The Walk In The Field Rifles You Trust (2)

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Fischer

Fischer

Member
Mar 7, 2021
384
24
IL, United States
This is what it is about for me. An air rifle to take "into the field" while just taking time away from suburbia into nature.

I'm 63 now and medically discharged from the US ARMY as MAJ (CH).

The war for me is over. I can't go back there. I want to be back there. I want to be in the field with my soldiers. 

I never carried a weapon in the field but had learned to shoot the M-14 about the time the M-16 came along to replace it in ROTC.

I love the M14 and hate the M16.

Now; the field for me is the air rifle field.

Well, one asks the question if they had only TWO rifles (air) to KEEP which would they be?

For me it is the D54 .20 and the HW98 in any caliber. If you ask me which caliber in the HW98 I'd be happy with any caliber and happier if all calibers in HW98 could be kept!

The HW98 to me is a kind of "heavy" pellet rifle; but once you carry it around like you would a walking stick or backpack in the field it becomes concrete solid reliance for an exact shot first time to the target without "warm up."

That's my vote for the HW98.

The D54 Air King .20 specialized by Lothar Walther and put together by Hector represents my "Custom" air rifle specified to my needs to have a pellet hit over 100 yards in HEAVY .20s with enough accuracy to justify the shot.

So what's your two Field Rifles that YOU would never question at any range anywhere anytime within 24 hours?
 
No gun's gettin buried with me!

But I understand your loyalty to your rifle. 

I figure the rifle I'd be loyalist to is Hector's because he and I made the rifle with his know how as well as his kindness to me as an airgunsmith.

That rifle isn't going to be buried with me; but to be closer to your statement it is probably the only rifle in all of my life that meant the most to me.

The past tense is true. All other rifles I have are factory and perfect the way I expected them.

But the Hector Special in D54 .20 is a mark in my life of rifle shooting (all kinds of rifles even black powder). It never disappoints and when I saw it at 105 yards with me shooting it offhand I knew it was as good as my M1-A Supermatch with Douglas Premium Air Gauged Heavy Barrel and Walnut stock with brown plastic cover guard like the original M14s we trained with in 1972.

These are all material items but the one material item made by human hands that impresses me enough to vaunt it is Hector Jose Medina Gomez's Lothar Walther .20 D54 AIR KING with beech stock and Titan Spring with piston made out of something other than what Diana usually installs.

This rifle, Hector's Diana 54 Air King Recoilless .20 embossed "No. 27 Von 30" is truly the best air rifle I ever owned in any power source. 

And it's a sidelever which I personally had to "like" and "get used to". Hector sent me his own .20 D54 with cracked and sheared stock he used for competition to shoot and win and I began familiarizing myself with the offbeat sidelever from Diana. I had held the more powerful sidelevers from Diana at Sports stores in California and felt they were too right side heavy with that sidelever.

But once I got used to shooting Hector's Own .20 D54 he used in matches to win I saw ACCURACY unheard of in springers of any type I'd tried before. 

Now, if I was to go to ONE rifle in the whole midst of my remaining life I'd hold Hector's Special in .20 in D54 using my HEAVY .20 JSBS for short or far range.

It DOES go over a hundred yards with PCP accuracy. And THAT is the reason it WINS my heart and soul. As well, I don't have to rely on scuba or pumps to attain the accuracy and power at 105 yards.

The pellets going AGAINST the wind coming at 10 and 11 oclock across the Lake I was shooting to hit the bank at 105 yards were TIGHT enough OFFHAND to HIT tomatoes.

The Roma kind! 

The D54 is made different from HW in trigger. Mine has the T-06 trigger and the barrel is "K" instead of regular.

I have used the standard pellets in this rifle to achieve what Hector did in his own which is sighted in for 13g or so, but WE found it was possible to shoot 15g+ JSB (Heavy .20) just as accurately at 45 yards. 

Then I started shooting the rifle across a lake at 105 yards seeing IT GROUPS and more elevation with windage adjustment made this rifle a 100 yard and over AIR RIFLE without PCP. 

Isn't that an accomplishment worth printing here?
 
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range and gun is always a question, depends what your after .. when i used to go out regularly to the woods with my brother i pretty much carried a .22lr .. an airgun isnt going to make up for that versatility to murder just about any small animal you see lol ... i wouldnt want to take an expensive flashy gun out in the woods banging around in the car and getting sand in it most likely doing what we did either, but .. if i was on one of those missions and could only take an airgun it would probably be the marauder pistol ... for something else 'specific' im sure i would use a different gun ..
 
