Reply With QuoteDespite the flaws, they handle well and shoot very well. The .177” version was the FT rifle to beat before the HW77 came along.
Muddled
Still quality though. Im not so sure about the 'best looking' though.Originally Posted by Muskett;8160829
Any air rifle with a spring in is old technology... [COLOR="#FF0000"a bit like I.J.[/COLOR] and I
Lastly the FWB Sport remains one of the best looking rifles of all time.
Last edited by I. J.; 26-07-2022 at 02:07 PM.
Founder & ex secretary of Rivington Riflemen.
www.rivington-riflemen.uk
Dodgy Diana User
Despite the flaws, they handle well and shoot very well. The .177” version was the FT rifle to beat before the HW77 came along.
Registered User
Us or the Sport?
HW35 is a bit of a Hippo.
FWB Sport lines are sporty looking. As said above it was "The" rifle to beat for a short while. It is the right weight for extended plinking and shooting standing unsupported. Behaves better shot standing unsupported too.
Shooting standing unsupported was how everyone used to shoot. Only recently is the fashion to shoot from a rest, a bench, a chair, a firing position. No wonder the "working" range is longer if no one is prepared to stalk closer. One day people will use drones and shoot from the sofa!
Registered User
Us or the Sport?
HW35 is a bit of a Hippo.
FWB Sport lines are sporty looking. As said above it was "The" rifle to beat for a short while. It is the right weight for extended plinking and shooting standing unsupported. Behaves better shot standing unsupported too.
Shooting standing unsupported was how everyone used to shoot. Only recently is the fashion to shoot from a rest, a bench, a chair, a firing position. No wonder the "working" range is longer if no one is prepared to stalk closer. One day people will use drones and shoot from the sofa!
How do you compare 'competency' or 'level of expertise' of shooting between an offhand shooter (standing) as opposed to someone who uses the ground / bag/ post ?
Interesting isn't it.
I often see people using bipods and tripods with pcp's at my local club / range. The targets are often far away with very small reducers to match this approach - but that does make it a bit 'super hard' for springer / off hand shooters ...
I've always thought that air rifle shooting 'sporting targets' meant standing unsupported out to 40 yards, well it does to me
Looking for TO-6 Trigger unit unmessed with or T0-6 kit for 34
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Competency? Well, the old standard was the range you could hit a Polo mint.
The reason I use the term within the farmyard, under 25m, is thats the range that people used to use air rifles at and achieved hits on Polo sized targets. All that was needed for vermin control and taking the bounty for their tea. Can be done with iron sights.
Years ago a solid hit was OK so long as the quarry was grounded and then could be retrieved. People just weren't so squeamish. Now expectations are dead before hitting the ground which translates to head/brain shots only.
Hunting was done at close range and as often as not standing unsupported shots were the norm. Now, rifles are so heavy target style positions are used. Heck, bipods, tripods, and quadsticks are deployed which no one used to bother much with before!
Practice your standing and Polos are easily enough hit, though probably not beyond the farmyard ranges with 9 out of 10 consistency that hunters demand. Lower mag scopes are a boon to fast accurate short range Polo work.
Given practice then springers were shot more naturally than the deliberate we do now. Almost "feel" the shot on target rather than the mechanical target method used now for marksmanship. Springers are "live" rather than PCP "dead". I heard of one old boy that often shot pigeon flying, well lifting off and away. He was just very familiar with his rifle and pellet path, and it was done under 20m. Heck people did that with catapults, slings, and bows.
Old shotgun cartridge cases are a good Polo substitute. Standing up, or bottom facing.
Plinking good fun.
Last edited by Muskett; 28-07-2022 at 07:19 PM.
Registered User
I forgot to add, the old boys often shot at their pub. The Bell Target clubs were common. All the shooting done standing unsupported. These sure could hit stuff even after several pints.
Most old springers can hit Polos out to 20m even when pellet design and manufacture was not very consistent. Many pellets were pored/made at home. In the early 1980's with cheap Jap scopes shooters tried to make springers reach further by tuning and better pellet design. What was good enough wasn't any more. Its only recently that pellets and PCP consistency has allowed for Polo accuracy out to 40m. The old kit just couldn't group much less than a tennis ball at 40m even though they had power enough.
Basically my view is that springers were designed for the farmyard and can hit anything in the farmyard by a competent shot. Heck, practice and it can be done standing unsupported. What more do you need?
However, if you want to shoot further than farmyard ranges get the modern kit designed for it. You won't get the furthest hits consistently by shooting standing.
I enjoy the stalk and seeing how close I can get.
Interestingly, typical air rifle quarry "flight instinct" in little shot over ground with plenty of farmworker activity is 20m. Heavily shot over ground 40m. Don't over shoot your patch.
Registered User
Wise words indeed Muskett!
"Instruments of the light"
In the day (1981) I locked the breech bolt with a tapped screw to keep lock up tight.Don't forgot the breech bolt that constantly needs tightening after 50 shots or so
HERX77
Fighter against the "Dark Arts" A stranger in an even stranger land.
GC2+Leupold 14.4-34x45
AA400 fac receiver+sidewinder 8.5-34x52
Weihrauch HW77k fiddled with and doing what it wants to +Zeiss 3-9x36.
Weihrauch HW90k
Weihrauch HW97k learning from above,now sporting a Maccarri 77/97 target stock..+Bushnell 3200.Go on shoot one you know you want to
Daystate mk3 RT Delux + bushnell 4200 8-24x 40Does what it should again & again.
Fwb 124 + Optima was good is good!
Webley Vulcan.
"Instruments of the light"
Spot on! Jumps a bit but very capable and competitive. Bit flash shooting standing,Us or the Sport?
HW35 is a bit of a Hippo.
FWB Sport lines are sporty looking. As said above it was "The" rifle to beat for a short while. It is the right weight for extended plinking and shooting standing unsupported. Behaves better shot standing unsupported too.
Shooting standing unsupported was how everyone used to shoot. Only recently is the fashion to shoot from a rest, a bench, a chair, a firing position. No wonder the "working" range is longer if no one is prepared to stalk closer. One day people will use drones and shoot from the sofa!
Shame Markyate doesn't have a club any more although parts of the FT course was still there last time I was passing.
The HW77 superseded it and allowed me to shoot 59 ex 60 on a HFT course standing. A tad more technique was needed with the FWB to get anywhere near that.
HERX77 .
Fighter against the "Dark Arts" A stranger in an even stranger land.
GC2+Leupold 14.4-34x45
AA400 fac receiver+sidewinder 8.5-34x52
Weihrauch HW77k fiddled with and doing what it wants to +Zeiss 3-9x36.
Weihrauch HW90k
Weihrauch HW97k learning from above,now sporting a Maccarri 77/97 target stock..+Bushnell 3200.Go on shoot one you know you want to
Daystate mk3 RT Delux + bushnell 4200 8-24x 40Does what it should again & again.
Fwb 124 + Optima was good is good!
Webley Vulcan.
Registered User
That extra weight and better behaved HW77 does shoot win prizes. You do need to be match fit, and after ten rounds standing straight things can go adrift without a Kit Kat.
FWB Sport can be shot a whole lot longer for more plinking good fun.
I quite liked the Original 45 with its weight forwardness for standing unsupported shots. I quite liked the SLR for that too.
Registered User
I had an Original 45 before I got my 124. Loved it to bits, but then I had glandular fever, which caused me to loose a lot of weight very quickly, along with most of my strength. As a result I couldn't handle the 45, which was traded in against the 124. Lots of guns have come and gone since, the 124 is staying!
Dave.
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