GAMO Big Cat 1200 on sale at BIG 5 in Nor-Cal: $129 w/ scope, but no laser.

1200fps with one type pellet

1000fps with another

one pump=maximum

polymer fluted barrel

cheek pad

recoil pad

feels light & flimsy compared to Beeman

maybe that''s good

your thoughts

for what?

If you aren''t looking to kill ****, I''d get one of those kick ass electric guns that look like machine guns and fire little plastic balls at full auto!

Going after rats or kids ruining the lawn?

(poor bastid)

I have a mastodon infestation.

If you must know.

That rifle is actually a front break, not a pump.

I have an older version without the bull-barrel and with ghost ring sights. VERY accurate, fun to shoot, but you''re not going to kill anything larger than a pigeon with it, in fact, I doubt that it will even kill a squirrel.

Even shoots well with cheap pellets like crossmans. RWS match grade super-points and you can almost stack the pellets on top of each other.

you''ll shoot your eye out, kid....

Re No.5

Then, inevitably, the mastodons will rule the back yard.

This is not good.

How can something going 1000fps not kill?

If I drove my Schwinn Air-Dyne into a mastodon at 1000fps, it would keel over, I bet.

The mastodon.

I would even wear my yellow So''wester and matching hat.

For $129 I''d buy a .22 rifle.

Kali mastodons eat .22''s like peanuts, my good man.

^

Then why would you expect them to be killed by a .177 traveling at a lower velocity and weighing roughly 1/3 to 1/4 that of the .22LR round?

If you plan to take down a squirrel with a .177, you are going to have to hit it dead on in a vital organ, and it''s going to have to be with something like a Beeman Silver Arrow round or a Crow Magnum. Crow Mags are basically flying ashtrays, so they do a lot of trauma damage, but not very long range or horribly accurate out past 10-15m. Silver Arrows are very heay pointed penetrators that are very stable in flight, but not so much trauma damage so you''re going to have to shoot very accurately.

Go to a larger caliber pellet, and your trauma damage will increase due to the added weight and size (even though you are trading caliber for velocity in these kinds of weapons to some extent). But, you probably don''t want to know the cost on a high-powered .22 or .25 from a company like RWS, Dana or Beeman (think $400-$600+)

I shoot an RWS. I like the RWS or Beeman magnum pellets (I believe they are 8.2 gr in .177 caliber, moving at probably @1000fps at the muzzle). I have a 3-9X Beeman scope on it. I have no problems killing crows, squirrels, blackbirds and small dogs. If you can pick out a vital area and hit it, you can kill a lot.

Gamo rifles look cool. RWS rifles drive tacks and kill stuff. You pick what you need.

J

^

Beeman Crow Magnums (hollow points) are 8.8gr in .177

I can''t speak to their prices because I haven''t needed to buy pellets in so long, but here''s a decent listing of the various manufacturers products with weights and descriptions.

http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/beeman_pellets_air_guns_s/111.htm 

I used to kill the **** out of squirrels with a POS Crossman BB gun.

Better buy it before it gets reclassified as an assault rifle. You would be suprised what that pellet gun can take down with proper placement.

I bought my father a Gamo Shadow 1000 a couple of years ago for Christmas.

I''ve shot the thing lots more than he has. Trust me, it will waste a squirrel. I even dropped a dove at 25 yards.(of course it was on the ground)

You should have no problem killing your birds. If anything they will get the picture to not hang around.

Thats a good price. I think I paid just under $200

Just double checked, my .177 is actually a Marksman mod 45, not a Gamo. Not sure why I was thinking it was a Gamo earlier.

I actually had pretty good success getting rid of mastodons with traps (the most effective bait turned out to be minced glyptodon meat). We haven''t had a problem at HarHouse in years (three million years?).

If you''re not into traps, a pair of saber-tooth cats worked well for my neighbor across the street.

ScottHar

^... I''ve taken many squirrels and rabbits with a pellet gun ... without requiring a head shot (though that is my first choice)...

... a .177 Gamepoint Pellet at 800fps is more than sufficient for a 30yd shot...

... also have a Gamo Hunter 440 in .22 Caliber - put a (cheap) BSA Bronze AR Series Scope on it (yes, you have to use an Air Rifle Scope on an Air Rifle or you''ll trash your scope with the reverse recoil of this type of air rifle) and it prints a 1" group at 25yds and is "parallax free" at 10ft out to 300+ yds ...

- ^ Rifle + Scope was about $275-$300 total

- not sure about the velocity, but I think it''s about 800fps (maybe a little more) and does a fine job on crows out to 40yds ...

- you can find one used in excellent condition w/scope for about $150-$175

and here''s a few YouTube videos of some rednecks using one for Rat hunting ... Country would love one of these for the cats ...

... pretty entertaining if you ask me ...

and .22 pellets are cheap ... it''s a single shot, break-action, basic .22 air rifle ...

I just bought a cheap Daisy air rifle that shoots 1000fps that came with a scope for $70 from Bass Pro during a Xmas sale. It easily takes out the damn, dirty pigeons that are all around here. And it''s legal to shoot in my backyard.

^... legal to shoot is one thing ... but be careful with the state laws (don''t know how yours are written) because in some states, even though you can "shoot" a real rifle, pistol, or even an air gun "legally" in your backyard ... well ... that''s different from "hunting" in which most states require that you not discharge a weapon (while hunting) within 500ft of any residence, dwelling, or livestock ...

- up here, you have to have "written consent" from the property owner of the home, etc. to allow you to "hunt" within that range ... if you don''t ... it''s trouble ...

- weird laws ...

- and yep, high-powered air guns will be the next thing Obama wants to ban ...