Best Spring Powered Air Rifle

[Richard Collett 102]

I'll be honest I've completely over looked the walther brand, at one point was really considering a Terrus but changed my mind for the hw77. Now that's two people that have spoke highly of the LGV...Mmmm must say not as beautiful as the walnut stock tx/pro sport.

 

Don't get me wrong I understand unless you shoulder and shoot it's very difficult, so it's all subjective but I respects people honest opinions.

[eastcoast 3,731]

Richard, earlier this year I asked THL members for their opinions on the Pro Sport. I think it may be a recurring theme but people were generous with their replies. All were positive. I purchased a PS in .177 with the walnut stock and have no regrets. I should quickly add that the last air rifle I bought prior to this was a Daystate Huntsman PH6 in the mid 90's and the one before that a Webley Omega in I think 1986 so I'm in no position to comment on the PS's contemporaries. However I really can't fault it.

 

Straight " out of the box " I was surprised at the groupings I achieved when zeroing the scope. So much so that it was taken late afternoon/early evening rabbit stalking the very next day when I would usually want more time to familiarise myself with a rifle before shooting game. It performed as expected achieving precise pellet placement giving clean head shots at sensible sub 12ft lb ranges. As has been mentioned in an earlier post it is a heavy rifle but only to carry around. Once shouldered the balance and weight are perfection for a rifle of this type. Maybe I have just struck lucky and the rifle is perfect fit for me but I would recommend sling swivels and a good quality leather sling, needs to be good quality so as not to detract from the rifle's beauty.

 

Maybe the greatest compliment to the rifle has been given by shooting friends who have seen it and used it. These lads started off their shooting careers with air rifles but haven't really bothered with them since getting their FACs many years ago. A kind of snobbish attitude regarding air powered rifles prevails. Their loss. However some of these lads have been so enamoured with the PS that swaps or part ex's have been suggested in order to get me to part with it. That's not going to happen.

 

Try one.

[PeskyWabbits 464]

Richard, I have two Pro Sports, both calibres. A Hw97, An HW100 and a Hw35 - 1983 version.

If I had to choose which to keep it would be the Hw35. I have had it so long, I know it. Pick it up, shoot it. Handles really well, Solid but not too heavy. Accurate enough for me and my pick up and go, hunting gun,

 

Rez, maybe you should drop your Hw80 lust and get a Hw35. The barrel catch means you can fit a sling and carry it all day without the barrel breaking open. The modern ones are easily legal limit. It is a proper sturdy rifle.

 

But the Pro Sports are amazing. The quality is awesome. My first one is .177 but after donkeys years of .22 I can't change, so I got one in .22. All the others are .22.

I did have a TX200 but it was just too nice to use. A bit front heavy too, like the girder Hw97.

 

Whichever you go for won't be a bad decision. They are all good. The Walthers are very heavy, so maybe you have to think how long you want your arms to be.

[charlie caller 3,654]

Richard, I agree the Walther is not as pretty as a TX or Prosport, but looks have little to do with performance in the hunting field, the trigger on the Walther is not as good as Air arms or Weirhauch units, it is good, just not as good, however it can be made just as good with a Rowan engineering unit for around £45, now then, I have owned almost every Weirhauch springer, and a tx 200 and a pro sport, and done a fair bit of tuning and fettling in my time, hand on heart, the Walther LGV is without a doubt the finest out of the box shooting spring gun I have EVER used, they really are in a different league to the others in terms of smooth low recoil, super quick lock time and with a silencer fitted, almost pcp quiet, they are heavy, but so are the others, and the engineering and internal finish even compared with Air arms, is worlds apart, try one you will not regret it.

[Chaff 3,414]

Hey guys what about Diana 52 that's my favourite bloody heavy but goody not sure they still make them.

Have had few old spring guns used to get them tuned by a fella called John turner think he was the man behind the tx200. My old 77 was so smooth when he finished with it hw80 as well.

Biggest let down was the hw 90 really harsh recoil gas ram theoburn guts knocked the rectile loose on my scope.

Thought I'd put my 10 penny worth in of course I'm talking 20 plus years ago lol

[bilbobagins 92]

As I mentioned earlier on the forum I used to have an old Webley which would shot the nuts off a fly at 30 yds the trigger was'nt the best but it was lighter than a lot of some mentioned and handled great the newer webleys by all accounts have a much improved trigger so maybe worth a look

[johonawhitness 110]

Some really good posts here lads,keep em coming.itching to take my springer out now. It seems everybody has there own preference due to weight fit looks loading etc etc.

It is clear there is a trending top 3.

 

Maybe handle and shootING each of these 3 will be the only way to realy find out what is for you. Maybe there is less in it shooting wise than you may believe?

 

As far as looks go the prosport defiantly dose it for me!

