30 replies to this topic

[carspidey]

Sorry in advance for the long post...So, I bought a gamo big cat 1200 .177 (I alredy introduced myself in my earlier post ) and some of my questions were answered (Thank you very much)...So far, i have shot my rifle twice (bout 50 pellets each time)... the rifle came with a scope, but it is very hard to see... i was shooting at 14 yards and i could hardly see the target...So, the first problem with this current scope is that it is hard to see through it... it's just a Gamo 4x32 scope (came with the rifle)The second problem i am having with it... well, i was playing with the scope rings and noticed that the scope is not totally centered on the rails... the scope rings kinda bring the scope a little to the left, but just a little...My question (main question) is what do you guys think about the leapers 3-9x50? Would it be a good scope to put on the big cat? Will the recoil mess it up? Is there something else you recommend... btw, i think i can get this scope for 56 dollars... One thing for sure though is that tomorrow I am going to buy a pair of scope rings for my current scope to make sure is in the center... or should I not worry about it too much for now? what do you guys think....??Sorry for asking too much... and thanks for any help...

[THE KNOT]

springers need diffrent scopes 4x32 is all that gun needs and any heavy pellet over 8 grain in time will do damage to your stock spring , my advice is return the whole package and with the $60 bucks you where going to spend on a scope get the gamo varmint hunter and when it's broken in have it tuned .You will have a solid gun up to 40 yards by the time you have it dialed in you will be ready for more JMO

[Calal969]

The Leapers scopes are made to handle the recoil of a spring gun. I have the 3-9X50 on my RWS 34 Panther and it's great. I have shot several thousand rounds with no problems. I agree that for most hunting, the 4x is sufficient, however, I rarely take mine off of 9x. I actually wish I had the 4-16x instead because the higher magnification is really nice for target shooting. The Leapers scopes also have a lifetime warranty and great customer service. I have been happy and would recommend it.

[carspidey]

springers need diffrent scopes 4x32 is all that gun needs and any heavy pellet over 8 grain in time will do damage to your stock spring , my advice is return the whole package and with the $60 bucks you where going to spend on a scope get the gamo varmint hunter and when it's broken in have it tuned .You will have a solid gun up to 40 yards by the time you have it dialed in you will be ready for more JMO

Thanks for your response... but maybe I'm missing your point here... right now, i want to use this rifle for target shooting, so i need accuracy rather than power at this point... i figure with the Leapers scope i'd be able to see better at my target... and like it was mentioned on the other post, it seems like those leapers are built to handle the recoil... I am thinking of using this scope on this gun till i get use to it... maybe later on i can get a better rifle, and by then i won't need another scope since i would have the leapers...This gamo i have is very light weight and very easy to shoot i think... i just need a better view at the target...with the above said, what do you think?

[carspidey]

I might add to this too... the reason why i got this gamo is because, 1, it was a good deal, 2, i read the reviews, and in there there were guys who were able to shoot their targets accurately at more than 100 yards...

[THE KNOT]

300 ft with that gun is a far stretch the better scope should help for sure good luck. You can always put the scope on your next gun and the 4x32 will be right back home. I have taken over 5000 thousand shots through my tuned V hunter and 50 yrd solid groups are doable but wind, holdover and skill play a big roll after that . I'am knot the most skilled but i have culled quite a few chipmunks taking sun on calm days at 40+ yrds with the VH

[Camoghost]

If it helps, I was in the same air gun boat that you are currently in. I'm far from an expert on air guns and SJ, The Knot and Varmint (to name a few) know their stuff. I bought the Gambo Varmint Hunter and it is a great little shooter (see the rabbit pic below taken @ about 35 yards). I wanted to move up and SJ guided me to the R9 Goldfinger. Boy, am I glad he did! I have a blast with this gun and shortly after my father in law bought one. If I had to do it over again I would have bought the best I could afford the first time around. One of things I love most about this Forum is no matter what you are buying someone here has been there and done that and can save you from making the wrong decisions the first time around and save some cash in the process. Now I want a nice Precharged air gun but don’t which one I like the best. Be careful, everything on this Forum is highly addictive!!  Pelletlill.jpg   37.18K   23 downloads

[ShooterJohn]

