It doesn't have to be a Diana. Of course I love my Panther but it's recently fallen from grace as my favorite. My newest favorite is a HW50S .177. The reasons are various. It's not hold sensitive. It's extremely accurate. It shoots in a velocity range that I think is nearly ideal for a springer (JSB express 7.9 gr. at 770 fps). It has a very mild recoil. It's quiet. The quality of the materials and workmanship are excellent. It's lightweight. It comes to shoulder and balances perfectly. Overall it's just an excellent little rifle, with a very solid, quality feel to it.

Keith, I know what you mean about your HW 50. My R7 shoots so smooth it is scary. That said, I wish that you and I could shoot each others guns. My Diana 34 and your HW 50) the 34 is shooting around the same velocities as your HW, and it is one lovely tuned gun. I am not saying which one would shoot nicer, only that it would be interesting to compare.

Regards
Dave@vabch

I think the power level of this rifle is what makes it so nice. It's not all hell bent for speed. Just nice and smooth.

My favorite is my 1962 Diana mod 27 smoothbore .177 cal made by Millbro why? because it was my first airgun

My favorites.
Rob

Kevin I agree with the vote for the HW50S. I find myself shooting it more and more over my other rifles for all the reason's you mentioned. Also, the more I shoot mine, I'm finding that both the shot cycle and trigger are getting smoother and smoother and the velocity has steadily gone up a bit. Mine also started out at 770 fps with it's favorite diet of 7.9g JSB Express, but I chronied it yesterday after over 1500 shots and it's shooting them at 795 fps now with an ES of 12 and a SD of 3 and this is in UNTUNED form.....amazing little air rifle. I want to get a custom made walnut stock for it, but if I can't find one, i'm going have hand cut checkering done to the stock that it comes in.

I've been using a Hawke 4-12x40 Airmax on top of it but i've got a Leupy 3-9x33 EFR on the way that i'm going to try on it. Yesterday I was printing cloverleafs at 50 yrds with it like it was a pcp. Incredible functioning piece....

I've only had mine for about a week. Within maybe the first 50 pellets I could feel the rifle starting to smooth out. I expect it will only get better. I've only been shooting at 10 yds with the open sights using cheap Crosman hollow points but it's definitely a shooter. After I shoot the tin of cphp's I'll mount a peep and shoot a tin of JSB express through it. Then I'll consider a scope, probably a Hawke 2-7x32. The trigger....well, I've never felt such a wonderful trigger. Tuning is probably something I'll consider down the road, but right now, I just want to shoot it

Mine is the HW80K/.22 as it needed no babying, tuning or parts from day one.Solid well thought out scope base unlike RWS.Not hold sensitive as others claim and is great on small game.Next one will be a HW50S in .177 then a Discovery or Condor/Talon in .22 That should about cover things.A BSA scorpion pistol would be nice for grouse...........

my fwb 300s. i will be using it soon for silhouette.

LoL, and I just proved once again why the HW50S is my favorite. We just mowed the property yesterday afternoon and of course the starlings are out in the front of my property in great numbers, roaming the grounds looking for worms, so I had a little fun and set up a little 'sniper's roost' off the deck on the side of my house. I got set up at a comfortable rest, HW50S in hand, new Leupy binoculars and Nikon laser range finder around my neck and proceeded to take shots at them. The Nikon said they were between 111 and 119 yrds out.

Normally, I wouldnt take shots out that far with a .177 on a fur-bearer, like a cottontail or squirrel(although I have taken cottontails with my .177 cal R9 to 81 yrds) but these pests? You bet! I have no love for them.

I get the holdover info at those distances with the Map6, which is basically a few elevation clicks and using the last map x on the cross hair, with the magnification set on 8x, I let the first shot fly. Amazingly close on the first one, because I could see the ground impact of the round at the birds feet and the bird jumped up a few inches and begin looking down all around him at the ground as if to say "damn, worms fight back here!". He went about his business, and I went about 6 elevation clicks up on the Hawke's target elevation turret and proceeded to take the same aim point, since the air was still and my windage looked dead-on according to that first impact. Breathed deep 2 breaths, took careful aim and began to squeeze up to that all too familiar 2nd stage Rekord stop, "thunk", "whap", the pellet anchored right into the little scumbeak and he did one flip straight up into the air, landed down on his back and flailed his wings about crazily for 10 seconds and expired! Done deal. The laser on this guy read 117 yrds. Incredible little rifle....

