Gamo Hunter Extreme.
This report covers:
- The scope
- The test
- Sight in
- H&N Baracuda Match with a 4.50mm head
- Firing behavior
- Crosman Premier 10.5-grain dome
- RWS Superpoint
- Discussion
- Summary
Today we look at the accuracy of the Gamo Hunter Extreme. I used the Gamo scope that came mounted on the rifle but this will be the last time I do that.
The scope
The Gamo scope is nice and clear but it’s parallax adjusted for a distance farther than 10 meters, which is the distance at which I shot. That made it a headache to get the scope adjusted so I could see the target. I couldn’t adjust the magnification higher than 5X and still see the crosshairs. If I do any further accuracy testing with this rifle it will be with a different scope.
The test
I shot from 10 meters with the rifle supported by the artillery hold. My off hand was resting on a sandbag and the rifle was floated as lightly as possible. The heavy rough trigger made it impossible to hold it as light as I wanted. The stock rested with the center of the cocking slot on my off hand. I shot 10-shot groups with all pellets.
Sight in
I started sighting in at 12 feet and moved back to 10 meters after 2 shots. It took five more shots to get where I wanted on target. I was sighting in with the first pellet I’d test — an H&N Baracuda Match with a 4.50mm head.
H&N Baracuda Match with a 4.50mm head
Ten H&N Baracuda Match with 4.50mm heads went into 0.591-inches at 10 meters. I discovered while shooting this pellet that the trigger is both hard to pull and extremely creepy through stage two. In my experience that this is common for Gamo air rifles made before 2000 and the triggers do break in to become lighter and smoother as the shots increase.
The Hunter Extreme put ten Baracuda Match pellets into a 0.591-inch group at 10 meters.
Firing behavior
The Hunter Extreme recoils a little but the entire rifle undergoes a huge vibration and shudder as the shock wave from the piston slamming home is felt. For this reason I felt the artillery hold was necessary. I may try shooting with the rifle rested directly on the sandbag in the future, but not with the scope that’s on there now.
Crosman Premier 10.5-grain dome
Next to be tested was the Crosman Premier 10.5-grain dome. Ten went into 0.688-inches between centers at 10 meters.
Ten Crosman Premier pellets from the Hunter Extreme made a 0.688-inch group at 10 meters.
RWS Superpoint
The last pellet I tested in the Hunter Extreme was the RWS Superpoint. Ten of them went into 1.169-inches at 10 meters. This is clearly not the pellet for this rifle!
Ten RWS Superpoints went into 1.169-inches at 10 meters. There are two groups, which may have been a function of the hold. This pellet also shot lower on the target.
Discussion
I find the Gamo Hunter Extreme somewhat hold sensitive. I may not yet have found the best way to hold it. I might even rest it directly on the sandbag next time.
The rifle still cocks with extreme force. But the barrel pivot is as tight as it should be. I will also mention that the breech on this rifle is quite tight and all three pellets loaded tightly.
Summary
This test turned out the way I expected. I have never found the other two Gamo Hunter Extremes I tested to be very accurate. I do think this one deserves a test with a scope that is parallax adjusted to the shooting distance though.
BB,
Isn’t this the same rifle with which RidgeRunner got his start in airgunning?
I’m sure he will chime in with something to say about it. 😉
She sure is a beauty. 🙂
Blessings to you,
dave
Beauty is as beauty does.
LOL! 🙂
You laugh! We will see how she does.
If she’s got some serious accuracy in her, BB will wring it out of her. 😉
I hope he does.
Dave
I think RR usually mentions the CFX. This one doesn’t look very promising. I still hope that someone, BB included, will give us some info on the latest Swarm Magnum Gen3i in 22 cal.
Bill, yeah, I mixed that one up; thanks for straightening me out. 😉
B.B.
Well maybe not “a hunk of junk”, but seems pretty close….
-Y
Yogi,
You are closer than you think.
BB, Dave, et al,
I started out in the world of modern airguns with a Gamo CFX as Bill mentions. It was VERY hold sensitive and had a horrible trigger as apparently this one does. I changed out the trigger and that helped immensely. I mounted a UTG Compact SWAT on it and away we did go.
I would rest my CFX directly on my denim shooting bags and touch it as lightly as possible. Using H&N FTT 4.51mm pellets, it would put 10 of them in a group at 25 yards that you could literally cover with a dime. The next best pellet was the JSB Exact.
