RAW HM1000 / AF Texan Questions

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mark2cars

mark2cars

Member
Dec 18, 2016
287
9
Texas, United States
Considering the RAW in .30 cal for varmints out in west Texas. I am interested in it for a number of reasons....build/accuracy/quality and a great track record. I know these guns have a rep for being primarily bench guns however the HM1000 on RAW's site shows a weight of 8.5 lbs. That is considerably less than the HM1000X's 10 plus pounds. The other rifle under consideration is the AF Texan in .308. Different guns with completely different looks. I am looking for a "hunting rifle" not a "safe queen". I feel the .308 will give me a quicker and cleaner kill on animals like pigs and coyotes. Most of my shots will be 150 yds. and under. The build is not the same as the RAW however it has built a strong following. Any insights will be appreciated. Also anyone own the HM1000 that verify an actual weight? 
 
Where is Pat, he has a .30 cal I believe. I'm getting a HMx .357 regulated to 130ft/lbs to hunt yotes with out to 100 yards or so but I'll be in a stand also so weight isn't really a issue plus I'll be doing a lot of bench shooting with it. Also the style of stock you get will make a weight difference so I'd look into that also.
You should call Martin and talk to him, let him know what you intend to use the .30 for and I'm sure he can give you a better idea on the weight issue.
 
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Thanks to both of you gentlemen...!! I appreciate your comments. I agree that the RAW .30 cal may not have the "shock power" I am looking for however the RAW build and especially the trigger keep whispering to me. Frankly if someone offered a better trigger setup for the Texan it would make my decision much easier. I currently have a tuned cricket in .25 that is quite devastating out to 60 to 75 yards on smaller critters. If I not had requests from some landowner friends lately for help I would not be looking at another rig. Only God knows I have enough air guns now (lol). The quick followup shot also concerns me in regards to the Texan, however the .308 would also allow me to look at the white tail opportunities here on private ranches.In regards to stocks Jeremy from African Air Ordnance has a drop dead stock for the Texan. I will continue to ponder. Please chime in if you have opinions !
 
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My .30 HMX with laminate LRT stock, Atlas bipod, 8-32 bushnell, mag full of pellets and full charge of air weighs about 11 lbs. 

I also have a Texan, but it's a .45. BUT Texans in any bore are air hogs. If you're looking for strictly a hunter, and are OK with only getting 6-8 shots per fill, the Texan would be the obvious choice. They are crazy accurate with the right bullet and will bring WAY more energy downrange. 

If you're considering shelling out for a RAW, you should seriously think about the .357. Still won't have anywhere near the on-target energy as a .308 Texan, but you'll have instant follow up shots, and a lot more of them per fill.

Hope this helps(?)

Brian 
 
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"FredSG"Curious as to why you haven't considered the "new power" RAW .357? I have the .30 caliber RAW, but still hanker for a .357.

FredSG
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That's why I let the O.P know what I was getting for yote controll, the HM1000x .357 regulated to 130ft/lbs is going to have the knock down punch a person is looking for. I'm expecting it will be more around the 125ft/lbs but I wount know till it's in my hands which I hope is soon.
 
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"Brian.in.MI"My .30 HMX with laminate LRT stock, Atlas bipod, 8-32 bushnell, mag full of pellets and full charge of air weighs about 11 lbs. 

I also have a Texan, but it's a .45. BUT Texans in any bore are air hogs. If you're looking for strictly a hunter, and are OK with only getting 6-8 shots per fill, the Texan would be the obvious choice. They are crazy accurate with the right bullet and will bring WAY more energy downrange. 

If you're considering shelling out for a RAW, you should seriously think about the .357. Still won't have anywhere near the on-target energy as a .308 Texan, but you'll have instant follow up shots, and a lot more of them per fill.

Hope this helps(?)

