Clueless beginner HW97KT (seeking answers)

G

Goggli

New member
Joined
Jan 20, 2025
Messages
7
Reaction score
22
Location
England
Hi, I’m hoping that I chose the right place to ask questions regarding my newly acquired first air rifle, the HW97KT (Blackline).
In December I tried a friend’s break barrel (Crosman Summit) and was hooked straight away. So I investigated to buy one for myself but wanted something a bit better.

After going through countless videos, reviews, threads, etc… I had my eyes on the HW97KT (Walnut).
I didn’t know where was the best place to buy it so I went with "thewolfman" website. I planned to buy one of the proposed scopes with it as part of a bundle. Didn’t want to have to think of rails and compatibility.
I had a budget and needed a scope put I equally didn’t want to share the fun alone. So I had to buy something for my son to practice with me which forced me to rethink my choice to stay in my budget.
So instead of the "Walnut version + Hawke Sidewinder 30 SF 4-16x50 SR Pro II" I went for the "Blackline version + Hawke Fast Mount 6-24x50 AO Mil Dot IR".

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t choosing the Sidewinder because I knew what I was getting, I just hoped it was going to be something of quality I could stick with forever and be learning from. Knowing that it will already be mounted and zeroed-in by "thewolfman" meant I would have the whole package ready to use. But in the end I had to downgrade my choice.

Anyway, I got what I got and the result was bitter sweet compared to the idea I had in my head.
Enough of my little life story, here are my questions:

1/ Is there a way to remediate to the spring noise from this polymer rifle? (I didn’t hear that noise in the walnut version I saw on videos)

2/ I thought the butt pad was extendable but it seems not to be the case on the Blackline. What is the best thing I can buy the fix this? It doesn’t feel right, like it’s missing an inch. (That was what she said)

3/ The scope I chose is stupidly long and the front of it makes it challenging to put pellets in, so I need a more convenient one.
Can you please direct me towards a decent / good quality scope which is not too long? (And the compatible mount needed)
Also, I noticed that having a "front focus" is not convenient for me at all. And it is so stiff that it makes the scope turn within the rings. So I rather have a side focus instead.

I only use the rifle for inanimate targets at various distances. I shoot mainly from 10 to 30 meters but would like to push it towards the 40 meters.
When I shoot at 10 meters is only when I am with my son. I bought him a Beretta M92 FS XX-Treme. Not very powerful but a cool looking Co2 gun. (A bit gimmicky though)

Sorry for my long post and thanks in advance.
 
1 A tuning kit from such as Tinbum will help. This will have better fitting spring guides. Don't start anything like this without a chrono and without knowing what's going to happen when you unscrew the trigger block.
2. You could fit an adjustable pad or a 3d printed butt plate. Ebay will have either.
3. If your scope turns in the rings it's not remotely tight enough. Scopes are a very individual thing. What suits me won't necessarily suit you. I like the sidewinders, others will suggest an Optisan. Don't go too high on the mag. 12x should be enough. High mag usually requires high price to work well.
 
1
Weihrauchs ,not all but many have "twang" it's caused mainly by loose fitting spring guides ,lack of top hat and factory grease.
You can remedy this by adding delrin spring guide ,top hat and Molly grease 👌tbt drop in kit or similar will do the job.

2 The comb height on a rifle "should" dictate the size of scope used ...if the comb is low a smaller scope and lower mounts are the way forward.
Many shooters neglect this and often want bigger scopes and this causes misalignment problems.

Bisley make adjustable butt pads ,check em out, that will sort the issue out

3. Turning your adjustable objective should not move your scope in the rings . Use YouTube and watch some videos about mounting a scope .adjustable objectives are often stiff new ,but loosen up over time ..

Look for scopes online that match your desired overall length required to clear the breech.

The 97 KT is my next rifle of choice 👌

Hope you get your teething problems sorted

You have come to the right place ,plenty of really knowledgeable folk around here
 
A very warm welcome to the forum!

You’ve bought yourself one of the best spring piston air rifles that money can buy. And your scope is fine too. You’ll soon get used to an adjustable objective.

I’d suggest you put your money toward some tins of different pellets, some spinners and card targets and enjoy learning how to shoot your 97 as it is. Use the search facility for advice on how to hold and shoot a springer.

Let us know how you’re getting on. Piccies always appreciated too!

Have fun 😊
 
Darren Petts said:
If your scope turns in the rings it's not remotely tight enough.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. If it can move around in the scope rings you are going to have problems. Each manufacturer will define the correct level of torque to be used on scope rings. In theory, you should then get a torque driver to set it exactly to that level. Too much torque and you can crimp the tube and damage the scope. Too little, and you can get movement.

Another option is just to hand tighten it with an Allan key, with the long end in the bolt and the short end in your fingers. The other way round and it's too easy to overtighten the bolt and crimp the tube.
 
You can have a guide made to match your spring, that will remove the twang. You could try lining the piston. It may be already lined but a little more may help.
Diy or spend, choice is yours.

Scope wise, the Hawke compact is great on this type of rifle with a loading port. Cheaper than that would be a Vector scope.


Do not despair.
You have one of the best rifles out there. Persevere with what you have until you have put a tin of pellets through it, then decide what you want to do.
 
I don't have a 97 anymore, but still have this stock, this is the spacer I put on mine
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20250121_093010.webp
    IMG_20250121_093010.webp
    321.1 KB · Views: 39
Thanks to everyone for your answers, it’s very kind of you to take the time.
I watched videos about spring guides but it seems to involve dismantling the rifle. As a beginner I would be too worried to mess it up.
Also, on the top of the kit I would have to buy a chronograph and a couple of punch tools which I’m not sure I would ever need after.
Now, if someone who done it before would be next to me during the process I would probably go for it.

