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Jaxom · Senior Member

I honestly can't say from experience about the quality of Gamo products. Well, other then when a Gamo rep gave me a couple of tubes of their gold pellets. Honestly, after using them it left a rather bad taste in my mouth in reguards to the quality of their products.

This was further comfirmed when I joined up here, by the many comments of about poor quality in their lower and mid level guns. A few have said that their higher end rifles are of a better quality. I'll just have to take the owners of these ag's at their word about this. With the multitude of different, often recommended ag's, I doubt I will ever own a Gamo one.

The point of this post... A few nights ago on the Sportsman network, the show "North American Hunter" did a 15 minute piece on Gamo brand products. The end of this piece was the full acccount of the often hyped video of a hunter taking a wild pig with a .177 Gamo Hunter Extreme.

I have a few issues about that part of the show. First of which, the hunter never mentions at what range the hog was at when he shot it. The camera angle would have you believe that it was 20-30 yards away. But that could just be a trick using some creative editing. My second major issue with the show and the hunter, is that it was a head shot. Now I can see if you were in a survival mode you would want to take any shot you could in order put put meat on the table. But in these days and times it is my feeling that such a shot is unethical. And finally, while kneeling next his kill, the hunter gloated over how great his Gamo rifle was, and that it was great for this type of hunting because it could send a pellet down range at 1600fps. Not once did he mention that the rifle would only be able to do so by using Gamo's pba gold pellets. Those being only5-6gr's in weight, I highly doubt would have the fpe to make such a kill unless the hog was much closer then portrayed, even if then.

What bothers me the most about this show is what I call "hollywierd hype", by doing fancy editiing and such, all guns are made to look as if they have more power and capacity then they really do. This gets the anti's screaming for more laws if not complete bans on certain weapons.

It's because of irresponciblity on the producer's part and perhaps some pressure on him/her by Gamo to promote their product that we end up like crap like this on TV.

Jax

sniper · Silver Status Member

true true jax. rick the owner of www.airgunweb.com had tested the HE and it died on day 2 or 3. he has not yet posted a review on the replacement. this was several months ago. after a tin or 2 velocity dropped to the high 800's/7.9. Rolling Eyes

my 440 (older 1992) has been an awesome gun. the washers in betwwen the barrel and fork are worn and i've broke off 2 easy outs in the set screw trying to remove it. Rolling Eyes

this is the 3rd spring with easily 15000 rounds through it. the second spring in 1998 was done for free under warrany. Shocked

i need to take it to a machine shop that does tap extraction.

it has a grt trigger and maccari kit at 11 fpe and is smoooooooooth.

with gamo's marketing/ethics i'd never buy another.

you don't kill pigs with a pellet gun. Evil or Very Mad

AirGunEric · Site Admin

http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=2688

http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=2672

http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=2287

http://www.airgunhome.com/agforum/viewtopic.php?t=1758

Gamo is the "king of hype" and they sponsor things like the "American Airgun Hunter" show which is all part of their PR/Advertising program.

Jaxom · Senior Member

I can see Gamo influencing an airgun related show. But a show that's normally sappose to be giving "quality" advice on general hunting to produce such crapola that I seen the other night, makes me wonder how much and what else they're lying about.

J5311 · Member

you also have to think if Gamo payed for the spot. If they did the company would have to sell the gun you know?

Slavia · Moderator

To be fair, my son's Gamo Young Hunter is well finished and accurate for the $90.00 USD price tag (eight years ago). Still, I won't be buying any more Gamo products because of their marketing practices.

Their print media ads recently show a Gamo rifle with water droplets on the front half, dry on the rear. I know grocery stores mist their produce to make it more appealing, but I don't plan on doing a re-crown job with my teeth any time soon.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

Gamo, sell it like beer. Mr. Green

By the way, Norica, another spanish brand is coming up with a PCP.

http://www.aceros-de-hispania.com/image/airgun-pcp-pradera/pcp-airgun-norica.jpg

Jaxom · Senior Member

"you also have to think if Gamo payed for the spot."

