Must be .177, must be quiet - is a HW30/R7 the right fit?

[AntiRodentTaskForce]

Constraint:  stay under .20

Constraint 2:  I must be as quiet as possible. 

Constraint 3:  budget is $300 or so (used is OK)

Objective:  clean, ethical kills on Eastern Grey Squirrels and chipmunks, from 10-20yards range.



Assuming I add the Weihrauch "barrel extension" and a decent scope...

• is the Weihrauch HW30/ Beeman R7 the right tool for my needs?
• Are there better options, if not?
• Recommendations for shopping used?

[HOSPassassin]

An HW 30 or R7 would work just fine for that task as long as you can hit the brain. I have taken a fair number of squirrels with mine. Check out krale.shop if you do decide to buy one. Their prices are usually better than AOA or Pyramyd and their shipping is fantastic.

[Yogi]

How quiet "is quiet as possible"?
A moderator is only partially effective on a springer.  On PCP's they can turn a harsh bark into a mouse fart.x

-Y

[Bayman]

A 177 Hw30 sounds like a staple gun to bystanders. I've killed plenty of squirrels with one inside of 25 yards.

[Denby95]

My R7 is 90 decibels measured right next to the gun. So if you're really going for stealth, not sure thats going to be quiet enough?

Edit: I've made plenty of clean kills on rats. but never shot squirrels. My question also would be if you miss the shot, injure the squirrel without killing it. It's gonna make a mess and a fair bit of noise as it runs around/away. Will this be a problem for your concerns of being quiet?

If your budget is 300 bucks, that might buy you an hw30/r7 used, but it won't pay for a scope so you'll have to stay iron sights or get more money. If you want to put the HW moderator on it, thats an extra ~80 bucks too.

[Rick67]

How quiet "is quiet as possible"?
A moderator is only partially effective on a springer.  On PCP's they can turn a harsh bark into a mouse fart.x

-Y

I share the same reasoning.

[AntiRodentTaskForce]

My question also would be if you miss the shot, injure the squirrel without killing it. It's gonna make a mess and a fair bit of noise as it runs around/away. Will this be a problem for your concerns of being quiet?

90% of attempts will be inside 15yds, so I'm confident of taking/making a clean shot.

If your budget is 300 bucks, that might buy you an hw30/r7 used, but it won't pay for a scope so you'll have to stay iron sights or get more money. If you want to put the HW moderator on it, thats an extra ~80 bucks too.

Scope in hand, and moderator already priced in.  $300 would be what's left for just the air rifle, but I could go higher if money buys more (silence, accuracy, etc) ... seems like, for my purposes, more budget would only buy more fps, and therefore more noise

[AntiRodentTaskForce]

How quiet "is quiet as possible"?

as quiet as ($300 worth of sub-.20cal break barrel that is able to brain grey squirrels) gets

This is what I was getting at with question 1 and 2:

(1) Is the Weihrauch HW30/ Beeman R7 the right tool for my needs?
(2)Are there better options, if not?

[Bayman]

Hw30 will be fine at that range. At ranges inside of 15 yards getting your hold over or hold under right gets harder the closer you get to the muzzle. The average scope height on that gun with medium rings is 1.5" and depending on where you zero the rifle you'll have to hold over or under because the angle to a close zero is very steep. At very close range you may have to hold over 1". That doesn't sound like a lot but your kill zone is half inch round at best.

I used to have a hide where the squirrels would be 4 yards to 20 yards away. I missed more 4 yard shots than 20 yard shots due to my miscalculation of hold over. It's mentally hard for me to hold over more the closer something is to the muzzle. Then harder to hold under past my zero. I initially zeroed at 10 yards figuring that was middle ground. I did better with a 15 or 20 yard zero where I only had to hold over.

In the end I did better with peep sights. They're closer to bore so there's little hold over or under involved at 700 fps inside of 20 yards. It's nearly point and pull.

I've been down this road many many times. If you shoot from a couple feet inside a house with the window cracked open no one will hear you outside. The person in the next room might not even hear you. Like I said to most surrounding people the Hw30s sound like a staple gun. Not a gunshot. I was gifted a slip on Weihrauch moderator and the sound reduction in front of the muzzle was negligible. I took it off because it was clunky long and most of the noise emanates from the spring powered components in the compression tube.

[Toxylon]

Every .177 cal springer I've ever shot, including sub-10 fpe guns, has been alarmingly loud at the muzzle, making a 'POP!' exactly like "did someone just shoot?". I've consistently had issues with people taking notice, even when I take a single shot from within my house.

If silence is paramount, I wouldn't even look at .177 cals. .22 cals are way mellower in the sound department, taking out almost all of the POP!. They can actually sound just like a bit of indistinct mechanical noise upon firing, like someone put a small pile of dishes on the table a little too fast.

