I know, comparing a fixed-barrel match rifle with a relatively cheap break-barrel rifle isn't fair. But I was just curious about the differences in accuracy between two of my all time favourite air rifles; the HW30S and the FWB300S, and had never actually tested them side by side. First of all, I tried to be as consistent as possible comparing both rifles, so I removed the scope from my HW30S and slapped a diopter sight on it, since I shoot my FWB300S unscoped. The distance for testing was 11 yards or 10 meters. And after some experimentation with pellets, I learned that both rifles at this distance seem to like the JSB Match Diablo .177 wadcutter's at 8.02 grains and a head diameter of 4.52mm. For longer distances they both like the JSB Diablo Exact pellets at 8.44 grains pellets with a head diameter of 4.52mm.
Since the FWB300S uses a recoilless system, shooting this rifle is as easy as shooting a PCP. The HW30S on the other hand does have a bit of recoil, and the trigger isn't a match trigger, but it breaks cleanly at 450 grams. It does have some creep and take-up, and a heavier pull compared to the 50 grams on the FWB300S, but the Weihrauch Record trigger is still one of the best triggers for airguns out there. The heavier trigger makes the HW30S a tad bit harder to shoot as accurate as the FWB300S. And even though the HW30S isn't really hold sensitive, it does prefer to be shot from a shooting bag or off-hand. So for this comparison, and to be as accurate as possible, I shot both rifles from the bag.
I shot four 10-shot groups with each rifle, and on all the cards the results look more or less the same. The reason I used wadcutter's, is to make sure the paper doesn't torn and the holes are distinguishable. Here are the results.
Now how accurate is accurate, was my question. To be honest, I've shot better groups with both rifles, but since I didn't use scopes for this test and I haven't had a good nights sleep in over two days (roughly 1 hour per night), the fatigue had to be the primary cause of that. Edge to edge the groups measure .29" (7.6mm) with the FW300S and .55" (14mm) with the HW30S on average. Acceptable enough, considering the recoil and heavier trigger that the HW30S has compared to the FWB.
The build quality on the FWB is unsurpassed. Each and every part is machined and polished to perfection from the factory, and it all fits really snug together. The HW30S on the other hand is slightly rough around the edges when you look at it's internal components. I had to polish the piston for instance when I bought the rifle, to remove some tool marks and burrs here and there. On the outside it all looks well finished. I'm a tall guy at 6'4" with big hands, but the relative compact size of both rifles isn't really an issue for me. It just takes some getting used to. The amount of fun these rifles have to offer, surely makes up for the fact that these rifles - the HW30S in particular - where built for smaller (average sized) people.
The HW30S shoots at 607 feet (or 185 meters) per second, the FW300S does 541 (165 meters) per second on average. This small difference makes these rifles somewhat comparable to each other. I'll be testing both rifles some more in the near future, and will add the results to this topic. But for now, I think this is a good starting point for those looking to buy a low powered airgun.
For all intents and purposes, if you want to shoot the tightest groups possible on paper with a springer, the FW300S is an absolute winner and you can't go wrong with it. Mine is 40 years old, has shot over half a million pellets, and is still able to squash a mosquito at 35 yards. And I don't mean by throwing the rifle at it! Also, the FW300S is quite a lot chunkier compared to the HW30S, and not really the type of rifle you want to be carrying around in the woods all day long. But then again, it wasn't build for that purpose. If you're more of an out-door shooter and prefer carrying your rifle around in the field, the HW30S is surely the better choice and a great rifle to consider. With this kind of accuracy and no cocking effort what so ever, both rifles are extremely fun to shoot and once bought, will probably never leave your collection.
Since the FWB300S uses a recoilless system, shooting this rifle is as easy as shooting a PCP. The HW30S on the other hand does have a bit of recoil, and the trigger isn't a match trigger, but it breaks cleanly at 450 grams. It does have some creep and take-up, and a heavier pull compared to the 50 grams on the FWB300S, but the Weihrauch Record trigger is still one of the best triggers for airguns out there. The heavier trigger makes the HW30S a tad bit harder to shoot as accurate as the FWB300S. And even though the HW30S isn't really hold sensitive, it does prefer to be shot from a shooting bag or off-hand. So for this comparison, and to be as accurate as possible, I shot both rifles from the bag.
I shot four 10-shot groups with each rifle, and on all the cards the results look more or less the same. The reason I used wadcutter's, is to make sure the paper doesn't torn and the holes are distinguishable. Here are the results.
Now how accurate is accurate, was my question. To be honest, I've shot better groups with both rifles, but since I didn't use scopes for this test and I haven't had a good nights sleep in over two days (roughly 1 hour per night), the fatigue had to be the primary cause of that. Edge to edge the groups measure .29" (7.6mm) with the FW300S and .55" (14mm) with the HW30S on average. Acceptable enough, considering the recoil and heavier trigger that the HW30S has compared to the FWB.
The build quality on the FWB is unsurpassed. Each and every part is machined and polished to perfection from the factory, and it all fits really snug together. The HW30S on the other hand is slightly rough around the edges when you look at it's internal components. I had to polish the piston for instance when I bought the rifle, to remove some tool marks and burrs here and there. On the outside it all looks well finished. I'm a tall guy at 6'4" with big hands, but the relative compact size of both rifles isn't really an issue for me. It just takes some getting used to. The amount of fun these rifles have to offer, surely makes up for the fact that these rifles - the HW30S in particular - where built for smaller (average sized) people.
The HW30S shoots at 607 feet (or 185 meters) per second, the FW300S does 541 (165 meters) per second on average. This small difference makes these rifles somewhat comparable to each other. I'll be testing both rifles some more in the near future, and will add the results to this topic. But for now, I think this is a good starting point for those looking to buy a low powered airgun.
For all intents and purposes, if you want to shoot the tightest groups possible on paper with a springer, the FW300S is an absolute winner and you can't go wrong with it. Mine is 40 years old, has shot over half a million pellets, and is still able to squash a mosquito at 35 yards. And I don't mean by throwing the rifle at it! Also, the FW300S is quite a lot chunkier compared to the HW30S, and not really the type of rifle you want to be carrying around in the woods all day long. But then again, it wasn't build for that purpose. If you're more of an out-door shooter and prefer carrying your rifle around in the field, the HW30S is surely the better choice and a great rifle to consider. With this kind of accuracy and no cocking effort what so ever, both rifles are extremely fun to shoot and once bought, will probably never leave your collection.
