Best Weihrauch for a first time springer shooter?

[swampfoxoutdoors]

Getting into air guns. Wanting a weihrauch preferably in 22. Uses would be mainly target shooting on the front porch. And some small game hunting. Squirrel, chipmunks, pest birds and maybe the occasional coon.

Which model will give me the most enjoyable shooting experience. Maybe the most forgiving in new pellet shooters hands.

 

[KWK]

If you want to carry it in the woods get an HW95 or R9. If you want it to be even more manageable get the HW50 but I prefer that one in 177. Springers aren't that good for coon. They're tough critters.

 

[Lewis]

If I were only to get one Weirauch it would be an HW97. It is extremely accurate and right in the middle of the power range.
I agree Raccoons should not be taken with a springer. A PCP would make for a much more ethical elimination.

 

[Sqwirl57]

A .177 HW50S is very friendly and lightweight while still maintaining about 12ftlbs with JSB 8.44s. Thats good enough for squirrels and rabbits out to 40yds or so. I've gone further but its not something I would recommend until you are very comfortable with the gun.

An HW95 with a full tune would be the absolute bare minimum I would use for raccoons but I wouldn't recommend it. A PCP is a much better tool for that job. A .22 HW95 is going to max out around 17ftlbs with a tune and lead pellets.

 

[kgodsil]

I agree

 

[clothtop]

The 97k

 

[patrikky]

Can't really go wrong with a hw95, 77 or 97. However one can find real good deals on older beeman R1s and R10s which I really like. Learn the Artillery hold.

 

[swampfoxoutdoors]

So what’s the relationship between beeman and weihrauch?

Same gun with a different name?

Any of the guns listed above any more forgiving on proper hold than the others?

 

[swampfoxoutdoors]

Question does the Hw97 have a plastic under leaver retention shroud and suppressor?

One of my pet peeves with this air gun quest is minimizing the amount of plastic on the gun. I want wood and steel. A heirloom quality air gun.

 

[Ramjet]

HW50S

 

[beerthief]

HW 97 comes in a wood stock OR synthetic black one . the 97 is a great gun but on the heavy side , a porch sitter not a woods walker although you can do it .
You might want to get a HW30 , light handling plinker for your first a fun gun ! i have 2- 97's , 2- TX200 for the last few years and just bought a HW30 .177 as my actually 7th gun , haveing a blast with it in the yard

 

[MDriskill]

This is not to contradict any of the excellent suggestions above, but to suggest an alternative that may fit what you'll actually be doing with the rifle.

As beerthief noted, the compact, light, smooth-shooting HW 30 (R7) in .177 would be more forgiving for formal target work, easier to carry, and just generally easier to use, than any of the more powerful models. It would do all the hunting jobs you describe out to 25 yards or so, EXCEPT raccoons (a different level of size and toughness, and I agree not appropriate for most springers). It's a delightful all-rounder that you will always have uses for, even if you eventually branch out into other things.

 

[maxtrouble]

So what’s the relationship between beeman and weihrauch?

Same gun with a different name?

Any of the guns listed above any more forgiving on proper hold than the others?

Mr. Beeman was the original importer of Weihrauch air rifles back in the 70's, that is an amazing story. Google it and see.

I suggest either the HW95 or HW98. Same power plant, but the HW98 stock is highly adjustable and has a bull barrel. Both have a very good power plant that is very easy to shoot accurately.

Buy once, cry once.

 

[crowski]

All great advice, can’t really go wrong with any suggestions. 98 or 95 would be my choice. Can’t beat the looks of the 98. Easy and accurate. Good luck. Crow

 

[Hateful McNasty]

This is not to contradict any of the excellent suggestions above, but to suggest an alternative that may fit what you'll actually be doing with the rifle.

As beerthief noted, the compact, light, smooth-shooting HW 30 (R7) in .177 would be more forgiving for formal target work, easier to carry, and just generally easier to use, than any of the more powerful models. It would do all the hunting jobs you describe out to 25 yards or so, EXCEPT raccoons (a different level of size and toughness, and I agree not appropriate for most springers). It's a delightful all-rounder that you will always have uses for, even if you eventually branch out into other things.

You are correct, Beeman is a US importer of Weihrauch airguns. In Dr. Beeman's day (1980's and 90's) they added different stocks etc. to create the "R" guns, and helped design the HW 80 (R1), HW 77, P1 pistol, etc. But they have never actually manufactured anything themselves.

I think thats air venturi for the German beemans.. today.

Id think any break barrel hw/r's is good for first. I like plane and simple hw95/r9.

 

[MDriskill]

So what’s the relationship between beeman and weihrauch?

Same gun with a different name?

You are correct, Beeman is a US importer of Weihrauch airguns. In Dr. Beeman's day (1980's and 90's) they added different stocks etc. to create the "R" guns, and helped design the HW 80 (R1), HW 77, P1 pistol, etc. But they have never actually manufactured anything themselves.

 

[MDriskill]

One of my pet peeves with this air gun quest is minimizing the amount of plastic on the gun. I want wood and steel. A heirloom quality air gun.

Then you may want to consider the HW 35.

Power is similar to the current HW 50S, and it's a bigger, heavier gun than that (but still lighter than the underlevers). Classic barrel-cocker with a locked breech, and has the solid threaded-on rear receiver section. Also the only gun discussed here available with a walnut stock (on the HW 35E variant).

One feature I particularly like is the two-piece cocking linkage. Makes for marginally more cocking effort, but eliminates the long underneath slot, and trades small screws in the fore end sides for a proper bolt in a steel seat. The HW 30 and 50 share this detail. It's a more expensive detail to manufacture, and just feels more like a proper "real gun" to me.

The 35 is not everyone's cup of tea...but there's a reason Germans have been buying them since the 1950's!

This pic shows what I mean about the underside slot (these guns are both from the 1960's, but the HW 35 is still mostly the same).

 

[Frogy]

Ok my 2 cents worth. I have the 97 in 177 great rifle vary accurate. ( no plastic ) The 95 in 177. But the one setting at ready is the HW50 in 177 This one gets shot almost every day.My bucket list guns are Hw35E in 177 and the Hw30 in 177 I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the rifles listed in this thread. Good luck keep us posted

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Another thing that makes the hw/r more appealing is unlike other brands that seem to want to go shrouded ( plastic) soda straw barrels witn a funky non removable moderator thing and then no sights that leave you stranded to scope only is a turn off to me.

Hw/r maintains that traditional wood and real steel barrel with decent sights plus good parts availability and plenty of guys around at forums to help that support further .

 

[bdzjlz]

Owning virtually all of these at one point in time or another, and most currently, for me, the optimum choice is an R9 or HW98 in breakbarrels, or a 97 in and underlever. My first choice is in .20 caliber, but I have several in .22 that deadly and accurate too. The absolutely most accurate every day dependable springer in my collection is a .20 caliber HW97, meticulously tuned using a Vortek kit. It literally shoots the 13.97 grain pellet hole-in-hole at 20 yards, and inside of an inch at 50.

Don't expect any springer to shoot like I described above out-of-the-box without some tuning work, or at least shooting several tins of pellets to settle it down. However, the Weihrauch series of rifles are the absolute most accurate out of the box springers one can buy. The Air Arms TX200s come in a close second.