Just ordered the new RAW HMx .357 (130 ft-lbf regulated)

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marcella69

marcella69

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Oct 31, 2016
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Well, I finally pulled the trigger on the new RAW! (https://www.rapidairweapons.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17762) It will take eight weeks to come in. (That's still less time than it took to get my Impact.) I just want to thank you all for the tremendous response I got in selling my Impact so I have the scratch to buy the RAW :). So, THANKS!!!

The new RAW .357 sounds like an amazing platform. (I will put 'er through the ringer once I get her, and post the results.) Martin Rutterford, the founder of RAW, could not have been more responsive and accommodating. This new design incorporates many of the features that attracted me to the Impact. She actually features field-swappable bottles, just like the Impact! That blew me away. The new RAW .357 delivers 16 regulated 130ft# shots per bottle fill; that's 32 shots in the field with a spare bottle (which I definitely ordered :)). This rifle is truly commensurate with a 22lr rimfire as far as impact energy throughout the effective range. She delivers 80 ft# at 100 yards; that's more than the Impact .30 delivers at the muzzle! Martin even is throwing in a free mag if a spare is bought (on gun purchase only); again, which I definitely took advantage of. I'm really excited :)
 
Thanks, Terry. I gotta say, I'm really enjoying this air gun thang in my golden years. (And I've had to sell some of that gold to afford it!) Actually, I enjoy the waitin' more than the gettin' (almost ;-)). It's not the thrill of the kill, it's the fun of the hunt! But, ya don't have one without the other. As the King (Elvis, not Costello) said, "There are three things in life you need to be happy: Someone to love (my air gun); something to do (shoot my air gun), and something to look forward to (getting a new air gun)." I'm paraphrasing, of course ;-)

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

It's interesting that you bring up the subject of casting. Moving up to the .357 really opens up a plethora of options when it comes to projectiles. I was surprised when I switched from the .25 to the .30. The choice of pellets for the .30 cal. is extremely limited. To answer your question, I am not planning on casting; but then again, I have no experience with the bigger bores. The off-the-shelf choices look like they will keep me busy for quite a while! Do you cast? Do you have any advice?
 
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Thanks for that, Scott :). I have long admired the RAW look and from all accounts RAWs have exceptional performance. And now that it has introduced a regulated rifle commensurate with the power of a .22lr rimfire and a relatively high shot count; I'm there, dude! I have transitioned from the Marauder .22 pistol, through the Daystate Pulsar .25 and FX Impact .30, now to the RAW .357. You may be right; I very well may have gone a bridge too far, power-wise. But I live on the California / Mexico border (U.S. side) where there are vast expanses of open desert, so hopefully the extra oomph will come in handy for those longer distance shots:). BTW, 52 ft# is a lot of power for a .22. Evidently RAW has one heck of an air management platform!

I am very nerdy when it comes to all things ballistic. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania in a hunting culture and was a gunner's mate in the Navy. I will put 'er through her paces and post the results here. Hit me up with your e-mail when you see that I have received my RAW and I'll send you some pics. (I'm still having trouble posting pics on AGN.)
 
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Made a mistake, it's a .25 cal HM1000X. All my others are .22 so I get confused sometimes when I type 😜. I have an AirWolf MCT .22 so I'm pretty discriminating when it comes to quality, fit and finish. The RAW meets all my expectations and I'll never forget the moment I opened the box, it was a jaw dropping experience to say the least. I never thought a 26 grn pellet could travel 926 FPS and punch one-holers at 35-40 yards. My .22 AirWolf, Cricket and WildCat all need to be just under 900 fps to have the same accuracy. Maybe this is a .22 caliber thing, not sure? I see yours has the extra length LCD like mine but maybe on the .357 it's standard?
 
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You got me intrigued now with casting, Terry. Although the off-the-shelf projectile choices for the .357 generally offer a better BC than those of the .30, I'm always looking for better ballistics (and stopping power). My quest for a good hunting round (read "hollowpoint") for the big bore continues. Perhaps I'll strike a middle ground and contact Mr. Hollowpoint. I've dealt with him before and he is a great guy.
 
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This video makes my mouth water, Scott: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ThVmbsMEB4

Yeah, it's hard for me to see exactly what the deal is with the factory moderation on the new RAW .357. It looks like a threaded mod on a fixed shroud. It does appear rather long and skinny. I have been talking with Donny (https://donnyfl.com/) and Neil Clague (http://petersoncorner.com/clague/contact.htm) about perhaps replacing the factory mod with a shorter, fatter one that will reduce both the noise and length. Although I have ordered a rifle backpack that will accommodate a 60" rifle (the new RAW is 47"), this is one instance where shorter is better! https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2634182551/eberlestock-g2-gunslinger-ii-backpack-with-butt-cover-nylon

 
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Scott, if my calculations are correct from looking at a picture of the RAW HMx .357 (130 fpe regulated) rifle using the 47" published length of said rifle, and the way the mod appears to be attached to the shroud in said picture; the moderator is 11 3/16 inches long! (Cripes, the Huggett Magna is only 6" long.) At that length, I'm a little worried about clipping. The JSB 81s are leaving the muzzle at only 850 fps. That gives gravity some time to do its thing. Plus, it's a .357; so a tad bit of recoil is involved. But, I guess she's been thoroughly field-tested.
 