I don't have any experience with Leapers Scopes but you can go to http://www.straightshooters.com/ and find a scope that is rated for springers. As for shooting 100 yard groups with that or any airgun for that matter what The Knot said is true. Wind being the very biggest factor. Shooting such a small pellet any breeze effects the accuracy. As does the guns performance in putting the exact amount of air behind each pellet each time it's shot. Not putting down the Gamo but consistency in an airgun and how much it costs has a lot to do with that. Like Camoghost mentioned the Beeman R9 Goldfinger is a fabulous gun and because of its consistency from shot to shot and its excellent trigger it is a very accurate gun. I have two and they both are extremely accurate. One thing about buying a good scope is that you can switch it to a better gun when you buy one. So getting a good clear scope is a good investment.

[carspidey]

I looked at the R9 goldfinger... it looks sweet... Now I am in a dilemma... i don't know if i should return my gamo and then see if i can get the r9 (not so likely) or just keep practicing with this one and then upgrade... what do you think?I read here that the gamo are not that accurate...I don't know what to do...

[ShooterJohn]

It's always a difficult choice, but the one thing I can say for sure when it comes to airguns and that is you get what you pay for. Sometimes it's better to save and buy the better airgun. It will make shooting a pleasure and you won't be fighting the gun. Not that Gamo doesn't have an ok product but they are just so so when it comes to accuracy. The better gun will last longer and be more accurate with the right pellet. I don't want to discourage you but a better gun will allow you to enjoy airgunning much more.

[RonB]

I have had a RWS mod 34 for a while now and was seriously lusting after the R9. When these guys around here started talking about the Benjamin Discovery (lots of topis here on it)...I changed my mind.The Disco from Mac1 is: cheaper than a R9, is not hold sensitive, easier to cock, and you can keep it cocked for long periods of time, unlike a springer, The only con is you need an external air source...such as a hand pump or scuba tank set-up....Mac1 will sell you a disco and pump for $400.00. I know a R9 package with scope cost the same but, I think you will be stepping up to the next level in the air gun world too.If I missed something and your set on a springer, I apologise...I'm not knocking the R9, I know its a great rifle but, I have read of many guys who own R9's and have since put them up when they got their Disco. BTW, I don't own a Leapers scope but, I do own a Centerpoint (same scope from same place, I asked the sales rep on their website and she giggled a little nerviously when I asked and didn't deny it)..anyway my Centerpoint 4x16 by 50mm has been great. Good optics, mil dot, lockable external target turrets that are resettable to zero, come with flip up covers, and rings, and is red/green illuminated,....for $69.99 at Wal mart. I have had no problems with it. I have friends with Leapers on their .22 lr's and like thema lot.Ron

[crazyhorse]

Just talking scopes here...I have a Leapers 6x32AO mil dot on my Umarex 850 .177 rifle which I took a ground squirrel at 70 yards recently.... On my Benjamin Discovery .22 PCP, I have a CenterPoint 4-16x40 AO mil dot because of the long range it shoots. On my Beeman R9 DG .22,I have a Beeman 4-12x40AO.As air rifles go, quality comes with price....only way around that is having a air rifle tuned by a qualified tuner...even Gamo..even the cheap ones...then you will get the accuracy....My 850,Discovery and Beeman have all been tuned for accuracy...not power...but they all are very accurate because these tune up's smooth out the trigger and the barrels are all re-crowned....then it all comes down to pellet selection and practice...if you want an accurate air rifle right out of the box,they cost upwards $900-$1500...a cheap tuned air rifle may cost around $500...anyway,that is roughly the choice you must make...stock...stock tuned...or put out the big bucks....

[ShooterJohn]

Good answers guys.

[carspidey]

This is so hard...I just went to Big 5 and they have a deal for a Beeman RS2 series for 150.00... I was thinking this would be a better gun than the big cat... but now I don't know... i just red a quick review on it and it seems like it is not a true R series, something that has to do where it is made (china or spain)...So, now I don't really know what to do... should I just keep the gamo big cat, or upgrade it to the beeman RS2 for 20 dollars more.... and then later, maybe in a couple months from now (save up some money) and get me another rifle... like you suggested, could be the R9, or even maybe the discovery....What do you guys think? There is a big difference in price from the one I have, to the one I would like to have (and like you said, a better, much better rifle), but 20 more for a Beeman RS2, is it really worth it? I saw it and it is a little heavier...Can you help me here please? And sorry If I am a pain... it's just that i am so new to this and you guys seem very helpful...In the meantime I'll keep doing some researchthanks...

