Nice set up ,ive stripped and cleaned my new 97k and used a little molly on it and fitted a ss piston spring guide, i bought a new Hugo GT scope ,that had to be sent back as the side parralax was hit and miss ,just ordered a Spina 6-24x50 FFP and waiting for it to turn up ,also got a weaver rail to fit and a sling ,only shot 8 pellets through it to see what the trigger feels like and the sound of the twang, once the scope comes ivwill run it in ,but in April i will be getting a ATG VIXEN and fitting a night vision scope ,just asked my farmer where i go metal detecting and hes got a big problem with squirrels, this will keep me busy lol
Oh man, those squirrels won't know what hit them once you get that 97 sorted out! Between the night vision and typical HW97 accuracy, I bet you'll have no problem ratting from a distance as well.
Keep up the good work. Its interesting to hear that the age profile of air rifle shooting / competitions is aging, exactly the same as its here in the UK. I shoot at my local club almost every Sunday - Iden Ferns HFT - and it attracts a great bunch of regulars, all like minded people, most between 55 to 70+ with a few younger members, but not many. My son, now 28 showed interest about 10 years ago, however he's probably the youngest member (and a very good shot BTW). Like you, I can't see the sport continuing the way its declining with no uptake from the younger generation. The Scouting association here in the UK still actively promotes air rifle shooting, but I think that it. I guess as its a practical skill based, generally open air based sport, based away from a screen, it just doesn't appeal 🥲
Thanks, it sounds like we've had very similar experiences. My eldest daughter and I have been competing for around 3 years now (won't mention her age out of self preservation). I love spending the time with her as well as all of the friends we've made. Unfortunately I've seen many other sports and interests of mine decline due to a lack of "fresh blood". I think there are several factors here in the states including a lack of awareness, a preference for powder burners, and perhaps a general decline in open air sport as you mentioned. I know in my case I wasn't even aware of this sport until I saw it on RU-vid a few years ago.
