Newbie: Zeroing my HW35. Typically, how many clicks?

[TaviMark]

Hello all,
I recently bought a used HW35. My first gun of any sort since my 1960s Daisy Red Rider BB gun. 200 pellets in, and I'm kind of lost and looking for advice.

I am shooting at 25m. I have windage dialed in - the pellets generally land horizontally in a consistent location. The problem is vertical. I have dialed the vertical adjustment right off the scale (literally) and my shots are still six inches low.
Today I moved the vertical adjustment all the way clockwise to the end point, then opened it up 5 clicks at a time and shot. Again, +/- 45 clicks later I reached the end of the scale and was still nowhere near vertical center of the target. In fact still way below the rings.

Clearly I am doing something wrong. I just don't know what.

I am using the hw35 standard sights - the "wide" slot in the back, and the post in the front. I try keep the post and back sight tops aligned and I try to put the target right at the top of the post, which I think is the "6 o'clock hold". I am shooting at paper targets from a sitting position.

The other possibly relevant piece of information is that my (wife's) preferred range location has a slight downhill slope. It is slight, but noticeable over the 25 m.

I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[Steve636]

Does the rear sight blade unscrew for further adjustment.
As in this picture:

 

[Mark E Smith]

I've got the same problem on an HW80 - a previous owner had bent the back of the rear sight down by about 1/4". Presumably it was blurring his Scope vision but, I'm now on max height at about 10m. I've tried bending it back without any luck and don't want to try too hard in case it snaps so, I'm on the look out for an old Scope.

 

[chouchin66]

Hello all,
I recently bought a used HW35. My first gun of any sort since my 1960s Daisy Red Rider BB gun. 200 pellets in, and I'm kind of lost and looking for advice.

I am shooting at 25m. I have windage dialed in - the pellets generally land horizontally in a consistent location. The problem is vertical. I have dialed the vertical adjustment right off the scale (literally) and my shots are still six inches low.
Today I moved the vertical adjustment all the way clockwise to the end point, then opened it up 5 clicks at a time and shot. Again, +/- 45 clicks later I reached the end of the scale and was still nowhere near vertical center of the target. In fact still way below the rings.

Clearly I am doing something wrong. I just don't know what.

I am using the hw35 standard sights - the "wide" slot in the back, and the post in the front. I try keep the post and back sight tops aligned and I try to put the target right at the top of the post, which I think is the "6 o'clock hold". I am shooting at paper targets from a sitting position.

The other possibly relevant piece of information is that my (wife's) preferred range location has a slight downhill slope. It is slight, but noticeable over the 25 m.

I'd appreciate any advice.

Though 27 yards isn't far, in the grand scheme of things... firstly, what pellets/ weight are you using ? I would put rifle over a chronograph & check output. A 35 , putting out proper power & shooter maintaining a proper sight picture with the OEM opens, should have enough rear sight adjustment to hit targets @ 50 yards.
The slight downslope you mention, will have negligible effect.

 

[Area Weapon]

What are range are you zero’ing at? Id pull back your range to about 10m and see if you can get on at a shorter distance if you can ok, it could be a power issue like someone else mentioned and the pellets are starting to drop already at 25m.

 

[TaviMark]

Though 27 yards isn't far, in the grand scheme of things... firstly, what pellets/ weight are you using ? I would put rifle over a chronograph & check output. A 35 , putting out proper power & shooter maintaining a proper sight picture with the OEM opens, should have enough rear sight adjustment to hit targets @ 50 yards.
The slight downslope you mention, will have negligible effect.

Thanks for your input. I’m using the pellets pictured. I hadn’t considered a power issue…

 

[TaviMark]

What are range are you zero’ing at? Id pull back your range to about 10m and see if you can get on at a shorter distance if you can ok, it could be a power issue like someone else mentioned and the pellets are starting to drop already at 25m.

I was zeroing at 25m. But I think its a good idea to move in to 10m. I'll try that. I hadn't considered a power issue.

 

[TaviMark]

Does the rear sight blade unscrew for further adjustment.
As in this picture:
View attachment 965247

Unfortunately no, but I see where you were going.

 

[chouchin66]

Thanks for your input. I’m using the pellets pictured. I hadn’t considered a power issue…View attachment 965684

Any idea how old/ what vintage your ' 35 is ? If leather sealed , a few drops of Neatsfoot oil down the transfer port & a brief time to let oil absorb into seal, then a few ( non cocking) cycles to move things around may help. The chrono will tell a bunch.

