HW30S in .22 cal. Yay or nay?

[bReTt]

The gray laminate HW30S in .22 has caught my attention.  Now I can’t shake the desire to order it and try it out.  I already gave my previous 30 in .177 to my 10 year old son.  I liked it fine but it didn’t get shot all that much.  I felt guilty that I didn’t shoot it very often so I offered to my son who gladly accepted it.

Since I’m riding the fence on trying the 30 in .22, I’m curious what you folks think about it. 

Anybody have one in .22?  How is it?  What pellets does it like?  (H&N FTTs?)

It will be a backyard plinker.  I’ll probably keep it with the factory iron sights.  I’m thinking that it would make a great can roller. 

[Novagun]

Yes go for it. Buy it. I would go for .177 but there will be nothing wrong with .22.
I say this because I have just been lent an HW30S in .177. It has a barrel lock lever and a thumb hole stock. Produced about 1978.
The rifle is worn because it has seen a lot of use. Still puts pellet on pellet at 20 metres and is a joy to shoot.
Excellent record trigger and easy to cock especially with a 20 inch barrel.

[triggerfest]

Sure, I am considering to buy one as well.

At the end of the day, there are loads of guys out there shooting the Crossman 2240 or the 1322 with the same power output and everybody looooves them !

[Yogi]

Ask your son which one he wants .  Since you did not shoot the .177 much why would you shoot the .22 much?

-Y

[Marc]

Sure, I am considering to buy one as well.

At the end of the day, there are loads of guys out there shooting the Crossman 2240 or the 1322 with the same power output and everybody looooves them !

Have had the exact same thought.  You do a lot of pumping with a 1322 with a long barrel to get to HW30 power in the same caliber.  And enough guys seems to shoot small game at sort range with them too.

I just ordered an R7 in .177, as I didn't want a .20, but if it was available in .22 it would have been a hard choice.  Years ago I had a 30 in .22 - never should have sold it!  And I'm not even sure if my next gun will be an HW50 or a 30 in .22.

[DanD]

....I have just been lent an HW30S in .177. It has a barrel lock lever and a thumb hole stock. Produced about 1978.
....
Excellent record trigger and easy to cock especially with a 20 inch barrel.

Sounds like that might be an HW35 Lochschaft.

I handled an HW30 gray laminate and it seemed like an excellent quality rifle. I'd be happy to own one someday.

[Mark 611]

JMO I don't think a 30 in .22cal would be very efficient, very low power! If u want something like that why don't u buy a B3 rifle for about $60 bucks, I think a 50 in.22cal would be a better choice in .22cal! the 30 is good in a .177cal! 

[SteveP-52]

Not seeing where much power or efficiency is gonna be needed since the intended use is to roll cans and random plinking in the yard with his son. Just get one, Brett...you know you wanna....lol

[bReTt]

Ask your son which one he wants .  Since you did not shoot the .177 much why would you shoot the .22 much?

-Y

That is my exact thought.  If I didn’t shoot the first one much, why would I shoot the second one anymore than the first?  That’s my main issue.

[bReTt]

JMO I don't think a 30 in .22cal would be very efficient, very low power! If u want something like that why don't u buy a B3 rifle for about $60 bucks, I think a 50 in.22cal would be a better choice in .22cal! the 30 is good in a .177cal! 

I guess I’m a little like you Mark?  I like HWs and I prefer quality over less.  I gave my HW50S away too.  Neither of them did anything better than my 95/R9s.  I think that why .22 in the 30 seems like I would be “different” from what I have already had.  Just trying to think through this since I’m having a hard time shaking the thought of getting one. 

[bReTt]

Not seeing where much power or efficiency is gonna be needed since the intended use is to roll cans and random plinking in the yard with his son. Just get one, Brett...you know you wanna....lol

Now that is the kind of logic I’m talking about!  I LOVE the way you spend my money Steve-O!  Ha ha!  😜

[Airwoods]

How fast do they shoot in .22 with a typical 14 grn pellet?

[bReTt]

How fast do they shoot in .22 with a typical 14 grn pellet?

I have NO idea!  In .177 they are in the high 500 to low 600s.  I'm only guessing that it would be mid to high 400s in .22.  Hopefully someone will pipe up that has or had one and can give some more insight. 

Man, I am really struggling with this one.  I really want to give it a try BUT I don’t want to drop the money and find that it’s nothing more than the .177 I had.  I already have open sighted plinkers (HW95 and HW77) but the low power and larger pellet could be real fun knocking cans and the like around.  Wish I could get a money back guarantee.  If I’m not 100% satisfied I can return it, no questions asked, for a full refund.  Oh well, the battle goes on....  ha ha!

[SpiralGroove]

Hey Brett,
My 2 cents says .22 caliber should be used in HW80/R1's or PCP's only . 
Matter of fact my HW80/R1's are currently at .20 caliber. 
I think .22 is best for folks wanting to hunt, not plinking/target shooters.

