by B.B. Pelletier
Happy Thanksgiving! The Gamo Hunter 1250 Hurricane is a very different Gamo spring rifle. It’s unlike any of their other spring rifles in so many ways that I thought I would go over them for you today.
This is a LARGE air rifle!
I think the Beeman R1 is big, but the Gamo 1250 is even larger. It weighs pretty close to the same as an R1, but the long cocking-aid muzzlebrake extends the length of the 1250 another three inches. Cocking effort is stated as 58 lbs. on the Pyramyd site and that’s about what I got with the one I tested. That is eight pounds more effort than a Webley Patriot, and I think THAT is a hard gun to cock. So the 1250 is for hunting – not for general plinking, unless you’re The Hulk!
Does it REALLY shoot 1,250 f.p.s.?
Yes, in .177 caliber it really does shoot 1,250! At least, the rifle I tested did so for a few shots. That was with RWS Hobby pellets. The average velocity was lower – around 1,230 f.p.s., or so, but still! Not every gun will do that out of the box, of course, so please have reasonable expectations. And, you don’t ever want to shoot a diabolo pellet that fast anyway, unless it’s for braggin’ rights, alone.
What pellets to use?
In the .177 gun, shoot 10.5-grain Crosman Premiers or 10.6-grain Beeman Kodiak pellets to keep the velocity down around 1,100 f.p.s. Better still, buy the rifle in .22 and actually use all the power it has to offer. This is a hunting air rifle, and braggin’ rights mean nothing if you can’t hit your quarry.
For the .22-caliber rifle, Pyramyd AIR has listed several heavier Gamo pellets. The Gamo Magnum Pointed .22 at 16.9 grains looks especially promising. I would add the 21-grain Beeman Kodiak to that list, because this is one air rifle that can really use the extra weight. You might even try the 28-grain Eun Jin. Who knows for sure until you try them? I wouldn’t be surprised to see 700 f.p.s. from a Eun Jin out of this bruiser.
The trigger is pretty good from the box
Gamo triggers usually need thousands of shots to smooth out, but the 1250’s seems uncharacteristically nice right from the git-go. I can’t comment on what it might be like after 4,000 shots, but maybe some of our readers can.
It’s a looker, too!
Gamo rifles are usually plain janes, so the Hunter 1250 comes as a very pleasant surprise. The metal polishing is quite good and the bluing is very deep and even. The hardwood stock is also well-shaped and finished very nicely. It rivals a top-of-the-line Diana from RWS. I think this is Gamo’s best looking airgun.
And it’s accurate
If you use the soft-hold technique, the 1250 is quite accurate. You’ll want to mount a scope; because of the fairly brisk recoil, I suggest you choose a smaller, lighter scope that won’t try to move under recoil. Actually, the recoil of this rifle is not as bad as the Webley Patriot, so I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Well, that’s my take on a rifle many airgunners believe to be a myth. The Gamo Hunter 1250 Hurricane is so very different from the rest of the Gamo line that you should consider it all by itself.
Only apporopriate to do a big ol hunter on turkey day.
Happy Thanksgiving back at ya.
Thought I would go out and get a turkey with my Talon but you should have seen the customers scatter when I walked into the supermarket!
CWI
hahahhahaha
turtle
Is this air rifle so hard to cock???
Yes, it rerally is hard to cock. But a rifle this powerful is used for hunting, where you don’t shoot so many shots, so the cocking effort isn’t that troublesome.
Most adult men will be able to cock this rifle if they use two hands to pull the barrel down. Very few will be able to cock it with one hand – at least not many times.
B.B.
What about the precision of this air rifle.How can you handle such a powerfull airgun with such a powerfull recoil and still hit the bull’s eye from a distance of 100 feet?Is this air rifle an accurate airgun or not?
Adrian,
Yes, the aGamo 1250 is accurate. As for recoil, you need to read the posts on how to shoot recoilling air rifles. Check the Sep 30 index for past posts or just search on with the search feature located on the right of each new posting.
Is the Gamo as accurate as an AirForce Condor? No, it isn’t. No spring rifle, except perhaps a Whiscombe, will equal a PCP’s accuracy potential.
Is the Gamo 1250 as accurate as a TX 200? No, it isn’t.
Is it as accurate as a Webley Patriot? Yes. How about a Beeman R1? I would say the R1 is more accurate.
But at 100 feet, which is about 33 yards, you can hit the bullseye with any of the guns mentioned here. It’s all up to you.
B.B.
Thanks for the tips
Which caliber travels further, .22 or the .177?
with the 1250 Hunter is there an accuracy difference between the two calibers? which caliber holds its trajectory for the longest?
backyard hunter,
Both .177 and .22 diabolo pellets travel about 500 yards, maximum, when fired from magnum air rifles.