 

[TaviMark]

According to a serial number query I did online, it’s a 2016. It looks like it has hardly been used.

 

[Ashf9999]

Have you put a straight edge (something like a metal metre rule, or the edge of a kitchen worktop) along the top of the cylinder and check that the barrel runs parallel, and doesn’t bend in towards the straight edge? (Just to make sure the barrel has not been accidentally bent by being fired in the open position).

 

[P8X]

Have you put a straight edge (something like a metal metre rule, or the edge of a kitchen worktop) along the top of the cylinder and check that the barrel runs parallel, and doesn’t bend in towards the straight edge? (Just to make sure the barrel has not been accidentally bent by being fired in the open position).

Absolutely this

One bad failing on the 35 is wear on the barrel latch and the opposing cylinder face.
Wear of this kind means it may well be suffering an inadequate lockup

 

[chouchin66]

Aside a power issue, unless your barrel's been somehow bent, I'm at a loss. Does your rear sight look exactly like this ? If not, & running an old style sight, an old style may not be synched in with front sight ?

 

[TaviMark]

Aside a power issue, unless your barrel's been somehow bent, I'm at a loss. Does your rear sight look exactly like this ? If not, & running an old style sight, an old style may not be synched in with front sight ? View attachment 965732View attachment 965733

Yes, mine looks exactly the same. I’ll check the barrel and try the 10m distance to start and see what happens.

Really appreciate the tips from everyone

 

[Byronic]

Yes, mine looks exactly the same. I’ll check the barrel and try the 10m distance to start and see what happens.

Really appreciate the tips from everyone

@chouchin66 has beaten me to it but.....

Why not post some photos of your sights, both front and rear to show the relative heights?

I was just musing on this while walking my dog - good thinking time.

Incorrect front height maybe, if the back is standard?

My Webley Rebel is proving to be a pain in the butt - non original fromt sight (fibre optic) and no rear sight at all.
Sharp Innova rear sight fits but need to be bent upwards about half an inch to get anywhere near a Zero - obviously not a real solution.
Dovetails are a weird, domed shape.
The only mounts I have which physically fit end up with running out of Windage.

Who said airguns are good fun???

 

[TaviMark]

Have you put a straight edge (something like a metal metre rule, or the edge of a kitchen worktop) along the top of the cylinder and check that the barrel runs parallel, and doesn’t bend in towards the straight edge? (Just to make sure the barrel has not been accidentally bent by being fired in the open position).

Thanks for the idea. I checked it tonight. It's perfectly straight.

 

[TaviMark]

Aside a power issue, unless your barrel's been somehow bent, I'm at a loss. Does your rear sight look exactly like this ? If not, & running an old style sight, an old style may not be synched in with front sight ? View attachment 965732View attachment 965733

Out of curiosity, how many clicks from "closed" or "fully down" (sorry, I don't know the terminology) are you when you zero at 10m - or wherever you zero from., I would imagine mine would be similar.
I am going to rent a chronograph from Amazon to see if the issue is power.

 

[chouchin66]

Out of curiosity, how many clicks from "closed" or "fully down" (sorry, I don't know the terminology) are you when you zero at 10m - or wherever you zero from., I would imagine mine would be similar.
I am going to rent a chronograph from Amazon to see if the issue is power

My friend, I don't know that I've ever calculated the movement that each "click" of the sight dial represents on my own HW 35. Each barrel length ( distance between front & rear sights), will have a different value of change per click.( My barrel is the 19" model) Me not knowing the answer, on my own rifle, sadly I can't help with an answer for you. I wish you best luck though.

 

[TaviMark]

Ah. New at this. I thought the same model would be roughly similar. From your photo, it looks like your rear sight is quite high too. At least closer to the end of the sight range than the start. That’s helpful info in and of itself.

 

[chouchin66]

Ah. New at this. I thought the same model would be roughly similar. From your photo, it looks like your rear sight is quite high too. At least closer to the end of the sight range than the start. That’s helpful info in and of itself.

The picture I posted is a bit misleading & just an example of sight type ( new)...that sight pictured is atop an HW 30 which is a lower powered rifle @ at around 8 ft lbs. The ' 30 is however using the standard new style Weihrauch rear sight unit & coincidentally, zeroed at ~ 25 yards.