New air rifle - Gamo Big Cat 1200!

[thebaldguy]

I picked up a new air rifle a few weeks ago. It's a .177 caliber Gamo Big Cat 1200. It's a nice low cost spring piston air rifle. I picked it up at Mills Fleet Farm (one of my favorite stores, I may add!) for $119.00 with a nice 4x scope. A friend of mine has a Gamo Hunter with a nice wood stock, but I figure that it's not worth the extra cost. The Big Cat 1200 has a decent plastic stock that works for me.

This thing is awesome. It's super accurate. Many times you can put pellets through the same hole. It took less than 10 shots to zero, and this thing is a shooter. I don't have a chrony, but according to Gamo you can get 1200 fps with their lightweight alloy pellets and 1000 fps with regular lead pellets. I use their regular lead flathead match pellets which are much cheaper. I have a Crosman 2100 Classic which is good, but I get tired of pumping and pumping pneumatic airguns.

I think these spring piston air rifles are good practice for shooting. It's illegal in my city to use an air rifle outside, so I setup a range in my basement. You can get a decent low end air rifle for around $100.00. Even though the cost of lead pellets have gone up quite a bit over the last few years, they are still very cheap to shoot. There are a wide variety of pellets available, from pointed hunting pellets to hollow point hunting pellets to flathead wadcutter target pellets. I recommend a spring piston air rifle as a cheaper substitute for real guns and ammo. I don't know if I would shoot a deer or a hog with this air rifle, but it would work on squirrels, crows, rabbits, and other smaller game. Get one and start shooting more at a cheap price. It's great fun and great practice. You got to get one.

[Balog]

I get so tired of all the snobbery associated with guns. You don't need a $2000 custom 1911 for a carry piece, and you don't need a $300+ airgun to pratice in your basement. Putting down other people because they don't live up to your standards doesn't encourage them to be better, it turns them off the whole concept.

[thebaldguy]

I looked at a bunch of different air rifles and read some reviews on the Gamo Big Cat 1200. Most seemed pretty positive. I think it's a better quality product than some of the cheaper Chinese made air rifles. I've had some experience with the nicer air rifles like RWS, and yes there is a difference. I just couldn't justify spending two or three times what the Gamo cost. While the more expensive ones are better, I'm not sure they are two or three times better. I did find Gamo replacement parts online, but most Gamo owners seem to have pretty good luck with them. I think about air rifles like comparing a Toyota and a Lexus. Both work, and the Lexus is nicer, but I personally can't justify the cost for what I use it for.

[Sergeant Bob]

I get so tired of all the snobbery associated with guns. You don't need a $2000 custom 1911 for a carry piece, and you don't need a $300+ airgun to pratice in your basement. Putting down other people because they don't live up to your standards doesn't encourage them to be better, it turns them off the whole concept.

Ooooh! But it gives them a chance to show off how much they know and to pimp what they have.
So baldguy, just to let you know, you bought an absolute piece of crap and it won't last for over 100 shots (which won't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside).
Ya know vhat? I have a Daisy C02 I bought for $20 over 20 years ago and it shoots real good. I got it to replace my Jennings.

[Sergeant Bob]

I get so tired of all the snobbery associated with guns. You don't need a $2000 custom 1911 for a carry piece, and you don't need a $300+ airgun to pratice in your basement. Putting down other people because they don't live up to your standards doesn't encourage them to be better, it turns them off the whole concept.

Ooooh! But it gives them a chance to show off how much they know and to pimp what they have.
So baldguy, just to let you know, you bought an absolute piece of crap and it won't last for over 100 shots (which won't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside).
Ya know vhat? I have a Daisy C02 I bought for $20 over 20 years ago and it shoots real good. I got it to replace my Jennings.

Oh boy, someone had to throw down the CO2 cartridge thing. 

How well do those work for you in cold weather?  Answer...NOT very well. 

How many CO2 capsules do you have to bring along for a day of shooting?  Answer, a LOT. 

How does accuracy vary/fall off over time when the gas pressure of the CO2 cartridges fall off over time?  Answer, a LOT. 

How many times over and over again do you have to buy NOT-refillable CO2 capsules?  Answer, a LOT.

How much shooting can you do when you run out of cartridges?  Answer, NONE. 

Remeber, he ONLY air guns (pistol and rifle) that can go forever with outside propulsion support are springers and pumpers, to include PCP (pre-charged pneumatics) with a hand pump.  That's it.  Only limited by the amount of pellets/ammo carried, which applies to every thing and any thing that can be fired.

Was there a point to all that?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

froggy new guy     bet hes short

[Balog]

I think you've amply proved my point for me.A guy gets a new gun, likes it, and someone is driven to crap all over it. This person is frequently A. Really into German (cars, guns, airguns etc) and B. a total prick. A couple hundred dollars is a lot to many people, especially the sort of people who maybe need a cheaper way to pratice shooting? 

[Ex-MA Hole]

Yup, there most certainly was.  Sorry you missed it. 

How much info beyond $20 air guns do you have, Mr. Midget Clinton Avatar?

it shoots real good.

Yea, "it shoots real good".  Like anyone should take THAT informed, scholarly advice.

I like to think mine shoot "quite well". 

dtemplar,

On behalf of the staff at ArmedPOLITESociety, I'd like to welcome you to our little corner or the internet.