Of course, a well-tuned .22 cal renders the mech noise away, too, leaving only a dull 'thud'.

[splitbeing]

My .177 rifles shooting olin the 800 and up range make noise at thr muzzle anda moderator might change things .

My .177 rifles shootig at 700 and below make little nois at the muzzle and a moderator might do nothig.

The r7/HW30 is a sub 700 fps rifle that a moderator will likely do nothig for.

There is sn r7 in my arsenal. I also have two disnas with threaded muzzles at 10/11 and 9/10 fpe respectively. The one is not quieted by a donny sumo. The other is a little, but looks good eith a moderator more than it needs one for noise. The sumo changes the poi and yakes away fromaccuracy so I don't use it. Maybe I'll try and trade for somethig smaller.

[splitbeing]

Of my guns that are .177 and would not benefit from a moderator, the sub 12 fpe DianaEMS is my best all around spriger in my arsenal.

If sound is not an issue, my Disna 48 is my favorite and best all around gun, as an aside (not related to OPs query, I just love that gun and would take it over the EMS any day).

The EMS is supposed to have barrels to easily swap in or out in the next couple years. The guns are ready for that now, the company just mistimed things it seems.

I do not have an HW50, but often think of getting one. It is like the sub 12 EMS by Diana in my mind but different.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Are you dead set on a Break barrel Springer?

[Yogi]

I second peep sights for the distances you said.  Have you measured the distances?
At 15 yards, not much farther, you may want to consider a .22 HW 30.  They say you need 2+ fpe for a humane kill with the right placement.  At 15 yards the HW 30 in .22 can deliver that.  Just a thought...

-Y

Or consider a pcp pistol with a red dot???

[Back_Roads]

Are you dead set on a Break barrel Springer?

I am thinking CO2 would be a better fit, and easier use. Many very silent CO2 rifles out there.

[Bayman]

Every .177 cal springer I've ever shot, including sub-10 fpe guns, has been alarmingly loud at the muzzle, making a 'POP!' exactly like "did someone just shoot?". I've consistently had issues with people taking notice, even when I take a single shot from within my house.

If silence is paramount, I wouldn't even look at .177 cals. .22 cals are way mellower in the sound department, taking out almost all of the POP!. They can actually sound just like a bit of indistinct mechanical noise upon firing, like someone put a small pile of dishes on the table a little too fast.

Of course, a well-tuned .22 cal renders the mech noise away, too, leaving only a dull 'thud'.

I have to disagree with you. I got away with it for years with my 700 fps 177 Hw30s. That's with sensitive neighbors 20 feet either side and 100 feet behind me.

The pop of the pellet hitting the squirrel is louder to them then the muzzle report. The bigger problem is even with perfect head shots they still occasionally thrash around wildly as their nerves cook off. That can make noise as they bang into things. Plus the motion itself can attract attention. It's pretty heinous looking when it happens. That's with perfect head shots. Less than perfect shots would produce runners that would die in the neighbors yard.

I will agree that a 22 has a softer report than the same gun in 177. I bought a 22 Hw50 to up my power to reduce runners and flatten them with easier good body shots. That didn't work markedly better than the 177 Hw30 body shots so it was back to having to make more difficult head shots. At that point the caliber didn't make any difference so I went back to the quieter 177 Hw30. I sold the 22 Hw50 because outside my little yard it was too loopy for me. I would never buy a 22 Hw30 because you'd be lucky to see 500 fps out it with lead pellets. That's just me.

This has been my actual personal experience, not conjecture.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Are you dead set on a Break barrel Springer?

I am thinking CO2 would be a better fit, and easier use. Many very silent CO2 rifles out there.

You read my mind James... 

[splitbeing]

Not sure if its quiet enough but I have a beeman ar2078a tuned and partially resealed by mike mellick for 10m shooting. I'd sell it for $100 plus shipping if its a GTA person who will actually use it. There is a blemish on one part of the stock and it has the metal daisy peep rather than the plastic version (same shape/design) it came with.

[HOSPassassin]

Since the OP specified .20 or below, I suspect he may be dealing with local laws that prohibit .22 as a firearm.

The suggestions for CO2 weapons are great. I hadn't thought about that because I don't have any.

If the OP really is keeping it to about 15 yards a nice, accurate Daisy 901/880 on 5 or 6 pumps is pretty close to mouse fart quiet, effective with brain shots, and considerably under the $300 budget. The 901 especially also has pretty good iron sights for the intended range, which will eliminate holdover issues.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Not sure if its quiet enough but I have a beeman ar2078a tuned and partially resealed by mike mellick for 10m shooting. I'd sell it for $100 plus shipping if its a GTA person who will actually use it. There is a blemish on one part of the stock and it has the metal daisy peep rather than the plastic version (same shape/design) it came with.

That with a TKO would be SWEEEET!