VALUE FOR MONEY
At a current selling price of $779.99, the Weihrauch HW98 air rifle sits at the upper end of the company’s spring/piston, breakbarrel air rifle range. That’s the upper end of both price and performance…
As most air gunners will know, Weihrauch-Sport produces multiple “quality first” spring/piston-powered break barrel air rifles. However the HW98 is unusual in several ways. These include a short barrel, the stock design and being a scope only model.
The HW98 has been available for over 25 years – it was introduced in 1998. So it’s a relatively modern model in terms of Weihrauch chronology! The main design change during this production period has been the move to a slightly re-designed stock in 2024.
In line with Weihrauch’s clear strategy, the HW98 makes no attempt to compete with other products claiming “Zillion FPS” Muzzle Velocities. There’s no marketing name – and gimmicky acronym – for every part of the gun. What you get is simply tried and tested features developed and manufactured by a long-standing, family-owned German company.
The HW98 is available in three calibers. Apart from the ubiquitous .177 and .22 caliber choices, the HW98 is one of the few air rifles currently available in .20 cal as well.
This traditional – dare we say old-fashioned – approach still has plenty of fans, however. They are experienced airgun shooters who know what to look for and feel no need for the “latest and greatest”.
This means that the Weihrauch HW98 is targeted at those wanting an understated, mid-power, high quality spring/piston air rifle. For those who have the skill to shoot it well, this remains a great choice!
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Weihrauch HW98
SPEED AND ACCURACY
Muzzle Velocity peaked at 1,121.94 FPS with the ultra-light H&N Field Target Green pellets. The maximum attained with lead pellets was 990.37 FPS – with the 7.0 Grain Hobbys, as expected.
However, as the table below shows, Muzzle Velocity settled-down to between about 800 and 900 FPS when used with the mid-weight domed pellets that most knowledgeable owners will choose to shoot with this air rifle. This corresponds to the results from previous HAM testing that showed this to be the best FPS for downrange accuracy.
Muzzle Velocity was in the 14 – 16 Ft/Lbs range for most pellets. The only exception was the 7.87 Grain JSB Express which HAM Tester Doug Rogers noted were a loose fit in the barrel of the test gun.
| Pellet | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Muzzle Energy | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| H&N Field Target Trophy Green 5.56 Grain | 1121.94 FPS | 15.54 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
| Predator GTO Domed 5.79 Grain | 1023.03 FPS | 15.78 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
| RWS Hobby 7.0 Grains | 990.37 FPS | 15.24 Ft/Lbs | Poor |
| JSB Express 7.87 Grains | 848.35 FPS | 14.52 Ft/Lbs | Very Good (Loose in Barrel) |
| Crosman Premier HP 7.90 Grain | 905.03 FPS | 14.37 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
| H&N Field Target Trophy 8.64 Grain | 860.23 FPS | 14.20 Ft/Lbs | Excellent |
| H&N Baracuda Match 10.65 Grain | 801.14 FPS | 15.18 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. Best Tested |
The Weihrauch HW98 tested by HAM delivered excellent accuracy with most of the standard HAM test pellets. Best accuracy for this test was delivered using the 10.65 Grain H&N Barracuda Match pellets. So Doug shot those at 25 Yards.
The two targets shown below were typical. They demonstrate excellent basic groups but with a couple of pesky fliers. Modestly, Doug felt that a better spring/piston shooter could do better. But that intermittent gusting wind could not have helped. Either way, they are waaaaay better than I can manage with a springer!
TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT
In common with many of the company’s springers, the Weihrauch HW98 air rifle is fitted with the famous Rekord trigger. This two-stage trigger is adjustable for first stage travel and trigger creep after removing the stock. However that prominent screw behind the trigger blade allows the user to adjust pull weight directly through the trigger guard.
Due to the design of the Rekord trigger, both first and second stage pull weights are adjusted at the same time by the same screw.
As always, we tested this HW98 with the trigger as set by the factory. 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 curve of the ridged trigger blade is also comfortable and feels “just right” in use, too.