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A field rifle should be as light as possible. Airguns tend to be heavy, reducing weight takes some thought. I have two fairly lightweight rifles, an HW95 Field Pro and an HW100 sporter carbine. I replaced the HW95 scope with a 4 ounce Primary Arms red dot sight which I would consider as accurate as the regular iron sight. I chose the HW100 for the lighter walnut stock and more manageable carbine barrel. I replaced the air cylinder with a titanium one, and it has a Leupold VX Freedom lightweight scope. Both stocks are drilled for a strap, which improves gun handling and accuracy in the field.

The HW100 has the range and power to make real use of a scope. However, I find that I overly baby scoped rifles, and they actually remove some of the immediacy of shooting. The red-dot HW95 is like driving a dune buggy. It's fast and light. You can drive it with both eyes open, you don't worry about where you set it down, or going through mud and brush. 

I love both rifles. 
 
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A field rifle should be as light as possible. Airguns tend to be heavy, reducing weight takes some thought. I have two fairly lightweight rifles, an HW95 Field Pro and an HW100 sporter carbine. I replaced the HW95 scope with a 4 ounce Primary Arms red dot sight which I would consider as accurate as the regular iron sight. I chose the HW100 for the lighter walnut stock and more manageable carbine barrel. I replaced the air cylinder with a titanium one, and it has a Leupold VX Freedom lightweight scope. Both stocks are drilled for a strap, which improves gun handling and accuracy in the field.

The HW100 has the range and power to make real use of a scope. However, I find that I overly baby scoped rifles, and they actually remove some of the immediacy of shooting. The red-dot HW95 is like driving a dune buggy. It's fast and light. You can drive it with both eyes open, you don't worry about where you set it down, or going through mud and brush. 

I love both rifles.
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That pretty much is the "end" of the "air rifle" best for carry and shooting. To me the HW95L or R9 is about the "best balance" in the field; but if one were to go "lighter" with accuracy and velocity the HW50S is "right there" just below a nice R9.

Now if the heavier rifle, R9, is usable to one who knows it that will easily be at least one of two rifles to prefer for all.

If you like the R9 then the HW98 is the end of that power plant in any way you adjust it (the stock) to fit your scope and your eye relief and your comfort zone to achieve the most accuracy out of the R9 style you can!

But if you feel these rifles are at "top end" for power the HW50S is the reasonable other choice in springer.

It is not difficult to go into the field with a "heavy" rifle like the HW98, but pellets in any caliber love the HW98 and perform to their best.


 
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Well this may change in time because as time has gone on and weather changes came the rifles I thought would be good (HW50S .20s each one scoped and unscoped and the sidelever D54 .20) told me some things about consistency in an air rifle all the time any weather any place etc.

For this, making one shot count as the first objective we HAVE to make THAT first above thoughts for a second shot!

Anyone disagree if the game is live game?

So the D54 .20 I thought, felt, shot and swore to be the best needs a "few" shots aforehand to "adjust" to it's accuracy potential.

However; all three of my HW98s (.177, .20, .25) are always on target despite the snow and ice they shot in and the hot weather over here recently in Illinois (South near St. Louis).

I have not shot a firearm in years anywhere; and have filled those years of not shooting with air rifles of gas ram, PCP, and springer.

Of COURSE the SPRINGERS WIN!

Out of the springers, incredible offhand accuracy is guaranteed when you finish the trigger on the cross wires. In a bench rest or sandbags a PCP will do BETTER; but no springer should ever be "controlled" by foam or pillow or sand or props in order to get the CONSISTENT group in the center of the glass at ranges from 10-45 yards.

The HW98 in all my calibers bought about in a window of 2 years have never disappointed in where it shoots the first time I pick it off the rack on the display wall (yes my HW98s occupy 3 wall racks where anyone walking in the door would see in a short amount of time).

The HW50S I'd take with me into the field. That won't change ever since I got one in .20 with a cutaway buttstock from AOA and then got ANOTHER one in HW50S .20!


 
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For me the venerable HW35....Have i gone nuts....well its been said, but maybe not this time.

The HW35 has proved reliable for this purpose for eons. The barrel lock prevents the break barrel opening when using a sling and it can be depressed on closing to allow a completely silent lock up as there is no spring powered detent lock up. Perfect for stalking. The stock is very simple and the deep forend with finger grooves unsurpassed for field use...reassuring control in wet conditions and meters the positioning of your forward hand for consistent hold. 

The 98 is a fine tool, with even greater potential from its stock ....just cannot decide if its more FT than forager...

