Hw97k .177 or .22

Pros and cons for both calibers. I have owned both but ended up with just the .177 as the .22 was getting to hard to cock with my bad shoulders. .22 is great for hunting but you really need power to make the tragectiry flat enough. I have no oroblem dispatching quarry with my .177 out to 50 ydsvas my TX200 is very accurate. My .22 was an R1 break barrel, also extremely accurate but to get the power up to 18 ft lbs really added to the cocking effort. Bigger pests can be taken with a .22 but more accurate shots can be easily done with the .177. Tough call in the end, more of a personal choice.

I was in the same dilemma. So my new 20 cal (best of both worlds) arrives tomorrow........lol.

+1 for the .177 (tons of ammo option)

Pros and cons for both calibers. I have owned both but ended up with just the .177 as the .22 was getting to hard to cock with my bad shoulders. .22 is great for hunting but you really need power to make the tragectiry flat enough. I have no oroblem dispatching quarry with my .177 out to 50 ydsvas my TX200 is very accurate. My .22 was an R1 break barrel, also extremely accurate but to get the power up to 18 ft lbs really added to the cocking effort. Bigger pests can be taken with a .22 but more accurate shots can be easily done with the .177. Tough call in the end, more of a personal choice.

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Very much agree. I much prefer the more mellow shot cycle and accuracy of a 12fpe springer so .177 works best for me. IMHO springer accuracy suffers above 13-14fpe. I hunt often and a well placed shot drops small game very effectively out to 40 yards. Good luck choosing. 


R

I have 97’s in .177, .20, and .22 - love them all, each one is incredibly accurate (sub 1” at 50 yards 10 shot groups). If I could only have one, it would be the .20. 2nd choice would be the .22. 3rd would the they.177. They are all tuned to shoot between 13.5 and 14.5 fpe. Cocking is silky smooth.


They .20 is the perfect compromise in terms of power and trajectory.

I placed an order for a 97k from AOA, showed in stock but got a call saying they had a computer glitch and it showed in stock but had been sold and would be 2-3 months before they received any more. The made me a deal on the model with the thumbhole stock, just hope I like it.

.177 all day. 

I've had much better luck with getting great barrels in Weihrauchs in .177 and never had a good one in .22

Also at the power level a 97 shoots best at, a .177 will give a much better trajectory and still kill anything you have any business shooting at in the first place. 

Had both, few times over, and id take the .177 without a second thought. 

I had to make the same decision as to get a .177 or a .22 except I was buying an HW95. Over time I acquired one in each caliber. I shoot mostly at reactive targets so I find that I prefer the .22. I just like making a bigger "thunk".

Well for sure it would be the .20 if I had a choice,but I got a great deal on a .22 and I like it a lot.....for me .177 are harder to pick up and load,yes I have big well used fingers.

I have a .177 HW97. I have no .22 springers. JMO.

I have one in .22. The ONLY reason I went with .22 is because I had a bunch of .22 pellets in stock already (well, there's other reasons too, but I won't get into that). But I regret this purchase. I should have written the pellets off as a loss, and went with .177 in 11.9 fpe (or a full power version, and detuned it myself).

But don't listen to me, I don't know anything, and I can't shoot for poop. But, if a pellet is most stable in the 850 to 875ish feet per second range, you'll find that the lighter lead pellets in .177 are right around that speed at the sub 12 fpe level. Light spring, ideal stable speed....why wouldn't someone go with .177?

I say all this in the context of my end goal: superior precision and accuracy....which I am not able to achieve with my .22....yet (probably never gonna happen).

My first and last HW97K-T is in .20.

I shudder to think what a mistake it would have been to choose either .177 or .22. Sorry, but that's the way it is in a lot of superfine springers. Add the .25 in the mix and I'd rather have THAT than either .177 or .22.

You would not be making a mistake to get one in .177. More ammo choices. I got a 12ftlb version from Krale. Not many choices of ammo in .20. Not much ammo available in .22. My favorite rifle. 

I’m gonna go against the masses and say my .22 is my most consistent shooter out to 50 yards. You won’t go wrong in any caliber though 

My out of the box .22 has been one of my most accurate guns. I had a number of .22s already, figured I'd shoot some game/pests with it, and also like the bigger thwack on targets.

.177 would be my primary choice for paper and competitive shooting. For other targets, the. 22 works just fine. 

My out of the box .22 has been one of my most accurate guns. I had a number of .22s already, figured I'd shoot some game/pests with it, and also like the bigger thwack on targets.

.177 would be my primary choice for paper and competitive shooting. For other targets, the. 22 works just fine.

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I like the .177 in any air rifle--if it is a "one rifle for all HW97K" you should get it in the caliber you prefer despite what I said about .20.

I have .177s and .20s and .22s and .25s and even had a .30 in the FX Boss PCP smooth twist rifle.

I sold the .30, kept all other calibers in all sorts of rifles PCP and springer.

Thing of it is I personally found the HW95L a better choice than the HW97K and wouldn't regret selling it (.20) because the HW98 .20 and HW80 .20 are more accurate than the HW97K .20 model with the slippery and dangerous underlever that delivers LESS power than the HW98 .20. And the HW98 .20 is about 10X more accurate to boot.

Traditional wood stock or synthetic thumb hole stock ?

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Beech by HW.

It is not an easy rifle to like because it is best for a sitting man at the sandbagged bench.

Not for the Field which I desire to be in instead of a chair while shooting!