First rifle - HW50s or HW30s?

[delisvasilis]

Hi all.
Please share your knowledge and experience with me . After several months of pistol shooting I plan to buy my first rifle. Never shot a rifle before. The short-listed candidates are hw50s and hw30s. I read a lot about those apparently very successful rifles.
HW50 Pros
powerful, well balanced, accurate, medium weight
HW50 Cons
(it seems) big cocking effort
HW30 Pros
light, accurate, fun to shoot
HW30 Cons
low power (well, that depends on intended use), small size (may not fit a medium to tall adult).

Regarding the galling issue, I got the following reply from the official (German) Weihrauch support team:

"The model HW 50 has a special locking lever. Here a synthetic part moves on the receiver tube.
So there is no problem.
On the HW 30 there is little contact metal to metal".

My intended use is casual target shooting and plinking (20-25 m. or 30 m. max, I guess).
I cannot try any of those as there is no local dealer. I will buy online.
Probably I will not get another gun soon.

Which one do you suggest? things to consider:
1. Weihrauch's comments above regarding galling - are recently produced hw50s really galling free?
2. cocking effort - is it really that bad as many people suggest? could it be tiring for extended shooting sesions? (I am 1,84 m., healthy, 50 years old - so it's all about the overall session ease and fun rather than the ability to cock or not).
3. Am I too tall for hw30?
4. Is 20-25 m. too much for the most powerful hw50? sould I consider the hw30 for this purpose?
One last question about noise - does any of you possess them both to comment on this?

Any experience shared would be really helpful. Thx in advance.

Best Regards,

Vasilis

 

[Yo]

For target shooting 20-30 meters max that's a no brainer go buy an HW30s. Shoot it all day if you want and cocking it is extremely easy and that gun is one of the most quietest springers I have ever shot. Buy the HW50s if you need to kill things.

 

[c_m_shooter]

HW30

 

[kabukicrack]

HW30...

Just an option to do the rest:

Purchase/install a spring kit from Macarri...

Tune/adjust your trigger...

Purchase a nice scope & rings...

Find your most accurate pellet...

Range your rifle/pellet/scope @ certain distances and have fun...

She will serve you very quietly and accurately...

 

[jmiller]

While an HW30 is small, the length of pull is full-sized. And it would probably serve you well. 

 

[Windmill01]

I may be a bit biased here but here goes. I have owned both rifles, the 30 was all that was mentioned in the reviews and it was recommended to me by a standup member on this forum but it was a lemon. I had numerous problems with it and after 6000 pellets in just a few months it broke where the cocking arm engages the piston. It also galled. When the gods were smiling it was extremely accurate with the JSB’s 8.?? Grain.

The 30 was 177 cal and the 50 is 22 cal.

The 50 is just as accurate and I shoot H&N Greens 9.56 gr in it. I really don’t know why a lot of people complain about the cocking effort as I can shoot this rifle all day and I just turned 66. It is more powerful then the 30 as the 30 comes in at about 6 to 7 foot pound where the 50 is around the 11 to 12 foot pound. 

They are both very accurate rifles and a joy to shoot. The 50 is bigger but easy to carry if you are hunting. There are camps on both side of the fence with these rifles but if as you said all you are going to do is plink at 25 metres get the 30. The 50 will also do that job and has the added benefit of more reach

Let us know what you get oh and we need pictures

Gary.

 

[intenseaty22]

Based on your thread name alone, I would suggest you the HW30. “First” rifle tells me you will get another, and probably another...., But let’s assume just two. The HW30 is everything they say, sometimes more. It’s a great rifle to learn all the principles of shooting a springer, while not disappointing you or intimidating you. It’s very accurate, easy to shoot, and plain ol fun. Even if you need to kill things, it’s up to the task (think small rodents, birds, and even squirrels with good practice) 

Then, when you are ready, ask the same question again: Do I get an HW50 or an HW95. Good luck. 