I have (2) HW30s in .177 caliber that shoot about 600/650 fps with AA falcons 7.33 gr.
I tried a .22 barrel on the gun and thought the gun was under powered.
Why don't you buy my (extra) .22 HW30 barrel for $60 and give it a try - it's almost new

I've found that I shoot my HW30's and HW80/R1's the least out of all my Weihrauch springers.
The problem I have ...  the guns are perfect opposites:  Too much or Too little power/weight/size

[Mark 611]

I would agree some what with u Kirk, my 22cal rifles and 20cal rifles are more of my hunting guns not target shooters, but they are accurate enough for target shooting! in the bigger power plants, My strong position on advocating the .22cal or the .20cal is based off of long range hunting with a spring gun, at ranges 75yds and further, With a 460mag 48, R1's {etc} The .22cal usually gets the job done with a well placed shot, I've had some failures with the .20cals performing on the same rodents, I use these rifles for! GROUND HOGS! I will attribute these failures due to the softer lead which JSB and H&N pellets are made from, But good ole Crosman .22cal pellets preform outstandingly for the job, Now that that's out of the way, my other philosophy on using the .22cal in the HW50 95 35's {etc} is I also use them to shoot birds out at distances to 60yds or so, pigeons and crows will shrug off a lighter .177cal and fly off! even at 30yds! my 1st HW95 shot a 14.3gn CPHP at 640fps, I have shot many pigeons at 60yds and crows with this rifle, 1 shot killer with this rifle! My experience with shooting these lower powered air guns has taught me what works best as a hunting caliber in a spring gun hunting rifle for me! the .20cal works on everything accept G-HOGS at distance, if u mainly shoot paper the .177cal is all u need! if u want something that has a tic more knock down power get a .22cal or .20cal if u going to shoot small game past 40 or 50yds! That's not to say a .177cal won't do the job at hand, it all depends on the game ur shooting how hard the pellet is and shot placement and distance!

[SteveP-52]

Not seeing where much power or efficiency is gonna be needed since the intended use is to roll cans and random plinking in the yard with his son. Just get one, Brett...you know you wanna....lol

Now that is the kind of logic I’m talking about!  I LOVE the way you spend my money Steve-O!  Ha ha!  😜

I'm not spendin it, you are...lol. My only thought is what you said intended use was going to be which was rolling cans and general plinking. It's apparently something everyone else missed or ignored cuz they keep mentioning hunting, hunting, hunting and all you said was wanting the oddball caliber and that laminated stock for a random plinker/can roller.

[Novagun]

Talking about the difference between .177 and .22. The 1978  HW35S puts out 560 fps That is about the factory specified output.
I also have CO2 CR600w in .22. It is rated at 500 fps although I have never measured it. Both guns shoot well at 25 yds and both are excellent back yard plinkers. The difference between the .177 and the .22 is that the impact of the .22 is louder.  So not much to worry about.

[Yogi]

The gray laminate HW30S in .22 has caught my attention.  Now I can’t shake the desire to order it and try it out.  I already gave my previous 30 in .177 to my 10 year old son.  I liked it fine but it didn’t get shot all that much.  I felt guilty that I didn’t shoot it very often so I offered to my son who gladly accepted it.

Since I’m riding the fence on trying the 30 in .22, I’m curious what you folks think about it. 

Anybody have one in .22?  How is it?  What pellets does it like?  (H&N FTTs?)

It will be a backyard plinker.  I’ll probably keep it with the factory iron sights.  I’m thinking that it would make a great can roller.

Brett,

Plug 7 fpe into a trajectory calculator. Use 14 grains for the .22 pellet. The .22 pellet will drop like a rock.  Now if you know your backyard ranges that might be interesting......

-Y

[Mark 611]

Steve, plinking is this it doesn't require a .22cal in an HW30 in .22cal! it doesn't make since to me! HW barrels in .22cal require a pellet a lot of times that are not store bought pellets, usually H&N or JSB's, for best accuracy, once in a while they may shoot cheap pellets like the Crosman's, I have a few HW guns in .22cal that will not shoot Cheap pellets, the .177cal HW barrels tend to shoot the cheap Crosman pellets, 7.9gn as accurate as the more expensive H&N or JSB's, my post was to educate people on a long term usage of such rifles from HW, if u want something like that go for it! just don't be disappointed when it doesn't work for you as u expect it to? if u understand its limitations and that's all u expect? and u have the money to buy a different gun because the 1 u purchased just doesn't do it all? do what u will! my information is to give my experience from my usage and a response to another poster whom I have a long term friendship with who has a different opinion of mine over the bore size which were prefer over another 1!!! It may not be ur answer or u may have a differing opinion? But from what I am seeing from some of ur latest posts on other threads u acting like a troll!!! someone who only wants to start SPIT!

[Yogi]

Brett,

A 7 fpe springer shoots a 14.3 grain pellet at 500 fps.  The pellet drop from 15 yards to 20 yards is about an 1 1/2".
From 20 to 25 yards, almost 2 inch drop.  Hope you are shooting at TALL cans.

-Y