Just ordered a Gamo Whisper

John from MD · Feb 8, 2021

Ordered a Gamo Wildcat Whisper in .22 for a walking in the woods rifle. I haven't owned a break barrel in a while and missed not having one. I wanted a light powerful gun that will accept a GRT trigger (easy way to have a great trigger) and I was able to get a coupon for 15% off so I jumped on it.

I swore I would never own a Gamo but it seems they have improved some over the years. I guess this proves you should never say never. :rolleyes:

Melnic · Feb 8, 2021

I had thought about getting one or something similar before I had a suppressed 22 for squirrels. How well do those hold zero the way the barrel works?

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Muleskinner · Feb 8, 2021

I have one.. just an observation.. they are way more accurate with heavy pellets. I bought a variety pack from Amazon and found the one that gave me the best sccuracy.

Jimbob2.0 · Feb 8, 2021

Ive had the .177 for years, low buck and extremely useful for dispatching pests. Rarely use it. Almost had to a couple weeks ago with a mangy fox, but it departed and didnt appear "rabid" by behavior just desperate.

John from MD · Feb 9, 2021

Melnic said:
I had thought about getting one or something similar before I had a suppressed 22 for squirrels. How well do those hold zero the way the barrel works?

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Older, softer steel used to get what is called barrel droop. I haven't shot a cheap one since I was a kid and never had the problem with my Beeman rifles. This Gamo will probably hold up fine as it will not get excessive use from me.

Shooting break barrels requires you re learn how to hold a rifle. It's called the artillery hold and it takes some getting used to.

John from MD · Feb 9, 2021

Muleskinner said:
I have one.. just an observation.. they are way more accurate with heavy pellets. I bought a variety pack from Amazon and found the one that gave me the best sccuracy.

That is what I have been seeing in my research. I have a bunch of different heavy pellets as that is all I use in my PCP .22's since I use them for pest control more than target practice.

ironpony · Feb 9, 2021

I have a ~4 year old Gamo big cat .177 using 11.5 gr. H&N pellets. A target out of both windows of my office/reloading room and find it is difficult to keep accurate, but the neighbors prefer it over the 7mm remmag

If i nail it to a bench the rounds touch @ 50 ft.
I'd love to have another more consistent pellet sender. and I agree with the heavier bullet theory.

John from MD · Feb 9, 2021

If it shoots that well from the bench, you are probably holding it too tight when shooting off hand. Just let it rest in your hands when it is shouldered and don't pull it back into your shoulder.

Tom Gaylord probably forgot more about springers than I'll ever know is an authority on the subject. Here is a video that may help you out.

https://www.pyramydair.com/article/The_artillery_hold_June_2009/63

sbmike · Feb 9, 2021

I just got a Gamo Swarm Whisper in .177 and wanted it just for indoor plinking (basement). Shooting at 25 yards, even on the bench using heavy (18 gr) pellets, I have not been able to get a decent grouping. Don't know why. Secondly, if your model has the auto-loading 10-round magazine, be very gentle with it. It may jut be a defect in mine, but after I shoot a round and break it open for the next shot, I have to check the top of the magazine to insure the next pellet is seated properly. In most cases, the pellet works its way up and partially out of the pellet slot and I have to gently twist the spring loaded magazine to get the pellet seated properly. The other thing that has happened on occasion is that the pellet works its way partially out the bottom the magazine and in those cases, the pellet is crushed when the action is closed. Just my experience. Hopefully yours is better.

John from MD · Feb 9, 2021

sbmike said:
I just got a Gamo Swarm Whisper in .177 and wanted it just for indoor plinking (basement). Shooting at 25 yards, even on the bench using heavy (18 gr) pellets, I have not been able to get a decent grouping. Don't know why. Secondly, if your model has the auto-loading 10-round magazine, be very gentle with it. It may jut be a defect in mine, but after I shoot a round and break it open for the next shot, I have to check the top of the magazine to insure the next pellet is seated properly. In most cases, the pellet works its way up and partially out of the pellet slot and I have to gently twist the spring loaded magazine to get the pellet seated properly. The other thing that has happened on occasion is that the pellet works its way partially out the bottom the magazine and in those cases, the pellet is crushed when the action is closed. Just my experience. Hopefully yours is better.

Tipically, break barrel air rifles (both spring and gas ram) need 500 rounds or so to break in. Some need even more. Additionally, they are very selective in what pellets they like. Unlike multi pumps and PCPs, springers usually will do best with only a couple of pellet choices.

Take a look at the video I posted above, it and other training videos on the Pyramid Air Air Gun Academy will make you a better air gun shooter.

Magnumite · Feb 9, 2021

John from MD said:
If it shoots that well from the bench, you are probably holding it too tight when shooting off hand. Just let it rest in your hands when it is shouldered and don't pull it back into your shoulder.