Brian
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I looked at the Texan but like you stated it's the ability to have quick follow up shots that pushed me to the HMx, well ok one of the reasons I went with the RAW, I still would like to get a .45 or .50 being it's a big enough difference from the .35 to justify it where as the .30 isn't, a .25 - .357 - .45/50 would be a nice collection for just about everything in the airgun category and the .177 and .22 is just a given.
 
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Guns are like golf clubs aren't they? In this metaphor, a .30 RAW is a 7 iron, .357 RAW would be a 5 wood, and a Texan in any caliber is a big bertha driver. If you had to choose one club for 18 holes (including putting) what would it be? 

If you're doing the .35 RAW, a .45 Texan would be a great addition. FWIW, follow up shots take me about 8 seconds with a bullet holder I rigged up on my .45. Used one of those stretchy shell holders (.410 ga) that goes over the butt stock of a shotgun. Fits the air bottle nice and snug and back up bullets are right there in your face (literally) 

With NSA 295 grain HP's, my Texan has shot sub 1" at 150 yards, 3 shots and probably had 200 fpe when it got there! Hehe
 
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I have a RAW HM1000x in 30 cal with the walnut thumbhole stock. Without the scope, it weighs 9.5 pounds, and of course, the scope and rings will add 1.5 to 2 pounds on top of that. Mine shoots 75 fpe. Just a commet-the 30 cal trajectory is more loopy than the 25, especially beyond 100 yards. You might consider RAW's new .25 with the polygonal barrel that Martin sets up to shoot over 900 fps or 60 ft. pounds. The .25 is a good killer too and shoots a lot flatter. I also have a Cricket 25 with Charlie Frear's power tune. It shoots 25 gr pellets at 1015 and 33 gr pellets at 915 fps. That's pretty strong too. The Cricket is no lightweight either.

In regard to your thoughts of an Air Force rifle. They are a lot lighter and will do the job, but I would prefer a repeater rather than a single shot.
 
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Thank you all again. I will be calling Martin tomorrow to discuss the HMX.357. The Raw begins to make a bit more sense the more I hear from you fellows.. magazine/trigger and quality.build. I just need a small loan from you all (crowd sourcing ? LOL) to finance the pair. Perfect solution !! I spent a couple of hours yesterday in Colorado City Colorado at RL Air Gun Supply. Matt really schooled me on the Texan and the .308 round. He showed me some bullets recently used in a penetration test on a partially thawed bear carcass, The mushrooming was very impressive. That is still part of my confusion. 
 
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Nothing wrong with the Texan at all the only real downfall is it likes lots of air and is a single shot which can make follow up shots difficult if under time and stress, did I mention that it likes lots of air, it is a very capable rifle for what you plan to do but the main thing is to practice practice practice and get to know the limitations of your abilities and the airgun no matter which one you get.
Since you have already sat and talked with RL Airgun and have the scoop on the Taxen now like you said call Martin and see what he has to say and go from there, in the end it's YOUR Airgun not ours so use your best judgment and be happy with what you get because there is nothing worse then second guessing yourself on what you got and also keep us informed on what your thinking...Forgot, you should also look into a air tank at least a 74cf if you'll be out in the wilds of Colorado also a good hand pump as back up and also check around for fill stations for the airtank before you buy one, if you do buy one, the hand pump is only fun for the 1st few fills then it's more like work hahaha.
Good Luck and keep us informed....
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edit for The word....Luck..
 
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Thats like night and day, configurations, fpe, etc. Your criteria does not really indicate to me that you are/should be limited. My .308s have been 200-300fpe and my .300s 75-90fpe with pellets, although now shooting Nielsen swaged 55, 60, and 64.8gr I can reach 120fpe with a .300. Given your intended target, distance, and price range, maybe consider AAA Slayer, or a Bulldog with funds left over for a Texan or some other pellet shooter. An 80fpe .30 shooting JSB will have less than 35fpe at 150yd vs a decent .308 will have over 100fpe. There is also nothing wrong with just wanting a specific brand either for personal reasons :)
 
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