Air Gun Home :: View topic

Todd Oleson · New Member

I'm new to pellet guns and have just purchased a Gamo Viper w/ 3-9X40 scope. After mounting the scope I have been trying to sight it in. I'm shooting off a bench useing a gun rest. At first I used the pellets that came with the gun (Gamo Raptors) I shot from 35 yards but couldn't get a good pattern even after moving closer to 25 yards. I shot 100 of these pellets. They seem to go wher they want. Then I tried Gamo Rockets with much better results. At 25 or 35 yards I'm shooting a 1 1/4" pattern. My question is what should one expect from a pellet gun? This gun doesn't have open sights so I can't tell if the scope isn't holding or the gun is at fault. If I should be doing better than that I can still return the gun for a better one.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Todd

Alstone · Moderator & Site Supporter

Welcome to AirGunHome Todd

Depending on the gun 1 ¼” group at 35 yards is not to bad, a good gun would do 3/8” or better groups using a bench rest, the big thing with airguns is pellet choice it can make a big difference, if possible get a few different types and see how you go.

One other thing, springers are difficult to shoot until you get use to them, hold it lightly squeze the trigger and letting it kick back does help.

I don’t know much about the Gamo Viper but I’m sure someone who does will be around soon.

Al

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Are you using a hard or a soft rest.

I have a Diana 48 that kicks, and I always hold the gun. I've found that the bipod does'nt make me shoot better.

I can get reasonable groups (Small can sized groups, who needs more) at 50 yards.

If you can trade your gun for a good Beeman or Diana, I'd personally do just that. Mr. Green

We dun take kindly to Gamo 'round these parts ya see? Razz

AirGunEric · Site Admin

Use a heavier pellet. The Raptor's are weighed in at around 5.4grains which is much too light to try and use in a rifle claiming 1200fps/16fpe. Use something heavy (i.e. around 10 grains). There are a number of .177 pellets in this range, made by Crosman, a couple of the European manufacturers, Beeman and the Chinese.

Do you have a scope stop on the rifle? As you may have noticed, spring airguns have a dual-recoil effect because of the piston and spring moving around. If the scope is shifting as a result of this, you will have problems.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

And let me guess, that gun makes a DZOOOOIIIING like sound when it fires? Mr. Green

AirGunEric · Site Admin

Gamo and their BS again! Send the lightest pellets they manufacture with one of the higher-powered spring guns just so the claim of 1200fps isn't absurd. The fact no one can hit the broad side of a barn with the 'combo' they ship is apparently irrelevant- that sonic crack is apparently supposed to make up for it I guess.

For anyone not aware of GamoUSA- their marketing tends to be alot more aggressive than most other manufacturers and tends to, uh, exaggerate a bit more. Shipping 5.4gr pellets in a kit with a 16fpe rifle is just plain stupid, but keeps them from being sued for not providing the "1200fps" rifle they advertise.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

They put it on the rifles produced in England too. That 1250 hunter, or whatever they call it, says "1250 Fps with PBA pellets". Off course, they don't use them like that. People with such a serious rifle often know how to use it.

By the way, they also seem to go for "light rifles". That's not a good combination with power either, as I've noticed.

I wouldn't want a lightweight stock on the D-48. Who knows where it goes then.

I'm going to weigh it down with a barrel shroud. I'll be getting it the 27th. It's going to look HOT.

Todd Oleson · New Member

First thanks to all that replied.

As I said I shot my best groups useing Gamo Rockets there 9.6 grains. The rest I used is a Cabela's Nitro Shoulder Shield and I just let the front of the rifle lay on the rest with out holding it. What Beamon would you recomend? I haven't seen a Diana at the stores I've visited. I have a Almond orchard and would like to carry the rifle with me on my Chusman Truckster while working the orchard. Any suggestions on which rifle rack to use?
Thanks for all the help.
Todd

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Sorry, Diana is RWS. You'll want an RWS 31 Panther. Exclamation

That's what I ment.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

For some (not all) pellet weights look here: http://www.airgunhome.com/pages/pelletspecs.html

Anything that's .177 and above 10grains would be best- so for example the Beeman Kodiak's or Silver Arrows, or the Crosman Premier Heavy (they now call them "Ultra Magnum" pellets).

