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woodell_d · New Member

hello everyone, new guy here.
I'm almost completely new to airguns. I love to shoot, but living inside city limits it is illegal to shoot firearms, but airguns are ok (and I have no other houses close to mine). So, I bought a Gamo Big Cat 1200 just to have something I can shoot at home. After shooting it a little bit I'm having a lot of fun, but I have a couple questions about accuracy. At 25 yds I'm getting a 2.5" group at best. I know there is a "break in period", but is this considered a good grouping for a brand new gun? I know things like trigger, etc. would help. Also, are there any things you can do at home besides just installing a new trigger to tune these guns?
Any info is greatly appreciated!

AirGunEric · Site Admin

What type of sights or scope are you using for the 25 yard shooting? Are you or the gun resting on anything (i.e. a bipod, sandbag, etc. etc.)?

2.5" groups are not great- but it may not be the gun, more likely your shooting technique and/or gun "hold". An spring gun will take 400-500 shots through it to "break in" but it's basic accuracy shouldn't get much better- just it's smoothness in operating, which can affect how one shoots with it.

Tell us how/what you've been doing and we can point you in the right direction.

woodell_d · New Member

I'm using the 4x32 scope that came with the gun. shooting off a table. My hold or technique may be wrong, I've been shooting it as I would any big rifle. The only ammo I've tried so far is gamo tomahawk, and the pba raptor ammo that came with the gun. I like the tomahawk ammo better, but maybe it would be more accurate with other types. I'm trying to hold and shoot the gun as smoothly as possible, but the trigger has a TON of creep and is on the heavy side. I've looked at the Da Tuna triggers. Do they make that much difference on a "stock" gun?

AirGunEric · Site Admin

The GTX III trigger will reduce the trigger pull immensely- and of course a heavy trigger pull can sometimes lead the muzzle a bit off target.

Here's an airgun shooting guide to give you the basic layout of things:

http://www.airgunhome.com/forumdocs/ShootGuide.pdf

Westonhill · Member

The standard Gamo Big Cat package usually comes with 50 rounds of Gamo PBA pellets - DO NOT USE THOSE! Instead, you should use heavy pellets, such as RWS 8.3 grain Superdome, to improve grouping. If you don't want to tune the gun or replace the trigger, then you'd better shoot more and eventually (or hopefully) get used to the long creepy second stage on the trigger. Or, you can do something just like what I did - sell the gun and let it become other people's problem. Laughing

woodell_d · New Member

I went ahead and ordered the GRT-III trigger from Charlie Da Tuna. I also read a good article on his site about "hold sensitivity" and realized that infact some of the problem is me. which is kind of embarrasing because I've always done well with firearms, but the springer airgun thing is all new to me. I have been gripping the gun at the forearm and wrapping my hand around the grip. Unfortunatly it is dark outside so I can't try changing my hold until tomorrow. I'll see how that and the new trigger perform. After lots more practice, if I'm still not getting the performance I want I may just send the whole gun to Charlie for a tune. I guess I could have bought a "higher end" gun to begin with but since I already have this gun, I'll just spend the extra money to make it shoot like I want.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

Absolutely- shooting airguns, especially spring-powered guns is a whole other ball of wax when compared to regular firearms. Hold sensitivity, barrel lag time, etc. etc. are all factors that wouldn't likely be present in any regular firearm.

I have heard it said more than a few times that if someone can become a good shooter with a high-powered spring airgun, they also become a great shooter with a regular firearm whether they realize it or not due to the technique and discipline required to make the spring-gun perform as best as possible.

The outdoorsman · Veteran Member

i have read in an outdoorlife magasine that shooting HIGH powered AGs help with accuracy of Firearms