Best spring powered .22 FAC air rifle

[The avantgardener]

I have a HW77 that I have owned since 1988, I still enjoy using it, really well built.

The underlever makes it slightly slower to load than the break barrel HW80, both are excellent guns though.

[Johnsond]

48 minutes ago, The avantgardener said:

I have a HW77 that I have owned since 1988, I still enjoy using it, really well built.

The underlever makes it slightly slower to load than the break barrel HW80, both are excellent guns though.

Owned a HW97K another great weihrauch underlever,  sold it a few years back and often kick myself for doing so. As much as I disagree with J at times ref German manufacturing excellence vs the UK etc I do have to admit they make some fine rifles. I’ve owned an Anschutz 1427 since 2000 which I bought for pennies second hand at the time, it’s a fantastically well made and accurate tool with a trigger second to none. 

[headgroundsman]

I had an HW80 at 21.6 ft/lb. I gave up with it as the spring recoil made it impossible to keep the scope still. The full length scope mount with a roll pin recessed into the barrel sheared the roll pin with less than 50 shots!

[The avantgardener]

Theoben made some excellent guns before they went bust. The ‘Evolution’ was available in left and right hand stocks, gas ram instead of spring, a real piece of beauty, might be worth looking for a good second hand one on the shooting forums.

[sandspider]

I had an air arms tx200 HC, non fac. Lovely gun, I regret selling it. I never tried a fac version, but I imagine they'd be good to shoot, the non fac certainly was. Heavy though.

[difflock]

Looking at a RWS Diana, they make quite a few man sized rifles designed to run at 20-22 ft lb(ish) in .22, giving an advertised 850 ft/sec(though Edgar Bros, the importers, do not stating pellet weight?)

And at 8lbs sans scope, the rifle should give me a good physical upper-body workout, so a win-win I imagine.

Marcus

[adw]

I have an Air arms TX200 under lever, nice solid built gun.

[Peasgood]

2 hours ago, adw said:

I have an Air arms TX200 under lever, nice solid built gun.

Me too, wouldn’t want to carry it a log way though. 

I bought it as a plinking gun but I’d say it was way too heavy for that. I don’t regret buying it though. 

Head shot a magpie at 40 yards with it last week out of my window, belting shot. I would have used the lr but no bullets to hand.

[difflock]

Peasgood,

As mentioned earlier, my front runner was a Air Arms TX200, running at 18ft lb, in .22 caliber, giving about 770 ft/sec(I believe), simply because I might as well plump for the 18ft lb,

since over here ALL air rifles MUST go on a FAC.

So why not.

I think my choice will come down to how comfortable I find a particular rifle to use, probably choosing between a Weihraugh HW 80, the AA TX 200, or one of the  RWS Diana models, but all running about 18 to 22 ft lbs in .22.

A belated 60th birthday present to myself if you like.

Cheers,

Marcus

[Rough Hewn]

Anyone tried the air powered shotguns?
They were advertising them in France about ten years ago.
Too high powered for uk, think they fired a 4/10 size cartridge.