[Jonjon79 13,345]

Hmm, I've never tried one of the Walthers but, they're starting to sound pretty good

 

From the ones that I have owned and tried, my clear favourite is the TX200hc .22 in a Walnut stock.

 

Part of the reason that I bought it was I grew up shooting a .22 springer so, I was looking for a quality springer that would give me a little nostalgia

 

This thing didn't disappoint.

I like the weight and the sturdy feel. Personally, I think it screams quality.

Everything from the Walnut stock to the nice bluing, the trigger, the 'Made in England' stamped onto it, the way it's so easy to strip and maintain....... I love it.

 

Right out of the box it was nice to shoot. In original condition I was hitting a little bell at 65/70yrds at the old club that I used to go to.

 

In fact it's so simple to work on that I've managed to do a home tune on mine and, I'm very happy with the improvement

 

This'll be THE last rifle that I ever get rid of and, that'll only be if no one wants to buy my kidney

 

Ps: The loading thing becomes second nature very quickly - I don't even look in the port - just grab the underlever and thumb the pellet in, move the same hand down to the ABT, lever up, rock n' roll

[reaper6 84]

The best springer is the iconic HW80 in 22 flavour and if i could only have one air gun then thats what it be.......pick it up fire it .....put it away for 20 years take it out and fire it.......it will never let you down

[mark williams 7,549]

I was looking at a review of the Walther Comp` Ultra .177 on you tube by Si Pitterway and Davy T, apparently the rifles power ( brand new) was only hovering at around 10.2 ft/lbs - does anyone know if that improves ?

 

 

atb

[dayglowfrog 56]

Have you shot a hw99 or 95 ?just saying as it would give some variety to your 97 they can be a bit twangy when new but a tbt kit is only £23 then its all sorted and you could get an interesting calibre ....

The walthers have rubish resale value compared to the tx etc check out the trigger problems threads on other forums some people have had major problems and ended up selling them in bits everyone agrees they are great to shoot as long as you dont get a doggy one.

There are sone very good second hand deals on the walthers but i would probably want a warrenty .

[pianoman 3,584]

The best springer is the iconic HW80 in 22 flavour and if i could only have one air gun then thats what it be.......pick it up fire it .....put it away for 20 years take it out and fire it.......it will never let you down

That's been my experience of my HW80 .22 reaper6.

 

No matter how long I leave it be, it comes out and shoots like the day it was brand new and first run in. I don't really need to bother with any other gun if it had to be just the one.

 

As well as my HW80, I have an HW77 .22 at sub 12 FPE. I'd say without any hesitation, these two are the best spring powered air rifles you can still buy.

 

All the best.

Simon

[charlie caller 3,654]

I was looking at a review of the Walther Comp` Ultra .177 on you tube by Si Pitterway and Davy T, apparently the rifles power ( brand new) was only hovering at around 10.2 ft/lbs - does anyone know if that improves ?

 

 

atb

Yes it certainly does,they are famous for creeping up by around a foot pound after running in, mine was doing just under 11 out of the box, a re lube and a power washer saw it rise to 11.6, after a few hundred pellets I had to remove the power washer as the rifle had become rather warm shall we say, it then settled at a very consistent 11.7 just right, so anyone buying one and not wishing to strip it, have no fear after a couple of tins of pellets, power will rise to 11+ no problem, I bought my LGV from Holland, they come in two variants over there a sub 12 ftlbs model and a 17ftlbs model, so getting the power up to legal limits or above on FAC is no problem at all.

[gurtwurz 792]

ive had to replace my aging and worn out pro sport recently, and its taken me a while to find something that suited me like the ol' girl but after pulling the old out of the gunsafe, along with a sweet shooting 77, ive ended up with a mk3 .177 TXHC which is lovely to shoot, and ridiculously accurate (taken a while to get used to the ratchet bear trap mind you..)

 

i think that at the end of the day, whichever of the better brand rifles (weihrauch, aa, walther) actually feels right to you will be the one for you- they all perform pretty much the same in terms of smoothness and accuracy, what makes the difference is how they fit you and what youre doing with them.

[bigmac 97kt 13,736]

ive had to replace my aging and worn out pro sport recently, and its taken me a while to find something that suited me like the ol' girl but after pulling the old out of the gunsafe, along with a sweet shooting 77, ive ended up with a mk3 .177 TXHC which is lovely to shoot, and ridiculously accurate (taken a while to get used to the ratchet bear trap mind you..)

 

i think that at the end of the day, whichever of the better brand rifles (weihrauch, aa, walther) actually feels right to you will be the one for you- they all perform pretty much the same in terms of smoothness and accuracy, what makes the difference is how they fit you and what youre doing with them.

SPOT ON

 

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ATVBMAC :thumbs: