just got a new gamo big cat as a gift whats normal speed over the crony?

[robert w]

my wife got me a gamo big cat in .22. i cronyed it today and its shooting high to low 705-685 in 10 shot strings using cphp's is this about normal ? i was guessing more as it shows in the book that came with it 1000 with pba . i thought it would be in the low to mid 800's with cphp's . if its not right id like to know as it has a short return time frame . it cocks easy and has a rather nice trigger pull. first gamo, im a diana owner, but my wife got it so here i am . seen the scope that came with it is junk, i put a better scope on it.

[Lambchops]

I seem to remember this, ~900 w 7.9 cphp, ~860 w jsb 8.4, ~750 w 10.5 cpum.

[robert w]

in .22? thought 22 pellets are heaveyer

[Nate the airgunner]

Thats a little under the norm robert, but let it break in and your velocity will slighty rise.

[SAADE]

in .22? thought 22 pellets are heaveyer

Ya those are .177 numbers from Chops

Your .22 will likely settle in at 750-ish, not unusual at all for a Gamo .22 with mid weight pellets. My Whisper .22 was 690-ish, you Big Cat is a little stonger action.

Even the PBA numbers are hyped with Gamos, so real lead pellets are easily 25% or 30% less velocity than the numbers  on the box.

[shadow]

Most midpowered Gamo's in .22 will shoot in the mid to high 600's to low 700's with standard weight lead. I've tuned a bunch and the norm with a tune is in the mid to high 600's to just over 700fps. Remember the spring is the same in both .177's and .22 and some think that the .22 should be up in the high 700's for the .22's. Don't go off the fps #'s on the tube or use PBA ammo the PBA junk will just beat the ole shooter to death. I have a early version of the CFX.22 that shoot's 14.3g lead around 720fps. CFX's are not known for there high fps in .177 or .22 but for there wicked accuracy. My CFX was an exception and she will never leave my stable despite folks wanted to buy here lol. Ed

[Bryan Heimann]

I'd say that those are good numbers.  15 to 16 fpe right there!  well, 14.9 to 15.7- but close enough in my book!  That will most definitely lay the smackdown on small game, beyond the range at which you can comfortably make the shot.  Also, with CPHP's, a 20 fps spread is pretty decent.  Expect around 14 fpe from a gamo hunter/shadow/bigcat/whisper out of the box.  My tuned B19,  same swept volume- practically the same gun-  crosshatched and tuned with a tarantula and an apex seal, was in the 720 fps range with cphp's, but the spread was as large as 30 feet per second.  With barracudas I got better power, and the spread was less than 10 feet per second.  But I guess since you are a Diana guy, you are probably no stranger to experimenting with different/ better ammo. 

[robert w]

i was wondering ,because they always state how fast and use pba. what goos are pba? i never used those for any gun and i have several, reason i ask about its speed was i have a short time to replace it at the store where she bought it . i always figured pba at 1000= lead cphp's at 800. but thanks for the replys . after reading about harsh trigger pull im amazed as mine has a decent pull.

[Lambchops]

Sorry Robert I gave .177 numbers my bad

[robert w]

no problem lambchops . im pondering returing it for another as they will exchange . knowing my luck the next 1 will have a crappy trigger or a hard cocking cycle . i have another week to return it . i will shoot a full tin through it and crony it again . if it drops its going back thanks guys

[Bryan Heimann]

Brother, I'd hang on to her.  Don't go all out with a tune or any of that craziness, the spread is o.k. out of the box so I'd leave it alone until the spring breaks.  I assume you have at least a couple other, nicer airguns anyway which makes this is the perfect truck gun/all around beater for you.  At the very most, I'd probably remove the stock and give her a good spray of white lithium grease into the cocking slot, evenly from one end to the other, and maybe a little squirt up into the back of the piston.  Comes in a can, like WD-40, but it becomes very thick after you spray it and will have a dampening effect like tar-  doesn't dampen quite as well, but also doesn't effect velocity as badly either.  Like a lube tune in a can, brother.  It's not going to get into the combustion chamber this way, either because the gun is assembled and it's not getting passed the piston seal.  Anyway, slap the stock back on after that, loctite the screws, mount the factory scope back on her and you got one heck of a truck gun!