At 50 yards the group became a pattern that I could not encompass with my outstretched fingers. It also dropped about a foot at that range.
After experimenting with this air rifle for a couple of years, it moved on to what I hoped was greener pastures. If it had the wood stock it might have stayed here, but as it turns out it was better off elsewhere.
I personally am not a big fan of Gamo. I have heard they have improved and I may have to give them another try. They have some pretty big shoes to fill here at RRHFWA though.
RR, et al
I have had only one Gamo but it is a keeper. I bought a Gamo Urban from PA two years ago. It is popular priced, accurate, quiet, has a very convenient magazine to load and holds ten .22 pellets. Has an adjustable hammer spring, no regulator but the sweet spot is a fill to only 200 bar. With the hammer spring tension set low I get 30 good shots at 25 yards. Ten shot groups at that distance typically are around 1/3 inch and an all time best being 0.18 inches. Preferred pellet is AA 16 grain domes. It averages 822 fps with a range of 16 fps delivering 24.0 fpe.
Deck
Tom,
These harsh recoiling magnum springers really should have iron sights capability. How many are languishing in the corner without a scope as a sighting system? Knowing the predilection of new air gunners to buy a cheap scope they will probably have a drawer full of broken scopes sooner than later.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
Good point. I noticed that the kick alone is not always so dramatic for the scope as some buzz – vibration. These can kill. My budget Tasco 6-24 x42 lasted for thousands of shots on HW50 with “zero never changed”. After time shooting with more and more buzzling system destroyed it very quickly. I was surprised.
Siraniko,
Perfectly said, as that is my plan for this air rifle.
BB
Tom,
I look forward to how this can be accomplished with simple tools.
Siraniko
To be honest I expected this rifle to be not so accurate, even terrible. It is not so bad.
What is your experience with magnum springers? Do they kick more in .177cal or in .22cal? Is there a tendency like this at all?
General thoughts generated after reading this blog: actually, almost all springers need to break in first. After that they are usually more polite. This means most of the testing out of the box does not reflect the actual performance. I mean not only some cheap equipment needs time to get to the nominal working point. Example – HW30s will be smoother after 500 shots out of the box and this impression is much better than directly out of the box. I do not mention buzz noise etc. So sad it is – without tuning almost all springers have buzz or some additional vibration issues. Anyway, the trigger like Rekord does not really changes – but many will be completely different after 2k shots.
FWB300s after tuning (including the piston steel ring change) needed approx. 1000 shots to get stable velocity and the high end of the shot cycle performance. I mean, there can’t be better. I can imagine that the brand new one (which is acutally the case now) also needed so long to be stable. It does not directly reflects the accuracy in 10m distance but you can feel the difference.
My feeling is the high end equipment needs more time to be stable and it will stay stable for life then. Cheap stuff usually is “good” after 100 – 300 shots.
tomek,
What is the tendency? It is tomorrow’s blog. Thank you! 🙂
BB
BB,
Great! Can’t wait for it!
Tomek,
Just curious. What country are you writing from? How is the air gun availability there?
Brent
Brent,
I’m made in Poland 🙂 Now living in Germany. (20 years now! just realized when you asked, my gosh, I’m at least 20 years too long here).
Germany is a very strange place actually; they have a very deep airgunning tradition – and same time they have this F – energy limitation for free available airguns (7.5J = approx. 5.5fpe). With FAC certificate you may have them all, but you are not allowed to shoot anywhere (only certified shooting range etc.). AND SAME TIME you may buy a magnum crossbow with 200lbs… which I also have (and don’t use it because of its power). I have multiple springers, CO2, PCP, rifles and pistols. If you would ask the question if they were all in “F” I will not answer 🙂 🙂 In general Europe has many countries where the limitation is different, some don’t have any, some have this F… I call it “F… me” limitation. You can transport your airguns with you closed and secured, ammo separately, but you are not allowed to carry it with you without special permission and you are not allowed to shoot anywhere (should be a private area). Recently I have strange feeling that you can’t do anything here anymore.
In Poland there is a healthy limitation of 17J (almost 12.7fpe) which is much more comfortable. Like England. Also, a very popular sport, especially in the last 15 years. No problem to get any airgun, though the big bores are sold with FAC only full power (they don’t try to trick the limit like the crazy Germans recently hahaha with some rubber ammo or .30 pellets falling at your shoes after shot).
tomek,
My wife is Polish; so it’s good to know they have some somewhat sensible airgun laws there.
