Gamo air rifle

[blackthorn]

Looking at possibly picking up an air rifle. LGS has a Gamo with scope he claims produces 1250 fps in 177. Anyone know what these guns are like? How quiet are they? Effective range on Marmot sized game? Comments? Thanks for any input.

[3leggedturtle]

They crack as loud or louder than a 22 with PBA pellets. Stick to the lead pellets if you want it reasonably quiet. I shot grays, rabbits and grackles up to 30 yards or so. Coons need to be head shot! Woodchucks as far as you can hit in head. Takes at least 3-400 shuts before you get max accuracy and smooth shooting. Todd/3leg

[Outer Rondacker]

I prefer a gas piston over a spring. Lasts longer and you can leave it cocked for a longer time without an issue. If it states 1250 it will be around 1100-1050. I use mine for crows tree rats and other smaller four legged critters within 75 yrds. I have a 22 cal.

[Bookworm]

I have a Gamo 177. I've taken cottontails and squirrels with it. Can't get close enough for crows, which, after years of being shot at around my place, are understandably a bit man-shy.

It's quiet with lead pellets, the only thing I've ever fired out of it. No idea of velocity, I've never chrono'd it.

[ubetcha]

I have a Gamo Bone Collector model. Shoots fairly accurate as long as one uses the" artillery hold" on the rifle.The artillery hold allow the rifle to recoil freely while the pellet is still in the barrel. For more info on air rifles go to www.pyramid air.com. I would like to get a PCP rifle though, but there not cheap.

[GhostHawk]

If it were me I would look at .22 not .177.

At that speed it is going to be noisy. .22 has better punch on varmints, meat for the pot.

Over in the UK they have a saying. .177 for feathers, .22 for fur.

So adjust accordingly.

As for the company itself, it would not be my first choice.

GTA has mixed reviews on Gamo, some like, many find them lacking.

[blackthorn]

Thanks guys I guess I need to do a bit more research.

[WarEagleEd]

I have a GAMO Big Cat 1250. I like it, though I haven't shot it much nor have I shot any critters with it. Like ubetcha, I have better accuracy with it when using the "artillery hold." Mine it rather loud, and will crack like a .22 rimfire rifle if I use the high speed GAMO pellets (PBA pellets). I only shot those because a sample pack came with my rifle. I use JSB Diablo Exact 8.44 grain, domed, .177 cal. pellets when shooting at steel cans in the back yard. I tried chronographing the pellets one time, but my chronograph didn't register about half the shots fired over it. Velocities weren't close to 1250 fps with the JSB Diablo pellets.

[MT Chambers]

A lot of the adds for Gamo are hype, velocity for lead pellets is way down from their numbers, triggers are ****, if you are on a budget get it. For a little more get a Diana (RWS) 34 for a quality gun that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Eventually you will want a nice rifle like a HW, so get it now or get it later.

[Tritium]

Speed of sound in Feet Per second is roughly 1125 FPS (varies by air density and therefore elevation) so anything more is accompanied by a mini sonic boom. Passing through this region with a diabolo shaped projectile (standard pellet) can have a serious destabilizing effect as well as the increased noise. The best region for best accuracy with one of these type projectiles is between 800 and around 950 fps. Manufacturers are blowing a lot of "hot" air when they hype their guns on high velocity specifications. The effect is exacerbated by greater distance to the target.

[KLR]

For a little more get a Diana (RWS) 34 for a quality gun that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Eventually you will want a nice rifle like a HW, so get it now or get it later.

I couldn't agree more. My son bought a RWS 34 for his first air rifle. I wasn't going to spend that much, so I bought something cheap. It stinks. Eventually I spent way more than that in cheap rifles before I admitted I was wrong and got a good German rifle.

BTW, Here in the USA Gamo won't sell internal parts to anyone who is not an FFL. I bought one Gamo and never will again.

[WarEagleEd]

I know someone that really likes the Turkish made Hatsan air rifles (I think he has a model 95). I don't have any experience with them personally, but you might want to check into them.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[GhostHawk]

I have a pair of Hatsan's, 135 QE Vortex and the 95 in Vortex.

Love the heck out of both of them.

[opos]

I have a 30 year old Gamo spring cocker that has open sights...very plane jane...we had a neighbor that fed pigeons in her back yard and every morning there would be about 50 or 75 "flying rats" strung across the electrical wires waiting for breakfast...what a mess...we asked her to stop but no way so the Gamo became the "second request".....I dropppd a few and she got the message and quit feeding them..That Gamo is still dead accurate...it's a little noisy...I do shoot it in a closed up garage now and then with a little bullet trap....never had any comments.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I'd have to agree with Mt Chambers about getting a little better quality gun. The HW guns are at the top of my list and an HW30 on the low end or HW50 are good starters. HW80's are beasts and are the same as the Beeman R1 which I have and I can tell you it is not an easy gun to cock. I can cock my 3 other HW rifles with my left arm. I have to use my right arm to cock the R1. it is that much more powerful, and I am good for about 10 shots a night with it. It is however powerful enough for larger varmints out to 50-75 yards. it's a.22 also.

