Break Barrel Your opinions please.... best HW rifle for .20 cal shooting

[Kragman1]

You can get them from HW30's up to HW80's, maybe even 90's (not sure).

Best combination of manners and performance comes from ____________
(your opinions here please)

Thanks all!

 

[jps2486]

The HW95 is the best compromise for size, weight, and performance IMO. I have or used to have HW30, 95, 97K, 35e, R8 (the old HW50). Each has it's charm. All of mine are/were .177 except for my second HW35E which will be a .22. The only .20 I've ever shot was an HW95 that my friend has. It's a bit smoother than my .177. Right now, I have fallen in love with the HW35E. They aren't the most powerful at just over 12 fpe, but are smooth and accurate. My 95 was a bit snappy at 15 fpe, so I tuned it down to 13 fpe which is about the same as my 35, but it's still a bit snappier. Could be that the 35 is a little heavier. Methinks the HW30 is great in .177 but works too hard with larger calibers. I shot a friend's R1(HW80). Too heavy and twangy for me. That's the trouble with springers if you try to squeeze lots of power from them-they become not so comfortable to shoot.

 

[Roamin Greco 1]

From everything I have read about airguns, any springer can use some tuning from the factory. I have a .22 Beeman R9 (HW95, I think). It was a refurbished return from Pyramyd Air. All I did was to add a bit of red tacky grease (Tune In A Tube) to the mainspring, and she is quiet and well-mannered, and deadly with HN Field Target Trophy pellets with the 5.53mm heads. I think .20 (5mm) would be a great caliber for it (if you can find pellets it likes).

My two Beeman R7 rifles (HW30S) are .177. I think they would be fine in .20 (5mm), but might be a bit underpowered with the heavier .22 pellets.

I have heard lots of good things about the HW50 in .22, so that would be another candidate in .20. The R1 is probably too powerful and buzzy unless it were to be tuned.

 

[Rise&Shine]

I have a blue laminate HW97K in.20 and it is a good solid shooter and deadly rodents. If it is anything like my HW77K, it will get better as the round count goes up. It currently has 750 pellets through it. My preference is for underlevers.

 

[Kragman1]

Well, I bought a used HW50 in .20 today from AoA, so I'll have some opinion on that rifle in a few weeks or so.

I have a 95 in .20 (.177 & .22 as well) and I find that while the 95 is equally qood in any of the three calibers, I think that its probably best in .22. By a very thin margin.
I have a theory that the 50 may be best in .20, and the 30 best in .177 but it's pure conjecture on my part. I certainly like my 50 in .22 but I've never tried a .177. And I've only ever fired.HW30s in .177 so no foundation for anything more than an educated guess on my part.

I will be looking for an R1 in .20, because that could be a good 100 yard shooter. But I'd be just as happy shooting someone else's, just to try it.

 

[Fishing 43]

I have a 95, 98, rx2 and hw 90 in 20. I kinda like the 20 lol. All are very accurate and neither the 95 or 98 have a tune kit in them and yes they are twangy but accurate so I’ll put up with it until they break or I get tired of the twang. The 90 and rx2 are different accurate faster shot cycle followed by a thump. If hunting and weight is not a factor the rx2 or 90. Plinking and pesting then the 98 or 95. I like the rammer shot cycle better and I have plenty of tuned springers. Can’t go wrong with any of those.

 

[Kragman1]

So....

It turns out that the HW50 at AoA was actually a .22, not a .20.

AoA did the right thing and called me to let me know, refunded me at my request and reposted the rifle with a corrected description.

So, still keeping one eye open for one.

 

[jps2486]

AOA is great to deal with.

 

[Kragman1]

Well, none at the Baldwinsville show, but there was lots of good stuff anyway.

I did my share....

 

[RicksRange]

You can get them from HW30's up to HW80's, maybe even 90's (not sure).

Best combination of manners and performance comes from ____________
(your opinions here please)

Thanks all!

I have the 97K in .20 cal. I've shot it three times this year at the Arlington Club in field target. My scores have been in the low 40's in the hunter piston class. It was tuned by David Slade. I am very happy with it. I also shot a 98 in .177 and it shots very close to my 97K.

 

[Mthalman]

It's pretty hard to beat the .20cal for springers at least when there was multiple choices of ammo, now there are 4 choices, thankfully they all shoot great in my various R/HW's. They seem to almost be made for the HW50s, mine loves the HN 11.5gr, but is not pellet picky at all. I have 2 in
22cal, one I use with open sights and shoots the JSB 15.89 very accurately and is a cottontails nightmare! I love the gun(s) so much, I might have to get one in .177. Which usually is my last choice. Just a perfect gun to plink all day with no effort cocking or light enough to carry all day chasing rabbits or squirrels.

 

[jps2486]

I chronographed a friend's tuned HW50 in .20 cal. 11.42 gr pellets shot at 641 fps. My HW50 in .177 cal shoots 10.3 gr pellets at 683. Seems to me, the .177 would have better wind performance since it shoots almost the same weight pellets at a faster velocity. A smaller pellet has less side area for less wind interference. Just my thoughts.

 

[Mthalman]

I chronographed a friend's tuned HW50 in .20 cal. 11.42 gr pellets shot at 641 fps. My HW50 in .177 cal shoots 10.3 gr pellets at 683. Seems to me, the .177 would have better wind performance since it shoots almost the same weight pellets at a faster velocity. A smaller pellet has less side area for less wind interference. Just my thoughts.

Probably so, that's if I could pick up .177. My sausage fingers do not seem to agree with them.

 

[Scriv]

I have a HW97KT, and a HW30N in .20 cal. Speaking of doing the pellet justice the HW97KT gets it done. The HW30N is fun to shoot, but as jps2486 said, it works hard. I tend to reach for my HW30S in .177 instead. My HW50S is a .177 but I can't help but think that it'd be sweet in .20 cal.

 

[dunz]

In springers, my experience is limited to a .20 HW95 and a .177 HW30, so I may be biased, but I'd think the HW95 or HW97. In my view, the .20 caliber feels slightly oversized for the HW30, which would result in loopy trajectory.

 

[Scriv]

You can get them from HW30's up to HW80's, maybe even 90's (not sure).

Best combination of manners and performance comes from ____________
(your opinions here please)

Thanks all!

I got to thinking about this some more after my initial post about the 50. So, I shot some heavies 10.3 which is close to the H&N FTT, and some MRDs which are close to the JSB Exacts. Both are ten shot groups measured with a Garmin C1

Heavy. Ave 714.5 ES 4.6. SD 1.7. FPE 11.7
MRDs. Ave 595.9 ES 10.1 SD 3.4 FPE 10.6

The MRDs really seemed like they were over working the 50, and you can see the drop off in FPE. When you compare the 10.3 to the H&N FTT 8.64 they turn in the same power exactly. Anyway, I hope that this helps. I no longer feel the 50 is that great of a platform for the .20 personally. I'd go up in power to avail oneself of all the pellet options.