40 - HW97 Saga: Spring Mod Brings Unbeatable Accuracy!

Рет қаралды 7,506

Күн бұрын

In this video, I dive deep into my ongoing project with the HW97 saga, focusing on a spring mod that's set to make a big difference in the accuracy stakes! Ever wondered how a simple tweak can transform your air rifle's performance? Watch to find out how I tackled spring problems head-on, aiming for unbeatable accuracy that's crucial for every HFT competitor. From dissecting the issues to the triumphant moment of truth, join me on this journey of precision and passion for airgun shooting.
Ever felt your airgun was just not living up to its potential? You're not alone! We've all been there, tweaking, adjusting, and sometimes just hoping for a miracle. But what if I told you that sometimes, a little spring modification is all it takes to turn things around? Whether you're an air rifle enthusiast or an HFT warrior, this video has something for everyone.
--- Video Contents ---
0:00 - Intro
0:33 - The Problem
6:13 - Cutting the Spring
12:06 - The Finished Spring
13:28 - Chrono Results
17:30 - Testing the HW97 after the spring change
33:44 - Group Testing Analysis
36:12 - Final thoughts
Got questions about airgun mods or want to share your own airgun shooting adventures? Drop them in the comments below! And if this video hit the mark for you, please support the channel by liking this video or subscribing to the channel, it's totally free! Your support keeps my content shooting straight and true.
Remember, whether you're hitting the range or the great outdoors, accuracy is key. And sometimes, it's the small changes that make all the difference. Happy shooting!
#airgun #airguns #airgunshooting #airrifles #airrifleshooting #HFTShooterThis is my description placeholder about this video and why you should watch it right to the very end.
#airgun #airguns #airgunshooting #airrifles #airrifleshooting #hftshooting #hftshooter

Пікірлер: 86

@dkjngl1 2 ай бұрын

Good stuff, as you said (but didn’t do 😊) keep your trigger depressed through your follow through. It promotes correct trigger control and effective follow through. Nice to see a fellow 97 HFT shooter shooting from the shoulder 👍

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

My bad little habit I'm afraid. 🙂

@dkjngl1 2 ай бұрын

@@hftshooter To go a bit deeper, Proper follow through isn't just to stay on target after the shot, ideally it's to maintain the same amount of concentration, hold, trigger control etc for a couple of seconds after the shot, that way you greatly reduce any mistakes on trigger control and hold through the shot. most shooters don't bother but it really makes a difference, especially if your shooting a springer up the peg and in the shoulder. Mine does 11ftlbs and I wouldn't want it any higher. a lot shoot sweetest at 10.5. cheers

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks I really appreciate the feedback. I think I need to spend some time on the range just concentrating on my technique without worrying where the pellets are landing.

@dkjngl1 2 ай бұрын

@@hftshooter no problem. It’s a good idea to break down your shot routine to all the individual steps and then stick to them in a deliberate fashion. If you miss a shot chances are you can identify which step you mucked up and work on it. Best not to bounce around on the trigger btw. Just take up the first stage when your settled and committed to taking the shot. If your shooting HFT a great psychological trick is when your on target, and just about to take the shot, visualise the target falling over through the scope, you’ll find any fear evaporate and you’ll increase the chances of hitting the target. Cheers, Matt

@paulspeller968 2 ай бұрын

good news mate . i bet your relieved that rifle is shooting better 👍

@davidcrane5984 2 ай бұрын

Well done, it certainly pays to persevere. I've found in the past that changing a mainspring will even change a rifle's preferred pellet!

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks. 🙂

@paultowns9880 2 ай бұрын

Glad you got it sorted. Nice little group at the end. Enjoy your weekend.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks, you too! 🙂👍

@user-wp6ut9jo7y 2 ай бұрын

Great to see the 97 back, great stuff.

@rivit90 2 ай бұрын

Perfect power level for a .177 springer , anything between 10.5 and 11ftlbs is the ideal ,for many years I shot field target with springers. After much experimentation during the mid to late 1980s , setting the power to right on the limit and as down as low as 10 ftlbs ,The trade offs were just not worth it . The difference in poi between a full 12 ftlb rifle and a 10.5 at 55 yards is less than 3/4 of a inch but the shot cycle feel and accuracy are worlds apart in favour of a 10.5 rifle .. fantastic video , keep em coming

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks, that's what I've found too. 🙂

@Steve-Cross 2 ай бұрын

The 97 is back. Obviously, it did need a little bit of time to settle in. I’m sure it would only get better the more you shoot it. 👍

@stephenhayes2996 2 ай бұрын

Well done! glad you got to the bottom of the problem, very enlightening.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@garthe-r9079 2 ай бұрын

