by B.B. Pelletier
I’m on the road again starting today. I’m heading to Crosman and then on to the American Airgunner studio. I should be back in the office next Friday, or perhaps on Thursday.
Today, we’ll look at the accuracy of the Gamo Extreme CO2. Before we do that, though, I had to mount a scope. The BSA 2-7x scope that came with my Beeman C1 carbine wasn’t doing anything at the moment, so I switched it to the Extreme CO2 and sighted-in at 10 feet. It took two shots to get on paper, and I was ready to move back to 25 yards. [I got distracted due to so many things happening at the same time & so many guns arriving for testing and review, that I completely spaced out the fact that the Extreme CO2 comes with a scope and one-piece mount!]
As I was doing that, however, it dawned on me what is different about this rifle. The circular clip doesn’t stick up above the top of the receiver! That’s a big deal, because it means you can mount a scope with a low profile. Almost every other circular clip on CO2 and PCP repeaters sticks up above the receiver, necessitating the use of two-piece scope mounts and often high mounts for clearance.
At 25 yards, the first pellet was low and to the right, so I made a final adjustment that brought the pellets to the bullseye. Then I proceeded to shoot some groups. The first was 10 JSB Exact Jumbo 15.8-grain pellets.
JSB Exacts
15.8-grain JSB Exacts printed high on the bull at 25 yards. A group of ten measured 1.075″. The wind was dead calm and there was nothing to disturb the pellet’s flight. I stopped at 10 because that was a clip full and it seemed reasonable.
JSB Exact heavies
Next, I tried a group of 10 of the new 18-grain JSB Exact heavy pellets. They went into a tighter 0.974″ group at 25 yards. You can see the performance in the pictures. While I was shooting these, the sliding forearm came off the gun three times, so a word of caution to shooters–don’t pull it forward too hard!
Crosman Premier
The next pellet I tried was the Crosman Premier. It shifted the point of aim and was clearly not a good pellet in this rifle. The 10-shot group measures 1.538″ and is way too open.
RWS Superdome
Finally I tried 10 RWS Superdome pellets. They gave the smallest group of the day, at just 0.928.”
Shooting the rifle
The 88-gram CO2 cartridges are a real blessing when you just want to shoot and not be bothered with upkeep. All you have to do is load the clip and put it back in the receiver for the next 10 shots. The trigger has a long, somewhat creepy pull. Because this is a gas gun, I was able to lay it directly on a sandbag, which made sighting easier and the heavy trigger was not so much of a problem. The BSA scope that had been doubtful in the test of the C1 performed very well in this test. It isn’t as clear as most Leapers scopes I use, but plenty clear on a sunny day. The focus was sharp and crisp.
So, the rifle comes through the test with good marks. It’s not in the Benjamin Discovery class, but it’s probably just as accurate as a Hammerli 850 Air Magnum, which many of you wondered about. And we know that it’s also plenty powerful. A good repeater for not a lot of money.
The RWS 850 Air Magnum,s clip is below the frame also Allowing low dual/single scope mounts.
Sam
Sam,
That's correct. The 850 is a really nice rifle.
Derrick
B.B.
Safe travels..
I heard your going to film the field target contest in New York this weekend…
Are you going to compete too? I'll probably never get the channel, but I believe someday there will be some CDs for rent of the American Airgunners show..
So sit down and knock down some targets for us, please!!
Wacky Wayne
Wayne,
I'm on duty again while Tom's on the road. I don't think he's planning to shoot in the match. He won't have a gun, plus, he'll be busy with the TV portion of the match. I don't know if he'll be there for the whole match or just part of it. It would be nice if he could stay for the entire thing & have a chance to visit with old friends. He hasn't had any down time since January.
Edith
Joe B,
The bb shotgun has an excellent loading tray and funnel, certainly the best design for a bb gun except for that used in the Drozd, which involves simply dumping a couple hundred bbs into a boxlike opening.
The bb shotgun has a slide lever which easily directs the gun to safety or to shoot either singly or in groups of 3. The groups are certainly more usable than the gamo shotgun, and at 10 yards will disable any small bird.
