Buying my first Air Rifles after decades, have Questions

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Liontracks

Liontracks

Member
Nov 7, 2019
169
8
California, United States
Hello everyone, new member here.

Somehow my interest in air rifles has reappeared and I am jumping into this hobby again. As a 10 years old used to shoot lizards off the walls and now after several decades cant wait to get my hands on a air rifle and start shooting again.

I have done my research and I have decided on buying two. A breakbarrel HW98 and a TX200 one 0.22 and a 0.177, respectively. 

Questions:

1- Do you agree with these two being some of the best in their price range? (Best for accuracy and quality)

2- Where do you order your new guns from? Krale seems to have great prices.

3- Are there different versions or batches of these rifles I should avoid?

4- What pellets (brands) would you recommend

5- Recommendations on scopes? money not an issue but nothing too fancy. Just something that do not need an upgrade and durable.














 
For the 2 rifles you've chosen I would check out Pyramyd Air. 

JSB pellets work best for my selection of air rifles. I would recommend starting there.

As to scopes, I've learned from reading the forums that break-barrel air rifles are tough on them because of the bi-directional recoil inherent in the firing cycle. My understanding is there are "springer rated" scopes that are capable of handling the multi-directional recoil of the break barrel rifles.

https://gungoal.com/optics/scopes/best-air-rifle-scope/
 
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.. hey , liontracks , welcome to the forum !! welcome back into airgunning !?! after being solidly obsessed with these things from 1980-1986 and then dropping everything but chicks and beer , this (unfamiliar and strange then) desire returned to me in 2009 .. i cant explain how my obsession came out of the blue , either .. but i am really glad it did ! airgunning has really evolved and as guns laws become more strict here in the states , it'll only grow i.m.o. in my early youth , i began with a cocking daisy red rider type bb gun and quickly shot up the whole farm .. the funding for that came at age 6 from ruidoso downs helping my grandpa pick 3 horses for that one race .. later evolved into lever-action crosman 73 co2 rifle i got from my dad (back when co2 carts were more scarce around here) .. i remember shooting at a dove that was not flying off because it was frozen to the ground , then seeing my bb drop halfway toward that 20 yards target (stayed under freezing few a few days here in 1981 - coldest spell ive ever seen here around ft.worth and it was the hottest summer on record the year prior) .. that's how i learned the limitations of co2 gas .. daisy 880 after that - i think i killed more poop that than anything , by removing the rear sight ramp and using only daisy pellets .. then a used benjamin 347 around age 13 .. we were kind of stuck at the benjamin level until beeman started mailing a monthly free magazine and that led me to an rws model 36 i ordered from cabelas for $139 shipped - after jumping thru many hoops .. that was 8th-9th grade and the synthetic piston seals had just emerged the prior year on the beeman/hw guns .. diana followed suit moving from leather to plastic piston seals the following year .. that .177 model 36 was the pinnacle of what i could manage in my pre-high school days .. the sound of the pellets glancing off gravel roads made the ricochet sound of single shot .22 shorts i shot from gun my grandpa got me around age 10 - and i was HOOKED upon that .. later at age 39 and on 99 weeks of unemployment , i learned of the diana 350 and began again .. only now i could afford many of the ones i lusted after as a kid (and the internet made it SOOO easy !) .. i preferred the r11/hw98 in 5mm , but id do that one in .22 for your scene (ftt pellets) .. the tx200 i had in .177 but it was too heavy and fancy stocked for me , and i quickly sold it .. tell us what airguns you had as youngster (if you dont mind) .. and are you planning to do 12ftlb field target or something ? i was a magnum airgun only freak (21ftlbs and over) , but in my older age i am moving more and more to the 12ftlb area .. - paul .
 
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Great choices in rifles, yes Krale generally has the best prices on Weihrachs. I like the RWS lockdown scope mounts on all my springers. For scopes get something with a good warranty from a company thats been around awhile. It is safe to assume the spring guns will damage the scope at some point. The UTG scopes are good for the pricepoint ($200 give or take), and Hawkes are popular for a reason at the next price point up. A 4-16x side focus scope with mil dots will give you the option of already being set up for Hunter class field target if you decide to try that.