The 97k with the Record trigger, the smooth cycle on shooting ,it is my favorite for know .

A robust desert island gun, cant fault it,a keeper but I prefer the performance and looks of my 460.

well

maybe

and

but for me

not the top of the line

am I making excuses??

NO

RWS 94 in .22 cal is my best one, really a Cometa 400

not the best accurate, that goes to the TX 200 but it does not challenge ME like my 94's does

warren

PS: sorry

and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

Surprised to see someone else say this, but I think it is my favorite overall hunter springer. Geez I like the R7, and my Panther is great, but there is something about the Cometa that points and shoots really really well. I have two of them in .22 and they are my favorite hunting springers. They don't beat everything on the bench (although they're in the hunt) but when it's time to go afield, they are what I reach for.

Hands down the R7 is the finest shooting gun I have ever shot. I shot a R8 and it was in the same catagory. I would say that if the R9 shoots as smooth as the R7, then they are indeed fine rifles. I also have a vintage HW 30mk11 with the Perfeke trigger that is a fine gun. I saw this question asked on the Yellow forum a month or so ago and the results were pretty much the same with the R7,R9, and HW 50 coming out on top. My very nicely tuned 34 is a fine shooter, but in reality it just doesn't come close to the R7. (I know it is more powerful). I think that if I had it to do all over again, and had to limit myself to just two guns, I would get the R7 and the R9.These two guns would pretty cover the all around shooting needs that most average airgunners would need.
Keep in mind, that the question asked is all relative. I also have a tuned Beeman C1 that I would not want to part with and a De-tuned 460 in 22. cal that shoots very well.

JMO keeping in mind that I have not shot a lot of the guns mentioned-for example the Tx200 is a gun I hope to try out some day. Warren loves the 34, yet gives high praise to the Cometa,etc.
Dave@vabch

have a niche of their own, between the trigger, barrel and power they are very well balanced air rifle

I like the .22 cal and a good trigger, the RWS TO is not a Rekord trigger but you can polish it be really, really close

the 34 is the poor man's HW, not in the same league by a long shot but it is a very reliable air rifle when tuned properly

the 94 (Cometa) stock will outperform the 34 tuned and when I sent the 94 to John in PA for a full tune to include the trigger he was shockingly surprised with the 94 after he tuned it

warren

PS: Dave; if you would like, I could ship you the 94 so that you can shoot it, just remember to ship it back, OK or I will hunt you down LOL

and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

Warren, that is one heck of a offer you just gave, especially since I know how much you love that gun. Unfortunately, in the next coming three months are hell is breaking loose for me, and I won't even have much time to shoot at all. But I will keep in touch, as I may have something for you down the pike.

thanks again
dave

Dave:

just e-mail me and I will send it and you can send your C1 to be held "HOSTAGE" until you return the 94 back LOL

warren

and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

Like I said, I just won't have much time for shooting in the next couple of months and would just feel scared to death to have someone's prize gun in my possession. But How about this offer. As you know, I have two Beeman C1's. One is brand new (never been fired). I need the gun to be broke in. I doubt I will do a full tune on the gun as they are known to last a long time. How about I send the gun to you and you shoot your heart out. You would be doing me a favor!

Dave@vabch

maybe a tuned .22 Diana 350M 'carbinized' (13" bbl). Kinda wished I'd have kept
them. Wouldn't mind having the Marksman 70 series (Weihrauch).20 back it was
decent right out of the box.

Right now I'd really go for a tuned HW50s and a tuned Diana 28 - both in .177.
They'd be some handy dandy little plinkers/pesters/hunters. Maybe have a few
inches cut off the bbls along with rechoke/crown and shrouds. I like carbines.

Herb

R7,R1,HW97K,RWS34TO1.20.....

