GTA

All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: Sqrl_chsr on October 27, 2017, 05:17:31 PM

Title: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Sqrl_chsr on October 27, 2017, 05:17:31 PM
I stopped at Wally World today and looked at 3 air rifles.
Swiss arms TG-1
Ruger Air Hawk Elite II
Gamo Swarm Maxxim
Anyone out there shooting or have tried these? Opinions??
Thnx
Gil
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: AHMSA on October 27, 2017, 05:24:04 PM
I have the Gamo Swarm Maxxim and it's an excellent rifle.  It's a 10-shot repeater break barrel rifle.  Mine is very accurate and lots of fun to shoot.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Roadworthy on October 27, 2017, 06:05:46 PM
Some Gamo Swarm owners have had problems with the magazine feed.  Gamo is addressing the problem on a case by case basis.
                            https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=134133.0;topicseen (https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=134133.0;topicseen)

The Ruger Airhawk Elite II may be another gun based on the B19 platform like the Crosman break barrel family.

I know nothing about the Swiss Arms.

All appear to be of Chinese origin.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) on October 27, 2017, 09:24:40 PM
I have a Swarm in .22 that I will sell, it will come with 3 magazines!  No problems with it, but I need to sella couple to make room for the Gauntlet and help fund a compressor.  It is a fun break barrel and the 10 shot magazine mechanism is exceptionally smooth.  Gamo did a good job on this one!
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Sqrl_chsr on October 28, 2017, 01:23:20 PM
I have a Swarm in .22 that I will sell, it will come with 3 magazines!  No problems with it, but I need to sella couple to make room for the Gauntlet and help fund a compressor.  It is a fun break barrel and the 10 shot magazine mechanism is exceptionally smooth.  Gamo did a good job on this one!
Thanks but no. Seriously considering one with fixed sights and a scope.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: BrokeWinger on October 28, 2017, 02:04:22 PM
I had a Ruger Blackhawk Elite. Wasn't a good experience. In all fairness that was probably my fault. It as my first Springer and I knew nothing about them. I took it out of the box and imediately started shooting it. Didn't clean it first and it was dieseling something fierce. Not bowing any better I thought that it was just a really powerful pellet gun. Never could get it to shoot straight. We're talking a four FOOT spread sometimes worse. That is likely to be a product of damage from the dieseling.

That being said...I was very impressed with the power of that rifle.

I took it back to walmart and exchanged it for a Beeman Silver Kodak Dual caliber. Used the .22 barrel and this time I knew better and cleaned it thoroughly, cleaned the barrel  and THEN shot it. It shot great, but I'm not a springer guy so I traded it off.

I have often thought of giving the RBE another go but...like I said springers ain't for me.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: lefteyeshot on October 28, 2017, 03:55:23 PM
The Swiss Air is a Crosman/B19 clone. The Air Hawks are Rugers and D34 clones. I have the Swarm. It accurate but like the other guy said guys, including me, are having problems with the repeater function.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) on October 28, 2017, 04:38:20 PM
I have a Swarm in .22 that I will sell, it will come with 3 magazines!  No problems with it, but I need to sella couple to make room for the Gauntlet and help fund a compressor.  It is a fun break barrel and the 10 shot magazine mechanism is exceptionally smooth.  Gamo did a good job on this one!
Thanks but no. Seriously considering one with fixed sights and a scope.

I undertand, fix sights won't work with that repeater mechanism sitting on top of everything!  I was really surprised it didn't block the scope!
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: lefteyeshot on October 28, 2017, 04:46:16 PM
No, it doesn't block the scope. The Swarm looks like it is a Hornet Maxxim with the repeater part add and it didn't have open sights either.

I replaced the gas ram with a spring and had a GRT trigger installed so if nothing else I got a smooth shooting single shot with a nice 10 oz trigger.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: deathlock on November 01, 2017, 06:21:43 AM
Check different walmarts, Ive seen a few Gamos on clearance, one was up to 70 off last week at my local walmart.  I have 3 within a 40 mile radius, always different stuff on clearance, few gamos, and tasco scopes where clearanced for 19.99.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Hoosier Daddy on November 01, 2017, 09:32:51 AM
Isn't the Ruger an Umarex product?
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Matchstickshooter on November 01, 2017, 10:27:11 AM
Beeman Silver Kodiak x2 came away from Walmart early last summer for $76. It seems to be a magnum springer! ;)
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Smaug2 on November 01, 2017, 11:51:08 AM
If the repeater function has any value to you, I'd go with a Swarm. Walmart is such a high volume retailer, they've likely sold all stock of the defective ones by now. If not, Gamo will take care of you.