This piece I found disturbing:
“You can transport your airguns with you closed and secured, ammo separately, but you are not allowed to carry it with you without special permission and you are not allowed to shoot anywhere (should be a private area).”
Here (in middle Georgia in the USA), I can throw any airgun in my truck, even air pistols, drive over any friend’s house, shoot them, and bring them home and shoot them some more.
It sounds like there are too many airgunphobes in Europe (in positions of power) who just don’t want anyone to have fun with an airgun. I find that sad, since airguns are so much fun! 🙂
I’ve got a couple of German airguns I got from Frank B that fall into the “F” power range; but they are both over 80 years old, hence, they are not marked with an “F.” Still, they’re a load of fun for plinking around the farm.
Here, no one thinks twice about someone having a gun (we live rural, outside the town limits).
I’ve had contractors come over to work on the house while I was out plinking; even though they were firearms guys, they enjoyed having a try with an air rifle; the HW30S was a particular favorite, likely because it’s scoped like their deer rifles (and some of those guys shot that gun so well they put me to shame!).
It’s too bad that more of these airgunphobes can’t be enticed to actually try shooting an airgun.
Then, they’d realize the fun on which they’re missing out…and perhaps fix their airgun laws. 😉
Blessings to you,
dave
thedavemyster,
I spotted some unintentional humour and hope to make you smile too:
What is the fate of a foe when the following describes friends? :
“…drive over any friend’s house, shoot them, and bring them home and shoot them some more.” 🙂
Oh my goodness….. I read that same passage and never caught that!
That is absolutely hilariously unfortunate wording. I would still like to be Dave’s friend,…..
Just maybe shoot guns while at his house instead.
LMAO thanks for the laugh this morning Hihihi……
hihihi & Frank,you guys are cracking me up, LOL!
I didn’t notice how someone else might read that…
…hilarious unitentional humor! 😉
Reminds FM of this little book, read a few years back.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/8600
FM, I love the cover on that book; great stuff! 🙂
Dave 🙂
Stupid law is made when stupid people are agreed with. I can tell you everyone who once visited my basement and shoot some airgun is just waiting for me to say “guys, how about we go downstairs and destroy something” :=)
You made my day: “drive over any friend’s house, shoot them, and bring them home and shoot them some more.”
tomek, I’m happy I could make your day, LOL! 🙂
It is a profound politico-cultural divide between us and most of the planet, thedavemyster. Most countries treat their citizens as subjects, and though many also call themselves “democracies,” they have command-and-control governments in place. There are far too many citizens here these days who have gotten too comfortable with the idea of being subjects and allowing a “benevolent government/bureaucracy” – oxymoron alert! – to do their thinking and acting for them.
Amen!
Tomek,
I have a tremendous respect for the Polish people! They were among the first to stand up to the Russian communists.
I can’t understand a Diana 54 that has to be 7.5 J. Might as well get an FWB 300 it has a better trigger 🙂
Brent
Brent,
Thank you. It was never easy to exist in the middle of Europe between G and R…. there was a time that Poland was 123 years off the map of Europe as a country. Try to come back after that time 🙂
D54 with an “F…” is like jumping into a car and never driving.
BB,
Glad to see you are using the scope that comes with it and commenting on it. At first anyway.
If you mount a better scope from the get-go, some people may think you just prefer a more expensive scope and never find out that the one they are paying for and getting is junk or at the least not useful for their intended shooting.
Then again, it may be acceptable for them. At least they have some idea about how good or bad it is through your comments and may consider your suggestions or decisions before getting one.
I’m sure most here realize you won’t receive a high-quality scope when it comes with it. Some may be no more than a decoration when quality is considered.
A bundle package may give you a better one when offered. And it sure would help to know if the mount it comes with needs to be replaced to compensate for droop or shift.
FM will not set high expectations for the Gamo Whisper Fusion he was gifted with after reading this. The giver did not say anything about his shooting experience with it other than “the scope needs adjustment.” But hey, it’s a gift!
So let me get this straight. This new old stock gun- untuned, gets the same size groups as RR’s Diana 34 which was massaged by the master himself. And it does so with twice the speed and power. The Gamo is deemed junk and the Diana is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Sheesh.
pacoinohio, that’s an interesting observation. You had me pondering that one. But are we comparing apples to apples? Velocity, power, and precision are three criteria, but the Gamo is extremely heavy to cock, is hard to shoot, and is reputedly tough on scopes, while the Diana 34 is detuned to be easy to cock, and to shoot smoothly. RidgeRunner reported that it is as fun and easy to shoot as the venerable HW30S. I have high hopes that RidgeRunner will find a very accurate pellet, as Diana has a good reputation for its barrels. The Gamo is still breaking in, and I guess we shall see, but I would compare the Gamo to a Diana 350 Magnum rather than the Model 34.
