WEIHRAUCH HW45 .22 cal air pistol

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  • doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
    77
    Indianapolis
    Just for fun today, I picked this German-made HW45 Weihrauch 22 caliber spring air pistol from a member.
    Bought 750 pellets for $15 from seller & only shot 50 today.
    Yes, I did the math: 2 cents each round, haha!

    It will be accurate enough to keep me interested.
    There is a learning curve to shooting air guns.
    I only used half-power (some say 70-80%) for targets today.
    Next time I'll try full power.
    Online, I read where a half-power cocking of the spring is more accurate but the older gentleman who sold me this said that had not been his experience.

    box for HW45 Weihrauch.jpg left side.jpg right side.jpg optic sights from rear.jpg top of slide.jpg

    The HW45 was shooting high for me & had to do more than an entire turn
    of the elevation screw on practice targets to get POI showing here.
    I kept fine-tuning it while shooting these two rows.

    21' on top row & 30' on 2nd row.
    I would need to use an optic for further distance with my eyes.

    I don't intend to do that since the fiber optics are great.
    I'll not buy the expensive ammo for tighter groups anyway,
    until I learn to shoot it.

    I used decent pellets but not the good stuff.
    Range 1st 10.15.2021 20ft & 30ft cropped.jpg
     

    Twangbanger

    Grandmaster
    Oct 9, 2010
    7,062
    113
    These are supposed to be good, surprisingly cheap guns. For the price, I'll need to pick one up sometime. Is the cocking force objectionable? The Gamo Chaser is another one the airgun dudes seem to like.
     

    doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
    77
    Indianapolis
    These are supposed to be good, surprisingly cheap guns. For the price, I'll need to pick one up sometime. Is the cocking force objectionable? The Gamo Chaser is another one the airgun dudes seem to like.
    My little bit of research verifies your point: good, solid, dependable gun for the money.
    The guy I bought it from has a $1500 air pistol with others in-between & air rifles as well & I hope to buy one of his in the future.
    He just didn't need this gun with his others but wanted to try it out.

    I don't have any other airgun pistol to compare it with, but it was softer shooting than .22LR handguns I have.
    The trigger is the best of any gun I have! Really enjoyed squeezing the rounds off.

    I picked up a Umarex Octane spring airgun this summer from the Classifies here, just to try it out.
    I plan to use it indoors in the winter at 25 yds & leave my .22LR rifles alone (don't want to change scope adjustments.

    pic of Umarex Octane air rifle.jpg

    Very pleased with this:
    Range 7.24.2021 1st time 8in plate.jpg

    I hadn't learned that you can't hold the rifle tight to your shoulder with a spring air rifle, haha!
    Drove me nuts trying to chase after adjusting the scope.
    1st range pic.jpg
     

    doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
    77
    Indianapolis
    2nd range visit with the HW45 Weihrauch .22 spring air pistol.
    I tried resting the barrel like I do other handguns, but that did not work at all, as I read online,
    b/c it
    shot very very low, so I just put my wrist/hands on a rest like I'd done 1st time I shot the HW45.

    3.75" circles
    5 pellets per circle.
    Full power shot low at every distance, 1/2 power fairly consistent at the 15, 21 & 30'.
    However, using 1/2 power it shot low clear out to 45'.
    W/O an optic, I can't even see where the rounds hitting at 45'.
    Therefore, it is more fun to shoot at 21', maybe 30'. I'll have to remember to take binos with me.
    Using H&N Sport 5,50 .22 cal rounded pellets, which I used the 1st time I shot & posted.
    Range 10.19.2021 2nd time x3 distances half & full power.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
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    Indianapolis
    As a follow up, Tuesday I bought a Weihrauch HW35E .177 cal spring air rifle that is a notch above what I was going to get & much better than the Umarex Octane that I bought here last spring that was only $100, but was fine for an introduction to rifle to air guns.

    I don't haven't even taken pics yet or been to the range with it, but will get there by Friday, hopefully.
    Pics will be coming!
    Beautiful with walnut stock!

    I even bought a few more tins of good ammo for the HW45 .22 cal pistol & some for the HW35E .177 rifle, including some match grade, which I'm excited to use.
    Can't wait to use some match grade in the Umarex Octane .22 cal rifle to see how it will tighten up groups.

    I can't find 2 boxes of inexpensive pellets I bought at Wal-Mart last summer for the .22 cal Umarex rifle.
    I wanted to run some of the inexpensive pellets through the HW45 air pistol to see how much accuracy they'd lose.
    I "lost" them in the garage somewhere, haha!
     

    Whip_McCord

    Expert
    May 14, 2010
    762
    63
    NWI
    I have that same air pistol, imported as the Beeman P-1. I read somewhere years ago that shooting on low power isn't that good for the seal. I believe that's what I read, but that was 20 years ago or more. I rarely shoot it on low.

    I mounted a red dot on mine and regularly dispatch chipmunks out to 30 yards with it. If they are further than 30 yards, I use my Beeman R-11 air rifle. It is a nice air pistol and you should have many years of fun with it.


    Just realized yours is .22 caliber. My P-1 is .177, not .22 caliber. Same gun, though.
     
    Last edited:

    doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
    77
    Indianapolis
    I have that same air pistol, imported as the Beeman P-1. I read somewhere years ago that shooting on low power isn't that good for the seal. I believe that's what I read, but that was 20 years ago or more. I rarely shoot it on low.

    I mounted a red dot on mine and regularly dispatch chipmunks out to 30 yards with it. If they are further than 30 yards, I use my Beeman R-11 air rifle. It is a nice air pistol and you should have many years of fun with it.


    Just realized yours is .22 caliber. My P-1 is .177, not .22 caliber. Same gun, though.
    Thanks for the heads-up about shooting at low-power being bad for the seal.
    The older gentleman that I bought the HW45 from, has been shooting air guns for decades & he'll know what the buzz is a about the low-power shooting of the HW.
    I believe he has more expensive air guns so maybe he won't know the rumors about it.
    I've shot it enough to know it shoots different between low & high power.
     

    Whip_McCord

    Expert
    May 14, 2010
    762
    63
    NWI
    Here's a good article by Tom Gaylord.

     

    doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
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    Indianapolis
    Here's a good article by Tom Gaylord.

    Thanks, I read every word! :thumbsup:
     

    Whip_McCord

    Expert
    May 14, 2010
    762
    63
    NWI
    It is not very clear that it is a 12-part article. Here is part 12 with all the other links, just in case you missed them.

     

    doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
    77
    Indianapolis
    It is not very clear that it is a 12-part article. Here is part 12 with all the other links, just in case you missed them.

    I quickly read through part 11 & 12. :coffee:
    Totally awesome detail!!! :wow:
    Can't wait to read through more.
    What an education: I can't thank you enough! :thumbsup:
     

    Whip_McCord

    Expert
    May 14, 2010
    762
    63
    NWI
    I met Tom Gaylord at an airgun show in St Louis years ago. Got a signed book from him about the Beeman R1. He is a great wealth of knowledge on airguns. There are tons of great articles by him in his BLOG on Pyramid Air.
     

    doddg

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    May 15, 2017
    8,613
    77
    Indianapolis
    I met Tom Gaylord at an airgun show in St Louis years ago. Got a signed book from him about the Beeman R1. He is a great wealth of knowledge on airguns. There are tons of great articles by him in his BLOG on Pyramid Air.
    The older man who I bought these air guns from mention pyramid air to me a few times.
    Evidently that's where he bought his guns mostly and ordered his ammo from
     
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