For pellets, JSB 8.4 or 10.5 and H+N Field Target trophy are most likely for the .177. If it likes Crosman Premiers ok, all the better because you can probably get them locally. Pyramyds buy3 get 1 free deal is the best pellet source.

Both rifles may have quite a twang from the factory. If you don't want to do a full tune, but want to quiet them down, I have had good success with putting Maccari Heavy tar on the spring through the cocking slot of a few rifles.
 
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For airguns it's a good idea to get a scope that has adjustable parallax control, or a side focus parallax adjustment, either of those "that allow" focus to a clear image "up close" at common distances typical for airguns, like 10 yards.

A good cheap scope that I used on my TX200 was a Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44. It has a lot of features that you can learn to use in the future but it is just fine for a point and shoot if that is what you want to do with it for now.

IMO a common mistake I have made in the past, and I have seen many others make, is not allotting enough of a budget for getting a decent scope! In most cases you get what you pay for. The consequences being poor tracking of the turrets, poor glass, sub par everything else, and risking a higher rate of scope failure. Think of it this way, if retail is $100 then that scope probably costs $25-$30 to produce, no way it's going on any of my rifles.
 
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Glad to see you are getting back into the sport and welcome to the forum.

I have two spring power rifles, both tuned by Motorhead, that are equallly accurate with great triggers. One is a TX in .177. The other is a .22 caliber Weihrauch HW97K. You can't go wrong either way.

My rifles all have 4 screw rail mounts with stop pins with Hawke AIRMAX SF30 6-24x50 scopes on them. They have held up perfectly over many thousands of shots.

As far as pellets go, i have tried about every diablo pellet offered in the US. My TX shows a strong preference for AA 8.4 Diablo Field Pellets (even over the JSBs who is said to make the AA pellets). Weihrauch definitely prefers the H&N FTT 14.66 in 5.53 head size.

There are many good choices out there. I will share that I have tried to custom tune my springers myself, with not near the success of sending them to someone like Scott Schneider at Motorhead. I won't ever waste my money on a "kit" again.

Finally, don't skimp on the scope. These rifles are all hard on scopes. Buy a good reputable scope known to hold up on springer applications.

Good luck!



DZ


 
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I've had 2 UTG (Leapers Accushot) 4x16x44 scopes, paid around $119. Still have one of them on my Royale 500 PCP. I think they're just great. Cheap yet rugged, good optics, side focus. Never tried one on a springer/break barrel so I can't attest to how they'll hold up on that kind of gun. Think I still have a Centerpoint 3x12x32? It's very adequate for a cheap scope. If you want to try it I'll send it to you (if you pay shipping). Welcome aboard to a wealth of knowledge & opinions. GREAT forum, GREAT sport!

(Send me a Private Message if you're interested in that scope) 

Gerry 
 
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Those are two excellent spring guns. If you actually enjoy shooting, as opposed to thinking about, traveling to and/or preparing to shoot, then airguns are the way to go. Any of my airguns has been shot far more than all of my firearms combined. I also do probably 60%-70% of my hunting with airguns too.

I prefer spring guns over PCPs and have found their accuracy out to 40 yards to be excellent.

Krale has the best pricing that I’ve found and their service is excellent.

My favorite spring gun scopes are the Hawke Airmax 4-12x40AO and the Nikon 3-9x40AO Prostaff EFR.

Have fun.



R




 
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Welcome. Some comments on scopes for airguns. First, Leupold does still offer the 6.5-20 EFR if you like that brand. I have had one for many years and it is a very good scope. I also have a couple of the Nikon 3-9 EFR scopes. They are great scopes, super clear optics and nice turret adjustments. But are only 9 power max, and the turret adjustments are 1/4" at 50 yards. I find 9 power not enough to see 177 pellet holes at 50 yards. So things I would look for in an airgun scope are:

Close focusing. Ten yards minimum if you want to use it indoors.