B.B.
backyard hunter,
The .177 will shoot flatter at ranges under 50 yards, but the .22 will carry its energy farther.
B.B.
That was a big help, thanks
Ive been trying to ask Pyramid air this question for awhile with no response, maybe you could help me out. Is the Diana 350 magnum as accurate as the 1250 hurricane, do you know the shot group on the diana 350 magnum? and which is more durable? Im in a rugged area where my targets are at least 100 yards away. thanks again
I have owned the 1250 for about a month now. I chose the .22 cal based on B.B.’s article and am glad I did. I have shot about 2500 pellets (most all from Pyramid) through it- its that addictive! It is not that hard to cock if you place the stock butt on the ground against your foot and pull down with one hand. It is definitely an adult gun, though. Its accuracy so far has exceeded my expectations, but seems more accurate at 50 to 80 yds. My back pasture target is 60 yds. and I easily get 1 to 1.25″ groups of 5 from a bench, but only using the 14.3gr Sheridan domes. I use a 3-9X50 Simmons Blazer w/ Weaver See thru rings and it’s rock solid so far. The sheridan 14.3 pellets also give me the best Chrony results and FPE 939.4 avg MV 18″ off muzzle. The 28gr Eun Jin’s were a dissapointment(558.2),but pellets up to 21gr all perform well power wise. This gun is definitely more powerful than the RWS350 and did I mention there’s not one piece of plastic on the entire rig! Its stamped “Made in England” and does’nt say Gamo on it anywhere. BSA pride- and the workmanship shows it. The RWS’ stock is a bit more ergonomic as the 1250 is a bit wide on both grip points. You get used to it quickly, this is a hunter NOT for FT. Trigger smoothed out nicely after 1000 shots and 1/2 turn CCW on the adjuster. I have noticed the mating surface in the breech where the barrel rests is a magnet for dirt. If your grouping shots and one suddenly drops check that first. Nice rifle. Highly recommend.
Ken Texan,
Good detailed comment. That’s what readers love to see.
B.B.
Ken Texan
I’m stuck in Afghanistan right now but I managed to spend a little of my hard earned cash on a 1250, in .22 cal, (It is weighting for me at home), after reading your post I don’t know what I will be more anxious to see my new gun or my wife 😉
Ed
Ken Texan,
I know which one you’ll want to see most. But after that, the 1250 will be a second nice surprise.
B.B.
i want to get the rifle. i was wondering if you can mount a scope onto it
Yes,
The Hunter 1250 has scope base dovetails for rings and it has a built-in scope stop.
B.B.
I am going to buy a Hunter 1250… I wanted to know if i can or if i should Modify this rifle… I can get it modify to a 1500fps
There is no aftermarket modification for a Hunter 1250, to my knowledge. Gamo brought out the light Raptor pellet in an attempt to get the rifle up to 1,600 f.p.s., which it does.
At that velocity the rifle has no accuracy. You need to get the velocity down to 900 f.p.s. or so to get accuracy, and super-heavy pellets are the way to do it. The Hunter 1250, which Gamo now calls the Hunter Extreme, is better in .22 caliber, where you can use more of the potential power.
B.B.
I’m on the verge of purchasing the hunter 1250, and I was wondering do I need to get an additional scope mount and stop before mounting a scope to it?
The Gamo Hunter 1250 comes with a scope stop attached. You will need to get scope rings that fit your scope, but the stop is already provided.
B.B.
Thanks much, B.B, for your prompt reply.
Could an “Accushot Medium Profile Full Length Integral Mount RGPM2PA-30M4” do the trick?
I’ll be getting “6×32 Mini Size A.O. Bug Buster scope” along with the rifle.
No, the mount you mention will not work.
The Bug Buster has a very short scope tube. One-piece mounts will not fit it because when one ring is aligned, the other won’t be, because the spacing between the rings is both fixed and too long.
You need two-piece rings. Also you need one-inch (scope tube diameter) rings. The AirForce medium two-piece rings would work. You can remove the scope stop pin because the 1250 already has a stop.
B.B.
I just purchased a Hunter 1250 in .22 caliber and thought I’d share a few comments regarding the 6×32 mini bug-buster scope. I tried this scope on the 1250 with some inexpensive scope rings (Accu-Shot I think). The lock pin in the rear ring would not fit in the holes on the Gamo rail, leaving me to use the Gamo scope stop.
