Today reader RidgeRunner, begins telling tells us about his experience shooting his Gamo Bone Collector Gen3i. If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, RidgeRunner
RidgeRunner’s Gamo Bone Collector Gen3i: Part One
by RidgeRunner
This report covers:
- Someone was paying attention
- Let’s trade
- At the range
- Baracuda 15
- Baracuda 18
- Baracuda
- JSB Exact 18.13 grain
- Back to the drawing board
- Summary from BB
Someone was paying attention
Well, someone was paying close attention when I told BB that I wanted to buy his Gamo Swarm Bone Collector 10X Gen3i when he was through with it. I tried contacting Pyramyd AIR, to see if I could have BB send the rifle directly to me when he was finished but the fellow did not seem to understand what I was trying to do. He told me I would have to buy a brand new one. That was not going to happen.
Let’s trade
What did happen was a gentleman on the blog had a brand new one and was quite willing to work out a trade for one of my sproingers. Hey, I would much rather do something like that anyhow. While I was at it I swapped a nicely equipped Crosman 2240 that I had for a Benjamin 130 and a Benjamin 132. I know it will likely take some doing but I am sure eventually I will have those two “old gals” up and running sometime. Now, if I can just get my grubby paws on a 137.
I need a 137 to go with these old gals.
At the range
It was a cloudy, relatively cool day, so I took the Gamo out to the shooting bench to give it a try. I did not attempt to use the artillery hold with it, but laid it directly on my shooting bags. After a bit I figured that if my intention was to hit anything, I was going to have to use an artillery hold. But, being such a hard head, I shot it without doing that for the whole time of today’s test.
Baracuda 15
I thought I would start out with a magazine full of H&N Baracuda 15 pellets. Ten of them made a “group” of about three and one half inches at twenty-five yards. That ain’t a-gonna work.
I do not think 3 ½ inches is going to work.
Baracuda 18
Next I filled the magazine with H&N Baracuda 18 pellets. Maybe something a little heavier would work. A ten shot “group” of these was three and one eighth inches. I guess that is a little better. It’s still hard to call it a group though, and not a pattern.
3 1/8 inches is not going to work either.
Baracuda
Maybe something even heavier would work? H&N Baracudas weigh a little over twenty-one grains in .22 caliber. I loaded up the magazine with them and had a go. This group measured four inches between centers. These were not going to do it either.
4 inches is not what I am looking for.
JSB Exact 18.13 grain
Maybe if I changed pellet brands things would work better? I have some JSB Exact 18.13 grain pellets. But after I shot them and looked at the group I think maybe not. They made a four and one quarter inch group.
4 ¼ inch. Ugh!
Back to the drawing board
It looks as though I am going to have to use the artillery hold with this thing. I did notice a couple of other things while shooting this air rifle. One thing is the trigger most definitely needs some work on it. The second stage release is kinda mushy and heavy. I think I can make it a bit lighter and a bit more crisp. We shall see.
Something else I figured out is if you get one of these things, you are going to want at least one extra magazine. If not, you are going to spend a lot of time reloading.
After I put a couple hundred more pellets through this sproinger, I will take it back out to the shooting bench and see what I can do with it then.
Summary from BB
Ridgerunner did something today that I find too interesting to ignore. It will be the basis for tomorrow’s blog.
Yes,
Pistols are hard to shoot well.
Love the handles, is that just plastic?
Looks like a nice set of duelling pistols???
-Y
Yogi,
I have not shot the pistols yet. One is a smooth bore (130) for bbs and the other is rifled (132) for .22 pellets. I am now looking for a Benjamin 137 which is the rifled .177 pellet version. These pistols are non-functional at the moment, but I am confident I can get them working.
The grips are indeed plastic, but the pump handles are wood. They are nice looking, but if I can get wood grips for them I will.
RR,
I thought I might have a 137 I would let go. I looked and it turns out I have two 137’s! If you’re interested let me know.
MJH,
I am indeed interested.
