Vortek PG-2 SHO Tune Kit for HBW30 / R7 Air Rifles

Verified Purchase

Things I liked: My Beeman R7 (HW30S) was giving me accuracy issues and the shot cycle was making a loud twanging/buzzing sound. I finally broke down and bought the Vortek kit and it ended up being a huge improvement. I went from being frustrated with the R7 to loving it. The shot cycle went from vibrating BOING to solid THUMP and the hold sensitivity was significantly reduced. It is now my favorite air rifle!

Things I would have changed: I rated Value for Money four stars not becuase of the price but becuase it works so well and it is so needed. The spring kits are terribly over-priced and it is Wiehrauchs fault! If they would put a decent spring in their air rifles we would not need to buy expensive aftermarket kits. I do not blame Vortek for the high price. Wiehrauch spring quality hands them business every day! Overall, I would change the quality of the stock spring so would not have to buy aftermarket springs. I understand that Weihrauch tries to keep their guns the same but evolution is not a bad thing! Look at Walther and thier new spring system, it is not a gas ram but a spring totally new technology. I would love to see Wiehrauch evolve like Walther is evolving. They can keep the legacy spirit of their rifles alive while improving the guts to the point that aftermarket parts are not necessary.

What others should know: The spring itlself is super easy to install. I actually installed the spring only after reading many articles about Weihrauch owners that say the wished they had not installed the piston seal. The stock seal, in my case. was in great shape. If you stop at the spring, you can have it done in 10-minutes. Replacing the seal triples that install time. There are several great videos on YouTube that give great instruction and if you are new to this, as I was, you will need it becuase the included instructions are horrible. If you are going to keep your gun for a lifetime, the investment is worth it. It is sad that we need to purchase an aftermarket part that adds $70 to $80 to the retail price of an already expensive air rifle but in the end, it does make it a better shooting air gun. One way to think about it is that over 35-years that is only $2 a year.

Things I liked: Relative ease of installation. I installed it by hand, no spring compressor. It was a challenge but doable. My HW30S is a little easier to cock (not that it was difficult before) and maybe a little quieter (tho pretty quiet to begin with). Shot cycle does feel a little smoother.

Things I would have changed: The printed directions that came with it have plenty of room for improvement.

What others should know: This spring is noticeably shorter and stiffer than the stock spring. My HW30S (.177, bought mid-2014) started dropping FPS for no obvious reason just before Xmas. Careful lube, (then later) disassembly, & cleaning didn't help. I decided I was going to try to replace the piston seal and since it would be a major tear down anyway, I figured I'd get the Vortek kit and see if I get better performance out of the rifle. Was it worth it? Short answer: YES. Long answer: 5-shot chronograph averages before and after the Vortek install. RWS Hobby 7.0 AVG FPS before / after: 556 / 663 RWS MeisterK 8.2 AVG FPS before / after: 495 / 615 RWS Superdome 8.3 AVG FPS before / after: 490 / 583 Not seeing Vortek's advertised 9+FPE though. I never chrony'd these before the upgrade. H&N Match Green 5.25 AVG FPS: 812 Crosman Prem Hvy 10.5 (4 shot) AVG: 442 The before numbers were recorded about 2 years ago, just after I got my chrony, and at a time when I considered my HW30S in peak condition.