A Full Weekend Test-Shooting The Tony Wall/andyfr1968 Tuned Hw97.

[pianoman 3,587]

Gentlemen.

 

Well, after a long wait and much gnashing of teeth while away for business, I have been able to get out and shoot a thorough field-target test with my HW97K .177 rifle with the Tony Wall/Sandwell tuning kit that Andy here installed for me.

 

Let me say right off. What an astonishingly accurate rifle this is now turning out to be. No twanging, no mechanical graunching on cocking. After tweaking the trigger to a perfectly sweet, predictable let-off, this rifle is running-in superbly. And a delight to shoulder and handle with the HW77 stock Elliott gave me for it.

 

The scope used is a Hawke Panorama 4-12x50 EV. IR set on 7X magnification and the best pellet so far, has proved to be H&N FIELD TARGET TROPHY 4.50mm.

 

I set a first-zero of 25 metres the other day in a stiff breeze and this proved to be tricky, with some shots getting blown off-target.

 

However. Today was a still, calm day and so, with several pellet types to try I set of for field No.1. The H&N FTTs were clearly the pellet of choice. I was hitting single hole groups with these out to 45 metres and these became a standard as the day went on.

 

The only real frustration was the pellets themselves.

 

Inconsistencies in their manufacture meant that there were a few fliers. Too tight a fit in the breech and the round shot low. Too light and they shot high. Ruining some really tight accurate groups. I know a poor workman blames his tools...but you can't work with a blunt knife.

 

That said, I set to work shooting at random stones scattered about the ploughed earth at all ranges out to 55 metres and the results were really satisfying. Virtually every shot hit decisively hard enough to have effectively killed a rabbit outright through the brain.

 

It is bedding-in, truly becoming the competition rifle I want to shoot well in competition with. It's only the bloody ammo that lets the show down, where consistent precision is absolute key.

 

For £47:50 this is the best value kit I have ever encountered for tuning an air rifle and, thanks to some skilled know how from Andy to fit it, turned this Weihrauch HW97 into an amazing rifle.

 

A hearty vote of thanks to Tony Wall, Andy and Elliott for their contribution to making a superb, outstanding-performance air rifle for me.

 

Simon/Pianoman

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

great stuff Simon glad your happy with her

 

you need to get some scales to weigh those FTT's now . ......

 

SKoT

[pianoman 3,587]

I've got a digital scale Skot. I think it will be examination of each one with a magnifying glass to check for imperfections.

[A1WOC 212]

Very pleased for you Simon, the end result is no less than you deserve after the long and frustrating wait.

Regards, Steve

[zini 1,939]

Good news and good write up Simon.

 

Well done Andy another great job on Simons rifle.

 

I know what you mean ref the FTT pellet consistency Simon, such a shame as they seemed to by liked by many HW barrels.

 

Are you down at Helens this Sunday coming? I think Old Down is open.

[Mawders 595]

Nice one Simon,

 

It's good to see you finally set up with your rifle. When I had my stage 2 97KT I found H&N FTT a real tight fit and wasnt to impressed with the groupings, like you some were low some were high.

 

I think if you have found on the whole most group well then weighing and sorting may have to be the order of the day with them.

 

Si did a video not long back showing the difference they make to groupings if not weighed out.

 

Suppose it depends how serious you want to take things for compitition shooting.

 

ATB

 

Phil

[pianoman 3,587]

Thank you for the kind responses fellas

Si. Alas no mate I won't be down to Helen's just yet . Very busy preparing new work; and organizing framing and published prints for RAF Waddington and Flying Legends airshows. I'll give you and Davy a shout when I can get away. It'll be lovely to meet up again.

 

Weighing and sorting ammo Phil. It certainly looks like it's going to be a necessary job for this rifle. In competition shooting they have to perfectly "cloned" almost! it is the difference between 2 points for knocking down the target with a clean shot on the aiming point disc, or, one point to nil for a miss. Or wounding a rabbit badly or killing it outright. Not good in either case...

 

Looks like a lot of weighing and peering at the heads and skirts through a magnifying glass to come then!

 

Best wishes.

Simon

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

Thank you for the kind responses fellas

Si. Alas no mate I won't be down to Helen's just yet . Very busy preparing new work; and organizing framing and published prints for RAF Waddington and Flying Legends airshows. I'll give you and Davy a shout when I can get away. It'll be lovely to meet up again.

