I'm buying a new barrel for my HW80K. Should I go .20??

[limbshaker]

I bought a new HW80K in .22 last year, and the barrel turned out to be junk. This was my THIRD Weihrauch in .22 with a crappy barrel. I gave the barrel to a guy to practice doing chop/chokes with.

So I'm about to buy a new barrel...

Should I try a .20 cal? Or should I just buy another .22 barrel (which is much cheaper) and hope i get a good one? I have enough .177 springers already, and I don't think the .25 would be quite right for the hunting I do.

Anybody ever had any trouble with a mediocre barrel on a .20 caliber Weihrauch?

If you own a HW80/R1 in .20 let me here how you like it. I will be running a "detuned" Maccarri kit that was putting the .22 barrel at 17fpe with 14gr pellets.

What yall think? 

*If you happen to have a .20 or .22 cal HW80/R1 or HW95/R9/R10 barrel you can part with let me know!*

[tomykay12]

I like .20 and it would be very nice in the HW80. Detuned though, the .177 should be given consideration. it will be very flat shooting, and pellet selection is much greater than .20 cal. That said, all you need is one good one, lol. Two camps regarding .20; some say the best of both worlds, some say the worst. Love that, tk

[limbshaker]

I've got a lead on a .177 barrel for really cheap so I may get it to try out. But I'm still going to get a bigger bore to keep on it for hunting. ALL my other springers are .177 so I gotta change it up a bit haha 

I've never had a .20, but it seems at the power level I'm wanting to use it at it may be the best of both worlds. I've heard that too that it can "go either way" and I tend to agree. Maybe for my uses it will be a good compromise.

[grauhanen]

I have hesitated about getting a .20 because there is not a lot of variety in pellets available, in make or head size.  I know of HW .22 caliber rifles that would not shoot anything well except H&N Field Target Trophy pellets in 5.54 or 5.55mm head size.  If you can, give them a try.

[Zippy]

I've had an R1 in all 3 with different tune set ups, out of the 3 I liked the .20 the best. Power and flat shooting all in one. In .177 unless you tune it down it shoots way hot for my liking, in .22 it's a powerhouse for sure and I must have got lucky because mine was very accurate out to 40 yards. Sold the R1 with the .20 barrel still have the .177 long barrel and a .20 carbine barrel in case I need them.

[mista meener]

I bought a new HW80K in .22 last year, and the barrel turned out to be junk. This was my THIRD Weihrauch in .22 with a crappy barrel. I gave the barrel to a guy to practice doing chop/chokes with.

So I'm about to buy a new barrel...

Should I try a .20 cal? Or should I just buy another .22 barrel (which is much cheaper) and hope i get a good one? I have enough .177 springers already, and I don't think the .25 would be quite right for the hunting I do.

Anybody ever had any trouble with a mediocre barrel on a .20 caliber Weihrauch?

If you own a HW80/R1 in .20 let me here how you like it. I will be running a "detuned" Maccarri kit that was putting the .22 barrel at 17fpe with 14gr pellets.

What yall think? 

*If you happen to have a .20 or .22 cal HW80/R1 or HW95/R9/R10 barrel you can part with let me know!*

3 bad barrels from Weihrauch?? sounds impossible. one bad barrel would be hard to believe.

[limbshaker]

I wouldn't lie to you bud. Admittedly, one was "OK" but not up to par for an HW100. Allen Zasadny confirmed it when he machined my LW barrel as its replacement. He said its not uncommon at all for the HW .22 barrels to be oversized and inaccurate.

One was on a HW77K I bought as a project gun, the bore was so big a pellet would almost free fall to the choke, where you would have to shove it through with a good bit of force. Even with 5.54 FTTs it wouldn't group at all even at 15 yards.

The HW80K barrel was also oversized, but it would have been usable if the choke wasn't so tight. It would pack with lead after 25 shots or so. A cut and rechoke would have fixed it, but the barrel was already carbine length, and I didn't want to lose the sight grooves.

So yes, believe it. If you don't believe me, call Allen Zasadny or Paul Watts and ask them about oversized and over choked HW .22 bores. I'll never buy a HW in .22 again, and actually just sold the HW80K action to a fellow on the other forum who has a good barrel to go on it. So at least I didn't lose ALL of my $500.

Thanks for all the opinions guys, but I think I'm going to buy a vintage 25mm piston HW77K in .177. Found  one from good guy and it should be a good gun. All of my .177 HWs have been excellent, just for the record.

[tjk]

Go .20k and don't look back. It my favorite R1 of the three models I own.