Gamo magnum vs regular?

[Randino]

I've been looking at the new Gamos, it's been a while since I've looked at new airguns. If I'm looking at a .22 shooting lead, what's the difference in power or fps between the Magnum 33mm cylinder, and the gas ram set up in the Whisper Fusion? How do those compare to the old style spring powerplants that are rated at 750 fps with .22 lead? Is it more powerful? Higher FPS?

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Hi Randy.
I have the 22 cal. Gamo Magnum GR spring powered rifle.
It is quite stout to cock, I use two hands.
It has a lot of power for a breakbarrel rifle but it is not a all day plinker.
There are some significant down sides to magnums and they are harder to be accurate with.
What do you plan on using the rifle for ?
I use mine for hunting.
If you don't hunt then I suggest passing on a magnum.

Best Wishes - Tom

[Randino]

I'm hunting squirrels with mine. I'm currently using an old .22 Whisper, the first gen model. I love it, but I'm just wondering how much better the magnums are fps wise, and if it's worth getting one, putting a scope on it, and having a little more range with it.

[HOSPassassin]

From my research (not having owned a Magnum) the Magnum seems to shoot about 250 fps faster than a normal-powered Gamo in .22. Like Tom said, it is also a bear to cock and much more difficult to shoot accurately. You might have to think about whether the theoretically greater range that you get from that extra 250 fps will actually result in a greater practical range. It's not going to help you if you can still only hit something at 30 yards because it is that much harder to shoot.

You could split the difference and get a "junior magnum" powered Gamo like the new Bone Collector or the Varmint Power. They give you another ~150 fps over a basic rifle.

[Randino]

I was looking at the Varmit power, but I wasn't sure if it was any stronger. I was worried it was too cheap though, that price makes me wonder. I also like the whisper tech for the quiter shots, and the extra leverage. What I'd love to get is a Hunter Extreme in .22 with the whisper noise dampener, but they don't make it anymore. I've had no luck finding a used one, and I don't really want the new one in .25 cal. .22 is a big enough hole.

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Powerwise this is what my 22 cal. Gamo Magnum GR will do.... with the Right type of pellet.
For me, this magnum makes for deeper penetration on large Raccoon sized game animals.
Pictured below is a quarter I shot at 3-5 feet.

Best Wishes - Tom

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=214450.0

[splitbeing]

For squirrel, you probably don't gain any practical range with a magnum. It doesn't take much power to kill a squirrel, just accuracy.  I doubt the distance you could head shot a squirrel at ethically would increase with a magnum rifle,  It might decrease as they are harder to shoot and you may get less practice due to increased cocking force demands on your body.

If memory serves the nonmagnum gamos are 14ish fpe, which is plenty for springer ranges on squirrel.

[Back_Roads]

 I shot my friends Gamo Mach1 in .177, 5 shots under a dime rested at 30 yards. I also repaired my friends Gamo a few years later.

[HPP-Mechanic]

I was looking at the Varmit power, but I wasn't sure if it was any stronger. I was worried it was too cheap though, that price makes me wonder. I also like the whisper tech for the quiter shots, and the extra leverage. What I'd love to get is a Hunter Extreme in .22 with the whisper noise dampener, but they don't make it anymore. I've had no luck finding a used one, and I don't really want the new one in .25 cal. .22 is a big enough hole.

I was lucky enough to get a Hunter Exreme .22 when they were available. It’s not very hold sensitive, and very accurate. Even with the whisper potato on the end, it’s still pretty loud. I shoot at 2” targets @ 50yds (scoped) and seldom miss. It is a bear to cock though.  I would get the .25 if I were you- maybe down the road, trade someone for a .22. The Hunter Extreme is Probably one of Gamo’s best guns they ever made.

[H95Kidd]

I was looking at the Varmit power, but I wasn't sure if it was any stronger. I was worried it was too cheap though, that price makes me wonder. I also like the whisper tech for the quiter shots, and the extra leverage. What I'd love to get is a Hunter Extreme in .22 with the whisper noise dampener, but they don't make it anymore. I've had no luck finding a used one, and I don't really want the new one in .25 cal. .22 is a big enough hole.

I was lucky enough to get a Hunter Exreme .22 when they were available. It’s not very hold sensitive, and very accurate. Even with the whisper potato on the end, it’s still pretty loud. I shoot at 2” targets @ 50yds (scoped) and seldom miss. It is a bear to cock though.  I would get the .25 if I were you- maybe down the road, trade someone for a .22. The Hunter Extreme is Probably one of Gamo’s best guns they ever made.

Very much agree with HPP Mechanic. My experience has been the same. Mine does not seem to be loud at all, the factory suppressor seems to work pretty well to quiet the rifle's report. There was only ONE poster here (regarding the Hunter Extreme) that had a negative experience with this rifle. So IF you can find one, odds are I think you will like it as well. Only thing that I did to mine was the "longer screw" trigger mod, trigger is pretty decent now with a VERY conservative adjustment. There is NO need to go crazy with it, just remove some of that LONG 2nd stage travel (keep it SAFE!) and be happy with the resulting trigger pull. JC at Air Gun Detectives even sells a "kit" if you don't want to fool around searching your local hardware stores for the proper screw for this mod. The cocking effort is pretty high, but this is a MAGNUM rifle. Using JSB 15.89 pellets, mine is shooting at an avg 877 fps. That is pretty decent power for a break-barrel rifle. 

The only "unknown" for this rifle (the Hunter Extreme) is exactly how long the IGT gas ram power plant will last. I'm a bit concerned about this, as I have already gone through ONE Vortex ram replacement on my Hatsan 95. The Hatsan rams have a well known reputation for leaking out and failing prematurely. The Gamo, however, is still going strong at this point. I'm hoping the Gamo IGT ram has better seals/construction than the Hatsan Vortex ram, but only time will tell.