How much time and effort are needed to learn to shoot an HW30S well?

[Broadus]

From what I've learned through GTA, it seems that springers have some learning curve. I settled on the HW30S because it seems a good intro to springers, is a perfect backyard plinker, can take out the occasional garden-pestering squirrel, and my wife can easily handle the cocking effort.

Here is why I'm bringing up the time and effort needed to learn to shoot this light-shooting rifle: While I am looking forward to backyard offhand plinking/target practice, my wife has one concern: squirrels.

When I came home yesterday, my wife told me that a squirrel is starting to show interest in our raised-bed vegetable garden, and she knows that I've ordered the HW30S, though it's not to ship till tomorrow because Pyramyd. My wife is home during the day and wants to be able to take care of the squirrel situation herself, but after thirty-seven years of marriage I don't see her wanting to spend much time trying to learn the intricacies of holding a springer.

So this has me thinking: will she simply be frustrated with the HW30S? Would I be better off getting something like a Benjamin 392 which would not be hold sensitive and which four pumps will let her get her squirrel instead of the better shot that a .177 HW30S would require? Or would shooting the HW30S be no more hold sensitive than a good pump?

Any thoughts?

[Lost]

disclaimer: I am a 62 yr old novice regarding nice air rifles but I've been a bow and rifle hunter all my life.

I think the hold sensitivity issue is a bit over-stated. It may be understandable for bench rest shooting that is concerned with one-hole groups.

My experience has been that it takes less than 50 shots at a small bullseye target to get a feel for the proper hold.
I've told shooters both men and women new to springers to just not GRIP the gun but just stabilize the gun and their accuracy immediately improves.

I'm sure others with more experience with various and more sensitive rifles will disagree but that's the way I see it.

I also think women do better because they aren't trying to over power the gun into accurate shooting.

I bet your wife does fine especially if she is motivated to protect her garden.

[farrlarr]

It is difficult to answer your questions since it depends so much on the shooter.  It is possible that your wife will quickly settle into accurate shooting with your new gun while you make take longer (or vice versa).  I have no experience with the HW30S so can't comment on its hold-sensitivity but, like Lost, I think hold-sensitivity is somewhat over-stated.  Best bet is to get you and your wife started shooting your new gun as soon as possible and see how both of you do.  As Lost said, don't try to muscle the gun and both of you will probably do pretty well.  If, after 50 pellets or so, your wife doesn't like the gun or can't shoot it reasonably well, you can then contemplate buying a pumper, which I think would be much less hold-sensitive. 

[TWBryan]

Mine,before it self-destructed,was very easy to shoot. It wasn't hold sensitive at all. It seemed to like H&N FTT's best. To get really good accuracy you need to do some pellet testing and determine which pellet give you consistantly tiny groups.

If you plan to use an HW30S for pest control,it should be done at close range with a near-perfect head shot. Anything less might be inhumane.

[Broadus]

Mine,before it self-destructed,was very easy to shoot. It wasn't hold sensitive at all. It seemed to like H&N FTT's best. To get really good accuracy you need to do some pellet testing and determine which pellet give you consistantly tiny groups.

If you plan to use an HW30S for pest control,it should be done at close range with a near-perfect head shot. Anything less might be inhumane.

Self-destructed, Tim? Sounds like a good story is behind that.

[cvasquez]

TWBRyan is very right here. The HW30s/ R7 while capable of dispatching small game easily does have its limitations. For general guidelines ID say tough tree squirrels I'D make only head shots and not more than 20 yds.For that a dome pellets like the JSBs and a nice light small scope will make it happen. for larger bird sizes like pigeons Ive seen all kinds of results with mine. Some roll over dead the instant the little 177 drills them, Other times they fly up to a tree and die falling off .Other times they fly off . Thats a matter of where the chest shot hit and what organs were damaged. So its possible to slip past the vitals and go right thru the body not causing much harm.22cal will help more here. For small birds like sparrow they almost always expire instantly unless its a grazed body shot. Hold sensitive?? Not the HW30s/R7.Your wife will shot it just fine after she spends alittle time getting use to shooting a target. Just make sure she knows the gun is always held and shot in the hands and not resting on a hard surface.

