Accuracy Question: P17 vs. HW40.

[MJS]

I own a P17 and it's a fun plinker, but mine isn't as accurate as others seem to be. Lots of fliers.

For those who have shot BOTH the P17 and the HW40:

Simple question: Is the HW 40 more accurate?

(Yes, I'm aware of the price difference.)

Thanks!

 

[Miami Airgunner]

If you're spending that kind of coin, just get the HW 75 where you will get something really worth owning.

The accuracy difference will be mostly from ergonomics. And they're dang good on the HW 75..

(I love my P17s, but they are what they are)

 

[BackStop]

I own a P17 and it's a fun plinker, but mine isn't as accurate as others seem to be. Lots of fliers.

For those who have shot BOTH the P17 and the HW40:

Simple question: Is the HW 40 more accurate?

(Yes, I'm aware of the price difference.)

Thanks!

How far are you trying to shoot with the P17? I have found that anything much more than about 10/11 yards is hard to be accurate with it even though the gun is accurate enough if I were to put on some optics instead of using the onboard sights. My eyes can either focus on the target OR the sights with that gun... not both at the same time. (chuckle)

Would I spend more than the $7.50 each I paid for 24 of them? No.

Would I pay the extra $$$ for the German? version? No way! (smile)

 

[MJS]

20' to 30'. Some shots are decent, but too many flyers.

 

[Miami Airgunner]

20' to 30'. Some shots are decent, but too many flyers.

The barrels in these are good, damn good usually. Like 20-30' should be zero problem at all. Of course, to get any kind of accuracy, you'll need a red dot or something on it - the stock P17 sights are crap.

Next, try some different pellets, you may just have a badly matched pellet for this gun. (this may be really obvious to you, so forgive me if so, but it bears mentioning I think)

If it's really the gun, check the barrel crown, and inspect the barrel after a good cleaning.

 

[BackStop]

The barrels in these are good, damn good usually. Like 20-30' should be zero problem at all. Of course, to get any kind of accuracy, you'll need a red dot or something on it - the stock P17 sights are crap.

Next, try some different pellets, you may just have a badly matched pellet for this gun. (this may be really obvious to you, so forgive me if so, but it bears mentioning I think)

If it's really the gun, check the barrel crown, and inspect the barrel after a good cleaning.

Out to 10/11 yards, I have found my P17s to be VERY accurate with every pellet I have tried. Of course, the POI will change with each pellet, but it is VERY consistent and that is without mounting any optic and using the standard sights that come with the gun.

If the OP is having a problem, then they may have one of the few (as I said I have had 24 of them and ALL shot accurately out to 10/11 yards) that has a problem with the barrel.

One of these days when I see a cheap deal on a red dot or pistol scope, I will mount one on one of my P17s and see how far it will hold accuracy/precision past 33 feet! (smile)

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Tiny scope on my p17 and it hits penny sized stickers at 15yards no problemo
Idk about the other mentioned.

 

[BackStop]

Tiny scope on my p17 and it hits penny sized stickers at 15yards no problemo
Idk about the other mentioned.

Not sure I could do that with my eyes, but last time I shot one of my P17s, I was able to put 6 shots in a group at 11 yards that I could cover with a nickle.

For ME and my old eyes, that is REALLY impressive! As I said, I can either focus on the target or the sights and the sights will still be blurry in either case! (smile)

 

[Miami Airgunner]

Out to 10/11 yards, I have found my P17s to be VERY accurate with every pellet I have tried. Of course, the POI will change with each pellet, but it is VERY consistent and that is without mounting any optic and using the standard sights that come with the gun.

If the OP is having a problem, then they may have one of the few (as I said I have had 24 of them and ALL shot accurately out to 10/11 yards) that has a problem with the barrel.

One of these days when I see a cheap deal on a red dot or pistol scope, I will mount one on one of my P17s and see how far it will hold accuracy/precision past 33 feet! (smile)

I've bugbustered mine, something like 5+ years ago.
If I recall correctly, it was good (bench rested, sitting, bagged up) for 20 yards and dime size groups no problem.

Never shot it further than that, and the entire setup was done just to be silly and dumb, because I could. Didn't foresee this conversation, so i didn't bother with any real data collection efforts.

--
And what do you know, thanks to the search feature in Google Photos, I can even show it to ya.

 

[BackStop]

I've bugbustered mine, something like 5+ years ago.
If I recall correctly, it was good (bench rested, sitting, bagged up) for 20 yards and dime size groups no problem.

Never shot it further than that, and the entire setup was done just to be silly and dumb, because I could. Didn't foresee this conversation, so i didn't bother with any real data collection efforts.

--
And what do you know, thanks to the search feature in Google Photos, I can even show it to ya.

View attachment 300819

The only way I would actually scope one of mine is if I got a sweet deal on a pistol scope. In other words, a scope that I could use while still holding the pistol at arms length like I would normally do when using the stock sights. Other than that, it will have to be a red dot. (smile)

Actually, I rarely shoot them anymore. Gave most of them away as gifts, but I think I still have about 6 left.

Oh... I do use one from time to time to kill flies in the house. No pellets, just the air. (chuckle)

 

[Miami Airgunner]

The only way I would actually scope one of mine is if I got a sweet deal on a pistol scope. In other words, a scope that I could use while still holding the pistol at arms length like I would normally do when using the stock sights. Other than that, it will have to be a red dot. (smile)

Actually, I rarely shoot them anymore. Gave most of them away as gifts, but I think I still have about 6 left.

