Hw97 .20 experiences

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khasky24

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Jan 24, 2018
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Pennsylvania, United States
Currently pondering on the idea of purchasing a hw97 .20 cal. I have read some amazing reviews about the gun itself! I am currently running a Gamo urban .22 pcp that pushes an 18gr about 730fps. My question is will this .20 cal hw 97 get me somewhat close to the performance of my urban? My Main goal is to have the most pcp like springer I can get, and from what I read, the hw97 comes really close with smoothness. Some real world performance numbers of this gun in .20 cal would be great. The website states 850fps but not sure what Grain that is .
 
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My '97 .20 shoots the H&N 11.42's @ 755 fps, very nice gun to shoot not hold sensitive...just a bit heavy, great gun!
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I have both,both are .22, they do not compare!... They are what they are, different. Urban is light,fits nice, and is easy to shoot, the HW97 is heavy, longer and a great springer.

Both are good at what they do. The .20 is special,I love it,I think a HW97.20 would be great...that said I am happy with my .22.

There are tune kits for the HW97...If want to get a pleasant shooting springer it May be better to get one with less power...and a smaller frame.


 
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I have four 97’s and they are all super accurate but my .20 is my favorite. It is absolutely deadly and the POI is spot on anytime I remove it from the vault. It’s favorite pellet is the JSB Exact 13.73 Gr.


I posted a very detailed review of this rifle about a year ago that you might find to be very informative if you take the time to find it using the search features of this forum.
 
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I've got a HW97 in .177, .20, and .22. The .20 version is the most accurate of the three. I've tried a dozen different pellets in the .177 and .22 versions and have settled on what shoots most accurately in those rifles.

In the .20, there are not a lot of choices, but for mine, the JSB 13.73 grain is by far the most accurate.

My .20 HW97 also easliy outshoots both my .177 and .22 TX200 Mark III's. I purchased all three of the HW97's from Krale.

Only problem is finding pellets and if you can find them, affording them.
 
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I took a look on where you would get .20 pellets and FOUND none at any of the dealers i use

So that is something to think about Or just buy .22
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The last 2 were Utah Airguns that had some of the JSB 13.73's. The other was AoA who had some of the Weihrauch labeled 13.3's. Word got out through the forums that both had .20 cal pellets and both sold out pretty quickly. 

I have an older 97 Mk1 in .20 cal I tuned to 12 lbs. I mainly use it for target shooting at 25-75 yards so I prefer the added weight. For an all around caliber in spring or gas piston rifles I think the .20 is the way to go. Hopefully some companies start offering more rifles in this caliber.
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There was a member over on GTA quite awhile ago who started a thread to ask about interest in new guns in the caliber and had been emailing the major makers about the possibility. His thread got more negative responses then positive ones and not a single company he emailed had any interest in making even one new rifle in .20 because they saw it as a niche market they didn't want to risk losing money on.

From my own emails to both H&N and JSB...H&N has no plans to bring back or come out with anything new. JSB said that while it was something under consideration, they had no plans at the moment to make anything other than what they already do. I also took a shot and emailed a company in Brazil called Rifle Ammunition to suggest the idea but they never bothered to even reply. Retailers? Yeah, good luck since the ones I've talked to don't know when they might get more.

While .20 still has lots of fans and there's even been an upsurge in sales the last 8-10 months with shooters wanting guns in .20, sadly, most makers of anything still consider it a niche caliber and focus more on .177, .22 and .25. If you decided to get out of the caliber and posted a WTS for whatever you have for a pellet stash, my random lame guess is you'd have at least 15-20 PM's in your inbox in the first 20 minutes (if it took that long) wanting to buy everything you have. While I have my own small stash owning 8 .20 cal rifles myself, I might well be one of them just to add to what I have...lol.
 
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I don’t have to get that exact fpe but if I can get somewhat close I would be happy. What about a magnum Gamo or Diana ? I assume the magnums won’t be that easy to shoot tho.
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Keep in mind that a hard hitting springer needs weight to perform well...springers have recoil and many lower power to lessen that recoil, if you want a hard hitter, then you need a heavy rifle or you wont hit squat. Weight absorbs recoil, mass in motion laws of physics...there is no such thing as a hard shooting light weight springer that can be shot accurately. Not sure why a few extra lbs is such a big deal, I carry my R1 for hours in the woods without a problem, I have arthritus and 72 yrs old....
 
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Over the years I have owned a lot of .177 caliber airguns, but not many in .20 or .22 cal. In my experience the larger calibers seem to have a smoother shot cycle. Both .20 caliber rifles I have owned were 97s Mk1 types set at about 12 lbs. As mentioned the weight of these rifles helps calm the firing behavior. Do most manufacturers increase the transfer port for larger caliber springers based on caliber or are they standard for the same models? Would this have a positive effect on the firing cycle?
 
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Over the years I have owned a lot of .177 caliber airguns, but not many in .20 or .22 cal. In my experience the larger calibers seem to have a smoother shot cycle. Both .20 caliber rifles I have owned were 97s Mk1 types set at about 12 lbs. As mentioned the weight of these rifles helps calm the firing behavior. Do most manufacturers increase the transfer port for larger caliber springers based on caliber or are they standard for the same models?
 
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