Henry Rifle Forums

Mark,

I'm starting this in a new thread as the other is a sticky and locked.

Here is Mark's question: I think it may be time to purchase a .177 cal.
That brings me to my next question regarding models to look at. I really don't want to spend a lot...under $200.00 and preferably around $150.00 or less, if I can manage that without buying junk. Would also be nice to have a scope, and hopefully comparable power to my old Sheridan. I just want to know it is capable of humane shots on squirrels and such.

Mark, there are still some variables besides price to be asked, but barring those, here is a suggestion that I have for you. I have one of these Beeman CO2 rifles and find it a great midrange gun for what it is. The QB78.

It's on sale at AOA. https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/co2/be ... co2-rifle/

Amazon for a bit more. https://www.amazon.com/Beeman-QB78D-177 ... 131&sr=8-4

It is a fun gun to shoot and won't break the bank. About five or so years ago, whenever they came out, I picked one up at a hardware / sporting goods store on the way to camp in Croghan NY. I stopped there to purchase Croghan bologna and went to the hardware store too. I paid $99.oo at that time. It's still a fun gun to shoot. I have an inexpensive red dot on mine and it's sighted for 25 yds. It's very accurate at that range. I have no doubt it would be a humane kill on a squirrel.
There are so many choices in your price range, so let's hear from others. There is also plenty of .177 ammunition too.

I'd also recommend this gun to you, although it is at the $200.oo end. It is very nice and very similar to your .20 cal Benjamin.

Pyramid Air, where I got mine. https://www.pyramydair.com/product/sene ... fle?m=5170

At Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Seneca-Dragonfly ... B09V5MCWPB

Good luck.

I'm going to up the ante and suggest the HW30 (German made) in 177, BECAUSE you will never wear one out in a lifetime of shooting, it is super easy to cock and shoot, super trigger and accuracy, light weight and easy to carry and BECAUSE it is a springer, shoot it all you want without any pumping, worries about temperature. It is the ultimate grab and go air rifle. Just cock, load and fire all afternoon if you want. Hey, I have some very high end, Olympic grade air guns, but I shoot the HW30 the most.

Form AoA, the HW30 will run you about $340, but you can also b uy the HW30 from Krale in the Netherlands for $256 and shipping is actually faster than AoA,https://www.krale.shop/us/weihrauch-hw30-s/

I knew NCG would suggest the HW-30. Im gonna second that and I like 22 better because those .177 pellets are not big finger friendly. It only cost a little bit more to go first class and the Weirauch is first class. I have 2 and even though I dont shoot them as much as I should I love them both. YMMV

Thank You Dave for posting the topic!!
What a wealth of information and it's much appreciated. Now that I have found a tin of .20 pellets, a new rifle is not quite as urgent. I DO however still have a desire to own one in .177.
Thank you all. I have printed all this information and I think a new rifle is in the NEAR future.
Gosh, I still love this forum as much as the day I joined!

You definitely can’t go wrong with buying a Weihrauch as already suggested. As much as I like the HW30, I feel the HW50 is a better option since you would like to be able to hunt with it. The HW50 puts out twice the foot pounds of energy as the HW30 does and that’s why I prefer it in a hunting scenario. There isn’t any doubt that the HW30 will humanely dispatch a squirrel, I’ve done it myself. However squirrels and other small game animals tend to not sit very still and if one happens to move about the same time as the trigger breaks, I would prefer to have the HW50 in hand. The HW30 really shines at target shooting, it doesn’t take as much force to c0ck the gun and the shot cycle is much smoother which leads to better accuracy for those that don’t regularly shoot springers. Another thing to consider is your size, the HW30 is about two inches shorter than the HW50 but the barrel length is the same. So the length of pull is much shorter on the HW30 and might fit you better or worse depending on how big of a fellow you are. I’m 6’ tall and weigh 240 with very short legs and large upper body. I found the HW50 more comfortable to shoot due to the extra length of pull. My wife is 5’ 3” and the HW30 fits her much better than the HW50 does. Anyway, this is just my opinion on the subject and what works well for me might not work for you or someone else. Good luck in your search and you already have some great advice in the previous posts.

Good points. I have both actually, and the complement each other very well. I use the added power of the HW50 for distances beyond 30 yards. The little HW30 is very much at home out to 30 yards, but beyond that distance, even the slightest breeze becomes an issue. The HW50, on the other hand, is very comfortable out to 50 yards. Love the 50, too, for challenging steel reactivate targets way out there.

Hmm... I have taken squirrels out to about 50 yds with my Sheridan with open sights. ( probably lucky shots ) so that IS something I will keep in mind as well. I anticipate more critter shooting than paper.

Mark - My Benji 397 in .177 puts out just under 11 FPE (foot pounds of energy) and yours being .20 caliber should do a little more. For reference, the HW30 is rated at 5.5 FPE, I can’t remember what mine actually was after running it through my chronograph but it was extremely close to that. The HW50 is sub 12 FPE to comply with regulations in some of the countries in Europe, they have to be under 12 FPE or they’re basically considered a firearm over there. My HW50 was 11.8 when I checked it with my chronograph so it’s likely close to your rifle power wise. Here’s a recent picture of my 397 after a little polishing on the nickel finish.

Nice Cannonball!
I think I'll research the HW50 some more. Is it comparable in price to the HW30?

I’m going to post a picture of my HW50s and hopefully convince you to buy a Weihrauch. The quality is pretty easy to see but even more impressive when you get to put your hands on one. This is truly a heirloom airgun that could be passed to several generations of family if it’s well maintained. Keep in mind this is their entry level spring rifle. You should see what their upper end PCP’s look like, I have one of those too...