[Lambchops]

As for .22, 725 fps with a 14.3 cphp is normal.

[robert w]

ok lambchops  thank you. and bryan , i removed the stock and used almost the same grease ,worked the cocking linkage with a little gun oil ,made sure it looked ok inside from what i could see. yes it was sorta intended for a truck gun . i got the scope i had on hand sighted in . first shot hit a starling in the head and took it off was gonna shoot a photo but 1 of the cats grabbed it and had supper . it sure hits hard but went to some benjamin discovery pellets to see how those digested . seemd like cphp's and the disco pellets are ok in its diet so far . mabe tomorrow i will try some cpd's out of the box domes and some rws superdomes . i think i have mabe 7 varites of .22 pellets . its a change from a diana but not bad . it hits accuratly ,more than i can say for the benjamin titan i had even with a tuna trigger . belive it will stay at the house . you guys helped me in my thoughts of it . you know this is a fine place to throw your hat and get friendly info no matter what gun your asking about

[Lambchops]

Also 685-705 isn't bad at all for a new gun. I'm sure she will.shoot great after break in.

[Tater]

Glad it's working out for you. Now you don't have to disappoint the wife by returning her gift too. Bonus!

[shadow]

Just a note I personally wouldn't be spraying any lube into the airgun. I know it seems to be a postive thing but there is no replacment for good airgun lubes that are applied properly. James Maccari in our MALL section provides these lubes and like any lubing done to airguns they take very little to do the job. Just my pellet's worth and only want the best out of anyones airgun. Ed

[robert w]

sad news i took the stock off again and looks like the last coil of the spring at the back has broke .i called where she got it and they daid bring it back . ho humm another 60 mile round trip with $3.51 @ gallon gas .

[Bryan Heimann]

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   CHRIST!!  DON"T TAKE HER BACK!!  It's not even worth the time, money, and wait.  I know it not worthy, sometimes I think manufacturer's are counting on this.  I'd just order an E3650 from JM and drop it in.  Don't go all out on the tune just yet, you might damage the piston seal just trying to pull it out, and even if it has a nick from installation it seems to be doing it's job just fine.  I know there are those that will disagree, some would return it just based on principle, but the next one might have a bad spring and so might the next one after that- but a good Maccari spring will improve the shot cycle and it will last forever.  Besides that, like you already mentioned, the trigger's nice and she's accurate.  I'd just spend $17 plus shipping on the JM E3650 and call it a day- if you have the tools to do it.  I don't even use a spring compressor anymore, since I sold the first I built and I didn't want to spend the time and money on a new one.  I figured out that a bar clamp works just as good.  If you don't already have the tools to do it, and have no interest in becoming a tuner, then just go ahead and take her back. 

[Bullit]

Talk to Wifey and show her the broken spring, and then the JM spring.  Maybe she'll buy it for you ! 

[robert w]

done returned it and the new 1 is lots better . trigger feels same ,but when first shot over crony it was a little high but dieseling , after it cleared out mabe 75 shots it setteled in at 789.3 to a 780 low . the spring doesnt have any curve to it like the first 1. while i was in town i sent off for a gold trigger . got it home and took the stock off and did a clean and rub down with an oily rag again ,swabbed the barrel out . this 1 had more slimy black grease . loosened the linkages up and set my scope in it . rings set good as it took 5 shots to get her back on target . then some starlings flew in . in the last hour i killed 7 starlings . when it hit 1 it made a loud POP and the bird fell. most shots were about 30-40 yards. this 1 is a keeper . tomorrow im going to move up with pellet testing to see what it likes best .7 diffrent choices . anybody want some pba pm me i have several tubes of pba in both 177 and 22 . i wouldnt use that stuff in anything , my daughter even tried some in her slingshot ,too small to shoot . im thinking when it gets broke in it should be in the 750 range.glad i didnt fill the stock with spray foam but i will tomorrow night and let it set all night