Narrowing choices on a semi-serious air rifle

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Rick

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So I graduated from cheap pellet guns to rimfire and centerfire rifles, handguns, and shotguns a little over 45 years ago. Have two safes full of same to show for it. Haven't touched an air gun during that time.

We have a problem with deer and assorted bird vermin at our home in Montana. I can legally blow the birds away with anything I want, and in fact they regularly get shot with an AR-15, although the neighbors would probably eventually get annoyed with the noise if I really get serious about it, which I'd like to.

I can load some low velocity 12 gauge loads with #9 shot for the ass ends of deer at a distance - not sure how legal that would be without confirmation from the game wardens, and don't want to go there anyways. But I'm tired of having deer decide they want to try and kill our bird dogs in my own yard, as an aside from rampaging through the garden and flower beds.

So this seems to be a place and an opportunity for my first (and probably only) air rifle.

So with some preliminary research, I've read about the artillery hold, shooting issues unique to airguns in general and springers in particular, etc. I looked first at the Diana/RWS Model 34, but on further consideration have come to think that the Weihrauch HW77K fixed barrel underlever might be well worth the extra money.

So a few questions for the audience:

  1. Comments on this rifle from owners/serious airgun enthusiasts?
  2. Caliber. For thumping deer out to 50 yards or so, does experience say go .22 or does the .20 make a nice split between velocity and pellet weight between .177 and .22?
  3. Can you mount a rear aperture sight without having to start drilling and tapping on this rifle?
  4. With new rifle in hand, what would a knowledgeable air gunner do with it aside from the break in?
  5. Scope mounting considerations and choices?

Thanks! I still might go the Diana/RWS Model 34 route yet, but the Weihrauch keeps drawing my eye...
 
1. HW77 is a first class spring pellet rifle
2. As Dan B said, any of those will cause injury to a deer. If you just want to drive them off, pellet rifle is not a good choice :runaway:. If you want quiet & less injury: paintball, slingshot, maybe even airsoft? Paintball sounds fun to me... There was a bear in my yard two weeks ago, but I came to my senses in time! I would just be mauled by a yellow spotted bear.
3. The stock sight is very good. Weihrauch does sell an aperture sight; it might just swap out with the stock one, but I've never tried it myself.
4. try different pellet brands and weights. Mine likes slightly heavier JSB pellets; trade velocity for better accuracy
5. HW97k is designed for scope (grooved, 11mm). Get a scope made for the double (forward and backward) recoil experienced with spring powered airguns.
 
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I agree with the deer/paintball gun mentioned above. However, the Weihrauch rifles are nice. This is my 97k with a Bushnell Legend Mildot on it...

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Look to D&L in Vancouver or Specialty Shooting Sports, they should be under 600$. I have the 97k and a the tx 200 by air arms , its hard say which is better, the aa is alittle faster.
 
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Re: caliber, you'll have much better selection of pellets in .22 than .20, and you can pick them up locally too. Today's rifle has more than enough power to push .22, so velocity isn't a concern. Springer can push them around 850 (real not advertised), and PCP can go supersonic (though pointless).
 
Hatsan AT44 10-22

About $400 plus filling accessories.

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Adjusting the hammer spring

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It's a 10 shot repeater in 22 cal. After mod's it shoots up to 970 fps with standard lead pellets. Pretty good accuracy. I've only shot it out to 50 yards though. Wind blows pellets around pretty good.

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5 shot groups at 20 yards.
 
I'm a little wary of Hatsan. There's no official representation of the company in Canada, and I've read a few owners who got a leaky gun out of box who have to either buy new parts themselves or rely on goodwill of the dealer to fix it. If you are not worried about warranty then they are good for the money.
 
Dan B said:
Even a pellet gun can puncture skin and injure.
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Yes, I'm quite aware of that. And if a deer gets its ears pierced at close range or a pellet under it's hide in the ass, I don't have a problem with that. In fact, the deer can count themselves lucky. Because here, the law allows you to kill wildlife harassing your animals on your property. And the next step for these deer if this continues is going to be a 200 grain WFN out of a 40 S&W. That will really puncture skin and injure. The deer are on their last chance here, and the time for being nice about it is just about over. Our place in Canada is overrun with urban deer, unprovoked attacks on residents are becoming a regular event, and the cull done by local towns last year doesn't seem to have had much effect. Don't have to put up with that crap down here.

As for the birds... the idea is to kill them outright in the first place.