A bit of friendly advice, if you have any hopes of lasting here and getting something out of OUR site, you may want to take a little step back, read some of out posts in order to get the general feel of the site.

Have a pleasant day.

M

[thebaldguy]

Here's a bunch of reviews I found. Pyramydair.com is a good place for airguns and info.

http://www.pyramydair.com/p/gamo-big-cat-1200-air-rifle.shtml

http://reviews.basspro.com/2010/95094/reviews.htm

I have been in the market for a spring piston air rifle for some time. I actually did quite a bit of research on air rifles. I guess I'm really a tightwad at heart, so I just couldn't justify spending more than $200.00 for a air rifle. There are some very nice ones out there; I just can't justify spending hundreds and hundreds of hard earned dollars for one.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i can justify it  its my wife that i can't convince

[mtnbkr]

Google up a guy named Gary Barnes and see what he's offering in the air rifle arena for, oh, let's say...$20 PLUS thousand freakin' dollars.

I don't have to google Gary Barnes because I've met him in person and discussed his guns at length (used to be an airgunner, but doesn't make sense when I have to go to the same ranges as the "real" gunners).  He's less of a dick about airguns than you are.

Chris

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

reminds me of my neighbor the sailboater.

[Gewehr98]

He's less of a dick about airguns than you are.

That's good, because just one of that sort here at APS is one too many. 

[Sergeant Bob]

Yup, there most certainly was.  Sorry you missed it. 

How much info beyond $20 air guns do you have, Mr. Midget Clinton Avatar?

it shoots real good.

Yea, "it shoots real good".  Like anyone should take THAT informed, scholarly advice.

I like to think mine shoot "quite well". 

I'm certainly happy you like my avatar!

If you're going to be a grammar nazi (and yes, I was quite aware I wrote "real good" when "real well" is the proper form), then why didn't you jump on "Ya know vhat?"

I'm pretty sure baldguy knows his $100 air gun (or my $20 Daisy) doesn't match up to a $20,000 wenis extension but, it does what he wants it to do and I'm sure that's quite good enough.

[Manedwolf]

I paid $16 for a used Crosman Mk 1 pistol, only airgun that I really went "wow, this fits my hand" in regards to. It'll shoot through the same hole from a rest. Uses C02 cylinders.

Does what I want it to.

[Balog]

Google up a guy named Gary Barnes and see what he's offering in the air rifle arena for, oh, let's say...$20 PLUS thousand freakin' dollars.

I don't have to google Gary Barnes because I've met him in person and discussed his guns at length (used to be an airgunner, but doesn't make sense when I have to go to the same ranges as the "real" gunners).  He's less of a dick about airguns than you are.

Chris

Mtnbkr ftw! Best admin slap since Maned's "kids peeing in the streets" thread from whence I got my sigline. 

And dt, it's not what you said, it's how you said it.

What you said. "Your gun sucks, you're an idiot, and you need to have what I do to avoid being a loser."

A better way. "I'm glad you're happy with your new rifle, but in my experience guns at that price point tend to wear out very quickly. The parts are tough to find, and quickly add up to more than if you'd bought something just a bit more expensive. I personally have and love..... etc"

Same basic concept, but you don't end up looking like some *expletive deleted*bag fanboy and getting an anal probe with the banstick.

[Balog]

Oh and baldguy, congrats on the new gun. Seems like a fine choice that you did your homework on. What kind of a backstop do you need for this, and how loud is the report? I'm thinking about getting one for shooting in the house.

[thebaldguy]

Airguns can be a bit noisy. It's not a .22 rifle report, but you can hear it in other parts of the house. There are some that come with a suppresor, but I'm not sure how well they work. The lighter pellets that can break the sound barrier are louder. Don't shoot your air rifle when your girlfriend is trying to sleep. Trust me on this one.

I've used the metal backstops, but as you guessed they're a bit noisy. I made one using a cardboard box the size of a newspaper folded in half. Lay the folded up newspapers in the box halfway full. I then put in two scraps of 3/4 inch plywood cut to fit the box. I then filled the rest of the box with newspapers. Think newspaper/plywood/newpaper sandwich. Tape shut, and you're done. Replace your low cost pellet trap periodically when it gets shot out. It will take hundreds and hundreds of shots; move the target from time to time to extend life. When shot out, put in new newspapers and tape another piece of cardboard cut to fit over the shot out box lid and bottom. It's the same design that my dad and I used 35 years ago.

Did I mention that I was cheap?

[mtnbkr]

TBG, I haven't used a supressor-equipped airgun myself, but I *understand* the suppressor does work, especially on the PCP guns.  The blast of air coming out is quite noisy.

FWIW, there are a couple airgunner magazines available at bookstores.  They're imported from Britain as airguns are popular there.  Unfortunately the nannies have noticed them as well and you need a "firearms certificate" for any airgun that exceeds 12ft/lbs of energy.  The BSA Supersport I used to own came in a non-FAC and FAC version because of that  (had the FAC version natch, buy needed no FAC here in the good ol US).

It has been a while, but here was an American based airgun newsletter that is worth checking out.  I think you can download older copies from their website, but I forget the name.  There is also a big airgun specific show in Roanoke, Va each Fall (folks from all over flock to it, including guys like Gary Barnes).

Chris

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

very short

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

 

[K Frame]

Stick a sock in it, everyone, or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow a couple of you right the hell of this board.