Average trigger pull weight for the Weihrauch HW95 air rifle tested by HAM was 2 Lb 5.9 Oz. That’s definitely a very satisfactory pull weight for most types of shooting.
HAM Tester Doug Rogers observed on his test notes: “Trigger is a Rekord. Need I say more?”
Cocking is smooth and quiet. As usual with a Weihrauch product, there’s none of the 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 barrel lock-up is very positive and solid.
Surprisingly, the HW98 has a very short barrel. It’s just 11.5 Inches long. The reason it looks longer is that there’s a turned solid steel extension that screws into the muzzle end of the barrel. The finish is so good that – unless you know it’s there – it’s tough to see the join!
At 4 Inches long, the extension increases the Mechanical Advantage and makes cocking very manageable for most owners.
In fact, the cocking effort of the Weihrauch HW98 tested by HAM peaked at about 32 Lbs. This was lighter than we had expected and would definitely be considered manageable by the vast majority of shooters without too much effort. In fact, Doug Rogers considered it easier-cocking than his regular HW97 underlever Field Target gun.
Cocking the gun causes the automatic safety to engage. This then needs to be disabled before being able to fire.
The safety is conveniently located at the rear of the compression chamber. It is simple, effective and ambidextrous.
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
As with many air rifles, the more expensive the product, the fewer the manufacturer’s marketing claims.
Weihrauch-Sport specifies a maximum Muzzle Velocity of 275 Meters/Second with unspecified pellets in .177 caliber. That’s approximately 900 FPS (902.2 to be exact).
So it’s clear that the HW98 tested by HAM handily exceeded that claim with pellets under about 9 Grains weight. Very good.
That’s it!
CONSISTENCY
The Weihrauch HW98 tested by HAM demonstrated excellent overall consistency. No surprise there…
First is the way that it shot 6 out of the 7 standard HAM test pellets very well or better (including both the lightest and heaviest). So it’s definitely not pellet-picky.
Next were the extremely consistent Standard Deviation figures (that’s the statistical expression of difference between a set of numbers). The average across all the HAM test pellets was as low as 5.29 FPS. That’s well into regulated, high-end PCP territory.
And if we exclude the loose-fitting JSBs from this analysis, the average Standard Deviation for the remaining pellets falls to just 3.75 FPS. WOW!
The trigger also was very consistent. With a minimum recorded pull weight of 2 Lbs 5.4 Oz and a maximum of 2 Lbs 6.1 Oz, the pull weight varied by less than 1 Ounce between shots. To the shooter, that’s a difference impossible to feel!
NOISE LEVEL
As a traditional, un-silenced air rifle, the Weihrauch HW98 air rifle gave a fair report. However it was less than the HAM testers expected for its power level. Doug Rogers described it as “backyard friendly”.
The reason for that can be seen from the Muzzle Velocities attained on test. All but one of the HAM test pellets stayed under the Speed of Sound (about 1,100 FPS), even in the test gun’s .177 caliber.
Note that the ultra-light, 5.56 Grain H&N Field target Trophy Green alloy pellets were distinctly LOUD, however! This is because they traveled at greater than the Speed of Sound (around 1,100 FPS) and so produced a sonic boom.
No silencer or shroud would make any difference to this noise level, it’s simply a function of the velocity achieved by the ultra-light pellets from this magnum air rifle in .177 caliber.
All the lead pellets tested did stayed under the Speed of Sound and so were much quieter. And, of course, this issue would not apply to larger calibers where the maximum Muzzle Velocity would be less than 1,100 FPS.
However – should you be seeking even quieter shooting – the HW98 can be used with a dedicated airgun-only silencer where legal. This is an unusual feature for a breakbarrel air rifle and will -in itself – appeal to many potential purchasers.
For example, the 0dB silencer shown above screws into the barrel instead of the barrel extension. The gun remains easy to cock and the report is muted. But it doesn’t look quite as sleek, does it?
SIGHTS AND SCOPE
Weihrauch is one of the few airgun manufacturers which remains truly committed to open sights. Almost all the company’s air rifles are fitted with a serious set of traditional, adjustable open sights.