[ShooterJohn]

I'd stick with the Gamo and not get the Beeman RS2. I have a Discovery as well and they are very nice especially for the money. I recommend a Mac1 or Mountain Air turned one as well.

[carspidey]

Thanks ShooterJohn... I really appreciate your response...As soon as I saw the beeman at the Big5 i realle wanted it... good thing i read and asked...I guess I'll keep the gamo for now... play with it a bit more... Find out exactly why people say it is not accurate... find its flaws, that way when i get a better rifle, i'll actually know why it is a better rifle...Thanks a lot for your help...I guess the question now is... what is that next rifle I should get... ???SInce I'll keep the gamo (at least for a couple months) i'll do some reasearch...I went to straightshooters.com and they hve a very good explantion on the guns they have... a bit pricy but very detailed overview of what they offer... I guess I hve a couple months till I decide...In the meantime i'll be posting on my discoveries on this gamo... I guess when I am closer to getting the "next rifle" i'll be posting more questions...But in the meantime... what do you recommend (i konw you said Mac1 or Mountain Air) in the sense of spring rifle or PCP???I don't know, but I don't like the idea of pumping my rifle everytime i use it... do you pump it once and then shoot a few pellets, and then pump again? how does it work? (i'll do research on this too)...Also, i think is cool how we hve to break the barrel to cock and load... i think it's pretty cool ...And, where are you guys located? I am in the San Fernando Valley? Where do you guys go shoot? Do you go by yourselves, or like company???

[crazyhorse]

I don't know, but I don't like the idea of pumping my rifle everytime i use it... do you pump it once and then shoot a few pellets, and then pump again? how does it work? (i'll do research on this too)...Also, i think is cool how we hve to break the barrel to cock and load... i think it's pretty cool ...

I just got into air rifles last May...my first was a Umarex 850 Air Magnum .177 bolt action 8 shot repeater and runs on CO2....My second was a Beeman R9 break barrel .22 cal...my third was a MAC 1 tuned Benjamin Discovery PCP .22. My most recent was another Umarez 850 .177 tuned by a friend in Texas....Before I bought my first air rifle,I read on many air gun forums for weeks,and read test reviews mainly on Pyramid Air's blog site (Tom Gaylord)...I learned many things and that influenced my choices...my budget is tight,so my most expensive air rifle is my Beeman R9/Scope combo at $500. The Umarex 850 was $259 with scope and the tuned Discovery PCP with pump was around $460 shipped...and I added a CenterPoint 4x16x40 AO mil dot scope for $69...The PCP and CO2 guns are easy to shoot accurately (no recoil)...the Beeman spring piston gun is hold sensitive,and took alot of practice because of the double recoil...but, having a self contined "power plant" ,it has advantages over the others...I get 170 shots out of the 850 on one 88gr Air source CO2 can(you can adapt a 9oz paint ball tank and get 500 shots)...I get 30 useable shots out of one fill in the Discovery PCP (Plenty for a day hunt)...(the Discovery is designed to run on CO2 although I'll never use that option)The 850 Magnum is a bargin..(now selling at Straight Shooters for $175..German made) It comes in .177/.22 cal..The Discovery is the best PCP available for the money and US made by Crosman.....no question there...it is 1/3 the cost of most others..As you resarch you will find guys dedicated to springers, PCP's and CO2 or pnuematic pump guns...all have their advantages/disadvantages....

[ShooterJohn]

I think that is about as good of an explanation as you can get.

[socalmatt]

Carspidey once you get bitten by the air gun bug its hard to think about anything else. The one mistake you can make is to think one gun will do it all. Some guns are close, like the Discovery for a PCP. Most folks have a several air rifles in different calibers. I have a PCP and several springers in three different calibers .177/.20/.22. Many of your questions can be answered by spending time on the computer reading blogs and manufactures websites. I purchased my first adult air rifle 15 years ago and i still have it and shoot it. Some guns are better in the back yard and some are better for hunting in the field. Your Gamo is fine to learn on and have fun with and will last a long time if you take care of it. If you are just plinking or using it for pests at a reasonable distance your gun will be plenty accurate and powerful. Enjoy shooting your new gun and have fun. Matt...

