Spring Rifle Delight

[Mawders 595]

Just a quick post all,

 

Today I was joined for a shoot by a man I consider to be one of the best shots out there and a credit to the sport. Unfortunately though my new rifle is still being tinkered with which meant I was loaned a rifle from this person I mention above.

 

A couple of pictures of the rifle I was loaned.

 

 

 

Most of you will recognise its a HW97KT in .22 Cal but this ones just a little bit special indeed!

 

I had seen this rifle in action for about 9 months now off and on and have always been pleasantly surprised at just how accurate it appeared to be.

 

Tonight was my chance to try it out and from the first shot right up until the last shot I wore a smile from ear to ear. This rifle as most of you will have guessed belongs to my mate Si Pittaway of VerminHuntersTV and was tuned by one of the best spring rifle tuners in the country, Tony Wall from Sandwell Field Sports. The tune this rifle sports is the famous Stage 2 tune.

 

Now I used to own and love to shoot a HW95K which was purchased and stage 1 tuned from Tony Wall at Sandwell Field Sports but firing this HW97KT tonight just put in a completely different zone altogether!

 

The rifle is effortless to cock and the smoothness as the rifle cocks shows the quality tuning thats gone into polishing the innards matching everything up correctly. The return of the breach was positive and satisfying.

 

So with the pressure on as I had Si watching my shooting I started to get a feel for the rifle and proceeded to knock out the bull on the target card at 25 meters. I thought it might be a fluke having never fired the rifle before and so set about shooting random areas of the target card and again couldnt believe the results I was getting from a spring piston rifle. I turned to Si and informed him he might not ever see the rifle again.

 

The release on pulling the second stage of the trigger causes hardly any recoil, just a tiny nudge to the shoulder to let you know the pellet has left the barrel. So smooth it almost felt like a PCP. Shot after shot going through the same hole or making the original hole slightly bigger each time. Yeah I wobbled a few shots or got complacent but that was my doing. When I shot it properly it was a joy and hit wherever I pointed it with pinpoint precision.

 

We shot into the night having some really good fun plinking away shooting rim fire empty cartridges and mini spinners. I didnt care if I never fired a rifle again as I know for a spring piston rifle it just wouldnt get any better than what I had in my hands tonight.

 

Tony's work at SFS is second to none and ive always been a fan having purchased rifles from him in the past but tonights shooting left me gob smacked at how precise and smooth a really good rifle can be when tuned properly.

 

A bloke with a PCP even commented at my groups looking down his scope and commented at how good they were and for me to achieve such results was the most pleasing feeling ever especially as I'm a mediocre shooter at best and certainly not as good as the majority out there that post on this site.

 

Here are a few pics of the groups. Each group had 8 to 10 shots put through them, some will say they can do better but for me having only just picked the rifle up, goes to show the work Tony puts into his rifles.

 

All that leads me to say now is thanks to Si for lending me the rifle, it was a pleasure to have a laugh and shoot some targets with you buddy. Oh and for anybody wondering if Si really is as good as his vids show then wonder no more, ive seen some shots before, but Si pips them. I saw some amazingly accurate shooting tonight.

 

Thanks all.

 

Mawders

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2013 by Mawders

[davyt63 1,845]

hi Phil

nice one buddy,enjoy it while it last's! i know how much this rifle means to Si.

so lets hope your's is back with you soon!

as i know he will be itching to shoot it again

 

nice Gesture Si

[Mawders 595]

Hey mate, I know its his go to rifle, it means alot to be leant a rifle as previously discussed mate. It will be treated better than the wife and kids, lol. Si's a top bloke as you know for lending me it. lets hope it doesn't sense a change of ownership and refuse to shoot for me!

 

Phil

[zini 1,939]

Phil the thanks should be from me to you mate for taking me along to your club and vouching for me, also for saying that you would be my referee for if I wished to join as a full time member.

 

After watching you shoot tonight with the HW97KT I would say you shoot 100% better than you give yourself credit for mate.

 

The rifle fitted you perfect which is good as you have ordered a stage 2 tuned HW97KT yourself from SFS and you shot it as well as anyone could hitting tiny spinner, some smaller than a 5p again and again at 27 yards (25 meters) with ease.

 

When you shoot a fresh pellet hole in a card and the next shot goes exactly through the same hole which is what the Tony Wall tuned Sandwell Field Sports Spectre and HW97KT were doing tonight, you cant get anymore accurate, its physically impossible.

 

Thanks again for tonight mate.

 

Your a true friend.

 

Si.

Edited March 12, 2013 by zini

[Mawders 595]

No problem Si anytime! Oh and yes it is physically impossible to make some of those groups any smaller even with a pcp! Tony's work in my book is as good as it gets!

 

Phil

[zini 1,939]

Yeah Davy your right partner, the HW97KT and Spectre are by far my best rifles, and they would be the last ones to go if I ever packed up shooting.

 

Phil you can borrow the rifle till yours is ready to be picked up mate because I know you will look after it well.

 

Glad you liked it pal.

 

Si.

Edited March 12, 2013 by zini

[zini 1,939]

Just looked at your groups again Phil. The bottom ones are tiny too and only look bigger than the top ones by a bit because the card ripped.

 

Forget the rip and they are about a max of 2 pellets width in size which is awesome shooting.

 

Tony Walls work is phenomenal and I cant recommend him enough.

 

Si.

Edited March 12, 2013 by zini

[Marksman 934]

Nice shooting there mate....

Good on ya Si fir the gesture, something I'd do myself if a mate was in the same predicament.

 

Darryl

[zini 1,939]

Thanks Darryl bud.

 

Its nice to be able to help friends out when i can and keep them shooting when their rifles are away getting tuned.

 

I've got to say though even since Tony Wall re tuned and re polished the internals on the HW97KT 1 week ago to 11.5 FPE from 14 FPE (it bedded in very well ) its just even better than ever now. I also shot the HW100KT a bit last night to zero it bang on ready for some rabbit shooting tonight with Davy and it didn't do any better than the HW97KT or the Spectre in all honestly they shot so accurately .

 

Si.

[Marksman 934]

Spot on mate, I'll have to give it a try next time I'm down ;)

 

Darryl

[woodcote1 88]

Makes me want a tuned springer!

[woodcote1 88]

What's happened to your pro sport ?

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

Excellent shooting mawders. as soon as i seen that rifle i knew whos it was

 

i know pianoman said he wouldnt sell his hw77.. EVER

but i wonder what sort of price tag Si would put on his world famous hw97kt ... bet the bidding would start at at least £1000

 

also makes me want to send my 97kt off for a stage 2....

 

now im 1 rifle down at the min aswell because i have leant my hw97k .22 to my mate after he had problems with an old hw35 that he picked up cheap.. he has no money to get a new rifle so i lent him mine. thats just what friends are for i guess..

 

all the best lads

[gasman1 15]

top shooting there. some excellent groups. the 97kt is an incredible springer capable of some serious accuracy. mine shoots just as well as any of my pcps. mines in the smaller calibre. the pro sport is a fantastic gun, but a properly tuned 97 is second to none.

[risingfriend 1,042]

Some fine groupings there Mawders with a fine rifle, well done Si also very generous ATB Aaron