Well, now I'd say your money was well spent! Back in 2010 when I decided to get a good springer for hunting I looked hard at the HW97, TX200, R9 and R1. After studying the weights of each I finally settled on the R9, my only regret was not getting one sooner! If you can find a used HW30 or R7, that would be my choice for the ideal backyard plinker!
John