theoben evo ?

[trenchfoot 4,243]

I've had a HW35 for the last 30 odd years, and a HW100 for the last 3. both are in .22. Though the HW100 is a fine piece of kit, it doesn't light my fire. In fact although precharged air rifles are highly accurate and efficient, I have come to the conclusion that they are not for me. So I am thinking about getting a theoben evo, T/h in .177. Any thoughts on these guns welcome.

[trenchfoot 4,243]

nobody got any opinion!?

[andyfr1968 772]

Hi, mate.

 

They are a very well put together bit of kit but can be a hard tool to master. The plus sides are very smooth action, they're quite compact and are fairly light to lug around. The gas rams are very reliable and you can carry them cocked without fear of damaging anything. Fantastic build quality too.

 

The down sides now. They have a very sharp recoil which gives scopes a hard time and makes the rifle very hold sensitive. The trigger's ok but not as good as it should be for the price. They are relatively hard to cock which depending on how strong you are can make practice sessions hard work.

 

See if you can try one out before parting with your cash, some folks love them, others don't. They're a bit of a Marmite gun, if you know what I mean.

 

If you fancy a gas ram, have a look at the HW90. Weight aside, it beats the Theoben hands down.

Edited October 18, 2012 by andyfr1968

[trenchfoot 4,243]

Cheers Andy, I'm not worried about the recoil as am used to centrefires. In fact I think its the recoil-less, numbness of the precharged stuff that I cannot get on with. Efficient, without a doubt. But souless

[andyfr1968 772]

I know what you mean about pre charge, I had a AA410c a couple of years back and as good as it was, it just left me cold and I found myself reaching for my old springers instead.

 

It's not the amount of recoil with the Theoben, it's the way it's delivered and how it affects the rifle's firing cycle. They go off with a fairly sharp snap unlike a steel springed gun which tends to have a much more lazy recoil. What this translates to is when you zero the gun in from whatever your favored rest is, when you change position or your hold on the rifle, the zero will shift. It's something that affects all types of springers to a greater or lesser degree but it's particularly pronounced on Theobens.

 

With a lot of practice and patience it can be overcome but it can also be a real pain in the arse under field conditions when you don't know how the next target will present itself.

[Acuspell 329]

I have 4 Theobens - they are brilliant. They shoot just fine in any position - hold sensitive? I suppose it depends how you hold a rifle but anyone used to just shooting wil get on fine. If you can shoot running deer or free standing shots at under 70 yards then you'll be fine with it, just lift and shoot.