Quote Originally Posted by Desmond.22 View Post
Guys have many if you had one.

Fancy trying one but looking for some reviews as hear can be pellet fussy ? And with limited pellet choice puts me off buying new in case get a fussy barrel

Thanks
No experience of a 97 in .20 but over the years have had an Airarms S300, Theoben MFR and Theoben Evolution in .20

The S300 was converted by Venom, Walther barrel, and because I was younger and stupid back then (it was the 90's) it did run quite warm, but with .20 accupell was (for a basic, unregulated PCP) a formidable hunting tool

The MFR was boring but pretty, and having had a Rapid Mk2 .177 prior found it disconcerting that the shroud would come loose without provocation, and the trigger was nowhere near as good

The Evo was bad news for rabbits, but Accupell by this point were not the pellet they had been in the 90's, decent Crosman premier were rarer than a rare thing, and while it performed OK with Bisley LRG? (I know it was a Bisley pellet, sure it was LRG) the let down by this stage was pellet choice, quality and availability

I'm sure over the years a few duff rifles have been made by HW, but not heard many complaints about 97's..... I think your fears should be the cost, and time of getting one to order, and the risk that you might find a pellet that works OK, but not one that works superbly (and if you do manage to, will they be available long term)

I'm a recent convert to .22 - if you are looking at .20 to give you a bit more weight and knock down power for quarry, with a springer, but want the flatter trajectory of .177 at realistic hunting ranges try some of the 13.43gr and 14.35gr JSB pellets, I've been blown away about how a short zero distance and lighter .22 pellet can give you a very usable (but not flat!) trajectory and with a longer 40yd zero gives an easily mapped trajectory not dissimilar to a low powered .177