Roamin Greco-
My comment was more to the point of ‘group think’ presented today. BB’s bias in reporting group sizes- only reporting gross size figure, rather than his normal ‘…8 of 10 shots in ‘X’, so this gun wants to shoot…..’ line of reasoning. And then everyone else piled on with the ‘We hate Gamo’. I just find it very interesting.
I’m with you. Your comment made me realize that I have somehow inherited a Gamo bias, too, although my experience so far has only been with their “””match””” pellets. Triple air quotes are needed there, IMHO, based on actual experience with a variety of airguns. Perhaps my bias also comes from my understanding of their marketing tactics of grossly overstating their velocities and the video of feral pig hunting with a .177 airgun.
Anyway, thanks for the reality check and bias recalibration. I look forward to more reports by B.B.
RG
I hope you read my comments below to pacoinohio. They probably explain why I keep on urging for an unbiased review of a Gen3i Swarm Magnum in 22 caliber.
Pacoinohio
I couldn’t agree with you more on your thoughts. RR’s Diana made one very good group in ten yards’ testing, after trying 8 or 9 different pellets. And that, as you mentioned, from a low powered tuned springer. I wonder, as you, why didn’t BB mention what the 8 out of 10 CPs group really was… The 10 was 0.688, so these 8 should be around 0.40! And that with a springer forgotten for many years, out of the box (Tomb).
We both smell some biased opinions here?
Wasn’t RR’s 34 shot at 25 yards and this one at 10 meters?
If that’s the case, we’re not at apples to apples yet.
Bill
Bill
Maybe you want to read my comments to pacoinohio just above.
Bill,
Yup, I was wrong. I initially went back and skimmed the article and distorted what I was presented with.
I am kind of a ‘fan boy’ of German airguns and also like some of the more modern, non German ones (the Avenger, for one). That being said, I think that the reason that I might cast more of a ‘jaundiced eye’ upon many of the others is that so many of the latest whiz-bang models are cast aside to become orphans. Good luck on trying to address a Gamo’s shortcomings, unless improvisation is your approach to having fun in this great hobby.
Doing something with an AirArms, Diana or Weihrauch? Not necessarily so hard.
So an am indeed biased and I admit it.
But I apologize for not making sure of my references before I spoke.
Bill
Billj-
The 11/29 Part 6 of RR’s D34 was shot at 10 yards (versus today’s 10 meters). RR suggested he would test at 25 yards for a Part 7 in the future.
I personally have a gamo Hunter extreme…… Made in England.
It was definitely the high water mark of the Hunter extreme in 177.
I can clearly see both where you have a point…… And where in this case at least the others share a consensus on Gamo.
I think you have to remind yourself how many hundreds of dollars worth of frustration this consensus actually comes from.
When they were new to the market my friend had a Hunter extreme. I remember quite well he had a leaper scope on it.
We did not know what a good air gun should do……. We did get pretty accurate at 25 to 30 yards.
However, the same gun actually walked the scope straight off the back of the gun. The rear ring dovetail opened up like it had been plowed. Your arm would ache at the elbow…… Shooting a couple hundred shots. Both he and I are big strong burly guys or at least I used to be.
So I’m sitting on the fence with a boot on each side. Part of me wants to say you’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater……. But being around this baby is pretty obnoxious too.
From that experience I did go on to spend enough money to buy a house,…… on
Airguns to enjoy an experience.
“… I did go on to spend enough money to buy a house,…… on Airguns to enjoy an experience.”
Frank, that brought a smile to my face 🙂 …then I realized: you aren’t joking! LOL 🙂
And now thanks to Dave I need a new cup of coffee because I spit this one all over the place!
Yes I have spent most of my life without adult supervision. I was never allowed a BB gun growing up…… And in my late 30s boy I set that one straight!!
I can’t remember his name, but I think it is something to do with air guns. That’s the guy I blame. Truthfully the guy I’m extremely thankful for!
B.B.’s Readership,
“This report is about an air rifle that left the market over a decade ago — The Gamo Hunter Extreme.”
