a new tool or toy only to read reviews and find out lots of folk have had issues. This way I'm going there with a plan of attack.

That's the way to go,are you taking your dad with you?.
Les..

[Shed tuner]

If you go with the 99S (i still think the 30 is better in this case), consider detuning it with a softer spring, to make it easier to cock. Say 8-9 FP rather than 10-11

[Portzy]

We will be driving over to my local RFD soon. I was just after some basic suggestions so I could check their stock before leaving - it's quite a drive.

Dauntsey currently have a HW30, HW99s, a BSA Supersport and a Gamo Junior Hunter. Plenty to look at!

As with all things these days it's good to research before jumping in with the cash. I hate those moments when I come home with a new tool or toy only to read reviews and find out lots of folk have had issues. This way I'm going there with a plan of attack.

If your'e leaning towards the 30s have a look at, if you can, the kit version. It forgoes the standard barrel length for a slighly shorter one but with a small barrel weight and a bundled 4x32 scope and, to be honest, I find them to be even better handling than the standard 30s. I have two

https://www.ronniesunshines.com/weihrauch-hw30s-kit

[gingernut]

The Webley Cub is a new "youth" rifle.

I rather liked it in the shop.
Ready to shoot with open sights and 5.3 llbs in weight.
Does 7.50 Joules.

In stock at Dauntseys and cheap.

[njc110381]

That's the way to go,are you taking your dad with you?.
Les..

Yeah he'll come too. I want him to handle all the guns really. I've got an order of what he'll end up with ideally, but if the best rifle by spec doesn't feel right then it won't work for him.

I need some primers for my new 7STW so it's a good excuse to go toy shopping!

[njc110381]

Thanks for all the advice chaps. Much appreciated. Just a quick update to say we went over there today and handled a couple of guns. My dad decided the HW30s was for him so that's what we bought. The Gamo Junior was too small and light - it felt like a toy and that's as far as we got. He liked the HW so that was that. I must say I lean that way too so I was pleased. We now have a HW100, HW80 and a HW30s in the house!

I've test fired it with three different pellets that I had hanging around. AA Field, Accupels and Baracuda Hunter Extreme. I think the AA will be the winner - I shot a five shot group at ten yards and three of them went through the same hole. The Baracuda were second which surprised me as they're heavy. I think too heavy for a low powered springer? The Accupels managed just over 1/2" which also surprised me at such short range. The gun really doesn't appear to like them at all!

So far I'm very impressed with the little HW. It feels pretty smooth and shoots nicely. I've already smacked a rat off of the bird table with it and it kills well enough. I shot it face on when it was feeding and it went straight over, kicked once and gave up. It doesn't get much more humane than that.

[les allam]

Good choice mate.
If your gun is .22, you could try rws super dome and Falcon accuracy plus .
Both good pellets and the Fap's are a nice light weight pellet.
Les

[eyebull]

Please be aware of the galling issues with the HW30s - these are best addressed sooner rather than later. Loads said on here about it before, if you want to do a search and see pics etc.

[Portzy]

Nice choice, I cannot get over how good these rifles are. I put about 100 pellets through mine the other afternoon without a hint of fatigue from either me or the gun, I do wish these had been available when I was younger.

[njc110381]

Please be aware of the galling issues with the HW30s - these are best addressed sooner rather than later. Loads said on here about it before, if you want to do a search and see pics etc.

I'll do that, thanks. It feels very smooth so I'm not sure what issues could be there but I'll look into it

[TonyL]

Thanks for all the advice chaps. Much appreciated. Just a quick update to say we went over there today and handled a couple of guns. My dad decided the HW30s was for him so that's what we bought. The Gamo Junior was too small and light - it felt like a toy and that's as far as we got. He liked the HW so that was that. I must say I lean that way too so I was pleased. We now have a HW100, HW80 and a HW30s in the house!

I've test fired it with three different pellets that I had hanging around. AA Field, Accupels and Baracuda Hunter Extreme. I think the AA will be the winner - I shot a five shot group at ten yards and three of them went through the same hole. The Baracuda were second which surprised me as they're heavy. I think too heavy for a low powered springer? The Accupels managed just over 1/2" which also surprised me at such short range. The gun really doesn't appear to like them at all!

So far I'm very impressed with the little HW. It feels pretty smooth and shoots nicely. I've already smacked a rat off of the bird table with it and it kills well enough. I shot it face on when it was feeding and it went straight over, kicked once and gave up. It doesn't get much more humane than that.

Excellent choice!

So many grown-ups end up being very pleasantly surprised with this superb little rifle. Excellent manners and easy-to-access accuracy. I'd be giving H&N FTTs a try and, if mainly short range, Hobbies always seem to go very well in these.

If it feels smooth enough and you didn't want to strip re the "galling" scares, whip the stock off and check for any witness marks where the cocking lever may rub on the underneath of the cylinder. If all looks okay, you could simply apply some high moly content grease or paste there. And whilst you have the grease out, with a thin plastic rod, try and apply a small amount to the back of the inside of the cylinder behind the piston.

[rabbitwrecker]

Sounds like the perfect choice to me. Can't say I'm surprised about your results with Accupell either and I'd also suggest a light pellet. JSB RS and Express and H&N Sniper Light are all good choices for the 30s...