[JimL911]

How long does it take to sight in? I found it very easy to shoot.

[Broadus]

It seems there should be little concern with my wife's shooting the HW30S. I appreciate the input.

[Yak54]

Yeah, Bill not to worry !  Not very hold sensitive at all.  After 100 pellets shot, most people can hit what they are aiming at pretty well.

Dan

[Broadus]

Yeah, Bill not to worry !  Not very hold sensitive at all.  After 100 pellets shot, most people can hit what they are aiming at pretty well.

Dan

Thanks, Dan. That's what I had thought initially but some comments along the way put the question in my mind.

[north country gal]

Bill, she should do well right out of the box with just a little coaching. Consistency of hold, doing it the same for every shot, is really the key, probably more so than the actual hold. As to your or her choice of hold, that's something you can both work out.

As a gal, I do think she'll find a light hold to come, naturally. That's what I use on mine. I use an open palm just in front of the trigger to allow the gun to slide and to basically balance the gun. With my shooting hand, I only touch the trigger. I do not wrap my fingers around the pistol grip. This is what I worked out over a couple of months, this winter, shooting for score on a daily basis, standing position, no rest, in our basement, trying to achieve the very best the gun had to offer. However, this is more than is needed to enjoy fine accuracy from the HW30S. Remember, I was shooting for score and I'm an accuracy nut, anyway.

From a rest, my best results came with resting my left hand on the bag, not the gun, again with an open palm. I did notice that going from a rest to a standing position, I tended to shoot a hair low, so had to do more tweaking for offhand work.

Again, what works for me and my shooting may not be what works for you or for her. After all, shooting from a standing position without a rest is quite a different game than shooting from the bench or for plinking and so on. Best of luck.

[TWBryan]

Not a good story Broadus,more sad than anything.

The HW30S is the least hold sensitive airgun I know of. I used to shoot mine with iron sights at 15 yards and get good groups. As Cvasquez says get a nice light scope,Hawke or Nikko Stirling,and above all else find the right pellet for it. If you find the pellet it likes you'll get tiny groups.

[Calmark]

I find shooting my R7s, they aren't hold sensitive really, but the most important thing to do is focus on follow-through.  That means, like a gymnast, you have to "stick" the landing by holding on target, pulling the trigger and continuing to hold on target for another second so the shot doesn't get pulled.  This is true for any air rifle and firearm, and once you are steady with the rifle, focus on follow-through really helps. 

[north country gal]

... focus on follow-through really helps.

Can't be stressed enough. Amen.

[Broadus]

Good stuff, Joanie and Mark. Thanks for sharing that, and we'll try to remember follow through.

[Petey]

... focus on follow-through really helps.

Can't be stressed enough. Amen.

+1

The 30s/R7 is very easy to shoot well.. Mostly attributed too it's short stroke= fast lock up time. If you squeeze that trigger off and follow through nice and easy , all will fall in place and many years of shooting pleasure shall be had.

As for Tree Monkeys----- No problem .... My 30's shoots  jsb 7.87 at 630 FPS..  I tad slow , but so what. It's so accurate I wouldn't change a thing. Popped a tree monkey at 22 yards , upward angle , right in pump house...It dropped where it stood. Not a twitch. Later , when preparing it for the freezer... I followed the wound channel across the chest ( right to left) found the pellet lodged in the left shoulder socket... Had the pellet not hit the bone dead on as it had , I'm certain it would have passed through . It was that close too exiting.

Don't worry about anything......Just get it , clean it , shoot it and love it .

Happy Shootin To All !
Petey

[Not The Brightest Bulb]

Well I'm kind of a klutz but got to agree with follow through and also (for me) heavy focus on trigger squeeze. The klutz part of me tends to occasionally jerk on trigger.