It's a well known fact that (with a springer) a smoother firing cycle will always result in greater accuracy. As such may I suggest that you remove the main spring get some 600 and 800 grade wet and dry cut them into quarters, laying one 600 grade quarter sheet on a flat surface. Spray it with copious amounts of WD 40 and rub one end of the main spring on the well lubricated abrasive in a tight circular motion until smooth and shiny ( you may need to change the sheets as the abrasive wears out). Repeat at the other end until the same result is achieved. Then switch to the 800 grade and repeat the exercise until you end up with a highly polished mirror finish at each end. This will enable the main spring to spin more easily on expansion, create less resistance, reduce twang and improve harmonics. Thus further smoothing the firing cycle. If you are using a steel top hat and/or slip washers polish those also. If you are using a Delrin top hat and/or slip washers then clearly there will be no need. Happy shooting and may your pellets fly true.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip, I really appreciate it. 😀👍

@phil-oq9id 2 ай бұрын

👍 brilliant glad it came right in the end. Lovely rifle 👌👌👌👌

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Phil. 🙂👍

@xavierlobo5496 2 ай бұрын

Hi there, very happy for you , what a relief, you must be so happy, cheers and have a great day 😊

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Yes, thank you! 🙂👍

@TheWitchboard 2 ай бұрын

Excellent explanations as always, many people will gain extra knowledge by watching your video's, well done on your final grouping just goes to show that springers are as accurate as pcp in the right hands.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks! 😀👍

@10928rob 2 ай бұрын

Great video,👌

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thank you 👍

@fliesarenegade 2 ай бұрын

Away from the problems you experience, this is by far the most beatiful HW97 stock I've ever seen...

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Cheers, it is nice isn't it! 😀👍

@fliesarenegade 2 ай бұрын

@@hftshooter oh man, it sure is!

@ianwoods1384 2 ай бұрын

Hi Jeff, Thank you for your latest video. I think you had a lot of bottle to film that journey. Back in the eighties, I think some people used to buy the top end powerful springers and bounce in the most powerful springs they could lay their hands on. However, you've shown not only is there a science to twelve foot pound springers, and its not just about finding the most powerful spring you can lay your hands on. I'm glad it worked out for you, and as you say, power is nothing without accuracy. They were lovely groups at the end. You surely have an able, beautiful rifle there and you've given me some ideas for a future stock build. Best wishes, Ian.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Ian, really appreciate your comments. 😀👍

@ianwoods1384 2 ай бұрын

@hftshooter Hi Jeff, Thank you. I forgot to mention. I watched a very good guy on Utube some time ago, struggling with a springer, shortening the spring. I think it was an HW95, and he was trying to bring the power down, similar to what you've done. I felt really sorry for him as he must have dismantled then re assembled his unit around a dozen times. It's funny he didn't wear the screw threads out. However, he got there in the end. It looks a little bit like throwing a paper aeroplane when we were younger. If we threw it hard, they'd take a nose dive. If we threw them gently, they flew forever. Regards, Ian.

@keith6930 2 ай бұрын

When you cut then compressed the spring I thought you'd made it too short. Nice to see it's back to how you wanted it. I have a theory that shooting at a smaller aim point makes me more accurate?

@mrnice752 2 ай бұрын

Aim small, miss small.

@keith6930 2 ай бұрын

@@mrnice752 Hit nail on the head with that, very true

@mauricesmith5871 2 ай бұрын

Good work never give up

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Maurice.

@superzuki5831 2 ай бұрын

I enjoyed the video and I need to tune my 97 down a bit. I'm in the U.S. and mine is extremely accurate but it is a scope killer for sure. I'm learning from you, Thankyou.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

I've been in the US myself this past fortnight, flying home from Florida today. 🙂👍

@stefanslosharek9044 Ай бұрын

Ein sehr schönes Luftgewehr,und der Schaft!!

@hftshooter Ай бұрын

Vielen Dank 🙂👍

@brechany 2 ай бұрын

Hi mate. Hope life is treating you well. I had exactly the same issue with my 97. Turned out to be the trigger. After a few shots, the trigger would creep just a fraction in the second stage. I would unconsciously grip the stock a little harder with my trigger hand in anticipation of it releasing and this would cause the poi to shift. Set my trigger up better and it's fine now. Doesn't take much to spoil your day.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info. The trigger now feels very different with the shortened spring that the longer version. I did put some grease on the end of the piston rod where it engages with the trigger sear when I first reconstructed the rifle. I cleaned that all off when shortening the spring. Don't know whether that made a difference in the trigger action but it sure feels better now.

