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Gamo air rifles

4K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  PhantomF4E 
#1 ·
Any good? Looking for a inexpensive air rifle.

I'm not looking for anything great, just decent.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Try a Diana 34, imported by RWS. You will save yourself money in the long run. Gamo can be good, it is just that the triggers aren't up to snuff and by the time you buy and install a better trigger, you might as well have bought the Diana 34 in the first place. I have two Gamo's, three Crosman's and a Diana and the Diana smokes them all. The only one that's nearly equal to the Diana is a Crosman with a gas ram, but the Diana is consistently more accurate, if only by a slim margin. If it is your first pellet rifle, don't be lured into one of the magnum models. There is a learning curve and also the magnums can eat scopes for breakfast.
 
#4 ·
#6 ·
What do you plan to use it for? Prefer something that takes an air source like Co2, spring piston, multi pump?

If you don't mind pumping the gun up for each shot a Benjamin 392 is a decent gun for a decent price. I have a 392 with a Williams rear peep sight in my collection.
 
#7 ·
Super nice BUT get one with open sites, the odd kick makes scopes run off... ? After $400 into mine I gave it away. even with the scope stop in the top it started to ,well slot out after just a few shots. crap metal I don't know? and I did try three diff mounts! Why did I try the 3 mounts ? its a sweet gun , just no luck with scopes...
mine had no open sights, had the silencer thing..
they are nice. The scope thing sucks. I will buy one with open sites....:supergrin:
 
#8 ·
I have a Gamo from walmart that's supposed to run 1000fps. I chrono'd it at 850fps. It is great as a backyard plinker if that's what you're looking for. I shot a rabbit at about 10 yards and it was through and through, the rabbit never ran. It's easy to hit tin cans at 15 yards.

It is exactly what I wanted and at about $100.00 it was priced right. I have no knowledge of higher end stuff, so there might be better ways to go if you're a more serious airgunner. I like that there is no CO2 bottles, pumping, scuba tanks etc to deal with. I can take it out of the closet and shoot 5 rounds or 100, put it away and it is ready to go next week, next year, or whenever I want to shoot it again.

I will say that a 22 CB round is no louder and will shoot straighter for a longer distance and be cheaper than buying an air rifle if you already have a 22. I can shoot 22CB's out of my Marlin 795 by manual cycling the bolt, but downrange safety is more crucial with a round like that. I have a berm at the back of my yard and there is a pasture beyond that (not mine), so I'm okay either way, but it is nice to know that a .177 pellet is really going to drop off if a shot went over the berm somehow.
 
#9 ·
The thing about airgun's advertised velocities is that they're only for certain weights, but there are a wide selection of weights available to purchase. A gamo big cat 1200 will hit around 1100-1200 fps with their PBA pellets, but unless you use the lighter weight pellets it won't hit 1000 fps.
 
#12 ·
The thing about airgun's advertised velocities is that they're only for certain weights, but there are a wide selection of weights available to purchase. A gamo big cat 1200 will hit around 1100-1200 fps with their PBA pellets, but unless you use the lighter weight pellets it won't hit 1000 fps.
Yes, this was with lead pellets, I forget which brand/weight. I wasn't posting the 850fps as a criticism, just to give an idea of what the rifle does under typical circumstances. Full rabbit perforation. I should have been more specific.
 
#13 ·
Yes, this was with lead pellets, I forget which brand/weight. I wasn't posting the 850fps as a criticism, just to give an idea of what the rifle does under typical circumstances. Full rabbit perforation. I should have been more specific.
I understand, I just wanted to expand on what you posted. There are heavy weight match pellets out there that can probably only go around 750 fps.
 
#15 ·
I have the Gamo Big Cat 1250. I like it. Crossman Supersonics? They are a lot like the PBA ammo. They were also cheaper and seemed more accurate for me. The PBA and Crossman Supersonic ammo get great velocity, but it does make my Gamo seem as loud as a 22 rifle.
 
#16 ·
Forget Gamo. Go to some air rifle forums that have "yellow" in the name. Google it. Check out the used ads. Get a used GERMAN made Beeman R9 or a HW50s. Fantastic trigger. Match trigger. Accurate and great re-sale value. Forget the magnum stuff for now and forever. If your going after fur get one in .22. For target,plinking and feathers get the .177. The HW30 is a 6 pound jewel that you'll love and admire and you can get them used for about 250 and they much better than a Gamo. Get a air rifle mount and a air gun rated scope and your good to go. I've shot airguns for 40 years. The above advice cost me lots to learn and is yours for free!:wavey:

PS. Onced your hooked you can trade up to a Air Arms TX 200. No FFL needed for airguns. Just box it and ship it. Nice.
 
#18 ·
Super nice BUT get one with open sites, the odd kick makes scopes run off... ? After $400 into mine I gave it away. even with the scope stop in the top it started to ,well slot out after just a few shots. crap metal I don't know? and I did try three diff mounts! Why did I try the 3 mounts ? its a sweet gun , just no luck with scopes...
mine had no open sights, had the silencer thing..
they are nice. The scope thing sucks. I will buy one with open sites....:supergrin:
Not with the proper mount and proper airgun scope. I have an RWS model 52 with RWS scope mount and a 3-12 airgun scope. The recoil on spring piston airguns is "odd" and can harm some scopes.

I am not a fan of of light for caliber pellets like the non lead Gamo PBA pellets. They may go faster but they are like a knat running into an elephants ass. I prefer the mid weight pellets of heavys like Beeman Kodiak. Best to test for accuracy with different pellets because airguns can be picky about pellets just like firearms.
 
#19 ·
Try a Diana 34, imported by RWS. You will save yourself money in the long run. Gamo can be good, it is just that the triggers aren't up to snuff and by the time you buy and install a better trigger, you might as well have bought the Diana 34 in the first place. I have two Gamo's, three Crosman's and a Diana and the Diana smokes them all. The only one that's nearly equal to the Diana is a Crosman with a gas ram, but the Diana is consistently more accurate, if only by a slim margin. If it is your first pellet rifle, don't be lured into one of the magnum models. There is a learning curve and also the magnums can eat scopes for breakfast.
I'll second the motion on this . I have the Whisper and the '34 also several others . While the Gamo can be made into a sweet shooter , it takes a new aftermarket trigger and an internal tune though . Another hundred bucks or so if you have a pro do it . Less if you have the skills to do it yourself . Mine can shoot into a quarter (squirrels head) at up to 30 yards off hand almost all day long now . Before the tune not even close. The RWS shot quite well right out of the box after the barrel was leaded a bit and I found a pellet that flew the best out of it . Any Air rifle can be tough on glass , just get a reputable brand name with a no gimmick lifetime warranty and just send it back if it breaks . The RWS is by far the better build . A bit heavier to lug in the field . But I sometimes take my Air Arms Tx200 in the field . It weighs as much as a Garand !!! That one is just scary accurate .
Stay away from the high velocity lightweight pellets though . They are for the most part crap .
 
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