[carspidey]

Thnks everybody...I spent a few hours last night on SS.com... they have a nice selection and a very good review on the guns they carry...Like you said, different guns are used for different purposes and that's one thing i realized last night when i saw a few people with different rifles...After checking out the beeman rifles i fell in love with them...I really liked the RX2... the R9, i think is the most reasonable rifle next, for it's price... (around 500)... the others are bit more expensive, but are really nice too...I think what I need to do is find people who enjoy shooting air rifles around here... so far i can't find none... i'll keep looking...Also, i found out yesterday taht the Beeman store is in Huntington beach, about an hour from where i live... Once I am ready i'll go down there and check them out...Again, thanks guys for all your comments... in the meantime, i'll enjoy what i got and get the best of it...

[mackeralboy]

Welcome to the forum Carspidey,I've read all the adivce that everyone has been giving you and it is all good. I own 3 Gamos. A .177 1250, a .22 1250 tuned by Rich in Michagan, and a Whisper in .177. I have Leapers 3-9x40 scopes on all of them. I have found the Leapers scopes to be more than up to the task for all of these airguns. I tried mounting a Leapers on my Walther Falcon Hunter and I wasn't getting the results I was hoping for. I'm not sure if it was that the scope wasn't sturdy enough for the recoil of the gun or if the gun is just a pile. I kind of suspect the later. With regards to getting the most out of your Gamo if you want to do an upgrade that will run you about $30.00 and make a world of improvement for your gun, order one of the GRT III triggers from Charlie Da Tuna and install it. I found it pretty amazing how much better my Gamo 1250 grouped after droping one in and now have it installed on all of my Gamos and my Crosman Quest 800X. You can install it yourself and it takes only about 15 minutes.As far as a place near you to shoot your Gamo goes, Angeles shooting range above Hansen dam is a great place to shoot Airguns, Rifles, Pistols, Shotguns etc. EnjoyMc

[crazyhorse]

Welcome to the forum Carspidey, I tried mounting a Leapers on my Walther Falcon Hunter and I wasn't getting the results I was hoping for. I'm not sure if it was that the scope wasn't sturdy enough for the recoil of the gun or if the gun is just a pile. I kind of suspect the later. EnjoyMc

MC...I've seen posts of guys having "scope shift" issues on Walther Falcon's...could be just the mounting rings to the 11mm rail.....some have used locktite..others have tried BKL mounts..??? Another thing to check is your turrets...some can loosen..check the allen head securing screws..More detail here..Talon same as Hunter...just a different stock...http://www.pyramydai...num-part-3.htmlRich

[ratassassin]

I had a Centerpoint 3-9x50AO illuminated on a Gamo Shadow 1000 .177 before I sold it to a bud who wanted to get into air rifles. (Centerpoint and Leapers are about the same quality.) It had a nice sight picture and I liked it a lot, although it was somewhat heavy and the 50mm bell was big and somewhat cumbersome for that light rifle. I later decided it would have been better to get a 4-12x40 for the additional magnification when shooting 1" targets at 50 yards. My friend just bought a Centerpoint 4-12x40 but it's pretty long, although he really likes it. I got a Bushnell Trophy 4-12x40 for my R7 and I really like it a lot because it has decent optics, is light weight and is not too long. Might make a good scope for your Gamo. SJ had found a good deal on them for $89 at Natchez. Looks like they're sold out for the time being. http://www.natchezss.....0Rifle scopesBy the way, you didn't ask about pellets, but I found that Gamo really liked RWS Meisterklugens. My friend to whom I sold the Gamo has whacked 7 pigeons off his roof with those flat-headed Meisters at about 25 yards and it kicks the snot outta them with a good chest or center back shot. Several dead on the spot and a few initial fly-aways that hit the ground 20-30 feet later. Happy shooting,RA

[mackeralboy]

MC...I've seen posts of guys having "scope shift" issues on Walther Falcon's...could be just the mounting rings to the 11mm rail.....some have used locktite..others have tried BKL mounts..??? Another thing to check is your turrets...some can loosen..check the allen head securing screws..More detail here..Talon same as Hunter...just a different stock...http://www.pyramydai...num-part-3.htmlRich