We'll never know. I can see when a show is totally sponcered by a particular company, they are going to be pushing their products. I know for a fact that Realtree, Easton, Remmington, Cuddy Back, Scent Blocker and many more shows actually produce outdoors shows show casing their product. And I expect those shows to do so. It's when a show that portrays it's self as being neutral or sapposedly giving an unbiased opinion based on "real world" results that aggrivates me.

Another case in point, the NRA has it's own show. And a few weeks ago they talked about the Gamo Whisper. The "reviewer" talked as if this was the next greatest invention since the wheel. Fortunilly, since I belong to this forum, I know better. But what about those that aren't as informed as we are here?

Slavia · Moderator

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

I like how gamo's innovations and marketing gimicks are for things that really don't benefit the airgunner. They inflate the fps numbers like most manufacturers do, but even if they were that high (which they aren't), but even if they were it still wouldn't matter because the pellet would be super sonic and way too light and not effective for generating knock down power.

Then you have the built in silencer thing with the Whisper. Springers are already fairly quiet. So what are you really silencing? And it doesn't fully silence it anyway. Just makes it 40 percent quieter. The actuall difference in decibel levels would likely never be able to make any meaningful difference.

And the Gamo air shotgun? It's a cool, fun concept. But it too fails miserably when it comes to hunting. I mean, it advertises pest control for small game at close to medium range. Well, I've shot numerous small birds with it at less than 20 feet and failed to severly wound, let alone kill them. You literally have to be right on top of the animal to guarantee a kill.

AK Mike · Member

I hate to say it, but the unethical advertising seems to work well for them.

I work with lots of gun nuts who are often times very knowledgeable and skilled with a powder burner, but are terribly, terribly ignorant when it comes to air guns.

eight out of ten of them will proudly tell me how thier Gamo is doing nine zillion feet per second, or how the Gamo they're gonna buy soon WILL be doing that velocity. If I should dare mention my Beloved FX Tarantula, the most I get is usually an odd look and then a conversation like this:

"How fast does it shoot?"

"I dunno...about 900 FPS, average I guess..."

"Well a Gamo does 1600! It's as powerful as a .22 rifle!"

Accuracy, tuning, ethics, durability.....they don't seem to mean much to most of these guys, who actually represent the largest portion of American gunners. Just gotta have that high FPS on the box...

Not that I wish to talk down on anyone, all these folks are good men, and many of them my friends, just....not well educated in that one arena......
but I keep trying. Mr. Green

AirGunEric · Site Admin

It's tough to 'educate the masses' as it were when multinationals like Gamo promote all the wrong things- but everyone should keep up the good work trying to sort it out!

On a related note- why is an airgun that is "as powerful as a .22 RF" perceived as an advantage? Aside from the cost of ammo, if I wanted a .22 RF- I'd buy one, and would think most other people would too (?)

sniper · Silver Status Member

.22 shorts are 75 fpe. that's weak for .22rf. gotta mod a pcp to get that.

and for gamo- Faq-U

for the price and value i think the
whisper is WAAAAAAY OVERRATED.

however i miss my 440. Embarassed

Mark5043 · Silver Status Member

Hey guys,
I agree there is a-lot of hype behind Gamo.The Raptor pellets are crap.The video of the killing of the hog,way wrong.But as I own a Whisper in .22 I can say that it is quiet,and I can smack nickles at 25 yards on a regular basis.No B.S. just the facts.My Whisper likes Gamo Hunter Pellets the best.To those who say that the Gamo Whisper is over rated.......how much bench time do you have behind one?Hey I agree the velocities are inflated'I'm pretty sure I'm not getting 750fps. out of lead as Gamo states.I don't have a chrony to measure shot strings.But the rifle IS accurate for it's intended purposes,and that cannot be contested.To those who bash the Whisper...who actually owns one,or has spent time dialing one in??????"That's what I thought" Faq-U

Sorry,just being a jackass....Had a few cold ones tonight WooHoo!

Having fun doing stuff other than air gunning at the moment! I know WTMI, "Way Too Much Info"

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

So Mark5043, do you feel that the built in silencer does much?