need some help spending money...

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Vana2

Vana2

Member
May 11, 2015
1,297
2,114
Ontario, Canada
So I need some help spending money (well, I really don’t need help :) ) and would appreciate your input.

I am looking for a PCP for long range (50 + yards) target shooting, some pest control and a bit of small game hunting. Accuracy, shot count and economy are the main considerations. The other requirements are that the rifle be regulated and a repeater. The (Canadian) restrictions are: no silencer and no bulpups.

I was thinking that .22 caliber would be the best choice for pellet selection, cost and availability. Good for small game as well – transfers plenty of energy to the target without excessive damage. I get shoot-thru with my .177 rifles and most of the FPE goes down-range so a .22 will be a definite improvement.

Presently, I am looking at two rifles, the Weihrauch HW100 and the FX Royal 300.

I have a HW100 FAC in .177 and am very pleased with the rifle. Beautiful walnut stock, very accurate, fantastic trigger and the side-lever is effortless to operate. The simple metal clip has fed thousands of rounds without a single glitch. The only hesitation is the reputation that the .22 caliber, high-power FAC model has a reputation for accuracy issues. I suspect that this is cause by barrel leading.

The FX Royal 300 is also a regulated repeater and the ST barrel is said to be very accurate. I have no idea on how well the side-lever/clip work and would like to hear comments from people who have experience with the FX products. Concerns are that the clip is spring loaded (more things to go wrong?) and is a bit fussy to load. The scope has to be mounted high to clear the clip.

Any thoughts, suggestions and recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks Vana2
 
The only air rifles which I use that do not have a silencer are the Steyr LG-110 HP hunting and FX-400 (expansion chamber on end of barrel). If you want to shoot regularly at 50 yards I would opt for the FX-400 which provides ca 50 full power shots (30 FT lb), ca 150 shots at medium power (18-20 FT lb) and almost 200 shots at low power (12 FT lb). My Steyr is a ca 20 FT lb gun and provides 60 shots from a 200 BAR fill.
 
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@ TonyT I was looking at the Steyrs, specifically the 5 shot repeater, very nice rifles but out of my budget - would be around $3,750 for the rifle and a decent scope. I think that the FX 300 and the 400 are basically the same rifle with different HPA reservoirs and stocks to suit.

@Linsfreak Sorry that you had issues with your FX, would you mind elaborating on what the concerns were? 
 
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where in Canada are you? ...I am in Ontario and I bought the FX independence as it gives me freedom from the dive shop and the extra expense of tanks.
I do hunt with it and have shot many birds pigeon sized and under past 70 yards so far and absolutely love the gun if your close to me (Barrie Ontario) your welcome to try mine before you buy if you like?
Best of luck in your air gun Journey!
Jonathan
 
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I have the FX Royale 200 which is simply the 300 with a 200 cc bottle. The side lever cocking system is extremely smooth. You have to add the regulator. It doesn't come standard with a regulator. I get 50+ shot from the 200cc tube on high power. So with the 300, more like 70. It also has adjustable power (hi med low). So, if you're just plinking around, you can get over 100 shots per fill. Yes, these are accurate rifles. Definitely sub MOA. Definitely powerful enough (30+ FPE) for small game. What's nice about the 200/300 is that it doesn't have a silencer on the end of the barrel. The whole length of the barrel is shrouded (don't know if that's kosher in Canada or not) and it is extremely quiet. When I fist got it and shot it (after having a Hatsan Galatian) I thought there was something wrong with the rifle! So, yeah, definitely fits the bill for what you are looking for.
 
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"Vana2"@ TonyT I was looking at the Steyrs, specifically the 5 shot repeater, very nice rifles but out of my budget - would be around $3,750 for the rifle and a decent scope. I think that the FX 300 and the 400 are basically the same rifle with different HPA reservoirs and stocks to suit.

@Linsfreak Sorry that you had issues with your FX, would you mind elaborating on what the concerns were?
Click to expand...
The only reason I mentioned the Steyr is that you indicated a preference for a air rifle without silencer.

 
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@1kshooter I am near Perth Ontario ('bout and hour west of Ottawa). I have read a bit about the Independence and it sounds interesting. I'm setup for PCPs with a 150 CF scuba tank so filling is not a problem. I have a Crosman 101 pumper and as a kid I always wished that I could pump it a bunch and get several shots like the Independence does. Thanks for the offer to try your rifle - much appreciated!

@truboken77 Thanks for the vote of confidence on the FX Whisper, I am new to FX and any positive input increases the comfort level.

@chasdicapua Thanks for your comments - very helpful! 50+ from a 200cc fill is great, more that enough for a walk-about. The FX 300 is available in Canada, they come with the shroud minus the baffles to make them legal. The government is too lazy to segregate powder burners from airguns so airguns have to suffer the same restrictions. For example, a pellet pistol that shoots 500 fps is classed as a restricted firearm and subject to the same rules as a .44 magnum. Go figure eh?

@TonyT Please, mention a Steyr any time you want :) If my lottery ticket is a winner I'd be on way to the nearest Steyr dealer in my new Lamborghini... Until then I will just visit their web site and sigh. Seriously, I am fine with silencers its just that they are restricted here.
 
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I too am in the same situation. Currently have the money but cant seem to make a choice. I live in Ireland, which doesnt have a huge airgunning community but there is still a few enthusiasts. My friend recommended the weihrauch hw100 models, and theyre a nice set up. But i have been researching online the accuracy and long range capabilities of the models and still cant seem to find any real info to make up my mind. Caught between the HW100 FSB FAC .22 and the Daystate wolverine B .22. 
Any input would be greatly appreciated, just wondering about the accuracy of both.

thanks.
 