Slavia · Moderator

It's going to take 500-1000 rounds for the gun to "break in," before your group sizes stabilize. During that same period you will be breaking in, or learning the hold that works best. Try as many kinds of pellets as you can get your hands on. In general, heavier will be better.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

If you're having accuracy issues. It could be any or all of the following:

1. rifle is not broke in yet.
2. improper scope mounting
3. bad pellets, or not right for that gun
4. hold sensitivity
5. poor marksmanship
6. poorly manufactured rifle
7. windage changes
8. some other "unknown" issue

Being a fellow Gamo owner who has used Raptors, I am inclined to think that your problem is thus: Raptor pellets are not accurate, and springers, particularly lower quality ones like Gamo, are notoriously innacurate.

Just keep shooting and break the gun in. Experiment with heavier pellets and try your best to mitigate the factors listed above. This is the best you can hope for and if nothing else your accuracy and POI should improve at least slightly, if not considerably.

Good luck!

fritz · Silver Status Member

Todd, what do you intend to do with your new gun? I personally don't like Gamo and what they do, but there are some things they sell that are worth buying. Gamo match pellets in .177 or .22, cheap and decently accurate that also have some nice knockdown power. The Gamo gun buddy sling is a good buy for anyone who hunts.

Well, if you want to take small game and pests get a .22 rifle. I'd reccomend a Diana (RWS) 34 in .22, panther or wood stocks. The Beeman Heavy Target Rifle or RS2 may also be another good choice. For much larger game you might want something with loads of power like a Diana 350 magnum.

I wouldn't use a .177 to hunt with because of the lack of knockdown power, and it seems that you would be using it to hunt. I reccomend breaking in your gun (atleast 1,000 shots) with cheap Gamo match pellets and then using Beeman, RWS, or JSB pellets to hunt with. My Diana 34 in .177 likes to munch Beeman HN match (wadcutters). Those pellets can take a squirrel well at close range. They can also put 3/8" 10+ shot groups at 11 yards with my gun on a rest. << With those numbers this is testing the gun, not the user, out in the field YOU have to be able to replicate those hits.

Do not rely upon your gun to do all the work in the field. Also during your breakin period use open sights on your gun to preserve the scope for atleast 500 shots as the gun will be too jumpy and inaccurate to do more than punch holes in beer cans because of it's lacking ability to hold a zero.

Just post if you have any questions, everyone is willing to help around here.

thepaladin · Senior Member

In spite of some troubles Gamo guns are "ok". Just like most medium priced guns they can run hot and cold. I'd say the best advice is what you've already been given. Use a heavier pellet, and give the gun time to break in. The pba pellets will tumble past sound speed (well, actually any skirted pellet fails to handle the sound barrier well). I like the Beeman line of pellets, but there are some good Crosman out there that aren't in the upper cast of pellet cost. I have a Gamo Stutzen that I really like and it performs well. I have it sighted at 25 yards and it lays them in the X ring reliably.

By the way, if you aren't familiar with springers be aware that they are usually hold sensative. Give the rifle it's head. Don't grip the foreaem and fight the recoil, let it recoil.

Gamos usually have questionable triggers and you can easily get a better rifle, but this one will probably be fine with the right pellet and time to work-in.

By the way, as asked, what do plan to do with it? I'm a big believer in .22s for hunting much over birds, though with accuracy a good .177 can be used for squirrel etc.

Todd Oleson · New Member

Thanks to all that replied. Some of you were very helpful. I think I'll stick with the Gamo Viper that I bought for a couple of reasons. 1-I don't like to take things back. 2-It sounds like the 1 1/4" pattern at 40 yards I'm shooting is about whats expected since no one has stated that they do any better. Fritz says 38" pattern at 11 yards. I haven't tried shooting any thing that close. 3- I mostly want to shoot the Crows & Squirls in my orchard. 4-The Gamo Rockets I'm shooting weigh 9.6 grains so I'll start looking for heaver pellets. 5-If the gun will shoot better after it breaks in as some of you said I be very satisfied. As far as a gun rack that I could put on my Cushman Truckster I just ordered one from Cabela's on sale for 14.95 it's a verticle mount for a John boat. I think it will work just fine. By the way this morning I had plenty chances to shoot if I had the gun with me. A coyote passed in front of me 112' away I yelled at it and it stopped to look at me for a while, and the Crows were just following me looking for what ever I turned up.

Thanks
Todd