Apples to apples? Bias? fixed Parallax scope? HUNTER not Target gun accuracy? One Off is a Review and not a statistically significant comparison test; not even informally!
I have never directly owned a coil spring spring piston airgun nor any Gamo.
Think on my thoughts…what do you think now?
shootski
You might be right, shootski, that none of the comments are, scientifically or statistically speaking, relevant.
But…
I think it’s fun to talk about airguns, anyway, and in any way.
FWIW, one could argue that nothing in this blog is statistically significant. But some information from a reliable and trusted source is better than no information at all. Plus, occasionally we have comments from others who provide their experience with the model B.B. reports on, so we get additional information. I follow your reports on the SIG ASP as much as I do B.B.’s reports.
Civilized and respectful discourse is still worthwhile.
Roamin Greco,
I was worried that my Reply would be misinterpreted to some degree. After reading Tom’s Blog this morning and then some of the readers comments i wanted to say what i thought my understanding of why i like this Blog and community of active readers. Too many other internet sources don’t admit to the biases we all bring with us as humans.
This Blogger (B.B. Pelletier) does understand his personal biases more than most; as do most of the active readers.
I find that WONDER WORTHY in this day and age of Influencers!
Hope that clears up my thoughts today and any other time past, present and in the future.
shootski
PS: As far as my SIG ASP20’s i am sad that Tom is soured on his because he has a gas spring that leaked down (SIG hasn’t been apparently contacted by him for a repair/replacement) and i think he should have!
It would have made for a great blog!
I do hope for some resources to keep mine running when the inevitable happens. Tom was right about them being the spring air rifle of the millennium.
But then was then and now is now.
shootski, I just had one of those strange ideas. Weihrauch knows how to make (or where to buy) an adjustable gas spring. Perhaps they or our friend Derek from Another Airgun Blog and a loyal reader here could reverse engineer it and then figure out how to make the stock SIG ASP gas spring adjustable so that when it leaks down, it can be modded and pumped back up. Is it possible?
Roamin Greco,
Theoben supplied the adjustable gas springs for Weihrauch airguns best in can remember.
A great read about B.B. and gas springs: the Crow Magnum, and I always thought it was a great rifle. Too bad they discontinued it so soon.
(This is my favorite line in his writing. Because it hints at the coil spring crowds ignorance about gas spring powerplants for at least a half century or more. The Professors are still with us with all their biases…and now Tom has apparently soured on them too!)
“…the Crow Magnum, and I always thought it was a great rifle. Too bad they discontinued it so soon.”
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2008/07/beeman-crow-magnumtheoben-eliminator-part-2/
As far as someone engineering a gas spring replacement for the SIG ASP20…why bother, cocking is easy power is fantastic for a springer, they are accurate, shot cycle is wonderful and more?
SIG had a outside supplier and best i can tell the SIGs shoot well enough with the OEM piston. Especially in light of giving MOST air gunners adjustments of any kind all too oten results in broken guns, returns, frustrations, and at best poor reviews.
I will repeat the Ed Shultz of the SIG SSG ASP20 Project recommendation for gas spring gun owners to not let them sit in the
gun corner/cabinet/safe/room
unexercised TOO long!
shootski
Magnum Rifle Air Guns
I think we can all agree that they have their shortcomings but definitely excel in one thing, Economical Devastating Power.
If you want to take out your aggression on some random targets by totally destroying them, grab your magnum.
You will be highly entertained and rewarded.
I mentioned to my brother-in-law, a hunter and non airgunner, that I had picked up a Umarex Octane and like my Ruger Magnums it was a beast and nothing like the days of a Red Rider or Model 25.
I guess like many of us old timers he did not expect extreme accuracy from an airgun, recalling the past, and bought one for the same reasons as most. Pest control and informal shooting. He was amazed at the power it has and is more than willing to put up with the airguns shooting characteristics. There is an obvious tradeoff for that power.
He really likes it and obviously does not spend all day shooting it.
They have their place in Air Gunning.
Bob M,
Lol!
If’n i was nearby, instead of clear across this great country, i would love to hand your brother-in-law my DAQ .58 Shortrifle loaded with a 350 grain Mrhollowpoint bullet and watch his face after he pressed the trigger. He might like just shooting an “air blank” enough considering it has no silencer.
shootski
I imagine he considered shooting a magnum airgun a mere, “Slap in the face” (pun intended) compared to a kick in the shoulder from a bolt action 308-cal. rifle.