This mounts the scope too far forward, making it hard to see through the scope. I was never happy with this rig, couldn’t site it in (not enough left windage adjustment) and the rear scope ring bounced off the stop. Tried an adjustable mount with this scope, was able to align it and sight it in, but this mount worked loose at the windage screws every 20-30 shots. I finally ditched this setup for a leapers 3-9×50 scope on a full-length Accu-Shot mount. This is the only mount I’ve tried that has a locking pin that fits the Gamo rail. So far it’s rock-solid and I prefer this scope to the 6×32 mini. Now I’m waiting to see how long the scope holds up. So far, so good.
1250 owner,
Thank you for your reflections! They are valuable to a new buyer.
I have used the Gamo stop without a problem. The rubber bumper pads compressed, but my rear ring stayed put.
Anyway, the buyer no knows more than he did.
Thanks,
B.B.
Is Gamo Hunter 1250 .22 caliber still available to buy? I overheard that Gamo has discontinued the production of it. Is this a hearsay or the truth?
Gamo’s U.S. website has the shopping cart for the .22 caliber 1250 turned off, so it looks like they aren’t saelling it in that caliber any more. Your best bet is to find a dealer who still has one in stock. The little intenet dealers are best for that because they don’t sell a lot of guns.
B.B.
hey i just purchased a gamo 1250 rifle. why does it have that BIG silencer look-a-like at the tip of the barrel???? a rifle i really recommened is the GAMO SHADOW 1OOO with the red dot scope.
The muzzle brake is just for show. It does lengthen the barrel by a few inches which makes the rifle easier to cock, but that’s all it does.
B.B.
Well I finally got home and got a chance to use my gamo 1250. It was really loud until it stopped dieseling. Nice clean kills up to 30M, I was able to hunt small game with out scaring the white tail, for those in camp who didn’t get theirs yet. The guys in couldn’t believe a pellet gun could be so powerful. I don’t mind the extra effort needed to calk the gun. What did surprise me it how heavy 9lbs really is. Can you recommend a good sling and swivel combination for it.
Ed
Ed,
I’m inclined to recommend Beerman swivels and their carry strap, but I would call Pyramyd AIR to make sure they will fit a 1250.
B.B.
My son wants me to buy him your 1250 air rifle for christmas, and I would like to know what is the price of this air rifle. Please give me the accurate price for this air rifle.
Sir,
This blog is hosted by Pyramyd AIR, America’s largest airgun dealer. They are currently sold out of Gamo Hunter 1250 models, so they aren’t listed on the website. When they come in, they will be listed here:
/brands/gamo?mid=6
I believe Gamo has discontinued this model and replaced with with a gun they call the Hunter Extreme. It’s almost exactly the same as the 1250, only they added a barrel jacket. See it here:
http://gamousa.com/Catalog.aspx?Product=62
The stated velocity of 1600 f.p.s. is just a marketing ploy. They use a novelty pellet called the Gamo Raptor to get that velocity (the 1250 got it, too), but it’s a junk pellet that no shooter takes seriously. For best accuracy you want the velocity to be below 950 f.p.s., which means you have to shoot the heaviest pellets with this rifle.
A question. Is your son at least 16 years old and a bodybuilder? Because this rifle is so hard to cock that some grown men cannot do it. It takes 50 pounds of effort to cock the gun one time.
The Gamo site lists the MSRP for the Hunter Extreme as $519.95, but dealers commonly dicount those prices a little.
B.B.
Hi! I purcased a viper air rifle from gamo and I would like to know what is your oppion on the best pellets I should buy for the air rifle. I bought this gun because my son wants to use it for rabbit hunting.
I would try Gamo Pro Magnums, Beeman Kodiaks, and JSB Exact 8.4 grain pellets.
B.B.
So you’ve mentioned the velocity should be set around 900fps to keep the pellet from wandering off. Is this before or after you’ve learned how to shoot a recoiling air rifle? I was also curious about the velocity the .22 shoots compared to the .177 Can you also tell me just how much recoil there is on this rifle? I can’t imagine it being much at all- no more recoil than a sturdy gunpowder .22 rifle.
Thanks for the help B.B.
As a complement to my last post, what type of pellets would you recommend to keep the trajectory quick and straight, with a “very good” rating on the accuaracy?
I’m also assuming you would need to clean the gun often as well?
Alex,
Yes, keep the velocity as low as possible. Try Eun Jin 17-grain pellets for this. If you shoot over 1,000 f.p.s. then yes, the barrel may lead up faster. I haven’t tested the .22 version and since it isn’t available any longer I guess I never will.
The Gamo recoils about like a lightweight .22 magnum rifle, but it is a sharper kick.
The correct hold works no matter what speed the gun shoots.
