Medievalturner
Super member
Using a 45 for hft 8-25m, and yes it is accurate, it does have the power to knock over targets at 25m. Don't think a 3ftlb 75 would do that or a hw 40, I may be wrong, but I doubt it. Horses for courses I guess.
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the Daily hi thread
Hw45 vs hw75
- Thread starter Bizzyyy
- Start date
Medievalturner
Super member
Inca
Member Extraordinaire
Valid point and as the OP did specify plinking I concede the 45 can hit barns further away than a 75 can. Personally I’ve haven’t used either of my 45s or the 75 at any distance greater than 6yds as I like to hit exactly what I’m aiming at. If I can ever get off my arse and fit the tbt kit and Aussie seal sitting on the shelf I might find some love for the 45 but until then…
Medievalturner
Super member
Fitted the Aussie seal but have left the tbt kit alone. To be fair, it does help. I'm surprised at how accurate the 45 is, but more importantly how much fun it is to shoot, which is the main thing.
danf1234
Proactive member
I have been on this journey recently. I get the gun brand new and it was shooting almost bang on 6. Immediately stripped it down and fitted a tbt kit. It nicely sat at 5.3. Fitted the Aussie seal and it went back to 5.9. I then fitted a polish seal and it was sat nicely at 5.5, but power started to drop to 4.9 after a tin of pellets.
I stripped and cleaned the whole thing and fitted the aussie seal again and now it is constant 5.75 with RWS hobby pellets at 11.9.
I have learned a few things here. There is definitely a bedding in period for the kits and the seals.
The Aussie seal is best for consistency.
It is frighteningly easy for these guns to go over the limit. Get a Chrono that does a full breakdown of the reading like a LMBR not ones that round up and down like the Athlon.
Once mastered they are deadly accurate right out to 25 yards.
The recoil destroys sights and red dots. I swapped out to a £300 holosun multi reticle (I have an astigmatism) and haven’t looked back. Worth every penny.
I now have a Welsh Willy kit to fit in mine and also another HW45 in .20 on back order.
I absolutely love mine, but it took some serious messing about to get it where I wanted it.
I stripped and cleaned the whole thing and fitted the aussie seal again and now it is constant 5.75 with RWS hobby pellets at 11.9.
I have learned a few things here. There is definitely a bedding in period for the kits and the seals.
The Aussie seal is best for consistency.
It is frighteningly easy for these guns to go over the limit. Get a Chrono that does a full breakdown of the reading like a LMBR not ones that round up and down like the Athlon.
Once mastered they are deadly accurate right out to 25 yards.
The recoil destroys sights and red dots. I swapped out to a £300 holosun multi reticle (I have an astigmatism) and haven’t looked back. Worth every penny.
I now have a Welsh Willy kit to fit in mine and also another HW45 in .20 on back order.
I absolutely love mine, but it took some serious messing about to get it where I wanted it.
Medievalturner
Super member
Good advice
Gonson
Active member
I shoot my 45 out to about 20m. It’s fitted with the TBT spring kit which definitely helps make it a bit smoother. It has enough power to flip knock down targets and hole old pellet tins. At that distance I can hit a pellet tin more times than miss using half decent dome pellets (Superdomes work well for me). I have less misses with the 75 but doesn’t hit so hard. It will rock a magnetic knock down target but not always make it stay down.
Nimbus01
Well-known member
Although it seems I'm a bit late on the thread as @ Bizzyyy has made his choice, I would say go for the HW45 in .22 as @Inspector71 says.
I own an HW45 in .177, a Silver Star in .22, an HW40, and an HW75 all as set up in the factory.
The HW40 and the HW75 are "clinical" guns, very accurate but rather lifeless and no challenge to shoot reasonably well. The HW40 feels plasticky (as it is!) and this adds to the perception of the noise it makes. The Beeman17 is just as good to shoot for a lot less money but I can't comment on its durablility. The HW75 is more refined and obviously a classier gun with a good grip, but I've shot it alongside a friend's Gamo Compact and thought that was just as good for half the price (and maybe his trigger was slightly better set up). My HW40 does 2.44ft/lb, the HW75 2.63ft/lb with AA field.