This is a case where if you spend a little more in the beginning you will not regret it as these guns run forever with just a small amount of oil . All you have to do is treat them like any fine firearm and not beat the snot out of them. They deserve the same treatment as any fine gun.

Gamo is made in Spain and they got into the market here by getting on the Outdoor Channel and getting the Bone Collector guys to use them, they are inexpensive guns and next to most of the German guns they are way out of their league. If you really can't afford anything else they will shoot and you can have some fun, but in a few years you will be looking for something better. Why not just get that up front?

My dad always said "spend a little more, get alot more."

I revised that statement to "Buy the best ,,, only cry once!" He liked that!

Randy

[4t5]

I had 2 Gamo .177 airguns, and had poor accuracy out of both. Don't count on hitting anything past about 25 yards. I recently got a RWS .22 and it is somewhat better, but IMHO you have to spend some serious $$ to get something that is not frustrating.

[pls1911]

I recently bought a lower end GAMO Hornet in .177 for pest control, primarily tree rats. (The wife objected to 30-30'sand 12 gauges)
GAMO mechanicals are about the same across different action types and calibers,so velocities are consistent though stock styles vary a bit.
Accuracy was pretty awful for 300 rounds, and remains unacceptable with standard weight pellets.
On a fluke, I picked up a can of Crossman premier Magnum domed pellets which weigh a 10.5 grains....really hefty for a .177.

WOW.
These fit tightly in the bore, and I'm sure my velocity is down to maybe 850 fsp, but accuracy improved very nicely.
After range and bearing rounds, head shots on turtles at 60 yards have about a 70% success rate, and out to 30 yards , it's simply point and shoot.
Through turtle shells, crow feathers, squirrel shoulders, anything that heavy pellet hits, dies.
Standard weight flat nosed pellets don't fit the bore tightly, and still only hold "minute of tin can" out to maybe 20 yards.

Hand me the heavies! They's real thumpers compared to standard weight pellets.

[GBertolet]

Gamo is towards the bottom of the heap, as far as airguns go. Customer service is terrible, as quality is hit or miss. A friend has a .177 Gamo Whisper, which he purchased as a cheap way to eliminate squirrels that were damaging his house. We chronographed it one day. Factory claims of 1250 fps were for the ultralight PBA alloy pellets only, which they don't specificly mention. Velocity is everything in advertising, it sells. Even the cheapest airguns today can generate quite a bit of power. Typical lead pellets in the Gamo chronographed in the high 8's to low 900's for a more realistic figure. Firing aesthetics were harsh, as there were lots of twang and vibration. Trigger was crappy also. As mentioned earlier in a post, when velocity starts exceeding 900 or so fps, accuracy starts to diminish. This can be offset by switching to a heavier pellet to get the velocity down. The most powerful airguns are best in the .22 or .25 calibers. RWS/Diana airguns are considered mid level quality, while HW and Air Arms are considered towards the top of the sporter list.

If you are not particular, and just want something to go bang, without spending a whole lot of money, buy a Gamo. But if you want something that will last a lifetime, and you will be proud to own, get one of the higher end airguns.

[9.3X62AL]

I have a couple RWS air rifles--a Model 45 in 177 caliber, and a Model 52 in 25 caliber. Both are over 20 years old, and have never caused me any grief. The 25 caliber might have been re-sprung with a heavier coil--it runs 27 grain Beeman Crow Magnums to 800 FPS, and its cocking effort is somewhat heavier than that of a friend's Model 52 in 22 caliber. That 25 will DO IN ground squirrels to 35 yards with well-placed hits. The 177 gets about 825 FPS with the relatively heavy-for-caliber Meisterkugeln match pellets (8.2 grains), and a head shot is required on ground squirrels for decisive stopping.

Airguns are a lot like 22 rimfire arms--they have definite preferences in ammunition. Many airgun shops have pellet assortments you can buy to try out a number of different designs to assess what works best in your individual airgun.

At present I am rolling the idea around about a 22 caliber airgun. I am leaning toward a break-barrel over the side-lever; the loading port in the 48/52 is a little awkward to manipulate with my diminished manual dexterity.

[Fly]

I love my Gamo Swam .22 & it is a nail driver. 50 yards with RWS super-h-point pellets I can put coke can bottom groups on paper. I don't
think many other brake barrel do much if any better. At a little under $200 that's pretty dang good. This rifle also has a rotary 10 shot magazine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S0_7y0QOzQ&t=889s
Fly