AA TX200 or HW97K? Go....

I have both. My HW97 is a 12 ft lb UK spec. It is smooth, easy to cock and not hold sensitive. The TX200 is full power (16.5 ft lb), It is heavier, harder to cock and has noticibly more recoil. They are both more accurate than I am, never shot either off a bench, just from the field target seated position. The TX was easier to hit at 50 yards for me today, could go the other way tomorrow. Blueing is great on both, I think the wood is nicer on the TX200. The HW is a way better value from Krale. I would only buy the TX200 used (I did).

I have the TX200 about two years now and love it. It is very heavy and not a good walking the woods gun for that reason. But if you plan to target shoot it is awesome. It still amazes me how accurate it is. It does have a little twang vibration when shooting. I plan on fixing that. It loves the brown box cpl 7.9 grain pellets. (approx 920 fps) My friend bought the HW97 and we shoot together all the time. It is awesome too. We both agreed the tx200 has nicer wood and bluing. I really don't think you can go wrong either way.

My tx200 is stock and in 177. Im a pretty strong guy. 5'11" 190 lbs I Workout, cardio and i can not shoot my tx200 offhand accurately. It is way too heavy for me to hold. If your not a target shooter I would go for something else. I get exhausted just carrying it through the woods. Now its only for the bench. Maybe you should look at the bee man R9/hw95. My friend has one and it is a tack driver and powerful. I have my old gamo CFX underlever and it is a great gun. Extremely accurate and very light. Also a lot cheaper. I think they renamed them the CFR now and it is available in 22. Hope this helps. So much to choose from. Can make you crazy!
Oh but if your going to sit in a blind and use shooting sticks then go for it. I wish you were close by. I would show you.

Mine have both been "tuned". The HW97 went to Motorhead for a tophat and spring guide, and it has a little less handshock than new, is less hold sensitive, and has lower extreme spread of velocity. The TX 200 I pulled apart after I got it home because it was loud. I just cleaned it up, put moly paste on the piston and tar on the spring. The spring fit the piston well with no room for a guide. Easy to do no special tools required.

I have a .177 TX. Nicely finished gun, it is heavy. Do yourself a favor if you go with a FAC extra..... Get a spring kit! Makes the gun a lot smoother.

Do a google search and you will find dozens of tx200 vs. hw97 threads. 

I read them all and concluded that neither gun is objectively better than the other. They are both great springers in absolute terms, widely loved by their owners and subjective preference seems to be running 50/50. 

The biggest differentiating factor today IMHO is price. The hw97 from Krale is much less expensive than the tx200. 

I purchased a new hw97 in .177 a few months ago and self tuned it with a JM Hornet kit and Ultimox 226. 

After probably 1,000 shots and a couple hunting outings, the hw97 has become by favorite springer. I own a pro sport, a couple of R7s and have owned an R1k, all in .177. All of these guns are heavy (except the R7 of course) and require the use of a sling for hunting.

The hw97 is a better hunter than the pro sport due to its relative ease of cocking and compatibility with a sling. I cannot detect any difference in accuracy between the two out to 40 yards. And the hw97 has a much milder shot cycle than my old R1k at the same level of power.

Good luck choosing.

R

You're correct, this question has been asked many times in the past. I own the TX200 and I bought it over the HW97 because it is much easier to tune and or maintain. There are no special tools required and you don't have to worry about pre-loading the spring. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg2U78vl67I

When i look at my Beeman HW97 in a wooden stock i feel like a teenager in love.
To behold a finely built beauty,makes my heart go pitter patter. I always loved German engineering , and going back to where i started I think i see more weihrachs in my life.I think the hw series is a good deal for the money.imho

I also want to present a point of view that comes from the sheer audacity of my stupidity .
OK, In life i know people who go on vacation to a nice nice place and not there for 7 hours go somewhere else.
Im the kind of guy who goes to a nice place and i stay . I enjoy what i got and use what i got and dont lose my mind on another place enough for me not to enjoy the place i currently occupy . This years is different than last years. means gots un goul to me. With that in mind, reading how a 97 is harder to work on than a aa tx2000 only means something if you are not happy with the gun in the first place. Now ,my stupidity is going to really kick in ,having never shot a tuned present day air arm ,only real experience is my hw97 thumbhole in 22. She shoots ,cocks,feels,handles,like a dream. Am i really going to be knocked off of my socks if i got my girl tuned? I feel i will only go into tune up after something breaks.