The HW45 and Silver Star being spring guns feel much more alive and fun to shoot. Whilst they do recoil significantly, once you have mastered the technique they are very accurate guns. They can be shot on "half" and full power (my Silver Star does 3.2ft/lb in half power, 5.1 in full - I have not tested the HW45 recently) so it can be nice to have the option - although the aim point is different on each power setting so I tend to use just full power. The firing action on the .177 is harsher than on the Silver Star. I did try a scope on my HW45 but the recoil was sufficiently great on it to cause the scope to move however tight I tried to get it on the dovetails so I took it off. I have no doubt the recoil on this would do damage to most red dots pretty quickly as has been observed. I have not tried anything other than open sights on my Silver Star.The grip on the Silver Star is nicer in the hand than the HW45, being shaped and fatter than the standard HW45.
My experience of the Silver Star mirrors @Inspector71's points about .22 calibre. I have not noticed the loopy trajectory at the ranges I shoot at.
I own an HW45 in .177, a Silver Star in .22, an HW40, and an HW75 all as set up in the factory.
The HW40 and the HW75 are "clinical" guns, very accurate but rather lifeless and no challenge to shoot reasonably well. The HW40 feels plasticky (as it is!) and this adds to the perception of the noise it makes. The Beeman17 is just as good to shoot for a lot less money but I can't comment on its durablility. The HW75 is more refined and obviously a classier gun with a good grip, but I've shot it alongside a friend's Gamo Compact and thought that was just as good for half the price (and maybe his trigger was slightly better set up). My HW40 does 2.44ft/lb, the HW75 2.63ft/lb with AA field.
The HW45 and Silver Star being spring guns feel much more alive and fun to shoot. Whilst they do recoil significantly, once you have mastered the technique they are very accurate guns. They can be shot on "half" and full power (my Silver Star does 3.2ft/lb in half power, 5.1 in full - I have not tested the HW45 recently) so it can be nice to have the option - although the aim point is different on each power setting so I tend to use just full power. The firing action on the .177 is harsher than on the Silver Star. I did try a scope on my HW45 but the recoil was sufficiently great on it to cause the scope to move however tight I tried to get it on the dovetails so I took it off. I have no doubt the recoil on this would do damage to most red dots pretty quickly as has been observed. I have not tried anything other than open sights on my Silver Star.The grip on the Silver Star is nicer in the hand than the HW45, being shaped and fatter than the standard HW45.
My experience of the Silver Star mirrors @Inspector71's points about .22 calibre. I have not noticed the loopy trajectory at the ranges I shoot at.
Gonson
Active member
Vector Optics do a good range of not too expensive red dots that work well with the 45 and stay in one bit, but do need a clamp to go in front of them to stop them walking down the rail.
Bontee
Proactive member
Personally Having owned an HW45 for 20 or so years and sold it when I moved to a smaller place ,My opinion (for what it;s worth) is that the 45 is too much gun for back yard plinking of course it depends on your back yard ,but I used to shoot out to 50 yards with mine.
Smaller less powerful pistols are available for short range stuff ,like I said just my opinion
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danf1234
Proactive member
100% agree with that the HW45 is not a back garden gun. Definitely not.
Bontee
Proactive member
I had a very interesting discussion on this forum,we talked about distance shooting with pistols,it’s still on the forum .
Myself and a couple of mates were shooting out to 50 yards with our HW45s ,we could regularly hit targets as small as a match box,but it was only because we spent so much time shooting without aiming.I know that sounds strange but we were so used to the pistols after 2 decades we were shooting on “feel” not using sights.
look up the thread if you feel inclined ,I still stand bynwhat I said though ,the 45 is too much gun for back yard plinking unless you have a BIG back yard.
All the best
Medievalturner
Super member
Yep I agree
Attachments
I didn't think the 75 lives up to my
quality standards regardig ergonomics, on pretty much all levels and i have a feelong the 45 is even worse. Qc seems to be so so.
Bontee
Proactive member
I have 8 yards in my garage Inca,so I can shoot indoors when the weather is nasty.When I sold the 45 ,due purely to the space restrictions ,I bought a Umarex Makarov,which is a far better pistol for 6 to 8 yards .The thing that surprises me is that the Makarov is easily as accurate as the HW45 at those ranges,obviously go past 8 yards and the differences start to show ,but since I only shoot out to a maximum of 12 yards now it isn’t an issue,and even at 12 yards (having made a few simple modifications to the Mak’) the difference is very small.
All the best
Inca
Member Extraordinaire
Lockdown, the lack of air and the closure of my range brought me into pistols and a CO2 CP-1, loved pistols from the start. After life returned to normal a Steyr LP-10 soon found its way into my possession and I quickly knew I’d never out-shoot its capabilities and therefore would never need to upgrade. That however didn’t stop a couple of 45s, a 75 and a 44 coming into my possession. Boris Johnson is to be blamed/thanked for all of this.