Oh... I do use one from time to time to kill flies in the house. No pellets, just the air. (chuckle)

HOLY CRAP.. I can probaby put salt in this thing and have a super crazy bug blaster...

Neat idea

 

[BackStop]

HOLY CRAP.. I can probaby put salt in this thing and have a super crazy bug blaster...

Neat idea

LOL! No, don't put salt in it. That will not turn out well.

When I have a fly in the house, it usually settles down somewhere and I simply put the muzzle close and blast (air only of course). (smile)

If those Bug-A-Salt guns weren't so over priced for the cheap plastic they are, I would own one. (smile)

 

[nervoustrig]

I'm no fan of the P17's cocking effort and awkwardness, but its accuracy is a marvel for the price point. With a 1.7x pistol scope, hitting dime-sized spinners consistently at 10 yards is trivial with multiple pellets.

Added an extension to make it easier to cock (wearing a red dot at the time, later swapped to the scope):

View of a target at 10 yards through the 1.7x scope:

 

[Miami Airgunner]

LOL! No, don't put salt in it. That will not turn out well.

When I have a fly in the house, it usually settles down somewhere and I simply put the muzzle close and blast (air only of course). (smile)

If those Bug-A-Salt guns weren't so over priced for the cheap plastic they are, I would own one. (smile)

I have a 7 watt laser (yes, with a RDS, LOL) that I built for most of my indoors bug murdering - nothing like watching a mosquito turn into vapor and a ring of smoke...

Still, I actually think a tiny paper wad in back and a dump of salt down the muzzle is actually, laughably, workable.

 

[Moog]

I wish I could try out an HW40 so I could compare it to my P17. With my P17 I've gotten very good results at 10 meters both rested and off hand using the factory sights. I've also had decent results off hand at 15 yards. Next time I shoot it I'm going to stretch out the range a little farther just to see what happens.

 

[Steveoo]

You do not need to try the experiment because i have already compared.

The only difference between the 2 is coming from pellets.
There was initially an issue with Beeman 2004/P17 variants having burrs left inside the tube where the little TP hole was drilled through, which would eat into the compression head after a few rounds, but the Chinese must have listened to moans, as these burrs appear absent over the last couple of years.
However, the barrels are different. Here you pays your money and takes your choice.
The true HW barrels of the 40 offer a slightly deeper rifling groove resulting in marginally better accuracy with JSB Exact and Express…but the P17 lighter rifling gives about 10% more velocity on average…
Detecting the diff in accuracy not easy….
Therefore my preferred choice of the 40 was based more on the nicer moulding of the main body with no flash lines ..

 

[powderburner]

I own a P17 and it's a fun plinker, but mine isn't as accurate as others seem to be. Lots of fliers.

For those who have shot BOTH the P17 and the HW40:

Simple question: Is the HW 40 more accurate?

(Yes, I'm aware of the price difference.)

Thanks!

I only own the p 17 , so can't compare to the HW 40, but I have taken my P17 to a few extra steps, I bought it in 2012 ,because of reviews of praise about how good it was for the price, so off to wally world. I shot it quite a bit, replace first set of seals, debured the cylinder, did a trigger job,, 1 pound . , all this time I used it for a casual plinker, Crossman competion wad cutters , for ammo,for the most part,, I own a rws 6 g. , for serious 10m, practice,

Well , fast forward to now, I had a hankering to buy a 1701p , I have a pcp rifle but no pcp pistle, anyway I started shooting my air pistles. Again, I was keeping tract of my 10 meter scores, and the P17 was not that far behind the rws 6 g, so I decided to buy a better variety of pellets, I had meisterklugen. Super dome, Crossman match, Crossman competitipn, but wanted to try more, anyway the P17 has the accuracy to utilize better pellets, it shoots the meister 7grain, better than the 8.3, the r10. Better than the meisters. But not much,, so just to see, I put a rifle scope on it,, only thing I had with adjustable paralex. Down to 10m .you can use the scope at arms length, you have a very small field of view , but it's functional. I sand bagged the gun ,with these variety of pellets, just to find what pellet it likes the best, it was shooting so well, I pulled the barrel and lapped it with jb bore polish,
I was getting very tight groups, the Crossman competion 3/8 , to 1/2,, that's fine for 10 m. Practice, but the meisters, and r10, and jsb light and heavy match pellets are trying to go into one literal pellet hole .171 to .233 , the 7 g , seem to be slightly better.
Pellets best first,, meisterklugen 7g best .171 best 5 shot.,,,, r10 rws,about same &,,jsb 7.3 match best .233 5 shot , about equal, jsb 8.2,,,, rws basic .250 5 shot,, real close to jsb 8.2 , rws hobby best .335 5 shot ,, Crossman match pellet .40 to .500 is best utility pellet I think .finally Crossman competition wad cutter I bought these for kids to burn up in co2. Repeaters , they do fine for practice , they will shoot a .400 or so but allot of fliers making .500 or so groups.
For top match pellets rws meister 7g. ,,jsb light 7.3 match
Utility pellet ,, rws basic,,, rws hobby,,, Crossman premier competition
Try some quality pellets in your p17. You may be surprized.
All groups 10 meters. The gun as well as most all air guns is very hold sensitive, you hold it exactly the same every time or you will get inconsistent results,

 

[MJS]

Thanks. I'm using rws meister 7.0 and rws meister 8.3. I cleaned the barrel as well. Again, it's not a bad plinker, but there are flyers even from a rest. Not really a big deal given the cost of the p17.