 

[EMrider]

I’ve owned both of these guns for many years (both in .177) and am very fond of both. That said, I shoot the hw50s far more often than my R7/hw30s. The hw50s is a bit more full sized and it can easily be tuned to shoot from 8fpe to 12fpe. I like the size and flexibility of the hw50s. If I could only own one, it would be the hw50s because it can fill every niche from short distance plinker to medium range hunter. 


That said, for your stated shooting needs the hw30s is an excellent fit. But if you don’t want to eventually buy another HW springer, the hw50s may be the better long term choice.



R

 

[MDriskill]

I also picked up on that you said "first" rifle!

A springer is a very simple mechanism, and has to strike a balance between three things: power; weight/bulk; and cocking/firing behavior. "Improving" one of these will generally involve at least a small sacrifice in the other two.

The HW 30 may be the perfect balance point - where all three factors are in a very pleasant range. It's light, compact, easy to shoot well, and the power will do more jobs well than you might think. It's a rifle you will always find uses for, even if you decide to go for other more specialized designs in the future.

 

[Arch_E]

I own, shoot, and love the HW30, HW95, and HW97K: they are fantastic air rifles!!!!



I shoot the HW30 most of the time--10 to 30 yards, and I'm eradicating the invasive squirrel population (eliminated 159 over the last 18 months, with the HW30 racking up nearly 50% of those kills). Accuracy with the 30 and the 97K are so easy; I have to work harder with the 95 since it's got more "kick."

I'm early 60's and can cock all three for as long as I want, so I'm not convinced that the cocking effort issue is a problem. What is the problem for me is the heft. My 97K is nearly 10lbs with a 30mm scope; the 95, just under 9lbs. For my back injury, I cannot do well at off hand targeting, especially with the 97; from a rest, it's a cinch. OTOH, the 30 allows me to shoot comfortably for long periods of time. 

In the end, I want the HW50, too; but, I have no genuine need. It's probably the best compromise decision because it's nearly as light as the 30 and approaches the power (830 vs 930 fps) of the 95/97. That's a great compromise.



I believe that you will greatly enjoy whatever you get.



Arch_E

 

[delisvasilis]

Thank you all guys for making me feel so welcome!

A few words about myself: I live in Greece. We have a very peculiar gun law here. You can legally own an airgun after the 18th year of age. Regardless the power (unlike Canada or UK). And this is pretty much everything your are (by law) allowed to do. You can't use or even show an airgun in public unless you can prove that you transfer it from/to a shooting club. You cannot own any kind of scoping aid unless you are an active shooting athlete, in which case you must have a special license issued by the police. Shooting is allowed only in shooting clubs. Period (e.g. indoor plinking, in your house, is illegal). When transferring an airgun, you must have it locked in a case and all your ammo stored elsewhere in the car. You must also carry the purchase receipt and your shooting club membership. Hunting using airguns is illegal.

In my town there is a shooting club but only for fire-arm shooters.

How do we practice then? in isolated places, basements, up in the mountains, at risk.....

I took up casual airgun shooting almost a year ago, using pistols. I own a Daisy 717, Crosman 1377, Artemis CP1 (CO2) and the wonderful HW75. The latter is the reason why my 11 years old daughter is addicted too 

. I guess moving into rifles is inevitable. My motive is that relaxation feeling of finding the target (literally and metaphorically) after a stressful day. That's all.
I practice during weekends at my workplace, outdoors in a well-fenced area where normally I am the only person around in a radius of 500 m.

Coming back to the two rifles, power obviously is not my concern, whereas a flat trajectory may be. I would like an easy to shoot/carry/cock gun to have fun for an hour or two, that's all.
I wouldn't even consider HW50s unless reading so many complaints for HW30's problems (galling mainly, a less effective breech engaging mechanism {the ball} compared to HW50s, etc.).

Given my short story above, I hope I can assist you for a more appropriate suggestion.

Thx again, all the members here!

Best Regards,
Vasilis

 

[GoldenStateAIRGUNer]

Sounds like some pretty strict regulations regarding owning a airgun. I see stricter regulations here in the US at some point. Once politicians connect the dots and realize their is no difference between a airgun and firearm that both generate 100 ft lbs of energy we will see regulations. Especially if the current crop of anti-gun politicians gain power.