13 replies to this topic

[carspidey]

I went to Mint Canyon today, off of Sierra Hwy (by the 14 freeway) to test my Gamo Big Cat...This time it took me about 20 min to dial it in (not perfect, but enough)...Im going to post a few of pics of my targets and explain...All these shots were done from a "rest" (a box of printer paper and a little quilt... I'll take some pics of the setup in a little later)... I don't think i ws in a very confortable position either... I was planning to shoot from a laying position, but I had to kinda sit because of the given circumstances... (i was downhill)...There was a lot of wind, but I tried to get all shots every time the wind stop blowing for like seconds...Top left circle was ok... but for some reason, top right, bottom right, bottom left, were a little to the right... For these groups, i used the gamo Match pellets... they seem to shoot ok... The number one on teh pic... dont' count that one... it came from shooting at a can from 40 yards away with a gamo hunter pellet, it seemed like i was not hitting the can, so I tried shooting at the target...  1.jpg   26.14K   10 downloadsI have three more pics to post... i'll do that in a little bit...

[wannakillacoyote]

I and others have tried this same air rifle. I hated it (and I think others had similar experiences). Couldn't get it to group at all. Anyway, I hope you got a good one.

[carspidey]

Did you see the attachment... let me put up the other three pics...They are only three shot groups...

[carspidey]

This is another one...Again, the circles are 2.75 inches in diameter... and the groups are 3-shots groups, except for the bottom right one, that's a 4shot group..  1.JPG   29.07K   17 downloads

[carspidey]

Another one...This is a 9 shot group... I think I forgot to mentioned, that they are at 20 yards... (all pics)The number 1 there, is a raptor pellet... ( the golden one)... i aimed at the center, and that thing just went flying away ...  2.JPG   16.05K   18 downloads

[carspidey]

For this last one, i used the gamo hunter pellets...Eventhough these pellets were shooting straight, they were right on target, or two inches down... and like there was one that just went off to the right, a another two inches...  3.JPG   18.65K   17 downloads

[carspidey]

In conclusion...I think I need to practice a little bit more with this rifle...I am trying to follow you guys advice to stick with this gamo for a while, and then upgrade(maybe to the R9 like SJ suggested)...Some of the groups shown are not very consistent... I don't think my rest really helped much... I'll try to build a solid one this week... also, i'll build me a pair of shooting sticks...Like I said, I need to practice a bit more... Right now i can't really tell if my groupings suffer due to the rifle or me not knowing how to shoot it yet... I have not eve gone through 250 pellets yet...I'll go shoot again next week and show you guys some progress...There were some shots I thought I was getting a good group, but then I got excited and was not able to concentrate ...I had a question about the pellets I used...I bought the sampler of 1000 pellets (4 tins), gamo hunter, gamo match, gamo expansion, and super point..The match seem pretty good... i just get a pellet and put in the barrel and it fits perfectly without me having to push it in...but with the other ones... it seems like i hve to push them... as if they were bigger than the match...When I wasshooting the hunter pellets, when it was hard to put them in, i kinda knew they we going to shoot low... when they fit ok (not good, but ok (pushing a bit)) they i knew it would hit right around where I was aiming at...Is it because they were a little heavier, they should be bigger? Help here please...Next week I'll go shooting and then I'll show you some more results... also maybe this time I can try from 30 yards, and at a better position, a more comfortable one..

[mackeralboy]

I have not shot any of the Gamo pellets so I can't comment on their accuracy. From what I have read they appear to be a mediocre pellet as far as quality. I don't think you will have a real good idea of just how well your rifle will shoot until you get yourself some quality pellets. JSBCrosman primiersBeemanRWSThese probabaly being the four best, from top to bootm in that order. Airgun 101, Chapter 2In an airgun when you shoot a heavier pellet it's initial velocity will be slower than that of a lighter pellet shot from the same gun. This will cause the heavier pellet to have a more arched trajectory. (IE causing it to shoot lower.) The lighter pellet will have a flater shooting trajectory but it's kenetic energy will disapate faster than the heavier pellet. If you want examples of this, go to straitshooters.com website and check out any of the airgun pages marked "our results." They give some great data on each airgun and how it shoots various pellets. In addition, pellets perform best when they stay below what is known as the transonic area. This is roughly below 950fps depending on your elevation. When a pellet goes over this barrier it gets buffeted by shock waves just like a jet airplane trying to go supersonic. This buffeting causes a pellet to loose it's accuracy. There are a number of pellet guns out there that advertise they can shoot a pellet at 1250 fps to 1500 fps. Sometimes the velocity numbers are fudged a bit high other times the manufacturer has shot the lightest pellet possible to acheive those results. The bottom line is that with an airgun that powerful you are not going to get the most out of it unless you shoot a very heavy pellet that will drop the velocity subsonic or go up a caliber for the same type of gun. Bigger caliber =means heavier pellet= means drop in velocity. I have a Gamo Whisper in .177 the I have sighted in at 15 yards with Beeman Kodiak Match pellets. I guessing that the Whisper and the Big Cat have the same reciever body and spring set up. My Whisper will shoot a Gamo Raptor pellet that weighs 4.94 gr. at 1157fps. (it breaks the sound barrier) My Whisper will shoot the 9.98 gr. Beeman Kodiak Match pellet through it at 812 fps.Digest this stuff and if you have any more questions I will save it for chapter 3. LOLMc