One more question:

I initially bought 8 different tins of pellets, one being the H&N Match Green (lead free). After buying them I came across threads mentioning that lead free pellets can damage the barrel. Is that true?
 
I'm not aware of lead free pellets damaging rifling but they are harder than lead. They are ususlly quite poor performers, especially at distance and they loose velocity quickly. Unless forced to I would not use them.
 
Might not be much help but FWIW, my thoughts....

A decent HW97 should shoot very smoothly - all mine have wooden stocks but I'm sure a properly set-up "tune" kit would help hugely, even if the plastic stock is amplifying the problem.

It sounds as if you have a mismatch - potentially of several things.

Have you asked somebody who is more experienced than you to watch you shooting?
Stending, sitting or prone will affect the natural position for your head in relation to your spine - which then affects eye relief with your scope (and how far forward it needs to be) and might help explain your perceived stock length problem.

What part of "England" are you based?

Side Focus scopes tend to be more expensive BUT no scope should turn in its mounts when you rotate the lens.
Either your scope has a serious problem or - more likely - your screws on the mounts are not holding the scope tightly enough.
Do not just tighten them up as hard as you can, they are quite a small thread and easily stripped!
 
Welcome , my friend.😊
On the scope front, try this - as you'll need to tighten your scope up anyway...
With your rifle at the ready, close your eyes & bring the rifle to your shoulder - naturally, as one would shoot, now, open your eyes. If your eye is not in position to look straight down the scope, without any bodily adjustment, your scope needs adjusting to or fro , such that when you mount your rifle , your eye/ head is already properly placed to not fidgit about for a perfect view down your scope.👍 The above exercise may also reveal that one needs to go to either a higher or lower scope mount & quite possibly, " remedy" your perceived ill fitting stock. Your front parallax " focus" should ease it's stiffness with use, however, if you set the magnification to " all I really need", it's likely that you can set the front ring to a setting that works well across all your present shooting distances. Enjoy your new '97 & shooting with your lad.😊
 
I think a great help to you would be to visit a club to have a chat, check out some other scopes and do some pellet testing.
Selecting the correct pellet is very important and will make the difference between poor and good groups.
Where abouts do you live? Perhaps a forum member could recommend a club local to you.
 
Unfortunately some of these kits where you get everything don’t always consider the compatibility of the rifle and scope. As soon as I saw the choice of scope, I thought you’re going to have loading issues and it’s probably too powerful magnification wise for normal target shooting and plinking.

Regarding the twang, many Weihrauch’s suffer from that and the plastic stocks will exacerbate the noise as wood tends to dull it to a degree. The stock wouldn’t have been walnut on the original model you were looking at unless it was an aftermarket stock, the wood versions are beech.

In the future you can look at getting it tuned and a spring kit fitted, if you gain experience you can look at doing it yourself. I’d also be chatting to the shop about the scope, look at a 4 -12, 3 - 12 or 4 - 16 magnification such as a Hawke Vantage or suchlike.
 
My 97 is exactly the same as yours and I also was a bit put off by the twang, however I would shoot a few tins of pellets through it first before worrying to much, it doesn't change the accuracy whether you have a kit fitted or not, just feels smoother and sounds better.
I also made the same call re the scope however it is still usable but a bit fiddly, especially in .177!.
Eventually I changed the optics in line with @Blackmax suggestion (3-18 x 44 on mine) and the stock but did I need to?, not really, the addiction just started to take hold!
 
Goggli said:
Thanks to everyone for your answers, it’s very kind of you to take the time.
I watched videos about spring guides but it seems to involve dismantling the rifle. As a beginner I would be too worried to mess it up.
Also, on the top of the kit I would have to buy a chronograph and a couple of punch tools which I’m not sure I would ever need after.
Now, if someone who done it before would be next to me during the process I would probably go for it.

One more question:
Click to expand...


Goggli said:
I initially bought 8 different tins of pellets, one being the H&N Match Green (lead free). After buying them I came across threads mentioning that lead free pellets can damage the barrel. Is that true?
Click to expand...
You would be well advised to purchase a chronograph if you intend to pursue this hobby regardless of whether you choose to fit a tuning kit or not. There are various basic models cheaply and readily available that will ensure that your rifle stays in good condition and more importantly, legal.

One more answer:

1737558843915.webp


I suspect that if you look closely at the lid of the tin of H&N Match Green pellets you may well find that it states "For PCP rifles only".
Your HW97KT is spring powered and not a PCP.
However, the pellets will not harm the barrel but H&N print the disclaimer as they have found that the air blast produced by spring guns is different to that from a PCP and may cause pellets to jam in the barrel of a spring gun.
I have tested them in my HW77 and HW50 without any problems but they don't wish to expose themselves to any claims for damages.
The Green models of tin pellets are lighter than their lead equivalent and generally have a harsher shot cycle. The H&N website lists their effective range to be only 30 metres, compared to 50 metres for the lead versions.
Pellet testing for accuracy tends to confirm this and fortunately the anticipated banning of lead pellets has now been cancelled or at least postponed so there is no reason to use the more expensive and inferior Green models.
 
Last edited:
I have the HW97 .177 synthetic in stainless. It's one of, if not my favourite, springers. Remember your ear is next to the gun when you fire it, so it will always be louder than watching a video on you tube.

Mine likes superdomes and H&N Field Target Trophy. I now have arthritic thumbs and struggled with loading so changed the lens to a hawk 3-12 fastmount (mounts included)
 
I think sometimes people overly stress about twang. It's a really good rifle. Shoot it loads before you make any firm decisions. You will probably find that it settles down anyway.
I had a blackline and stuffed old rags in the butt space which made a difference to the vibration. Try that first.
Also, I found mid weight pellets to be the smoothest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top