"Joeb631"I also want to present a point of view that comes from the sheer audacity of my stupidity .
OK, In life i know people who go on vacation to a nice nice place and not there for 7 hours go somewhere else.
Im the kind of guy who goes to a nice place and i stay . I enjoy what i got and use what i got and dont lose my mind on another place enough for me not to enjoy the place i currently occupy . This years is different than last years. means gots un goul to me. With that in mind, reading how a 97 is harder to work on than a aa tx2000 only means something if you are not happy with the gun in the first place. Now ,my stupidity is going to really kick in ,having never shot a tuned present day air arm ,only real experience is my hw97 thumbhole in 22. She shoots ,cocks,feels,handles,like a dream. Am i really going to be knocked off of my socks if i got my girl tuned? I feel i will only go into tune up after something breaks.

Click to expand...

No, you probably won't be knocked off your socks if you have your hw97 tuned. I have had several springers tuned by well known pros. They all did an excellent job. But after learning how to strip and service my springers myself, I discovered two things. First, tinkering with my guns is interesting and fun. Second, I can significantly improve the shot cycle with drop in tune kits and my own TLC. The pros obviously do a better job than I can, but the difference is not huge. That said, compared to a completely untouched gun, a pro tune makes a big difference. 

If you are willing to do the work yourself, just be patient and I think you will be pleased the outcome. 

R

Hello guys. I'm reading that topic and main thing that I see is that TX200 is heavy and that it is heavier than HW97. I'm not sure if you have in USA some different versions of those but in europe TX200 MK3 is 4,2kg - the same as HW97 - between 4-4,2 (depends on wood or polimer version) and TX200 HC (my favorit) is 3,8kg. So both rifls ar on the heavier side but - to be honnest - if you need something that have power (you mentioned something about FAC) you need some weight to work against that spring recoil. 

As for my recomendation for you - buy either of them, both solid guns, both accurate as hell (shoting both rifles and stiil - the main reason of not hitting the target is me - not the gun), and both nice looking. 
As for my subjective opinion - take TX200 HC - beautifull craftsmenship (beautifull stock), spottles bluring, perfect inside work. And tuning.... it depends what you need. As in anything - you can always tune something. TX200 is almost perfect gun and straight from the box works good. My recomendation anyways is to take it apart (really easy job), clean all parts and use correct lubrication on spring, seal etc. and that should do ok. 
If you are int hardcore tunning - change spring, /better guide, plug/guide (i dont know how to call it in english - i mean little metal plug/small guide that goes on the other side of spring that goes into the piston) with rubber ending, and bearing on a compression tube (something that differes TX from ProSport - pro sport have that already made). And that is it. Afther that theres nothing else that you could, would or should do with that rifle besides having fun shooting it. 

I’m more of a hunter than a target shooter

The Air Arms is the absolute better of the two. The craftsmanship, the wood, WAY better trigger, shoots out of the box like a tuned rifle (in 12 ft/lbs that is) and it maintains it's value. The Weihrauch does need some tuning and deburring in my experience. By the time you're done with the HW, you will have spent the same amount of money as you would on a stock AA. If tuning is your thing, get the HW. If not, I would suggest the AA.

Compare the HW and the AA between a Volkswagen and an Audi. Both great cars, but the latter is just more exclusive and drives slightly better.  

Well as for the ease of breaking down the tx I like to do that at times just to clean things up and maybe lube a little bit. And as I get older I have noticed I don't have to rely on a tree to help me steady my rifle I just use a shooting stick. And I also use one with most of my PB rifles.

my tx200

Goodtogo is that the walnut stock? Its beautiful. Mine has the beech and I thought that was nice. Wow. 

I'm with Jonnes and Robert , I'd lean towards the TX 200. But do yourself a favor and order the 12 ftlb version . You won't be giving up much in the way of power . But cocking and shot cycle are a LoT smoother. I had a " souped up" TX and absolutely hated it !!! It was like trying to control a hyper wienie dog ....Not gonna happen ! The 12 ftlb 177 I had I traded off and have regretted it. My one and only problem with the TX and most underlever guns is the loading port . Arthritis in my right thumb makes it literally a pain. If you can afford the extra cost ...Get a walnut version !!! Just my 2c