After reading this thread and another on the AA forum I decided to take another look at the HW50s. I kind of passed it by at first because it is such a plain Jane. Just so happened I found a Paul Watts tuned HW50s in perfect condition for sale on the AA classifieds. I am newly addicted to airguns and am excited about this one. I started out with a 54 as my first and now this is my second. I think a light weight, low power gun might be a nice compliment to my 54 at the other end of the spectrum. Looking forward to it!
Bob R.

I can't for the life of me figure out why the HW50S doesn't get the same sort of attention as it's brothers the R7(HW30S) and R9(HW95). It sits right in the middle power wise. For me, it's just the all around best springer out there. It seems that most people who try the 50S love it.

-TKM-

The TX's are really sweet, but I'm gonna have to go with the RWS 46. It was my first "adult" springer. It has always been a go anywhere, do anything gun. The .177 is 12 fpe and the .22 is about 14fpe. They both hit what you aim at for distances up to say 50 meters. They are easy to cock and shoot all day, not fussy about ammo, are extremely safe (OK, someone could slip while cocking it and the cocking lever could cause damage, but compared to losing a finger, not so much) and basically have been as reliable as a rock.

Keith the Hw 50 does sit in the middle. Didn't it replace the R8? I know the R8 is a much sought after air gun. MZ has one that is Beautiful.

dave@vabch

My understanding is that the old model HW50=R8 but the new model HW50S=R6. Different powerplant but reused the old name.

-TKM-

JC:

the 46 is a true little pleasent air rifle not a MAGNUM but a real easy to shoot air rifle, not an HW but has that apeal and looks that is better than the HW

open sights in the 46 is a bulls eye at the end of the shot the same as the HW BUT the accuracy belongs to the HW and the fun belongs to the 46

warren

and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

I guess I have to plug my 48, after all its my scrren name!! It also doesn't hurt that its the only one I've got (except for a pice of junk .177 from the discount tool store.) LOL

Actually, upon reading this and many other threads, the common theme is lesser powered, smooth shooting rifles. I wish that I too had a lesser powered, smooth shooter. I'm looking at 34 variants and have been for a while. I know R7's and such are yet again smoother than a 34 but I can't let go of the power.....

Model48

It's my only one

I just finished up my Model 46 Stutzen...with a new metal front sight and a williams rear peep sight (sport one).

I cannot believe how awesome this rifle is
I am nailing a spoon at almost 30 yards with this peep sight. Something I can not even do consistantly with my scoped model 48!!

this is one sweet little rifle.

Nothing reminds me more of a quality, unique air gun than the Stutzen. Especially with a Peep, the way the Germans intended for all their air guns. Nice gun, cherish it.

dave@vabch

Thanks Dave,

the only thing right now that is bothering me about my 46, is that the williams sport peep sight isnt on there like it belongs there. It looks too much like an ad-on after thought. Any ideas on what peep sight would look more at home on th 46 stutzen?

Maybe my little old GEM-pattern Diana, followed by my circa 1929 Haenel III. My 54 is nice for a modern gun, but I also really like my Slavia 631 for accurate plinking. Guess, if I had only one, it might be the little GEM. Reminds me of a little Civil War carbine.

Red, I keep hearing what a nice little shooter the 631 is. I saw some pics from a guy on the yellow that really loved his. They seem to be a diamond in the rough.

Regards
dave@vabch

Bought it from a fellow who lube tuned it and intended it fot potting squirrels in his pecan trees but felt it was a bit under-powered. Almost no vibration, great sporter trigger and quality build. Accurate, too. I had forgotten how nice it was. Honestly, might not have bought my 54 if I had shot it more. Too many guns syndrome.

I have a Slavia 631. Nice wood and very smooth. I deburred and lubed it and put a new piston seal in it. Very accurate and easy to cock.

-TKM-

My .20 97k is the best airgun I ever owned. Shoots consistent one inch groups at 50 yards off the bench, still hunting power at that range. But for overall plinking, I like my RWS 350 .177, shoots flat out past 70 yards, ammo is cheap.