If you can let me know how to contact you I can send pics. One is boxed with some paperwork and the other isn’t boxed and is missing the rear sight. Both shoot. I remember resealing them when I was more into the airgun world.
burke93 at tds dot net
You sound like the kind of fellow who can translate this. 😉
RidgeRunner,
I agree you have a hard head (who doesn’t?) but shooting 25 yards from the get go if you were a new shooter is asking for disappointment. If I recall correctly your shooting bags are cut offs form jeans and filled with polystyrene pellets (at least that’s what my rememberer tells me). Can I correctly assume that you laid your rifle right into the groove? You might want to try shooting it crosswise instead to minimize the contact area of the fore end. If you still want to avoid shooting using the artillery hold.
Siraniko
Yes looks like a 10 yard pistol, or ten paces…
-Y
Siraniko,
Your rememberer is not working too bad. My shooting bags are made from the legs of old jeans and are filled with a hard poly (plastic) bead almost .25 inches in diameter. They are pretty heavy, but the beads shift much easier than sand. The bags are about ten inches long.
I was laying the Gamo on the side of the bag without the side seam. I have another trick or two I intend to try before I go with the true artillery hold. This old, fat, bald-headed geezer just ain’t too steady no more.
RidgeRunner, I hope you get this rifle shooting better; but what I’m really looking to see is you getting those pistols working, and then posting a pic of yourself going all “Outlaw Josey Wales” with one in each hand! 😉
Dave,
I do fully intend to learn how to shoot this air rifle. It will likely help me do better with some of these “old gals” again. As for posting a picture of me holding these two pistols, y’all don’t wanna see this old, fat, bald-headed geezer. You will eventually see what these pistols will do though.
LOL! I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll do! 😉
The pistols are definitely more interesting than the Gamo. Hopefully Benjamin will bring back these pistols.
Oh wait, Benjamin isn’t doing pumpers anymore! So company, then!
OP,
The Benjamin company does not even exist anymore. TCFKAC does still use that brand on some of their creations, but they are trying to get away from that. The 1377, the 1322 and the 362 air rifle is about as close as they get nowadays.
TCFKAC does still make a version of the 760 and they have a few other cheap pumpers, but nothing really worth talking about. They messed it up and finally dropped the 392 and 397. I guess the 362 is going to be their new pumper flagship line. That wood stocked 362 might not be a bad one to own.
RR,
I usually sight in new guns with CPHPs to baseline them with. As you may recall, my backyard range is only 15 meters but I was getting sub one inch groups with the Gamo at that distance with Premiers. Seems like it enjoyed eating H&N Field Target Trophys as well. I used a seated position with a cheap Caldwell front rest, laying the rifle stock directly on the rest similar to the way you are using your bags. I do not recall for sure but it seems like it did best when rested closer to the trigger guard. I never got the chance to try it out at any longer of a distance.
Wish I had spent more time with it pellet testing before sending her your way, but I was kind of saving it like the last present on Christmas and never really got around to playing with it after I opened it up. I know you will get her tamed down and figured out. I am enjoying reading about it through someone else’s eyes.
Bob
Bob,
I am feeding her what I have a good bit of at this point, although I am interested in what she will do. I do not care for the trigger, but I think there is hope there. You can bet that before all is said and done, I will find out what pellets she likes to dance with and how she likes to be held when doing such.
Although loading these magazines up is no fun, if you are doing a good bit of shooting, they are handy to have around, if you have more than one. I am still of the opinion that a pellet pen with a normal breaker would work just as well. It is much easier to load the magazine with a pellet pen, but that is adding a few more steps, IMMHO.
RR
Try slugs if they fit in the magazines. I have a big box store .22 that wasted many hundreds of different pellets at 25 yards. So what the heck I tried some H&N slugs and what to my wondering eyes should appear but an almost decent if not great 10 shot group measuring just over an inch.
Deck
Deck,
That is not out of the realm of possibilities. I will likely give her a try with such before all is said and done. I am just now learning to dance with her right now before I find out what she likes to eat. 😉
RidgeRunner,
I read your Guest Blog after being awakened by a thunderstorm and not quickly falling asleep very early this morning. I was going to make some snarky comment about you needing to mount a scope if you wanted to shoot at 25 yards. My better angel kept me from doing that! Is the GAMO scope to blame? The rifle may deserve that but you don’t deserve that kind of comment.
You may want to run a patch to feel the the length of the bore or better still slug the bore to see if it is the problem.