Rich thanks for the link. I would have to agree with you on the rings. It definately is a powerful gun but with all of the quality control issues I'm having to erradicte each problem one by one to get it to shoot like I want. The rails on the hunter are real funky with all of those cross cuts. They resemble pitcaney rails but are not cut evenly and the stop block is pretty weak for a gun of that power too. I will have to look up those BKL mounts and see if they look like they would work any better. I learned a long time ago to locktite all of my scope and mount screws. On the Falcon Hunter I even locktited the stock screws due to it's propencity to shake everything lose. I did find it interesting what Gaylord said, that the Falcon Hunter didn't like the artillery hold, but performed better with a firm grip. At this point the things that I feel that I need to do to get the most out of that gun is to try to get a different set of rings that use the cross cuts as a stop, a better scope like a Bushnell Legend, and a better trigger ( I hate the feel of the wobbley plastic trigger it comes with). If all that fails maybe I'll send it to Rich in Michagan and see what kind of a tune/magic he can do to it.

[crazyhorse]

Only experience I have with springers is my Beeman R9 DG .22....but the Beeman scope that came with it works great..Beeman has some great mounts...but expensive...(check them out on Straight Shooters site)..I have had to just tighten up my stock screws,but the scope holds it's zero...I may use some RTV next time on the stock screws....think that may do the trick there....Yeah,the Falcon rail is a bit much...see if your mount stop screw will fit in one of those slots...that may be a cheap way out....Rich

[carspidey]

With regards to getting the most out of your Gamo if you want to do an upgrade that will run you about $30.00 and make a world of improvement for your gun, order one of the GRT III triggers from Charlie Da Tuna and install it. I found it pretty amazing how much better my Gamo 1250 grouped after droping one in and now have it installed on all of my Gamos and my Crosman Quest 800X. You can install it yourself and it takes only about 15 minutes.EnjoyMc

Can I ask why and how does that trigger help?If you always shoot from a stand, does it help? Sorry to ask dumb questions...

[carspidey]

By the way, you didn't ask about pellets, but I found that Gamo really liked RWS Meisterklugens. My friend to whom I sold the Gamo has whacked 7 pigeons off his roof with those flat-headed Meisters at about 25 yards and it kicks the snot outta them with a good chest or center back shot. Several dead on the spot and a few initial fly-aways that hit the ground 20-30 feet later. Happy shooting,RA

When i bought the rifle, i bought 1000 pellets (4 kinds), match, hunter, and two others... So far I've only shot the match ones... and they seem to be working pretty good... i'll try the RWS and let you guys know how it went...Question, is there any way I can damage the rifle or spring if i use the wrong kind of pellets, or maybe too heavy pellets?

[crazyhorse]

If to light,say under 5 gr you could damage the breech as the piston would slam harder(less resistance)...going with heavy pellets may just shorten "life" of the main spring...In the .177 cal I'd stay with 6.9 gr to 10.2 gr....think 7.9 gr in .177 is considered the "standard" pellet weight...

[carspidey]

Thanks...

[mackeralboy]

Can I ask why and how does that trigger help?If you always shoot from a stand, does it help? Sorry to ask dumb questions...

Not dumb questions. I copied this explanation strait from Charlies website. He explains it better than I can.The GRT-III trigger blade dramatically changes the ergonomics (something that trigger mods cannot do) as well as the internal geometry of the original Gamo trigger and converts it from a pseudo-2-stage trigger to a true 2-stage geometry while simultaneously drastically reducing the pull weight and without compromising the safety of the trigger. The ergonomic design change greatly enhances the trigger with a far more controlled trigger pull. Together they provide more accuracy, consistency and a vastly improved firing cycle, something that simple trigger mods cannot do.From my experience all he says here is true. I never really knew how much of a difference a trigger could make with regards to accuracy until I installed one of charlies triggers into my Gamo 1250. I would say it just about cut my groupings in half. Since replacing the GRTIII trigger adresses the trigger pull, ergonomics, and wobblyness of the gamo trigger, I can't imagine how it wouldn't improve your accuracy even if you only shoot from a stand.