Max power of at least 12X for spotting your hits if you want to use it at distances over 25 yards.

Ability to rezero turrets without tools is really handy. The Nikon has the lift and twist type which is ideal.

Rugged construction. I have never killed a scope, even on the R1 or RWS54 I once had, but people say it does happen.

Side focusing. This is a very desirable feature, especially if you have to adjust focus in the field. The only caveat might be that because the knob is smaller diameter than the objective bell on front focusing scopes, the markings are not as precise.

Dimensions that allow you keep the objective bell either behind, or possibly in front of the loading port on the TX200.

For scope mounts I really like the Sportsmatch ones. They are alloy so won't damage the dovetail, have double screws top and bottom plus a scope stop so nothing moves.

Start with pellets known for consistently good accuracy like the JSB 8.44 grain in .177, and the JSB 15.87 in .22.

Finally, are you aware that springers, even very good ones, can be challenging to shoot accurately? Recoil starts even before the pellet begins moving down the bore, so hold consistency and good follow through are essential. Personally, I enjoy the challenge and find PCPs boring by comparison. Others just don't understand why you would want to make shooting any harder than it has to be.
 
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Welcome ! Lots of good advice, I'd add that for pellets, so not overlook the JSB 7.87. It shoots very well in a few of my spring guns as well as the 8.44 and 10.34. For sure try the two lighter ones (the 7.33 has not been great for me and heavier would not likely be great for a TX). Also, Air Arms brand pellets are essentially the same thing and often cheaper, check them out. In 22, for a springer you'd stay light-ish. Try the 14.3, the 15.9 and maybe the 18.1 grain. H&N FT, Barracuda and Trophy can be good as well in both calibers and I agree that Pyramyd air is a great place to buy pellets (and other things). Crosman Premier Light and Premier Hollow Points can be accurate and they are cheap.

Scopes? Cheap and good, UTG... Moderate and very good? Hawke (Airmax), Athlon (Talos, Argos), MTC (Mamba). You can find a SWEET Vortex Strike Eagle 3-18x44 right now for $300 (eurooptic.com I think) but it's a touch heavy, be aware of weight as the TX200 is already a fairly heavy gun.

You just need a few targets and you'll be on your way. 



Have Fun!

John


 
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Here is a photo of my R9, which I believe shares its receiver with the HW98, with scope and medium height Sportsmatch rings. If your scope is what I think it is, you will need high rings to provide clearance between objective bell and receiver. My scope objective bell measures 55 mm and just barely clears.

1573769059_14347897365dcdcf6327e3d2.77554536_5A53A109-517E-4A70-BFE1-D8D5448B4B9C.jpeg



I have always used the two piece rings for mounting flexibility, but the one piece would also probably work on the 98. I would make sure the “arrestor” pin is included. It will engage one of three holes in the top of the receiver to prevent mounts sliding in the dovetail. It does happen. Here is a link to what I think you need in the Sportsmatch site.



https://www.sportsmatch-uk.com/30mm-diameter-body-tube-high-range-for-9-5mm-11-5mm-dovetails-up-to-56mm-lens-diameter-includes-easyfit-arrestor-pin
 
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I am assuming you ordered the 6-24 X 50 Argos scope. With the 50 mm objective lens, I estimate the objective bell diameter at 58 mm. Going through the calculations recommended by Sportsmatch for the HOP40C, I come up with 5 mm clearance between scope and receiver, which is enough to fit a scope cover. Calculations:

58/2 = 29

30/2 = 15

29 - 15 = 14 = dimension between bottom of tube and bottom of bell

Compared to "A" dimension 21 - 14 = 7 mm, but I subtracted 2 mm to account for the fact that the receiver actually rises above the dovetail flats a bit.

I don't think you will need the Dampa feature for your rifle, recoil is not that extreme. I was never sure how much to trust those rubber bushings to hold zero over time anyway. So if you want a one piece mount I would go for the standard HOP40C.
 
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