If the repeater function is not of value, the Diana 34 action is a good one.

In any case, remember that you should clean the barrel and breech and shoot a few hundred rounds before you make any real judgments on it. Then, you'll need to buy several different kinds of pellets to test to find the one that it shoots most accurately. Just buying a selection from what Walmart has is not going to cut it, if you want it to be all it can be.

Lastly, you'll want to make sure you have a one-piece scope mount and a decent scope.

Check your stock and trigger guard screws often. They tend to work lose and cause accuracy issues if not Loctited and checked frequently. Once the gun is broken in and the screws are Loctited and tightened properly, you'll find it is not necessary to check so often.

This is what it takes to get top accuracy out of any springer.

Last comment: not all Walmarts are equal. I live in a major metro area, and the air rifle offerings here are dismal. No Silver Kodiaks or Rugers, just Crosmans and "Benjamins".
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Xraycer on November 01, 2017, 11:59:24 AM
Should you come across a Beeman 2004 (P17), jump on it!

It is a pneumatic pistol, that sells for a measily $33, but it is a big performer and so much fun to shoot.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Hoosier Daddy on November 01, 2017, 02:10:06 PM
Does your Walmart have the Ruger Impact? It got good reviews.
Wish I would have snagged one when they were on the shellves here.

I instead bought a Beeman Silver Kodiak RX2 and for the price I couldn't be happier. But you didn't ask about that one.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Wolverineshooter on November 01, 2017, 02:41:46 PM
Should you come across a Beeman 2004 (P17), jump on it!

It is a pneumatic pistol, that sells for a measily $33, but it is a big performer and so much fun to shoot.

Agree and bought a second one from AGD. Still my most accurate gun. I wish my PP700 can come close to it.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Wolverineshooter on November 01, 2017, 02:44:28 PM
Does your Walmart have the Ruger Impact? It got good reviews.
Wish I would have snagged one when they were on the shellves here.

I instead bought a Beeman Silver Kodiak RX2 and for the price I couldn't be happier. But you didn't ask about that one.

My local Walmart has it for $99.

The Walmart price varies from store to store a lot. Some stores has clearance on Gamo Elite Fusion for $54 but I missed it. The ones carrying it still sells for $224
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Adam L. on November 01, 2017, 10:06:38 PM
Uncle bought the Swiss arms TG-1, A few days ago as he was loading it a pellet fell down into the stock, It bent the spring position lock (the part that hold the spring back while cocked) so it doesn't cock anymore. As we where looking at it we saw it used some REALLY cheap metal for a few things. He is returning it soon.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Mikeflys on November 01, 2017, 10:41:26 PM
I just looked on line. Wally world is advertising the swarm for $180.00. For $45 more you can get a fully tuned XS-25 from Mike at Flying Dragon. A proven platform with Mikes excellent workmanship. That would be $45 very well spent.
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Weiand on November 01, 2017, 11:17:20 PM
I've seen that repeater in Pyramyd catalogs an online. Always wondered about that one.
Jus' from the pics, open sights would be no way an the pics I've seen, looks like the scope barely clears the loader.
The concept seems neat. Just seems like a lot to go "wrong" with it as well as scope clearance. Seems like "bumping" the loader any could cause issues.
But a real neat idea / concept
Title: Re: Walmart air rifles
Post by: Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) on November 02, 2017, 08:44:33 AM
I've seen that repeater in Pyramyd catalogs an online. Always wondered about that one.
Jus' from the pics, open sights would be no way an the pics I've seen, looks like the scope barely clears the loader.
The concept seems neat. Just seems like a lot to go "wrong" with it as well as scope clearance. Seems like "bumping" the loader any could cause issues.
But a real neat idea / concept

It's a pretty smooth mechanism and surprisingly, you don't see it through the scope, even with low mounts.  I did try a red dot on it in lieu of iron sight, but that was a no-go, all you could see was the magazine!