VALUE FOR MONEY
The new Weihrauch HW30N is a special, limited production run model at Airguns of Arizona and the “N” stands for “Nussbaum” – that’s the German word for walnut.
Just one look at the HW30N Special Edition and it’s clear. It’s an instant classic!
Like all other airguns from the family-owned Weihrauch company, the HW30N doesn’t strive to attract customers with all the latest features and marketing claims. There’s no “Zillion FPS” muzzle velocity here, no claims for silent shooting, nor many of the other “bells and whistles” that are found on so many other breakbarrels.
Instead you have a simple, great-shooting gun that can provide huge enjoyment for the whole family. You don’t have to be a body-builder to cock it, the weight is light and the recoil minimal. There’s no need for the charging equipment needed by PCPs, either.
The only downside is the relatively low Muzzle Velocity. Although that is precisely the reason for most of the other benefits…
As you’ll read in this Weihrauch HW30N Special Edition test review, this is a genuine case of “less is more”. It’s outstanding value for money, particularly when combined with an amazing – for a gun of this price – limited lifetime warranty!
Note that the gun being reviewed has a dedicated left-hand stock. At today’s selling price of $619.99, this adds $90 to the cost of the standard, right-handed version. That’s $529.99. But left-handed HAM Tester Doug Rogers says that it’s definitely worth it!
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Weihrauch HW30N Air Rifle
SPEED AND ACCURACY
The subject of this HW30N Special Edition test review produced a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 747.34 FPS with H&N Field Target Trophy Green alloy pellets. The lightest lead pellets – 7.0 Grain RWS Hobbys – achieved 631.30 FPS.
Most mid-range, domed pellets gave results in the 600 FPS range. Only the heavy – 10.65 Grain – H&N Baracuda Match pellets proved to be too much for the HW30’s limited power, although even these grouped well on target.
| Pellet | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Muzzle Energy | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| H&N Field Target Trophy Green 5.56 Grain | 747.34 FPS | 6.85 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
| Predator GTO Domed 5.79 Grain | 652.25 FPS | 6.41 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. Best Tested. |
| RWS Hobby 7.0 Grains | 631.30 FPS | 6.19 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| JSB Express 7.87 Grains | 633.76 FPS | 7.02 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
| Crosman Premier HP 7.90 Grain | 592.98 FPS | 6.16 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
| H&N Field Target Trophy 8.64 Grain | 587.76 FPS | 6.62 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| H&N Baracuda Match 10.65 Grain | 453.28 FPS | 4.86 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
Typical Muzzle Energy is in the 7 – 8 Ft/Lbs range. This is fine for plinking and informal target shooting out to about 40 Yards. But it’s not enough for ethical hunting use unless you’re an expert shot, the range very short and the quarry very small.
HAM Tester Doug Rogers generated the following target at 25 Yards with the very light Predator GTO alloy pellets.
Normally we don’t comment on the weather conditions at the time of testing. But here it’s relevant…
You see, here in Up-State New York, it seems that it’s not stopped raining for weeks. Added to that, when the rain does stop, it’s been quite windy. So Doug waited until we had a dry day and the wind seemed low. That was the case for the first eight shots of the string.
But then the wind started-up again, gusting around, and you can see what happened to shots 9 and 10. After that the wind didn’t let-up so there was no other chance to repeat the test. Oh well!
TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT
Pull of the HW30N’s “Rekord” trigger was very pleasant. The trigger blade itself is metal, nicely-curved and ridged for good finger contact.
Touching the trigger brings a very light first stage into play. Then there’s a clear distinction with the second stage. Sear release is predictable and controllable, matching that of other Rekord triggers tested by HAM over the years.
The average pull weight of just above 3 Lbs 3 Oz was definitely acceptable.
The trigger is adjustable. As always HAM tested this HW30N with the trigger as received from the factory. However Doug did comment that – were this his own gun – he would try to adjust-out some of the pull length between the first stage stop and the sear break.
Cocking is smooth and quiet. There’s no grinding roughness that sometimes afflicts springers. In fact the cocking action itself is actually very pleasant. There’s no whip or flexing in the action and the ball bearing lock-up is very positive and solid.
In spite of the relatively short – 15.5 Inch – barrel, the cocking effort of the HW30N Special Edition tested by HAM peaked at about 23 Lbs. This would definitely be considered light or manageable by the vast majority of shooters. That makes the HW30N ideal for extended shooting sessions.
Cocking the gun causes the automatic safety to engage. This then needs to be disabled before being able to fire. It also is simple and effective.
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
In line with most “quality” manufacturers, Weihrauch makes few claims for its products. AoA claims that the HW30N Special Edition delivers excellent accuracy. HAM agrees.
It also claims that this air rifle is suitable for use by every shooter – the whole family. Again HAM agrees.
Maximum Muzzle Velocity in .177 caliber is claimed as 620 FPS. In fact, HAM testing exceeded these figures by nearly 130 FPS, with a maximum of 747 FPS with H&N Field Target Trophy Green alloys.
7.0 Grain RWS Hobby lead pellets exceeded the claim by 10 FPS in the HW30N tested by HAM.
CONSISTENCY
In this HW30N Special Edition test review, the HAM Team found consistency to be a strong suit for the little Weihrauch!
