Air rifles? Anybody an expert?

Danbo

Danbo

Joined
Nov 28, 1999
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I picked up a new Gamo .177 pellet rifle yesterday. Just wanted to know if I screwed up. I wanted something a big step up from the typical walmart Daisy powerline junker(450 fps max), but could not afford anything really expensive like a Beeman or something like that. This one seems to fit the bill. 1000 fps with a single cock. Nice luminated sights; although it also came with a nice BSA airgun scope. Haven't shot it yet; Dunderhead me forgot to buy some pellets. Dohhh!

Rabbits are making a campground out of my vegetable garden, and it has been getting so bad, I haven't been able to even think about planting stuff like broccoli or lettuce. This year will be different.
 
spring air rifles typically need some "holdthrough", much like flintlock muzzleloaders as the projectile does not leave the rifle immediately after the trigger is pulled. If you're not used to this, you can miss even large targets at close ranges. I'm not sure that an air rifle is powerful enough to take down rabbits consistenly and humanely. A .22 rifle shooting CCI's CB caps is just as quiet, very accurate, and much more powerful.
 
yeah i donno about rabbits....


how much was the rifle?


Yiterp had a benjamin sheradin, a sweet model he was selling for cheap, 80 bucks or so, it was calling my name but the bank screwed me out of $$


maybe retrun the gun and get his?
 
ah danny of the bo's i just looked up your rifle and i thought yours was something else,t hat looks pretty nice :D
 
I own a few Ben Sheridans and you're lucky if you have an older model. Granted, you need 8 pumps, but compressed air guns behave most like real firearms.
 
I'm gonna guess and say that you bought the Gamo Hunter 110. I've got that one and I love it. I bought mine a few years ago and never regretted it. Mine came with the BSA scope too but it was a rifle scope, so I never used it. With just the iron sights it's really accurate. I use it to take out squirrels upwards of 20 yards.

I have to agree with MelancholyMutt that a .22 rifle would work a lot better but if you can't use a firearm where you live I can see the Gamo working quite well with an accurately placed shot.

MM
 
I just looked on the box; it's the Gamo Hunter model 220. Where I'm at, noise is a big problem, as well as nosey ass neighbors. This is as much gun as I'm gonna get away with here.
 
Danbo,

Your rifle should easily take a rabbit cleanly at close range <20 yards with a head shot (any pellet) but I wouldn't recommend a body shot unless you use a solid pointed pellet and are damned accurate.
With a posted velocity of 1000fps it probably makes ~900 with a hunting weight pellet of 7.9gr or heavier since they always use the lightest pellet for posted velocity. Try out some different pellets and use the most accurate heavy one.
Oh yeah, what MM said is definately true. In my experience, when I hold my RWS M34 too tightly, the pellets go all over the place. I shoot it better offhand than I do with a tight rest.
 
Is a Beeman S1 out of your price range?

edit- I didnt read your post correctly, thought you were asking which to buy. Anyways the gamo will do a great job
 
Danbo,
Gamo builds a decent air gun. Not the same quality as a Beeman or RWS, but still very good. It is powerful enough for rabbit sized game within reasonable range and, as always, proper shot placement.

Paul
 
If you have 1000 fps in .22 then you will have no problems in terms of killing power. The law in the UK is 12ft/pounds which comes out to around 600 fps depending on the pellet. 1000 fps is probably around 18ft/pounds and would require a FAC (Firearms Certificate) in the UK meaning its pretty dangerous. This kind of topic has come up a few times in the past but basically it looks like this

US: Easy to obtain a rim or centrefire rifle at an early age so airguns are seen as kids things and generelly though to be of dubious quality and performance.

UK: You have to have a bloody good reason to get a rim or centrefire weapon (all handguns are now illegal). As as result of this the air rifles are of excellent quality.

If you buy a Euro air rifle it will be pretty good. Granted you bought a cheaper Euro one (Spanish) but their quality has really come on in the past decade. (CNC)

If you choose good ammo (I recommend H&N) and choose a heavy bullet nosed rather than pointed you will be able to take bunnies at up to 40 yards. Most seasoned airgunners in the UK though are loathe to take a head shot at anything over 25. Bare in mind that most in the UK use PCP (PreCharged Pneumatics) that have zero recoil and Lothar Walther match barrels and nice Kraut or British Engineering.

Get youself some 'Knock down targets' these are metal cut outs of typical air gun quarry with a realistic kill zone usually pained red. If you hit the kill zone the whole target falls down indicating a kill. To reset it just pull the string attached to it. You can probably get plans off the net. If you dont come up with much try google.co.uk and specify UK sites only.

This type of sport is called 'field target' and used to be immensely popular until the 'elitists' got involved with multiple 1000 pound rifles that priced most youngsters out of it and therfore future markets.

I second the follow through as well, its very important. You may want to do a search on the net and find a smith that can tune your rifle if you can't do it yourself. Basically they will polish the triggrer mechanism and perhaps the cocking mechanism or add a PTFE washer in the cylinder for less friction.