Get a paintball gun or a banger gun.
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Tried the paintball approach. Doesn't work worth a damn at any range and we have an acreage. At ranges where it does work, I have a slingshot and .32 caliber lead balls for my muzzleloader that work just as well.

And as for banger guns... I have lots of the real deal. The noise doesn't seem to bother them much until you start actually killing them.

Which brings us back to me shopping for air rifles... Thanks for all the replies and suggestions to date.
 
I have the Diana 34, 48, 52 and also the AA TX 200MKIII , the AA is hands down one of the finest firearms I've owned in fit and finish, performance wise also. That being said, I still want to add a HW 97K to my collection, just haven't happened across one yet, from what I'm told by guys who own them they are right there with the AA as one of the best springers out there. YMMV.
 
Rick said:
Yes, I'm quite aware of that. And if a deer gets its ears pierced at close range or a pellet under it's hide in the ass, I don't have a problem with that. In fact, the deer can count themselves lucky. Because here, the law allows you to kill wildlife harassing your animals on your property. And the next step for these deer if this continues is going to be a 200 grain WFN out of a 40 S&W. That will really puncture skin and injure. The deer are on their last chance here, and the time for being nice about it is just about over. Our place in Canada is overrun with urban deer, unprovoked attacks on residents are becoming a regular event, and the cull done by local towns last year doesn't seem to have had much effect. Don't have to put up with that crap down here.
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Then just shoot to kill rather than wound. Also since you are in the states, what are is Montana's requirements for silencers? that way your neighbours don't freak from noise and there are no limping/maimed deer.
 
MDR said:
Then just shoot to kill rather than wound.
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Maybe where you live putting a pellet through a deer's ear kills it. But not in Montana, and not in BC. Tougher deer here, I guess.

And I have a hard time believing that hitting a deer in the ass with an airgun pellet at 50 - 75 yards is going to cause a mortal or crippling wound. Again, tougher deer here I guess.

Also since you are in the states, what are is Montana's requirements for silencers? that way your neighbours don't freak from noise and there are no limping/maimed deer.
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If I'm going to kill them, I'm not going to bother paying the federal tax for a silencer, and I wouldn't be looking to buy an air gun. Federal law governs silencers, not state law.

And this is Montana, not Ontario. Here, people don't "freak out" from the sound of gunshots. But it would be unreasonable to expect them to put up with the sounds of gunfire every single day as the crows, starlings, magpies, deer, etc get dealt with.

I can't see a deer with a pellet hole through it's ear as either limping or maimed. But yet again, tougher deer here, I guess.

I can appreciate that some delicate sensibilities are offended by the thought of punching holes through a deer's ear or thumping them in the ass at a distance with a pellet. But when I have to put up with the garden raids and deer trying to kill my dogs in my own yard, frankly, I don't much care.
 
Rick said:
Maybe where you live putting a pellet through a deer's ear kills it. But not in Montana, and not in BC. Tougher deer here, I guess.

And I have a hard time believing that hitting a deer in the ass with an airgun pellet at 50 - 75 yards is going to cause a mortal or crippling wound. Again, tougher deer here I guess.


If I'm going to kill them, I'm not going to bother paying the federal tax for a silencer, and I wouldn't be looking to buy an air gun. Federal law governs silencers, not state law.

And this is Montana, not Ontario. Here, people don't "freak out" from the sound of gunshots. But it would be unreasonable to expect them to put up with the sounds of gunfire evI can't see a deer ery single day as the crows, starlings, magpies, deer, etc get dealt with.

with a pellet hole through it's ear as either limping or maimed. But yet again, tougher deer here, I guess.

I can appreciate that some delicate sensibilities are offended by the thought of punching holes through a deer's ear or thumping them in the ass at a distance with a pellet. But when I have to put up with the garden raids and deer trying to kill my dogs in my own yard, frankly, I don't much care.
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This has got to be one of the most ridiculous posts i have seen, especially the following

"with a pellet hole through it's ear as either limping or maimed. But yet again, tougher deer here, I guess."

So what happens when you miss the ear and tag the deer in the eye? You now have permanently injured the animal!
 
I never said deer weren't tough, I just prefer that when I shoot a deer, I don't find pellets/bb's under the skin. Those x-ring bullets posted above might be a solution, then again if I see an Ontario deer, I just say "boo" and they keel over dead ;)
My opinion would be to shoot it (meaning dead) use/give away the meat. Eventually they will catch on that when you are around/the area around your house is bad news for deer.

What would I know though, I only live in Thunder Bay 8 months out of the year, its not like there are a lot of deer up here ;)

Cheers
 
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