To be effective as a shotgun would require at least twice the power and the ability to shoot more like 4-5 bbs at once…or preferably lead balls.
I have found that lead balls can effectively be jammed 3 at a time into a Crossman pump pistol, which then is actually more accurate and effective for "hunting" then is this bb shotgun.
For shooting small plastic reactive targets in the baseament (with protective eyewear), this bb shotgun is not accurate enough. To hit such targets, the single mode must be used. It can be fired rapidly and accurately (more accurate than the Drozd) in that mode.
The Drozd is far more fun and accurate in automatic mode than the shotgun is in shotgun mode, and as such is an excellent gun to plink with. Further, the Drozd is more efficient with CO2. Finally, loading every 220 shots vs. 30 shots makes a huge difference.
– Dr. G.
The non-protuding clip is a very nice feature.
BG_Farmer, you noticed the relation between the Savage BAST/K and the IZH 61! I wasn't going to say anything… With the Savage, a guy who identifies himself as a police sniper says that it is impossible to miss out to 800 yards unless you sneeze or ignore a shooting fundamental. That is the potential sleeping in your 111. 🙂
Matt61
Can u please post a review on Walther 1250 Dominator. It looks similar to 850 and Extreme, I guess it has more power but is it more accurate. as far as I know 850 and Dominator are made by Umarex so do they share same barrel, action.
Thank you
Is there any chance of getting old episodes of the show on the website for those of us who can't get it?
Dr. G,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Based on your info, I've added the shotgun to my PA wish list.
– Joe B.
Edith,
We need a plan to get Tom to relax then…
It just takes scheduling at least 1-2 hrs in each 24 for the thing that is relaxing.. maybe shooting without testing or writing about it..
maybe not… Whatever.. reading, riding his bike or a rental one?, walking in the park, dinner out with his wife, crazy ideas like that are totally welcome:))
We want to keep him around right, folks.. it looks like/sounds like, this new project is a big time consumer for Tom… I don't know what we can do from afar, but not bug him too much.. old timers help the new comers, and pray that Tom will take care of himself.. for his family, and all us too!!!
Wacky Wayne
Scott,
They may sell DVDs of the TV shor…or not. I don't know, and neither does Tom. We don't get the show, either, as we have Charter Cable, and the Sportsman Channel is only on satellite TV.
Edith
Wayne,
We get exercise. I used to play a pretty fair game of tennis…40 years ago. When I discovered that there are 22 public courts within a 5-min. drive of our house, I cajoled Tom into playing with me 3 days a week. When he discovered how much great exercise he got, he opted to play 5 days a week instead or riding his new bicycle.
Even though we're on the tennis court, we're thinking about work, how much we have to do & our pressing schedules.
Personally, I feel guilty taking the time off. One time, we stopped playing after a few minutes because Tom couldn't concentrate due to pressing work.
Edith
Edith,
Uh oh, my grandfather used to say that when you can't get your mind off your work, you are overextended. I assume this came out of his experience getting railroaded out of his career at GM by a nasty boss after 35 years. The stress was affecting his vision. (Maybe this was related to the lousy management practices that brought them down.) Anyway, I've found that my grandfather's standard for excess work was accurate in my own experience.
Time off is key. Obama works out every day and so did George W. Bush and Condolezza Rice, so it's not a question of party affiliation. If those folks can take the time from their jobs, I guess anyone else can. Of course we want Tom around for all of his good work, but we don't want him staggering through a career and then feeling the effects later. My Dad has serious and unexplained health problems after a very active career, and he thinks that he was just overdoing it all those years. A fair amount of drinking might have assisted, but other older folks tell me that they would have done things differently if they knew the long-term consequences. The Russian commando, Vladimir Vasiliev, sayeth that one should never get too fatigued as a health practice. Coming from such a super-stud and hard-core individual, I take this seriously.
So, how to relax. I'm afraid that shooting for all of its many benefits is not the whole answer. It takes concentration which is draining, and it does not work the body. Tennis sounds like a terrific idea, but it takes some concentration as well (perhaps Tom's competitive ethic was getting him down). There's the rc helicopter…. But I really think biking is the best answer. It's terrific exercise, soothing and rhythmic. And if you can't turn over the pedals because you're distracted by work, you know you've overdone it.