I have always wanted a set of those 13X Benjamin (or similar versions) pistols since i was a kid and a friend of mine had all three. I’m certain you can get them up and running. Do protect those plastic grips (i believe they are OEM and maybe Tom can tell us how rare in that condition.) by storing them in bags (electronic component bags work really well) with Oxygen absorbers.
Decksniper might just have something on the H&N bullets (slugs) as long as they are light and fit the bore nearest the muzzle well.
Much of the problem with airguns shooting bullets (slugs) is that folks fit them to the Leade/breech and not the last few inches of barrel where FIT really matters the most.
shootski
shootski,
I personally appreciate your “better angel”. This thing does not have a Gamo scope on her although I think I can mount one if need be. I would rather not. She has an old UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster on her at the moment.
If you reread my post here, you will note that I am resting this sproinger directly on my shooting bags. It is quite obvious that she does not like that. She would much prefer to be held gently when she dances. I will just have to learn how she likes to dance and what she likes to be fed. Like I was saying to Brent just below here, I will be fixing this trigger and then she if I should replace this gas ram thingy if it is not too much trouble.
What this barrel is like, I do not know. We will check it out sometime. Is she going to be worth fixing up? That I do not know either. I do have a few other projects I can work on.
RR,
I’m really surprised that you’re spending time with this gas ram air rifle since BB didn’t really have any luck with it. If it was a springer, I’d say cut a couple of coils off and lower the FPE. I’m sold on Springers after starting out with a couple of cheap gas rams . You might see one of these at my house if somebody gave it to me, then again you might not. Maybe you can turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse but I’m not holding my breath. Hope you don’t put too much time into this if it looks like it’s not gonna pan out.
Brent
Brent,
This thing just might end up with a spring in her. First thing I will do is make the trigger decent and then if I can dance with her a bit, I just might pull the gas ram thingy out and replace it with a spring. I personally think this gal just may be able to dance well if she has a bit of surgery to replace those two left feet.
RidgeRunner,
“…replace those two left feet.”
Lol!
I know you and many don’t typically like Gas Springs; but my only real experience has been with my two SIG SSG ASP20s that are Sporter+ tack drivers. I have no real metal spring airgun experience and although i might someday I’m not in too much of a rush since i have no urgent need to become a disciple of the Church of Yogi… The DARK SIDE is my religious preference, lol!
shootski
shootski,
Most of the time I myself prefer “the Dark Side”, but on occasion I like to dabble with sproingers. My personal experience is I like coil springs because if I find them to be a little too powerful, I can cut off a few coils and reduce the power to suit me.
With most gas springs you get what you get. There are Theoben gas springs and the HW90 has a Theoben clone, but that is it right now. For a little bit Hatsan was offering a gas spring that could be adjusted, but no more. Until such become readily available…
Another issue is that gas springs have been known to fail. What do you do? If you are real lucky you can get a replacement, but do not bet on it. A replacement coil spring is readily available. If you have your own spring compressor, which I do, I can change the springs out any time I wish. I can easily go up or down in power.
There is a good chance I will take a look see at replacing the gas spring in this with a coil spring if possible. I might even leave the gas spring in it and have a coil spring handy, just in case.
RidgeRunner,
I get all that your saying.
I do wish that the SIGs had an adjustable gas spring; if for no other reason than that usually means it would probably be serviceable rather than remove and replace.
I think the track record shows that the POWER hungry airgunner on all the existing powerplants will go beyond the logical limit, with the wrong technique(s) and usually for all the wrong reasons.
I hope the gas springs in my SIG ASP20 appreciate the regular exercise routine that i provide them with ;^)
Regardless of how your adventure with the GAMO ends i know you will enjoy the voyage of discovery with her.
May she learn to dance Wiener Waltzer!
And perhaps a little Tango on the side.
shootski
shootski,
Yes, the power mongers did destroy the piston seals of the Theobens by exceeding the design parameters. That is a shame as it ended these before someone like me had the opportunity to play with them. They are just way too expensive now for me to give them serious consideration.
As for your Sigs, I think you will have them for quite some time to come. This Gamo might hang around here if she learns to dance. If not, there are a whole bunch of other dancers out there. 😉