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I have three of the spring loaded mags for my FX Royale and with thousands and thousands of rounds through the three mags, I'm yet to have a single glitch or error. All of them have performed flawlessly for some time.

I also looked at getting the HW at one point. After some research I quickly lost interest. It's one of the few guns I haven't tried over the last few years and one of the only ones that I really have no desire to try. For me, on paper, the Royale seemed like a much better choice. 
 
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@ enda97
I ended up purchasing a second HW100 S, this one a .22 caliber FSB FAC model. The FSB version is lighter than the regular barreled rifle. 

I was a bit nervous about the rifle because the .22 had received a lot of bad press. I ended up talking with a couple of guys that have the FSB barreled rifles and they were very pleased with the rifle and it’s accuracy.

In perfect lighting conditions I can catch the arc of the pellet inflight and it is very consistent and stable. Been shooting (unsorted pellets) out to 40 yards and frequently stack 3 pellets with 2 touching that hole or very close to it.

The stock rifle likes the 18.13 grain JSB Diabolo Exact Jumbo Heavy pellets and I am getting 856 fps with an ES of 6 fps.

I just received an order of JSB RS, Jumbo and Jumbo Express pellets for testing. I don’t need 31 FPE for the game I am hunting so I plan on trading some energy for a flatter trajectory and increased shot count, hoping to detune the rifle to shoot the lighter pellets at between 925 – 950 fps. Initial testing with the lighter pellets show good grouping and I am anxious to shoot a bunch of strings over the Chrony to see what kind of numbers come up. 

Very happy with the rifle and looking forward to the hunting season.
 
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Seems that the domed diabolo pellets are the optimum shape and design for sub-sonic speeds.

Pointed shapes may be better for penetration but don't do anything to improve flight - pellets are spin/drag stabilized.

IMHO, I think that the fancy shapes and extra bits being added to pellets are just marketing gimmicks – it is difficult enough to consistently swage identical weight and head-sized pellets without adding complexity to the process.

I have checked (weighted and head-sizes with a pelletgage) a number of different brands of domed pellets and have found that the JSBs are more consistent than other similarly priced pellets. All of my Feinwerkbau, Weihrauch and Walther rifles shoot better groups with JSBs.

Just my 2 cents
 
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Appreciate all the replies thank you. I have seen the .22 rifle get bad reviews regarding accuracy etc. but like always that could just be one single rifle or then again it could the model itself. The main pellets I use at the moment in my current rifle are Air Arms diabolo heavy 18gr, which are made in the same factory as JSB's (if I'm not mistaken).


What groups would be expected at 50 yards and is the stated fps by the manufacturer anything to go by, or just a rule of thumb? 
(Don't have a chronograph!)

Thank you
 
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@ enda97

Accuracy issues can be from a single rifle or it could be from a combination of a number of things (fouled barrel, bad pellets, cheap scope, loose scope mounts, improper parallax adjustment, windy conditions, shooter skill etc.).

I understand that the AA pellets are made by JSB but they are swaged using AA molds. I don’t know if the lead alloy is the same between the two brands.

I can’t comment on 50 yard groups from my own experience because I am still evaluating pellets and tuning my rifle. I have seen a 14 shot (one magazine) sub-half inch, fifty yard groups from an experienced (reputable) shooter that was shot indoors.

A super accurate rifle is always desirable I am not that hung up on the magic “½” @ 50 yard” goal because most of my shooting is done off-hand a between 20 and 40 yards. I am sure that the half/fifty is possible and that it has been done with finely tuned rifles, expensive optics, sorted pellets and optimum conditions - but can the shooter do that five times in a row (on a single target face) or just one time in twenty-five tries?

The velocity stated by the manufacturer is often achieved with special light weight pellets because “speed” sells. I suggest talking to owners as to the real velocity that the rifle will achieve with the weight of pellets you wish to use.

Speed isn’t everything. I detuned my .177/4.5mm HW100 S from 1100 fps and 40 shots per fill to 950 fps and over 70 shots (5 magazines) per fill. A chronograph is very useful for tuning and checking air guns – a worth while investment.

…just my own observations for what they are worth. Hope this helps.

 
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I'm sure with practice its achieveable, just need to put in the time on paper and get to know the gun. I have read online that the 'go to' scope for air rifles are Hawke sidewinders. I have ordered a Hawke sidewinder 4-16 x 50 and its actually due to arrive tommorow. Hopefully that scope, will erase any problems with optics. 

I have watched videos online of people shooting pigeons/doves at 100+ yards with air rifles. I am aware that that's extreme range and the shooters probably miss/injure more than they kill, but is it possible? I beleive in the stalk more than the idea of shooting animals with air rifles at that range but can't help wonder is it possible? I am sure the pellet groups at that range, in real weather conditions are very large.

Appreciate the replies
 
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Agreed, with practice small groups are achievable. Target shooting at known ranges, seated at a bench using a solid rest is a great way to learn the rifle and the trajectory.

I like the Hawke scopes and have several 44mm sidewinders and a 4-12x50 Vantage - think they are good value for the money.

Most .22 PCP rifles have sufficient energy to kill doves and pigeons at 100 + yard ranges but it would take a great deal of skill to get a high percentage of hits at those ranges. A .25 caliber with some serious optics would be better at those kind of ranges.

I limit my hunting range to the distance where I can keep 80-90 % of the pellets in a 20mm circle which is around 40 yards. I will shoot further if a have a good tree to lean on and the animal is unaware of me.
 
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