I say “almost” because the HW98 is the only model in the range that cannot be shot without a scope.
The Weihrauch HW98 is equipped with a pair of traditional “airgun/.22” scope mounting rails machined into the top of the compression chamber. There’s multiple scope stop holes as well, of course, in deference to the recoil effect and to provide a range of secure rear scope ring locations.
Given the HW98’s long compression chamber, there’s not a major restriction on riflescope length. For this HAM test review, we mounted a favorite 4-16 x 50 Hawke Airmax 30 WA SF scope.
This scope is 13 3/4-Inches long yet fitted easily onto the HW98. Allowing for the HAM tester’s eye relief, there was still 2 1/2-Inches of clearance between the scope objective lens and the rear of the barrel. So there was plenty of access for easy loading.
The Airmax scope fitted well with Medium rings – it was neither too low or too high for the testers. Plus the optical quality and finish were a good match for the gun. The result was a fine-looking combination that performed very well for us.
SHOOTABILITY
The HW98/Hawke scope combo tested by HAM weighed-in at 9 Lbs 13 Oz. So it’s not exactly light. Combined with the compact, 41-Inch overall length, the gun feels “all there” (that’s an English English expression, not sure if it translates well into American English). That means solid and dependable.
Many springer shooters feel that heavier weight improves accuracy as it soaks-up the recoil – so that’s a benefit for the weight, even though it’s not ideal for extended carrying in the field.
Shootability is aided by the adjustable stock. There’s elevation adjustment available for both the cheekpiece and rubber buttpad, as we can see from the photograph below. That’s a big help to attain a good cheek weld – a strong contributor to practical consistent accuracy.
As mentioned above, the automatic safety is of the “push across” variety and – being just ahead of the shooter’s face, easy to see for both right- and left-handers.
Plus, the beautifully-executed stippling at key points on the stock provided just the right amount of friction for comfortable shooting.
APPEARANCE AND FINISH
The Weihrauch HW98 is an air rifle that exudes quality. Metal finish of the sample tested by HAM was exemplary, with deep and even bluing. That’s a clear result of the care and skill devoted to its manufacture by a dedicated “family” workforce.
The stock is gracefully-shaped and has panels of beautifully-executed stippling in the Beech wood, both around the wrist and forend. This is a beautifully finished stock!
However Doug Rogers lamented that this new-style stock did not have the black coloring that characterized the stippled areas of the original design. “If this was my gun,” said Doug. “I would have to add those black inlay areas myself: they are such a classic look.”
Overall, the HAM Team feels that the HW98 is a great-looking breakbarrel air rifle. It’s a clean, simple design that’s a classic in its own right yet distinctly different from the other models in the range.
BUYING AND OWNING
You’re not going to walk into your local big box sporting goods store and find a new Weihrauch HW98. But they’re readily available online from Airguns of Arizona. Plus, some Precision Air Distribution dealers carry them, so they may be available locally in some cases.
As the HAM Team found during this HW98 test review, accuracy was excellent with most of the HAM standard test pellets. This means that – even if you run out of your favorite .177 pellets – the Weihrauch is likely to shoot well with many other pellets. That’s a big benefit!
Oh yes! The “USA” you’ll see engraved into the right side of the barrel is confirmation that this gun was produced specifically for sale in the United States.
The HW98 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. This documentation is not our favorite to read, but is comprehensive and helpful.
When buying from AoA, you can also specify their “Super Tune” service and/or extended warranty coverage (beyond the 12 months provided by the factory). Both of these are additional cost options, however they are options that many customers find attractive.
Plus, there’s another benefit that Airguns of Arizona offers – yet doesn’t shout about. They test every new Weihrauch air rifle they sell for Muzzle Velocity and general functionality before shipping the gun to you. At no extra charge!
Then in the (very) unlikely event that warranty attention is required, it’s fulfilled here in the USA by AoA.
TEST TARGETS
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Weihrauch HW98
This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.
The post Weihrauch HW98 Air Rifle Review .177 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.