@pjgtech 2 ай бұрын

Thanx, good video thanx

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

You're welcome. 🙂👍

@markhowlett8916 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for another great vid, i just bought a 97 myself and have a similar/same scope, can you tell me where you got the scope enhancer from, ive been looking but cant fine one of 40mm to fit my scope, they all too small Keep up the good work Regards M

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Hi Mark, I think it's a straight bsa one from eBay. I have the one with a pig's ear eye cup on another rifle too. I think they're described as 38mm but the rubber is so flexible they fit all my scopes. I'm away on holiday at the moment so can't check my computer. If you want to send me an email reminder I may be able to find the exact link when I get home. Hope that helps. 🙂

@garymurphy5133 2 ай бұрын

will politely disagree about springers and power versus accuracy. i only have break barrel springers.at the moment a HW98 and HW95. Have always run mine at 11.5 to 11.7. they shoot just as good as when they come underpowered from factory. if yours was playing up due to overpower and bad cycle it would do it most shots if not all. when i see that odd stray shot i would turn to pellet cause.I dont know if you was using sorted pellets but my tins of JSB have been having 4 groups per tin! they is a guy at the club that uses a 97 FAC ,he says it 17ftlb. i can not attest to that i do know it feels way over 12 BUT thats as consistent and accurate as most springers there.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

It's okay to disagree Gary. It's interesting that people experience such different results with the same brand. Thanks for sharing. 🙂👍

@johnnyhouston9913 2 ай бұрын

Brilliant video Jeff 👍👍👍 at first I thought I was watching an episode of Forged in Fire 😂😂 sparks flying everywhere grinder and a high powered sander 😂😂 I was smiling while watching you going all medieval on that springs ass 😂😂 I'm all chuffed you got your rifle back to where it was and the smile on your face was priceless... 💕💕👍👍👍 And I learned a lot as well... Thanks for that .. happy shooting Jeff and enjoy your weekend.. Oh that's a lovely looking rifle she's a bute.. ❤️👍✌️🤟 J x

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Johnny, really appreciate that. I was smiling again reading your comment. 😀👍

@johnnyhouston9913 2 ай бұрын

Nice one Jeff, your videos are always a good watch 👍👍👍it's a bit like watching your favourite TV show and you are my long lost old friend 👍✌️😂😂 Oh Im going to the dark side Jeff, Im getting a Hikmicro Alpex A50 -T tomorrow.. I got it from Optics Warehouse and a finance deal through Klarna.. I'm surprised I got a finance deal because I'm not working at the moment 🫣🫣😂😂 anyway I'm looking forward to checking the scope out . Anyway I digress 😂😂 I had to tell someone 🤣🤣🤣 take care.. and have a great weekend.. ✌️👍🤟

@jeffmccall8013 2 ай бұрын

Ooooh, those alpex scopes look a nice bit of kit. Good luck with that. 👍

@johnnyhouston9913 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Jeff, it's my first day/night scope or any night vision stuff 😂😂 I will need to study it but there's loads of stuff on KZfaq...Yeh Optics Warehouse are doing some great deal at the moment. 👍🤟✌️

@RaoulDuke333 2 ай бұрын

Don’t know if this matters but have seen a lot of these spring modification videos and whilst they are trying to bring the power down it has always puzzled me why they broadcast themselves having an illegal rifle ? I’d probably keep that info to myself, however saying that as it is legal to buy springs for home modification the law has to expect you to be overpowered until you have made adjustments? Always wondered because I’ll probably be in the same position one day when my spring goes

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

I hear you. As soon as I knew it was over I broke the rifle down so it was just a collection of parts. I guessed that it would be legal as non functioning?

@RaoulDuke333 2 ай бұрын

@@hftshooterit’s a tricky situation by fixing spring it will be over the limit at some point, guess the law knows this or they would only be able to be repaired at legal rfd , so I guess it must be ok ? , your vids are great keep em coming

@yalieangami6233 2 ай бұрын

Aiwaa 😘💕👍👍

@mikelangelno 2 ай бұрын

I remember someone saying how all his teenage mates back in the 70's fitted stronger (maybe illegal) springs to their rifles except one lad who kept his HW35 at it's factory setting of 9 ft/lbs. He outshot all his macho mates by an order of magnitude which because they were rabbiting meant he never missed supper. If you are to believe some of the Americans shooting springers at 18 ft/lbs and above, well . . .

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

My HW97 felt pretty terrible shooting at 12 ft/lb anything higher than that must feel like the rifle is going to come apart! 😂

@TophatOrange 2 ай бұрын

I have watched both videos HW 97 + Walther LGV, there is a significant difference in your trigger handling between the two, the HW 97 you are fiddling the first stage (a lot) and fire quite fast when hitting second stage, but at the LGV you instant find and hold at second stage wait a while an than fire. Looks like on the HW 97 it should be as on the LGV for even more accuracy ? (im by no means a pro shooter just saying what i observed)

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your feedabck. I do find it difficult switching between those rifles. The LGV has a 'traditional' trigger' with a definite first and second stage, however my 97 is different. The trigger guard in the wooden stock prevents the trigger from moving all the way forward so is already partially pulled back. Added to that is the trigger is set very light with no discernible second stage; you pull slightly and it goes off! Having not shot the 97 for a while it takes me a time to get used to it again. However, I admit I need to practice my trigger technique a lot , it needs to be better and more conisitent.

