Vortek Tuned Hw97Kt Review

[Bornagainyorkshire 39]

Evening all,

When I was researching tuning kits for my 97 and stumbled across references to Vortek I noticed there wasn't a great deal of information out there online. The hunting life frequently appears when searching for air rifle or shooting queries on Google so I thought it was worth writing a short review of what I have found so far so that others that are interested have a bit more information.

Firstly, I am not an air rifle expert (as people on the forum will know), I grew up shooting air rifles and shotguns on the north Welsh border but have returned to shooting only over the last four or five months - it's a proper nostalgia trip for me and I'm having the time of my life out shooting and getting the best I can from my rifle.

I did not just stick the kit in the 97, following advice and videos online (and lot's of helpful tips from Jimmy - BigMac97KT) the rifle was completely degreased and the internals (piston, compression chamber and trigger sears) were all polished to a mirror finish. The Vortek PG2 kit was then greased and installed using their teflon lubricant.

The rifle has been absolutely transformed by this treatment, bare in mind I have no comparisons to other professionally tuned guns, but it is considerably nicer to shoot now than various friends springers. My boss and one of my colleagues that are keen hunters and shooters have both tried it out since tuning and describe it as like a different gun.

Spring noise has been completely eliminated when firing, whereas previously there would be a very distinct twang after firing a pellet now there is just a very satisfying thwack when you hit the target.

Recoil has been reduced significantly, before the kit was installed, and despite a previously mediocre attempt at polishing the internals, before the 97 would jump after each shot and a very pronounced forward backward recoil, now the rifle just gives you a gentle nudge and when looking through the scope for follow through after releasing a shot it stays relatively on target - as a result accuracy has been improved again, alongside reducing trigger pull weight (another of Jimmy's recommendations) the PG2 kit has made the biggest impact on accuracy and also hold sensitivity.

The rifle is considerably more quiet when firing as well, a really dramatic difference, with distinctly less muzzle crack.

Lock time has also been reduced, polishing the sears will also have improved this i'd imagine and it's quite a hard thing to quantify for me but once you pull the trigger the pellet is there.

The only minor downside I found with the kit was that the piston seal provided was such a tight fit in the compression chamber that it required a lot of force to pull it out. Resizing with some wet and dry took a couple of minutes with the piston in a drill chuck and it is now a nice tight fit but i am able to pull it through the compression chamber.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful to someone interested in the kits. I am now a very happy man and feel that the 97 is finished now in terms of further refinement.

Tony from AGR tuning provided the kit and was quickly responsive to messages to his mobile, it seems some other tuning kit makers are so snowed over with queries that they struggle to get back to you but I was very pleased with Tony's service.

Roll on the next project.

All the best,

Guy

[Rez 4,957]

Evening all,

When I was researching tuning kits for my 97 and stumbled across references to Vortek I noticed there wasn't a great deal of information out there online. The hunting life frequently appears when searching for air rifle or shooting queries on Google so I thought it was worth writing a short review of what I have found so far so that others that are interested have a bit more information.

Firstly, I am not an air rifle expert (as people on the forum will know), I grew up shooting air rifles and shotguns on the north Welsh border but have returned to shooting only over the last four or five months - it's a proper nostalgia trip for me and I'm having the time of my life out shooting and getting the best I can from my rifle.

I did not just stick the kit in the 97, following advice and videos online (and lot's of helpful tips from Jimmy - BigMac97KT) the rifle was completely degreased and the internals (piston, compression chamber and trigger sears) were all polished to a mirror finish. The Vortek PG2 kit was then greased and installed using their teflon lubricant.

The rifle has been absolutely transformed by this treatment, bare in mind I have no comparisons to other professionally tuned guns, but it is considerably nicer to shoot now than various friends springers. My boss and one of my colleagues that are keen hunters and shooters have both tried it out since tuning and describe it as like a different gun.

Spring noise has been completely eliminated when firing, whereas previously there would be a very distinct twang after firing a pellet now there is just a very satisfying thwack when you hit the target.

Recoil has been reduced significantly, before the kit was installed, and despite a previously mediocre attempt at polishing the internals, before the 97 would jump after each shot and a very pronounced forward backward recoil, now the rifle just gives you a gentle nudge and when looking through the scope for follow through after releasing a shot it stays relatively on target - as a result accuracy has been improved again, alongside reducing trigger pull weight (another of Jimmy's recommendations) the PG2 kit has made the biggest impact on accuracy and also hold sensitivity.