Matt61
The 1250 Dominator seems to be an 850 with an HPA reservoir. If the barrel is the same, I believe that means that it'd have similar groups. 4350 psi reservoir is impressive, but you sure won't be hand pumping that!
Reading this review makes me nostalgic for my "spray 'n' pray" Nightstalker. Are there any kits out there so that I could run it off of 12g cartridges or a paintball tank?
WV: apotyp
Edith – you played tennis when you were 3???
🙂
Vince,
You're okay in my book!
Edith
Edith,
Vince beat me to the net!
Mr B.
Edith,
Though that may sound like a good idea with the DVD's The future of TV is on the online. All of the major cable & network stations have there shows available to view online. Websites like Hulu.com are the future. Even the outdoor channel have their shows available to view online with commercials. Tom needs stress this to the network. In the end it's a #'s game. The show won't be on long if they don't have the #'s. It's too bad 60% of the potential viewers can't watch it if they wanted to.
Jake,
There are definitely adapters out there to run RWS/Hammerli 850 Airmagnums off 9oz paintball tanks. Doubt there's a 12g adapter.
Derrick
Scott,
I specifically asked about viewing shows online & was told several months ago that it wouldn't happen.
Edith
Walther 1250 Dominator,
Yes, I can look at one for you. Can you remember to remind me to do it next Friday? I'm on the road and my mind is too overloaded to remember reliably.
B.B.
Derrick, I was referring to the Nightstalker. I highly doubt that anything is made for it. I don't want to have to buy two different kinds of CO2 storage, but I also am reluctant to sell it.
I found this:
/product/umarex-850-co2-adapter?a=1136
But a) I'm not sure it'll fit in the Nightstalker stock, and b) if it's 24g of CO2 as opposed to 88g, wouldn't that mean the gun only gets a quarter as many shots?
Edith & Tom,
With you two split up half your life at this time.. tennis seems a little difficult:)
I hate being on the road for business.. pressures to be effective with your time are the worst part.
So to me that's the key.. Edith is pressured to take care of the household while Tom is gone..
And Tom is pressured to get the job done and get home to help, and or relax… but when he gets home, he has to catch up… and he catches up until he leaves again.. at least that's how it was for me..
So, the relaxation thing, has to happen where ever, whenever it's necessary… or time to do it.
One has to say to themselves, it's time to take care of ME.. for ME and the people who LOVE ME!!!
…and one asks oneself.. does this activity make me feel calm and replenished?
find it and do it!!! even just an hour per day, will make a huge difference!! OOOHHHHMMMMM….
Wacky Wayne
Anyone who can help,
There is a .22 caliber Diana 27 in the newspaper in very good condition for $135. Is that a good price to pay? Also, the paper said that the gun was made in Great Britain. Weren't Dianas made in Germany? It was made in the 1950's. Any help is appreciated.
Chris
Chris,
Buy it and ask questions later..
..that's a good price! if it's in good shape..
Wayne,
Ashland Air Rifle RAnge
Chris,
Diana rifles that were "made in Britain" are Milbro now known as Millard Brothers. They started making airguns in 1949 using the Diana machinery and equipment taken as WWII war reparations. The brand "Original Diana" was used for Dianawerk guns in England while Diana was used by Millard. Dianawerk repurchased their trademark in 1984 after Milbro ceased airgun production. It's possible to own both German made and English made Diana Model 27's. The Blue Book states that a rifle in 100% condition was going for $120 avg back in 2007 (I need to get a new book).
So if the rifle is in pristine condition, maybe you are OK paying a bit of a premium for it. Hope this helps a bit, Chris.
Fred
Thank you for the information on the Diana 27 everyone.
Chris
Chris,
The current bludbook on Milbro diana 27's still says that the gun in 100% condition is worth $120.00. A dianawerk pre 1965 in 100% condition is worth $125.00 according to the bluebook. The bluebook is understating values in my opinion since this is a highly sought after gun.