The old FWB Sport was a fine stalker also, being 7.5lbs but the barrel would often break open when resting it up a tree, and occasionally on firing...rarely but it happened...


 
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This is what it is about for me. An air rifle to take "into the field" while just taking time away from suburbia into nature.

I'm 63 now and medically discharged from the US ARMY as MAJ (CH).

The war for me is over. I can't go back there. I want to be back there. I want to be in the field with my soldiers. 

I never carried a weapon in the field but had learned to shoot the M-14 about the time the M-16 came along to replace it in ROTC.

I love the M14 and hate the M16.

Now; the field for me is the air rifle field.

Well, one asks the question if they had only TWO rifles (air) to KEEP which would they be?

For me it is the D54 .20 and the HW98 in any caliber. If you ask me which caliber in the HW98 I'd be happy with any caliber and happier if all calibers in HW98 could be kept!

The HW98 to me is a kind of "heavy" pellet rifle; but once you carry it around like you would a walking stick or backpack in the field it becomes concrete solid reliance for an exact shot first time to the target without "warm up."

That's my vote for the HW98.

The D54 Air King .20 specialized by Lothar Walther and put together by Hector represents my "Custom" air rifle specified to my needs to have a pellet hit over 100 yards in HEAVY .20s with enough accuracy to justify the shot.

So what's your two Field Rifles that YOU would never question at any range anywhere anytime within 24 hours?
Click to expand...

You are 63, which means you were born 1958. I started college in 1963 and was shown the M 16 in ROTC, and heard of all the problems with it through the mid 60's We had M-1 in ROTC but never shot them just drilled. Now owning an M-1 and AR 15 ( also qualified with M 15 in USAF) and handling an M 14, I think for close order drill and manual of arms drilling, the M-1 is best, and also my favorite to shoot, I never shot a M 14. I would have thought at your age most military shooting would have been with the M-16, that was my first military qualification in USAF Basic back in 1968.

As far as field carrying I like my old FWB 124, with a Williams receiver sight,. It is light, quick pointing, easy to cock, and very accurate.

J. King, Maj USAF, BSC, Hon Ret.
 
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This is what it is about for me. An air rifle to take "into the field" while just taking time away from suburbia into nature.

I'm 63 now and medically discharged from the US ARMY as MAJ (CH).

The war for me is over. I can't go back there. I want to be back there. I want to be in the field with my soldiers. 

I never carried a weapon in the field but had learned to shoot the M-14 about the time the M-16 came along to replace it in ROTC.

I love the M14 and hate the M16.

Now; the field for me is the air rifle field.

Well, one asks the question if they had only TWO rifles (air) to KEEP which would they be?

For me it is the D54 .20 and the HW98 in any caliber. If you ask me which caliber in the HW98 I'd be happy with any caliber and happier if all calibers in HW98 could be kept!

The HW98 to me is a kind of "heavy" pellet rifle; but once you carry it around like you would a walking stick or backpack in the field it becomes concrete solid reliance for an exact shot first time to the target without "warm up."

That's my vote for the HW98.

The D54 Air King .20 specialized by Lothar Walther and put together by Hector represents my "Custom" air rifle specified to my needs to have a pellet hit over 100 yards in HEAVY .20s with enough accuracy to justify the shot.

So what's your two Field Rifles that YOU would never question at any range anywhere anytime within 24 hours?
Click to expand...

You are 63, which means you were born 1958. I started college in 1963 and was shown the M 16 in ROTC, and heard of all the problems with it through the mid 60's We had M-1 in ROTC but never shot them just drilled. Now owning an M-1 and AR 15 ( also qualified with M 15 in USAF) and handling an M 14, I think for close order drill and manual of arms drilling, the M-1 is best, and also my favorite to shoot, I never shot a M 14. I would have thought at your age most military shooting would have been with the M-16, that was my first military qualification in USAF Basic back in 1968.

As far as field carrying I like my old FWB 124, with a Williams receiver sight,. It is light, quick pointing, easy to cock, and very accurate.

J. King, Maj USAF, BSC, Hon Ret.
Click to expand...


I was born in 1957 and entered JROTC in Wooster High Reno in 1972. We drilled with M-14s locked up in the arms room in the JROTC building--missing the firing pins!).

I shot the M1 Garand and M1 A Springfield (the M1A is the semi auto fire only) shortly outside of high school at a range E of Carson City that forked also toward their land fill.

I've shot the AR-15 since Colt Sporter to today with Bushmaster copy of the COLT "Law Enforcement Only" carbine.