Tom Gaylord probably forgot more about springers than I'll ever know is an authority on the subject. Here is a video that may help you out.

https://www.pyramydair.com/article/The_artillery_hold_June_2009/63

Shooting my springer air guns I have noticed technique means a good bit. I get best accuracy with a firm but not tight hold. A light hold disperses the groups for me. I can actually feel the stock leave my shoulder if I hold it too loose.

sbmike · Feb 9, 2021

Magnumite said:
Shooting my springer air guns I have noticed technique means a good bit. I get best accuracy with a firm but not tight hold. A light hold disperses the groups for me. I can actually feel the stock leave my shoulder if I hold it too loose.

Granted, I haven't tried the military hold yet, but it does seem counterintuitive. You sight the rifle on the bullseye but holding it loosely allows the rifle to move before the pellet is ever expelled from the barrel. So presumably it is no longer centered on the bullseye. But I am going to try it and see for myself.

soco · Feb 9, 2021

disclaimer: I am not trying to be a dick

I bought a gamo bone collector once. It had the stock scope and rings. That gun would never print no matter what I did/what pellets I used. I would have 6" flyers at 20 yards every 4-5 shots, and I burned over a thousand pellets with it of all types.

I don't know if it was the rings/scope (info online says the rings are junk because they are a 2-piece dovetail style), or the fact that the pellets were going over 1200 fps (some say they can tumble at high speeds), or something in the crown of the barrel that I couldn't see inside of the built in supressor. Either way, I ended up giving it away to a friend and buying an RWS in .22, which is a real treat to shoot

I hope your experience is different. I would assume if they all did that nobody would buy them, maybe I got a lemon.

cobra · Feb 10, 2021

FWIW I have a nitro piston, not a springer rifle. I hold as I would any other rifle
When shooting. Took a few hundred rounds till groups tightened up, but pellet
Weight is key to accuracy. Heavier and slower work best in mine.
No problem shooting rats or squirrels at 50-60 feet. Kill power seems better with heavier pellets. Your gammo will do fine once broke in and you find what it likes to shoot. Several friends have them and they shoot plenty accurate.
Bought an assortment pack of pellets from pryimid air to find what rifle liked.

StantonCree · Feb 10, 2021

My buddy has one. Gun is great. Supplied scope is a POS. I watched him bag a tree rat on his wood pile at 40 yards. I was really impressed!

John from MD · Feb 10, 2021

cobra said:
FWIW I have a nitro piston, not a springer rifle. I hold as I would any other rifle
When shooting. Took a few hundred rounds till groups tightened up, but pellet
Weight is key to accuracy. Heavier and slower work best in mine.
No problem shooting rats or squirrels at 50-60 feet. Kill power seems better with heavier pellets. Your gammo will do fine once broke in and you find what it likes to shoot. Several friends have them and they shoot plenty accurate.
Bought an assortment pack of pellets from pryimid air to find what rifle liked.

A Nitro Piston acts the same as a springer. The only difference is that it uses a nitrogen filled strut vs a steel spring. One benefit of the gas strut is that is reduces vibration. However, most are about 10 pounds heavier in cocking effort.

John from MD · Feb 10, 2021

StantonCree said:
My buddy has one. Gun is great. Supplied scope is a POS. I watched him bag a tree rat on his wood pile at 40 yards. I was really impressed!

I agree. I would rather not buy combos but, unless you buy used, that is how most of them come. I have a 4-12x40 AO waiting for my Gamo. Hopefully they will ship it soon. (it was supposedly in stock)

Dave M · Feb 10, 2021

I picked up the swarm maxxim a couple years ago in 177 for son and I to shoot and I hated it at first. The scope is the down fall as said but with some patience it can be ok. Doesn't track worth a crap and I'm not spending hundreds on a scope an mount for this plinker. I did do some work on it. One was trimming the webbing out the fake suppressor and drilling 5/16 holes in it. Four in the top and four in the bottom, in line with the side slots. That believe it or not seemed to help. I think some weird turbulence effected the accuracy on some pellets. Would just cut it off but it looks to cool. We shoot 60 yards with it usually. Fun and cheap to shoot. Today thats a big plus.

Ranchero50 · Feb 10, 2021

I have two, well actually my kid ditched his plastic stocked springer Gamo .22 game collector because it's wildly inaccurate. I picked up a wood stocked gas piston one that was the display model at Cabela's in Harrisburg PA and it's a tack driver. Loved Benjamin pellets for taking out squirrels. Ruger pellets not so much. I have a big old BSA scope on it and it's a lot of fun.

I'm getting rid of my .177 stuff because I just don't shoot it anymore. If anyone needs a RWS Diana side cocker...

John from MD · Feb 10, 2021

My arthitic fingers don't like .177 so I went up to .22 and now I also have .25. I thought my .22 PCP had some power with 20 gn pellets. The .25 has more power at 50 yards than the .22 had at the muzzle using 30 -33 gn pellets! Crows don't just fall over now, they get blasted off the limb.

Just ordered a Gamo Whisper

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