Springer HFT - Break Barrel or Underlever?

[Born Again]

thats basically the choice ... you think the same as me as I was thinking to take the 30 but it runs out of puff after 30 yards..

HFT course setters are sneaky, I shot one at Lea Valley where the target was at what looked like the end of a sheltered tunnel of trees, but the actual target was set past the trees in a clear area with a wind whistling across it. Not only was the target further away than it looked but there was a strong crosswind near it. I actually saw the wind grab my pellet and push it off centre at the last instant.

For me the most difficult targets were the really close small ones, I'd spent years plinking at ever longer ranges and was suddenly confronted by tiny targets at 10yds I had no idea how to hit, and sometimes with a branch covering half the target.

[flyingfish]

A good break barrel is as accurate as an under lever so I would take whichever is my favourite

[Wheelieneilie]

A quick aside, what optics would you recommend on, for example the 97 or TX200 ?

Anything with a tiny front lens to cut down parralax error and reasonable eye relief for mounting on a Springer. I shoot a secondhand rhino 10mag with 26mm front lens.

[Wheelieneilie]

A good break barrel is as accurate as an under lever so I would take whichever is my favourite

A good break barrel may be a good as a fixed barrel on any given day, but if you want a gun to hold zero from one day to the next, then I would always go for a fixed barrel. The scope and fixed barrel are both mounted to the same price of metal on an underlever, whereas the break barrel is mounted via a hinge joint. Any slop/wear in this hinge will inevitably result in barrel pointing in one direction and scope very slightly in another.

[Scott.]

There is a springer shoot soon at the club.

Does one

1. take a nice heavy underlever to get the steady aim and subdued recoil, but pay the penalty in manoueverability and also stamina on the difficult standing shots?

2. take a lighter but more jumpy break-barrel to give the edge on standing shots and anything that needs a bit of twisted posture?

Ideally one would have built up one's strength with hundreds of hours of underlever practice but one has not.

Will that be an open sights shoot?

The last one I was at it had TXs 35s 99s 97s I shot my 77, I know Bill at Westfield usually shoots an old Webley (Maybe an Osprey but not 100% sure).
Personally I prefer my 77 as it doesn't feel heavy to me and I also have a personal preference for standing shots which I find the rifle excels at.
Either way have fun

[elewis411]

Back a few years ago now when I was shooting hft I used quite a few springers including Hw97 Hw 98 Tx200 and both the standard Hw80 and a v Mach reduced cylinder 80 but when analysed I shot pretty much the same scores with all the rifles so imo I don’t think it matters to be honest and pretty much a case of swings and roundabouts, I’m pretty sure my scores would have benefited by sticking to any one of the rifles and getting to know it properly but where would be the fun in that hey…

[S Hebby]

LGV.

LGV for me too. They have an excellent shooting cycle and are as accurate as the fixed barrel guns.

[Hsing-ee]

Back a few years ago now when I was shooting hft I used quite a few springers including Hw97 Hw 98 Tx200 and both the standard Hw80 and a v Mach reduced cylinder 80 but when analysed I shot pretty much the same scores with all the rifles so imo I don’t think it matters to be honest and pretty much a case of swings and roundabouts, I’m pretty sure my scores would have benefited by sticking to any one of the rifles and getting to know it properly but where would be the fun in that hey…

You’re probably right .. individual guns might be slightly shading it on the indoor range but outside the wind makes them all about the same. Good point about being better to stick to the one gun vs the joys of variety ..

[Barryg]

LGV for me too. They have an excellent shooting cycle and are as accurate as the fixed barrel guns.

The question in the OP seemed to me to be asking if the lighter break barrel would be better for standing shots, if so then the 9.3 lbs LGV would be worse than the TX at 9 lbs, also the TX is not obsolete and a far better trigger. I suppose if you want to try and win or compete at HFT you can't beat the proven TX

[32:1]

Walking a course the lighter the better for me as Im old and beat up, Ive actually been having a few hours practicing with sticks and both my 400 Cometa’s, benched both are about the same accuracy but Im finding the shorter barrelled USC proving better off sticks for some reason.
Im now looking at a .177 barrel for the 220compact

[TonyL]

Back a few years ago now when I was shooting hft I used quite a few springers including Hw97 Hw 98 Tx200 and both the standard Hw80 and a v Mach reduced cylinder 80 but when analysed I shot pretty much the same scores with all the rifles so imo I don’t think it matters to be honest and pretty much a case of swings and roundabouts, I’m pretty sure my scores would have benefited by sticking to any one of the rifles and getting to know it properly but where would be the fun in that hey…

You’re probably right .. individual guns might be slightly shading it on the indoor range but outside the wind makes them all about the same. Good point about being better to stick to the one gun vs the joys of variety ..

Yep, I'd say that, once we're achieving a certain level of accuracy from the gun, results will be down to the skills of the shooter above anything else; one of those skills being able to read the wind (amongst so many others).

[TonyL]

A good break barrel may be a good as a fixed barrel on any given day, but if you want a gun to hold zero from one day to the next, then I would always go for a fixed barrel. The scope and fixed barrel are both mounted to the same price of metal on an underlever, whereas the break barrel is mounted via a hinge joint. Any slop/wear in this hinge will inevitably result in barrel pointing in one direction and scope very slightly in another.

Whilst many of our beloved break barrels are superb, who could argue with the above, given those credentials?

[evert]

Walking a course the lighter the better for me as Im old and beat up, Ive actually been having a few hours practicing with sticks and both my 400 Cometa’s, benched both are about the same accuracy but Im finding the shorter barrelled USC proving better off sticks for some reason.
Im now looking at a .177 barrel for the 220compact

I'm guessing shorter barrel time and lighter weight could be the factors that make you shoot better with the short gun?

[Born Again]

Whilst many of our beloved break barrels are superb, who could argue with the above, given those credentials?

Indeed. I sometimes wish more of the expert members would put their qualifications on a tag line or in their profile.

[MrGreengrass]

I will be using my FWB 124 with a Bushnell Legend on it..as good as my TX bench gun ,TX FT gun and both Prosports.
Qualifications..none..lol...never bothered with target
shooting ,never interested until a short while ago.
Just 50 + years on the land shooting live.