The Bushmaster AR-15 or X-15 or any Bushmaster never failed to function while numerous Colt Firearm Manufacturing Company Inc did fail.

I then went for a search of Springfield M1A's to get and found a Winchester Chrome Lined barrel made in 1962 with a TRW bolt and original receiver all together for $699 before Clinton and bought it!

That rifle shot 1.5" groups at 100 yards using HUNTING ammunition with lead tip (Federal Hy Shok .3.08 Win).

But, I later sold it.........

But the thing is I'm too old to really carry my own Springfield around these days it weighs 11 pounds as a Supermatch. But it also shoots lead soft point Winchester Power Points to point of aim without any trouble.

So the HW98 is really a light field rifle compared to the M1A Supermatch; and the M4 style is good for war but not my style in the time I was learning Army and ending well after the change to the M16, M4.



I'll always be faithful to a real M14 though! I know how to take it all apart and preserve it. The Supermatch is in a Glass Bed that need not worry until well after 4000 or 5000 rounds.
 
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For me, heavy it would be. It would be my sig asp20, and the diana 48. The sig has 21FPE at the barrel and is a tack driver. The d48 only lags slightly behind the sig in FPE, but is so accurate it has to be my number 2.



These rifles carry the punch and accuracy I need if hunting, pesting, etc. I've easily dispatched a large racoon with the asp chambered in .177. One shot was all I needed. If I recall correctly, it was 28 yards away....



Edit...just checked and it was 29 yards...
 
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It seems the big guns end up delivering of from evil in the field! I think to myself take it slowly and take it lightly and watch at every step you take all around without making a noise in order to hear all the noises out there.

So to me light infantry tasking means HW50S!

So let's say instead of not moving much but getting somewhere across hill and dale fast with rain or snow and fog or wind to make a 35 yard shot after positioned for 10 hours using a scope the HW98 is truly really honestly the end of all air rifles for endless precision and consistency that I have ever owned and I have started already to ask my wife the question

"Can I buy one more HW98 .22--the only caliber collection I am missing?"

(my wife so far the last 3 days of me asking): No. Absolutely not.


 
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1986 HW77K in .177

It's the perfect universal air rifle. 

Stable, consistent, very accurate, and a mechanically locked underlever for solid sling mounting. 

PXL_20201008_230402332.1622247522.jpg


IMG-20200506-135302.1622247637.jpg

 
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I have a LOT of airguns, Every tool has a Job, depends on So many Factors, weather, Temp, humidity, Health condition of person at the time and also health condition 10 years later, If you can Cock a spring Now but two years later Cannot cock any of your Springers you have due to a shoulder or health issue, then Springer may be Out, If you are using a hand pump for a PCP same issue could happen, you would Not be able to air up Gun, Compressor, what about Power outage for weeks on end. Co2 could be a good alternative, weather /Cold, what about a Dual Fuel Gun using both co2 and Low Pressure HPA, this could allow you to go back and fourth between Multiple fuels as needed. I love the Crosman/Sheridan 2260MB, with the GravMags 10 shot Gravity Fed Magazine, Zero Miss feeds, angled so it allows you to use a scope mounted Low. 9S Gravity Fed Magazine Mounts to the Steel Breech Dovetails in the Breech. 10shot Magazine, so follow up shots are Fast, a Conversion to a HPA tank is Possible using an adaptor, like a 13ci or 24 ci HPA tank. The ability to run a PCP on Co2 is MUCH LESS likely, most likely would NOT Work. I have gone through my 2260MB deburred and Polished Co2 /Air tube/ Cocking Slot, and Lithium dry lubed it, Trigger tune and Polished trigger, Upgraded the Front Iron sight to a Much better quality, and to a Good Quality Williams Rear Peep sight. and have a several descent Scopes that i have put on it, i always like to have a few extra scopes, for just in case Backups. this is my what If gun. I would Not take my RWS 460, RWS 350 RWS 34, all have a Vortek tune kit in them, and were deburred and polished Not my HW97K, I may take one of my PCPs Marauder Pistol (deburred Air tube Cocking slot) .22cal. or maybe a .22cal Mrod (deburred Air tube Cocking slot) with D FL Moderator that can be used On 3 of my rifles, maybe my Fortitude gen2 .22cal Lightweight (deburred Air tube Cocking slot), or my newest Air Venturi Avenger .22cal. Carrying a Rifle for any length of time, would be bothersome if all day. The Lighter the better, Next would be Practice with a Light weight Gun off hand, using Most accurate Triangulated Hold. forgot to mention i have a 6.5" TKO moderator on my 2260MB and it is pretty quiet.


 
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