@ianbath4776 2 ай бұрын

I had the opposite? Replaced the spring same length etc, 9.5-9.8. I have had to shim the back of the spring to 15mm to get 10.8- 11. Very frustrating any ideas 🙏

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

I was lucky in that I knew what spring was already in there so I replaced like with like. I guess all springs are manufactured differently, different tension, wire thickness, coils per inch. 15mm is a lot to shim! I would just buy a TBT kit, I've heard good things about them and would've gone that route if I needed to. 👍

@michealisaac3245 2 ай бұрын

I noticed you have not centralised your spring guide with your trigger block. Gives positive location.

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Hi Michael, thanks for the comment, but I don't understand what you mean. How do I go about doing that?

@rapalaron6348 2 ай бұрын

Indeed very strange. I heard that before that the 97's are most accurate just under 12pf-lb but i have the Vortek PG4 steel HO 16ft-lb kit installed in one of my 97's and shoot max 10mm groups on 25 meters with JSB Exacts 8.44gr 4.52mm. So i don't quite agree that 97 is more accurate with lower power. More easy to shoot with lower power yes, but in my opinion not less accurate with higher power. In my other 97 i tried the Titan No3 spring but that was a nightmare to shoot with so i installed a 16ft-lb V-mach kit in that one to compare and gives about the same results as the 97 with the Vortek kit. With the Vortek kit i used the grease that came with it and with the V-mach kit i used moly disulfide powder for a piston seal and compression tube treatment and works very well. I understand that it's difficult in the UK to try a HO kit to compare so therefor my experience mate. I own also the HW98 and this break barrel is as accurate as the 97 so the myth that a fixed barrel HW is more accurate is not true. The HW30 is in my opinion the most easy HW to shoot. I nailed yesterday nine of ten .22lr shells on 25 meters with the HW30 straight out the box with a Airmax 2-7X32AO scope mounted 😁 Precision and quality don't need to be so expensive....Cheers! 👍

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment. I guess we get so used to the feel of lower power springers that anything else feels strange and unwieldy. I certainly prefer mine at a lower power. 🙂👍

@user-nr1rw4jt5y Ай бұрын

This happened to me 5 shots in same hole one is always a flyer

@hftshooter Ай бұрын

Shooting groups can be frustrating! 🙂

@omarmohammed5669 Ай бұрын

btw do u clean your hw97s barrel?

@hftshooter Ай бұрын

I use a pull through.

@noelwallace5257 2 ай бұрын

My advice is this, bin it and get yourself a TX200, job done👍🏻👌🏼

@hftshooter 2 ай бұрын

😂😂😂 thanks for the advice.

@noelwallace5257 2 ай бұрын

@@hftshooter Actually I quite like that rig, nice stock….shhhh don’t tell anyone I said so 🤣👍🏻

@davidbooth60 Ай бұрын

Getting up and down to reload must make your heart rate rise Is that something you try to control

@hftshooter Ай бұрын

Well, I only have to get up and down 30 times during a comp and that's over a couple of hours, so it's not exactly a heavy workout. I haven't noticed it affecting my heart rate though no. What I did find was a factor was coffee. I drink lots, especially in the morning. I have to cut back and control my input before a comp as all that caffeine was making me shake.

@Cyberwendy 26 күн бұрын

Wow, you destroyed the spring, heating it up

@hftshooter 25 күн бұрын

Really?

@Cyberwendy 25 күн бұрын

@@hftshooter Springs use heat treated steel, typically. Heating the steel hot enough to bend it then letting it air cool will anneal the steel, which means you lose the heat treat. Note that this does NOT change the stiffness, or "springiness", it lowers the STRENGTH of the steel. What that mean in a practical sense is that the annealed part of the spring will yield at a lower load than the rest of the spring, causing it to bend or stretch under load. It will also break at a lower load.

@jeffmccall8013 25 күн бұрын

@@Cyberwendy I don't know your background with airguns. From my understanding, shortening the spring the way I did is, and has been, common practice for an awfully long time. It doesn't seem to cause the demise of spring gun springs as far as I know. 🙂👍

@wolfcross807 25 күн бұрын

@@jeffmccall8013This is just basic spring knowledge. One should not tamper with springs. Shortening like you did, watching it not get hot, you can get away with. Heating a spring, or any metal, will alter the structure off the metal. What you created is a unreliable spring, with no repeatable action. There are many applications where it is forbidden to alter a spring, for this reasons. And you have weakened the spring. Good luck