 

Weighing and sorting ammo Phil. It certainly looks like it's going to be a necessary job for this rifle. In competition shooting they have to perfectly "cloned" almost! it is the difference between 2 points for knocking down the target with a clean shot on the aiming point disc, or, one point to nil for a miss. Or wounding a rabbit badly or killing it outright. Not good in either case...

 

Looks like a lot of weighing and peering at the heads and skirts through a magnifying glass to come then!

 

Best wishes.

Simon

how much are the ftt in .177 ? I know I got some at £10.50 a tin in .22 and for that kind of money for 500 pellets you shouldn't need to sit there all night with some scales and a magnifying glass!!, would you agree?!

 

ah well needs must eyy

[thursodog 353]

Hi Simon.

Glad you got your target rifle back, i think its amazing how good you are with these rifles, a true master and its apparant Andy is one hell of a gunsmith, i feel for you mate with the pellets, bloody poor show.

Thats incredible value for money from SFS, i'll defo be buying these from now on, i'd love to visit the shop and watch the master at work, one of these days hopefully.

 

 

All the very best with the tuned 97 mate.

 

Chris.

[pianoman 3,587]

Thank you so kindly Chris. Very kind of you to say mate

 

Tony Wall's kits and his handiwork are a great way to go, certainly for Weihrauch spring rifles. Andy who did the installation and fettle-work reckons these kits are really nice and the quality of everything he does and supplies is top drawer.

 

When you settle yourself down, with the scope set dead on a single .177 pellet hole 45 metres away and you press off a shot that goes straight clean through it again...and again...you know all's going on well between you and your rifle. I don't know as to what else Tony Wall does when he's tuning these guns himself but, it must be a "Magnificent Obsession" he has, if he can produce an even-better rifle.

 

Skot hi.

I've paid as much as £11:50 for a tin of H&N FTT 4.50 from Davy's local gunshop near Swindon last December when we met up with Helen and went shooting together with Si.. These are the ones I'm currently using.

 

I think Red Beck here sell them for a tenner, or maybe a shade under.

 

Best wishes Chris and Skot.

Simon

[Marksman 934]

I say, good show old chap!!

 

Pleased you got sorted and are enjoying the rifle as it should be mate!!

Once it's bedded it it would be great to see some groups.

 

Darryl

[risingfriend 1,042]

Good to hear and by the sounds of it worth the wait ATB Aaron

[bigmac 97kt 13,776]

Top class Simon happy to here your well chuffed with it mate i love these rifle,s but its the wait and my bad health that stops me from buying another one as iv got angina and the wait give,s me pains in my chest when out hunting but the crow sport does not im not a happy man as out last night and the scope,s on the crow sport are f**ked the mag does not work and it will not hold zero so there going back first thing wed morning me and tx turbull a member on here shot over 50 crows just last week between us and the scope,s were ok then. thats enough of me baffling on about the crow sport mate just make sure you get some photo,s on when you win the comp,s mate atvbmac

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

cant remember if my tins at £10.50 came from aaron wheelers Brighouse or Kirklees guns in Huddersfield. got to shop around for best price lol

 

just been out with the hw97kt .177 which I fitted a vmach kit to today and to be honest I cant really tell a difference from the original weihrauch parts fettled by myself and the new vmach parts waste of £ haha should have got a tony wall kit instead.

think my next rifle will be tuned by him tho to see what difference it makes.

 

im not as good a shot as you but I was managing 5p sized groups at 34 yards quite consistently with the jsb exact .. although it could do that before I put the vmach kit in..

seem to be less fliers now after I washed and lubed the pellets tho

 

had to really concentrate on my hold to get decent groups tho, and my scope is on wonky lol that doesn't help haha. need to get some spirit levels. and sort it out.

 

would be interesting to see how your rifle handles and shoots with the tony wall kit, compared to mine with the vmach kit .. youl have to bring it with you if you come over to my permission for a shoot

 

SKoT

[andyfr1968 772]

I'm really pleased that you're happy with the results, Simon.

 

As Scot's already mentioned, have you tried JSBs through it? They tend to be pretty bloody good with HWs.

 

Give me a call soon, mate. We need to get out and you'll love this new permission I told you about. I was there yesterday and Oscar scored himself eight rabbits with the Xocet that was kindly given to my boys by the Moles.

 

Speak soon.