B.B.
Hi B.B.
What is the maximum hunting effective range for the Gamo Hunter 1250?
Thanks
The max distance for any airgun is the distance at which you can shoot a one-inch group. With the Hinte3r 1250 in the hands of a really good shooter, this will be somewhere between 40-50 yards.
B.B.
I got me a Gamo Hunter 1250 back in June 2006 and i equiped it with a Leapers 3-9×40 AO Mil-Dot Scope with Red/Green illumination. I purchased it in .177 cal so i could have a velocity close to the speed of sound. ( mostly using to eliminate starlings who got a very fast reaction time ) The cocking effort wasnt too hard to overcome and soon i was doing it single handed. My main choice of ammo was the Beeman Crow Magnums at 8.80 grains. With this combo it shot around 1,100 fps with good groupings. Most of my shooting was done at 25 yards, that being said i was able to get a 5 shot group with all holes touching each other. Ive used the Gamo Raptors but they really are just for showing off the loud sound, tho i did get one kill at about 40 yards. The gun kicks more than a .22 rimfire so beware. Make sure to use the scope properly or else the recoil will send the scope back and give u a nice ring of blood around the eye (happend to my neighbor) Ive got a marlin 917 which is a .172 rimfire (basicly a necked down .22 mag) and i think the Hunter 1250 kicks still kicks more. After about 1,400 shots my scope exploded and about another 300 shots after that the gun decided to come loose inside. Its currently in the shop. I highly recommend this gun. I do suggest you check all the screws and things every now and then as they tend to get loose and require tightening. Ive also tested the 16.1 grain Eun Jins, they pack a nice punch, ill soon be needing to get a new pellet trap as these pellets almsot punch thru the steel. Overall i love this gun and hope to be shooting mine again soon. -UMA
Now that RWS 460 looks interesting.
guys im 15 and my dad has the gamo hunter 1250 and the effort to cock the gun is over rated
im not the biggest but i can easily cock this gun with one hand
one time i put 300 pellets through it in my garden and my arm was fine its a perfect allround gun and the best gun i have to plink, hunt and pest controll
ten out of ten
bb.
how complicated is it to put a trigger on a gamo rifle?
i have taken the stock off to clean it but never went further than that
Gary,
A trigger BLADE, like the GRT III is very easy. A whole trigger means complete disassembly. That’s harder.
B.B.
Need help with a Hurricane 1250, I am new to springers, but not firearms. I purchased the gun in May from Cableas, and the main spring broke in June. It has been repaired, how ever accuracy is very erratic. At 25 yards it goes from 1.25 to 3 inches. Tried Crosman Premiers, 7.9, 10.5, Discovery 10.5, Beeman 8.6, Gamo magnums. The scope was a BSA 3-9, put on a new BSA 2-7, and now a Leapers 3 x 9. I am ready to try a new LW barrel at this point. Any thoughs? Help!
Paul
Paul,
Two suggestions:
1-Try and even heavier pellet. Look at the beeman kodiaks and look into the new line of JSB Heavy pellets that Pyramyd AIR is starting to stock
2-Perfect the artillery hold. Unlike firearms that can benefit from the artillery hold your gun (heavy and powerful)demands it. There's alot of info on this site about the artillery hold. Just type in "artillery hold" in the search box on the right side of this page.
Good luck.
kevin
Hi Kevin
Thanks for the response, I have been using the "artillery hold" for all my testing.
I will order the heavy rounds you suggest today.
Thanks
Paul
Hey Paul,
You may also want to try different places on the forestock to rest the gun on your open palm starting right next to the trigger guard and moving towards the end of the stock. Some highly sensitive guns (yours might be one of them) like the be rested on the backs of your fingers.
I think a heavier pellet (like the kodiaks or the heavy jsb's 10.34 gr in .177) will go a long way to reviving accuracy.
kevin
Paul,
I'm going to recommend that you get your rifle a tuneup. Use a well-known tuner and take some of the velocity off the top.
Something is wrong with a Hurrricane 1250 that won't group inside an inch at 25 yards.
I don't know what it is, but have the tuner check the tightness of the base block (the part that pivots when the barrel cocks.
Also have him check the spring guide clearance. It sounds loose, from what you describe.
Gamo barrels are accurate enough. Don't spend another $300 for a custom Lothar Walther.
B.B.
I have the Gamo Hunter 1250 and it came with additional spring in the box.Is this spring the same as the one inside the gun,or maybe it's the one that delivers the maximum power?
It's a new gun,and i don't want to use the screwdriver to find out. Thanks.
That question is best answered by Gamo.
http://www.gamousa.com
B.B.