As we have already seen, the gun was consistently accurate with a wide variety of pellets. There were few fliers, probably as the gun was still “breaking in”.
In addition, the trigger pull weight varied by only -8 to +3 Oz around the average of 3 Lb 3 Oz. That’s solid consistency that gives the shooter confidence in his or her trigger release. That confidence makes it easier to shoot more accurately.
The average Standard Deviation across the range of standard HAM test pellets was also very creditable at 9.0 FPS. This is a low figure for any piston air rifle.
NOISE LEVEL
There’s no moderator, shroud or any silencing system fitted to this air rifle. But – as our HW30N Special Edition test review confirmed – that’s because there’s no need for such equipment!
The relatively low Muzzle Velocity means that the HW30N is backyard-friendly, even with light alloy pellets and in .177 caliber. This makes it ideal for many airgunners whose range is in their back yard, garage or basement.
SIGHTS AND SCOPE
Of course, like Weihrauch springers, the HW30N is equipped with a set of quality open sights. Both front and rear sights are supplied with a variety of interchangeable elements.
Here we have the expected click adjustment capabilities for windage and elevation. But close inspection reveals that this rear sight actually has a choice of four different sighting notches!
By pulling out and rotating the rear sight notch plate, you’ll find a choice of wide and narrow square notches, a V notch and a U-shaped notch. These are the perfect compliment to the interchangeable front sight elements – no less than six of them! – which are also provided with the HW30N Special Edition.
That’s no less than 24 different combinations of iron sight configurations provided with the gun.
Of course Weihrauch knows that many owners will choose to aim using a scope. In fact that’s how we shot it for this HW30N test review.
So, two scope stop holes are provided in the rear of the compression chamber. These enable the stop screw pin of a scope ring or mount to be securely located in one of these holes. The result is to prevent scope movement under recoil.
For this HW30N Special Edition test review, we mounted a Hawke AirMax 4-12 x 40 scope using high rings. Such a scope would be a typical choice for many HW30 purchasers. It’s fairly light but has good optical quality and an Adjustable Objective (AO) for focusing down to 10 Yards.
At 12.9-Inches overall length, this is definitely the longest scope that it’s possible to mount on the HW30. Any longer and it would not be possible to break the barrel!
SHOOTABILITY
The gun we have here has a dedicated left-handed stock. There’s dedicated right-hander available as well, of course. This is unusual at a time when the overwhelming majority of air rifle stocks are ambidextrous.
As a left-handed shooter himself, HAM tester Doug Rogers is testing this gun for HAM. That’s him in the photographs accompanying today’s article. Thanks Doug!
Even with the Hawke Airmax 4-12 x 40 scope mounted, the total weight of the HW30N tested by HAM was just 7 Lbs 3 Oz. That made it extremely easy to carry and hold.
The weight without the scope was 5 Lbs 8 Oz. However – as with all wood stocks – that will vary slightly from gun-to-gun due to natural variations in the wood stock.
The Center of Gravity was just where you want it: directly ahead of the trigger and in the natural position for the shooter’s forehand.
So balance and handling were natural, neutral and easy to achieve. That’s great for shootability in the field!
As you can see, Doug tried shooting in the standing position with the sling both loose and in the “hasty” position. In practice, it’s best to stick with one or the other for consistent accuracy. (Doug preferred having the sling loose).
APPEARANCE AND FINISH
The HW30N Special Edition walnut stock is simply superb! There’s lots of attractive figuring in the wood, plus some “tiger striping” that’s even more prominent in real life than in my photographs. The stock’s shape is both attractive and comfortable, with areas of nicely-executed checkering.
Just look at that wood!
There’s a grippy rubber buttpad, too. Note the rear sling swivel…
Looking at the underside of the pistol grip, you’ll see the Airguns of Arizona logo engraved in the base…
Overall it’s just beautiful, as I’m sure you will agree…
BUYING AND OWNING
As indicated above, we installed a Hawke AirMax scope for testing and this required removal of the rear sight to obtain the necessary clearance when cocking the gun.
To avoid the potential for any occlusion of the sight picture by the rear iron sights, these were de-installed. It’s a very easy thing to do – just remove the elevation knob and the main screw in front. (Just be sure not to loose the small helical spring as you take off the sight assembly).
It would be nice to fill those screw holes for appearance purposes. And – indeed – this can be done, if you have two M5 x 0.5 setscrews that are 4.8 mm long (that’s the factory spec). Sadly, setscrews of this specification are not available in the USA: trust me, we tried!
As the photograph below shows, the Hawke AirMax scope was set to clear the rear of the barrel when broken for cocking. JUST!
The Weihrauch HW30N is also interesting for being fitted with sling swivels. This is an unusual feature on any breakbarrel. The rear swivel is installed in the buttstock, while the front is mounted on the barrel
The swivels accept a 1-Inch mounting sling.
The HW30N Special Edition is supplied with Weihrauch’s “omnibus” user manuals that apply to all their spring-piston guns. This comprehensive documentation is in English, German and French.
It also benefits from an outstanding limited lifetime warranty that’s fulfilled in the USA by Airguns of Arizona. That’s a huge benefit that shows that the quality impression is not just skin deep!
TEST TARGETS
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Weihrauch HW30N Air Rifle
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The post Weihrauch HW30N Test Review .177 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.