However, 100% condition is rarely seen. This 1950's gun that on the outside MIGHT BE 100% condition will probably need some work on the inside. Be critical of the owners assessed 100% condition on the outside (if it's warranted) and shoot it over a chrony if you have one. The .22 caliber should be doing around 500 fps. If it isn't this is another reason to justify a lower value.
I'm going to get into trouble with B.B. here but I think this gun shines in .177 caliber but is lacking power for .22 caliber. Having said that, if the gun is 100% on the outside, and includes the original sights, I'll give you $150.00 for it and will pay for shipping.
kevin
Jake,
Oops! Wrong gun. Yeah, due to the A/S cartridge location in the Nightstalker buttstock, a paintball tank would be too large in diameter to fit.
If an A/S cartridge is good for a couple hundred shots at least, it doesn't seem like that much trouble to have a few A/S cartridges around. Different is good, right?
Saw the adapter that you posted. Ouch. I think I'd just spend the $100 on the A/S cartridges. And yes, the shot count on two 12gm cartridges would be in the toilet.
Seems like the logical solution is to just buy more guns that take A/S. Then it would be easier to justify having a few different cartridge sizes.
The Hammerli 850 AirMagnum, a Crosman 2250XT, Walther SG9000…
Who made this quote?
"metallic puppies from hell"
hint:we all know at least one of his
aliases.
About airsource vs. 12g.you have to replace the 12's more often but get about the same # of shots for less $ per gr.
at least according to what I've read.
JTinAL
Derrick,
I don't think my wallet would agree with your logic, because it seems to think things like college are important. What's up with that?
I guess I could always make the drive over to Sports Authoritah to get more AirSource cartridges. Regarding the paintball tank, I was thinking whether it'd be feasible to run a remote line through a hole in the stock. And who knows, maybe the decreased shot count would cut down on pellet spraying. Though that is what the Nightstalker's best at. I'll leave accuracy to the 2260.
Speaking of which, I have two guns, and I'm having trouble juggling between what to do with what. The 2260 is fun, but I get maybe 40 shots per hour. If I sold the Nightstalker, I'd definately get a left hand breech for the -60, to speed things up. And if I keep it, well, I'll be buying two different kinds of ammo and power source.
Kevin,
That was a great description of the value of a Diana 27… I be smiling… and I'll pay Chris $165:):):)!! ..
and send it directly to Vince!!.. and then I wouldn't sell it for $300.. but that's me not the market place…. don't have much time to shoot them, but I still collect them and love them..
Wacky Wayne!
Ashland Air Rifle Range
Hi BB
Not to bad, shame about the forearm, looks like the 850 takes accuracy, factory sights & trigger over it.
My last question,
Did you happen to test the rifle with it's fixed sights?
Dallas
Dallas,
No I didn't try the fixed sights because frankly they leave me cold.You can see what they look like in an earlier report.
I'm one for a traditional post and notch. These sights are anythijng but conventional.
B.B.
Oh man!
Everyone is after my treasure! "Very good" condition is 100% in one person's eyes but 50% in another's. If the inside needed work I thought I could use it as my first airgun tune project since it doesn't have a powerful mainspring (I don't have a mainspring compressor). Thanks guys.
Chris
BB,
thank you for the review, very informative.
I enjoy your blog very much.
I just wanted to mention the Gamo G-1200 you spoke of in part one….a little off topic, but, Gamo also made a
Daisy powerline 889 that was a direct replica of the G-1200. The G-1200 had a two variances, one with a 12gr co2 and one with a larger external tank that mounted with adaptor in the 12gr hole. Daisy however, sold there's with the 12gr option only. I was lucky enough to buy one at aution out of pureto Rico new in the box, with only some minor oxidation on the aluminum reciever. I love the old and unusual airguns and most of mine are 30 to 40 years old, however I may have to give this Gamo pump a try.
Thanks again, Danny.
Danny,
Thanks for that report. I was not aware that Daisy also sold this model. Live and learn.
B.B.
I also find that the slide keeps on coming of in my hand if i get to enthusiastic…. which you tend to do with a ten shot repeater lol glad its not just me
i do worry about wear on the slide with little bits of plastic keeping it on the rail might snap with use we will have to see
but yes the rifle does have a nice feel to it
great report tx