[crazyhorse]

Were you resting the forestock in your hand..?? If you were resting it on the rest,your shots will spread...I've found I'm more accurate from FT positions than on a rest with my R9 springer.....I hunt,so always practice in "field postions"...off hand,kneeling,sitting...with sticks and without...When I hunt rabbits, most shots are from offhand and some kneeling..longest so far was 45 yards with the R9......get alot of them inside 30 yards.....squirrels are easier,as I have time to set up on their burrows and shoot from sticks or a fence post....but shots are long due to terrain...40-60 yards with the Disco..Try to zero from sitting postion resting forestock in open palm of your hand...

[woodog]

In conclusion...I think I need to practice a little bit more with this rifle... I am trying to follow you guys advice to stick with this gamo for a while, and then upgrade(maybe to the R9 like SJ suggested)... Some of the groups shown are not very consistent...

I think you are just experiencing the nature of the beast. You can get a much better scope for around $50 and there is a drop in trigger kit available for around $35 that is much better than the stock trigger, but then you will have another $85 plus in the thing that you could be saving for an R9 Goldfinger or Discovery. After mounting a better scope it still shot so bad that I didn't even bother installing the new trigger. The Goldfinger shoots very well after couple hundred pellets were put through it, but I haven't used it much. Both air guns are too loud to shoot in the yard which was the plan. Cottontails overrun my place in the Spring.Woo

[carspidey]

I'll try heavier pellets next time... I'll try the ones that were suggested here for my next trip...If the pellets are heavier, does that explain why they are harder to place on the barrel? Like I said, i had the hunter which are a little heavier than the match, but the match I just put in there, the hunter I kinda had to force them in... they still fit, but i had to push them in...As for my rest goes, I noticed that when some of the pellets went off target to the right, is because i pulled the trigger too hard... or i was holding the rifle too hard... Right now, I don't think I want to put money into this rifle... Like you guys said, i 'll save for the R9 or maybe even the disco... I still need to know what the major differences are between these two rifles, besides one being spring powered and the other one being PCP...I'll post pics later and show you if the groups got tighter...

[mackeralboy]

It could be because the pellets are heavier that they are a larger diameter and are harder to put in. (tighter fit) My experience is that some pellets have a slightly larger diameter than others. I have even found some pellets that had too small of a diameter and fell out when I pointed the gun toward the ground. Considering the variety of pellets out there, as time goes on I'm sure you will end up with a collection of pellets. Ask anyone on this forum who has been at this for a while and I'm sure they have a good size box somewhere with at least 20-30 different types of pellets in it to coose from. It sounds like you are on the right path with the hold and trigger techniques so just keep at it. I understand that it can take up to 1000 rounds being shot through a Gamo before it has broke in and smooth out. (kind of like piston rings in an engine) Once you get some good quality pellets you should see more cosistancy in your groupings.

[crazyhorse]

Here is a good pellet comparison chart from Straight Shooters....no Gamo's listed,though..http://www.straights...comparison.html

[THE KNOT]

This is all by experience with a good .177 cal varmint hunter i have it for a year and a half and have culled 100's of critters and pest birds after i broke it in i sent it to rich in Michigan. For 70 bucks will have sent back to you a gun that with the right pellet will Knot miss out to 33 yrds .He dose amazing things with a stock trigger and smooths out the whole gun no more twang due to tuning the gun involves putting a much better spring in . After he services it you will under stand .I shot dozens of different pellets all the gamo's are sub par ,then i found RWS meisterkugln i will never need anything more after 40 yrd's all bets are off with this grade gun and with this set up i have taken raccoons at 70 ft with perfect shots i have 2000 mister's all others i will throw away .  twinkilling2__Small_.jpg   68.52K   17 downloadsI took these two from 25yrd's i have video of it it's hilarious how the second one climbed on his dead buddy for lunch and got lead side dish .Your gun is the same thing just didn't come with the night lite and laser the latter of which is garbage