Happy hunting :)
 
I have the exact same gun, came with the scope and everything. Had it for about 2 years now.
Its a shooter, very accurate, very nice sights. I've hit sparrows with it out to about 30 yards (when I'm having a really good day ;) ) also took a crow with it at about that distance, but it had to be shot twice.
Have also used it to kill racoons in a trap, standing back about 10ft and so that they will sit still instead of bouncing around trying to attack me. Makes it alot easier to get a clean shot through the wires that way. Have also used it on a couple nasty stray cats that chose my barn to come die in. Feline leukemia or something, they get pretty nasty but don't die too quick so I put them out of thier misery.

I wouldn't recommend it for racoon sized stuff out in the open, but at real close range when you can pick your shot it will do the job.
I've had very good luck with Gamo pellets that come in the green or yellow tins. I think one is called magnum and the other is called hunter. They both shoot real well and hit hard. I don't recommend using point solid pellets on anything because in my experience they just zip straight through leaving a small hole. Either of these pellets in the green or yellow tins will still completely penetrate a peice of 3/4" car siding (soft pine) from about 50ft, and they expand when they hit stuff and make a bigger hole.
 
I use a Gamo 220 all the time to drop Grey squirrels. At under 75 yards I can easily kill a squirrel with one shot to the upper body or head with a good solid pellet.

I would have liked a little bit more power but it gets the job done with little noise!!
 
Sounds like you got the right tool for the job, Danbo. Rabbit stew on the menu anytime soon? :D
 
Danbo, you've got yourself a nice rig. Shoot it and enjoy it. Yes, you could spend more on RWS or Beeman. In return for the extra money you would get a nicer trigger and less vibration in the shot cycle, but you would not necessarily get better grouping ability. You've got a good tool for the job.

As far as pellets go, the gun will decide what it likes to shoot. The shooter never does. Break in the gun with 200 to 500 pellets (you know not to ever dry fire a spring piston rifle without a pellet in the chamber, right? You get damaging "piston slam" if you do and it's a matter of "when", not "if" you deform the chamber.

Next, get a pellet sampler from a place like this: http://www.straightshooters.com/common/sspelsmp.html
This is the cheapest way to test 36 types of pellets without having to buy 36 tins. Shoot 5-shot groups at the distance you plan to pest control. Then all you have to do is go with the pellet that performs the best at that distance.

If you shoot only one pellet, you only have to learn one trajectory, you have the most accurate pellet for your gun, and life is simple.

Since a rabbit's brain is about 1" in diameter, you need to be able to hit this size target reliably. Set a 1" target at a distance you can hit within the circle 8-9 times out of 10. Keep moving it back in 5 yard increments until you can no longer reliably hit that target under field conditions. That is your real-world limit for pest control.

With head shots, your gun will have more than enough power to quickly and humanely take down rabbits further downrange. The limiting factor for a powerful gun like yours is always the shooter--up to what distance can you keep 8-9 shots in a 1" circle under field conditions.

You may find shooting easier if you hold the gun with just enough pressure to support it. Don't tighten your grip or try to stop the vibrations/recoil. This is the easiest way to hold the gun exactly the same each time you shoot it--which is very important for a spring-piston airgun. They are very hold sensitive, and the discipline you learn in consistently holding them and holding on target through the long shot cycle will make you a fantastic shot--of airguns and firearms.

Temper--there is a new FT class in the US called "Hunter Class". Most clubs now support it, and it's a "run what you brung" class that limits rifles and optics from getting into a technology race. I've shot with several hunter class shooters and they all enjoyed the game very much.
 
what excellent, practical and sound advice you offer, Robb!
 
I forgot to add like Rob said that the gun is hold sensitive. Your point of impact will change depending on how tight you hold it and where you put your hand on the forearm. To be consistent I got in the habit of holding the forearm where the two stock bolts/screws go through, just to ensure the same hold every time.
The trigger on these are pretty nice, and are also adjustable if you read the owners manual. I left mine as is from the factory. Very light and easy to squeeze and I generally let that hand be pretty relaxed. Just tight enough to hold the stock up to my shoulder.
The other hand under the forearm is just there for support, you don't want to stop the guns motion as it recoils. You almost just sit the gun on top of your hand. You want to be very relaxed with it. The gun actually kicks before the pellet leaves the barrel since the spring has to kick to compress the air. So your main goal in controlling it to keep the motion going straight forward and backward without changing the point of aim. I've had the best luck with that by just being really relaxed and letting the gun kick.
Your luck might and probably will be different, but that might give you some ideas to go from.
 
Please don't try killing rabbits with your pellet rifle. A former friend of mine took mine once (800fps) and proceeded to shoot at a rabbit that lived in my yard. He ended up shooting at it maybe 30 times before he had killed it. Very cruel. I would not have permitted this - he informed me after the fact.
 
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