The rifle is considerably more quiet when firing as well, a really dramatic difference, with distinctly less muzzle crack.

Lock time has also been reduced, polishing the sears will also have improved this i'd imagine and it's quite a hard thing to quantify for me but once you pull the trigger the pellet is there.

The only minor downside I found with the kit was that the piston seal provided was such a tight fit in the compression chamber that it required a lot of force to pull it out. Resizing with some wet and dry took a couple of minutes with the piston in a drill chuck and it is now a nice tight fit but i am able to pull it through the compression chamber.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful to someone interested in the kits. I am now a very happy man and feel that the 97 is finished now in terms of further refinement.

Tony from AGR tuning provided the kit and was quickly responsive to messages to his mobile, it seems some other tuning kit makers are so snowed over with queries that they struggle to get back to you but I was very pleased with Tony's service.

Roll on the next project.

All the best,

Guy

 

Great read mate. Proper boss 97 you do indeed now have

[mark williams 7,549]

I`ve dealt with Tony from AGR tuning and any lads wanting the IMP cannot get one in any other calibre than .22 from Sandwell Field Sports.

Apparently the Vortek kit takes the HW99 .177 to the legal limit " with ease" according to Tony.

 

 

atb Mark

[Bornagainyorkshire 39]

Great read mate. Proper boss 97 you do indeed now have

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers Rez, it's been really fun and satisfying getting back in to shooting and i've learnt a hell of a lot from this forum - both reading old posts and asking new questions. There are some very helpful lads on here.

As a result I feel like I know the 97 pretty well inside and out and have properly got the bug for shooting back!

Looking forward to my now very overdue baby to be born, then I can look at getting my tickets (a deal I struck with the missus)

All the best,

Guy

[big napper 3,559]

Just seen your other post mate, did you manage to crono it, if not iv got one you can use

[Bornagainyorkshire 39]

Just seen your other post mate, did you manage to crono it, if not iv got one you can use

Just pm'd you bud

[bigmac 97kt 13,730]

Cracking lad is bn

 

only met him once but a nice lad to get on with

 

look for a little fat baldy git in a red van

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oops sorry thats MOXY

 

or could of been Walshie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

atvbjimmy :thumbs:

[big napper 3,559]

Haha im little compared to you mac, not fat thou,

And iv got a red van now, didnt have when i met you thou, have you been spying on me from up there, nice one mac

[charlie caller 3,654]

Another happy Vortek user, anyone contemplating a kit/seal, please bear in mind they ALL come oversized, for obvious reasons, but as our OP mentioned a couple of careful minutes in a drill with some super fine wet and dry(please use water) as it helps to stop the seal overheat, and creates a lovely smooth finish, I am going to try the kit in a .177 99S, to test the legal limit .177 99 theory, if it works as I have no doubt it will, the 99 will be worth shooting in the best sub 12 air rifle calibre.

[bigmac 97kt 13,730]

Feck this looks like ill have to get one for the tx200

 

and see what all the fuss is about

 

atvbjimmy :thumbs:

[meg1 55]

I did my first tune up on a hw 97 last year, i gave everything attention to detail, mirror finished all internals and trigger, lightly Molly greased, and put back together with Sandwell Field Sports kit, I was amazed at how beautiful it felt to shoot, however after trying to zero in I could not keep a tight group, I tried several different makes of pallets try to put him through plenty of pallets tried cleaning the barrel stripped it back down on two occasions making sure that I had not used too much Grease, the mistake I have made was to mirror finish the piston, I polished out the honing marks and was making the piston bottom out and it wasn't holding enough lube, ordered a new piston and didn't touch it put it straight back in and now it's perfect so consistent very pleased, I was scratching my head for ages trying to work out what I had done wrong, did you mirror finish your piston without any problems?

[secretagentmole 1,701]

The Vortek kit worked wonders on my 77 (same gun different stock) and transformed the 95 Mary had. As you say reduces recoil, quietens gun, really a superb kit.

[Baldcoot 2,352]

 Result Bn ,Put the Welsh Willy kit in mine similar result ,twang noise  and 10.3lb/ft went to 11.6 and no twang lovely job and Willy is a very helpful fellow to talk to over the phone no question was too daft .And im very good at daft atb