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Ok marcella69,

Thanks for sharing all of your enthusiasm and excitement over this new rifle! Looking forward to seeing your review and tips when it arrives. So much so that I surfed the RAW website today (bad move) and found they had a listed HMX .357 available as used. Newest version, regulated 130 FPE ,with walnut sporter stock. Picked up phone, talked to Sandra, made purchase just now. Ships Monday June 5th. I also ordered an extra LRT gray laminate stock and two right hand load mags which will be shipped later. I've been enamoured with the gray laminate LRT stock but am glad I also have the walnut sporter - lightest config in case I want to take it for a walk.

and in the time it took me type this ; RAW has already updated their website and took down the pics and listing.
 
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Hi, Mick! That's GREAT! I almost ordered the walnut sporter; it has a more classic look, which I really like. Let me know how she shoots; you are the first person I've found that is getting the 130 fpe regulated. I opted for the Forest thumbhole, but it's been on backorder for a month now due to supply chain issues with the Forest laminate. I e-mailed Sandra today to change my order to the Buckskin if the Forest isn't in yet. (Martin told me a shipment of Forest was due in by the end of last month.)

You didn't order a spare bottle? I was blown away when I found out that the new RAW 130 fpe regulated had field-swappable bottles just like my FX Impact! I ordered a spare bottle, which will give me 32 regulated shots in the field. Martin really has his finger on the pulse of the market!

You mean Sandra actually answered the phone?! I've never had RAW answer my phone calls once or return my voicemail; all comm has been e-mail. And replies have had quite a lag. I would appreciate at least a simple update. You'd think that if one was willing to drop over $2,800 on a gun that inquiries would be answered in a timely manner.

At any rate, I'm glad I found a kindred spirit that sees the awesomeness of a regulated air gun platform that has the ballistic profile of a .22lr rimfire with a relatively high shot count ;-). I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about in the coming days. Thanks for your post!
 
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Yes, I will get around to ordering the extra bottle for a spare at some point. I already have two small buddy bottles Guppy and Ninja that I can carry in a small backpack if needed. Either one would easily give me enough field top offs to blow through more JSBs than I need :). I bought this gun specifically for medium game up to small deer and hogs so I won't really have a need for that many shots in the field - I hope.

I have had relative ease reaching them via phone and had a very long string of email with Martin when the .25 JSB Fat Kings 34 gr first came out. I was trying to convince him to tweek his .25 platform specific to slinging those 34 gr pellets; but at the time, a year and a half ago, they were still so new that he did not yet have much experience with them. Recently, I found out that he did just that, although I have not yet seen a review. I'll be watching out for that one as I am a huge fan of the JSB Fat Kings and their superior BC! Reportedly shoots them at just above 900 fps for 61ish FPE. No clue on shot count but I would predict between 35-40 based upon size of bottle.
 
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Yeah, Mick; definitely stay in touch because I am extremely interested in your review of the RAW HMx .357 (130 fpe regulated)! Maybe the buddy bottle route would be the way to go. With my Impact, I was concerned about the constant swapping-out of the bottles. I was experiencing leaking and o-ring replacement issues. What size are your buddy bottles? How many fills do get off of them?

Hopefully, RAW's customer service will improve as time goes on. But I can hang if the product is worth it :).

I would like to find a good hunting round for my new RAW though. It is designed and tuned specifically for the JSB 81s. I get the need to use diabolo pellets due to stability issues at subsonic velocities, but I am not a big fan of domed pellets. I shot JSB 50s in my FX Impact .30. The accuracy was top-shelf, but the pellet passes right through the game. I was getting better stopping power with my Daystate Pulsar .25 shooting Baracuda Hunter Extremes. My Impact liked the Predator Polymags with the tips removed, so I am going to try them in my RAW. The stopping power of the Polymags is insane! The new RAW .357 mag does not fit the tipped Polymags just like the Impact, so that is a bummer.

At any rate, I am enjoying our back 'n forth :)
 
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Well........
I have followed this and other conversations about RAW rifles on this forum and else where for awhile now. I did it! I finally purchased a HM1000X in .357 caliber. It took me awhile to work up to it but I finally bit the "pellet" and bought one. I just picked it up today from the local dealer Penchetta who I purchased it from. When I was ready to buy one, about 3 to 4 weeks ago, I stopped by his shop. He didn't have a .357 in stock but had one on order that he had ordered back in February. It happened to be one of the 2 configurations I was considering (grey laminated thumb hole stock) so I decided to put down money and sell my FX Boss to cover the remainder of my purchase. Boss sold 10 days ago. RAW arrived today. I'm rather pleased. I plan on using this rifle primarily for predator hunting (fox, coyote and bobcat). I did purchase the spare bottle and the recommended bottle fill adapter. The fill adapter will arrive next week. I was told that the fill adapter is the way to go so you can fill the bottle directly from a tank or compressor. That way you don't need to fill your spare bottle on the rifle, remove it, and then put it back on later to use. The adapter also puts less stress and wear on the bottle and rifles threads over time. There are a couple steps to follow to eliminate the high pressure when removing a bottle from the rifle but that is probably a topic for a different thread. I have already digressed..... When I get the scope I ordered and have installed it I will add a couple pictures. Thanks for reading my ramble.
 
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Wow, glassman; it's like I have a twin! I sold my FX (Impact) to buy my RAW as well. Is your RAW the 130 fpe regulated version? If so, I would be extremely interested in your review :). The concept of the bottle fill adapter is intriguing. Do you have a link? I'm just wondering how the adapter changes anything though. Wouldn't there still be the same issues when attaching and removing the adapter from the bottle? Let me know how the adapter works out. Also, I would love to see some pics! BTW, ramble on!
 
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