gamo 220 hunter combo .177 review

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Average Ratings

Accuracy	7.4/10
Handling	7.9/10
Value for Money	7.7/10
Reviewer Rating	7.6/10
Overall Rating	7.6/10

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100% Recommended2 out of 2 Reviews

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Review of Gamo 220 Hunter Combo .177

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By brucemg51 on 6th Apr 2005

brucemg51's Ratings

Accuracy	10/10
Handling	10/10
Value for money	10/10
Overall value	10/10
brucemg51's recommendation

Good Points

Everything. The way it feels; the way it shoots; the way it looks.

Bad Points

Just that you have to put up with some know-it-all gun salesman with the IQ of a cucumber and the personality of a rattlesnake in heat in order to buy one.

General Comments

I have read some negative reviews about the Gamo 220 Hunter Combo .177, and it's hard for me to believe that those people are writing about the same gun that I own. I got the Gamo 220 combo .177 around 15 months ago. Just a few weeks ago, I contacted Gamo in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I told them that I wasn't happy with the accuracy of my rifle. They told me to send them the rifle and they would either fix it or replace it. So, I packed it up and shipped it to Florida. Ten days later, I had a brand new rifle delivered to my doorstep. They never even asked for a receipt. And this is the company that people claim has a lousy customer support department? Other companies I deal with should have such lousy customer service. Anyway, so far the new rifle is right on the money and I have no complaints whatever. When I first looked in to buying an air rifle for pest control, I was told quite emphatically by the owner of the local gun store that I most definitely did not want to use a .177 for anything other than birds. I had to have a .22 caliber airgun. Well, after buying a Gamo 220 Hunter in .177 caliber (from someone else), I soon realized that the shyster gun dealer was full of what the crows have been depositing on my car every day.
The first varmint I shot was a gray squirrel, from about 20 yards. I hit him with a Gamo Hunter pellet. The squirrel just sort of exploded. Ah, makes one proud to be an Amurcan... So what do you think? Was that shyster gun salesman just trying to sell me up to a more expensive rifle?

7 Comments on Review by brucemg51 for Gamo 220 Hunter Combo .177

1. real hunter on 6th Apr 2005

   I think you exagerated a little bit when you said the squirrel exploded on impact. This is not a .17 HMR round we're talkin' about here...
   
   My Gamo 220 is good, but after owning other airguns (weihrauch), I am really starting to hate that trigger... It's pretty twangy too...

2. brucemg51 on 7th Apr 2005

   Yes, of course I was exaggerating about the squirrel exploding. That’s just a bit of my rather dark sense of humor. But, I will say that I was quite impressed by the damage. The pellet completely penetrated the body of the squirrel, leaving quite a large exit wound. I suppose some would say that is not really desirable, and would call it over penetration, but it’s all the same to the squirrel. He died instantly and is still dead (more of that humor, just can’t help myself). I read a lot about trigger preferences, but I guess I don’t know enough about it to tell a good one from a bad one. I’ve just recently taken up air gunning again, after a 30 year layoff. My knowledge of air guns is pretty well limited to the Crosmans and Daisys I owned back then. I am considering purchasing a magnum .22 air rifle. I am leaning towards the Gamo 440, because my experience with Gamo so far has been very positive. There doesn’t seem to be a lot to chose from in the under $200.00 range, but I am certainly open to suggestions. Thanks.

3. rob3dr on 6th May 2005

   He could have been trying to sell you a more expensive gun....but.... its a hard fact that a .22 caliber airgun is more effective at dispatching pests and for hunting than a .177. The light .177 caliber pellets lose a lot of energy quickly. The .22 pellets keep more of that energy at longer ranges. Thats not to say that a .177 wont knock a squirell out of the tree, but especially at longer ranges (35+ yards) a .177 just isnt the best tool for the job. If your not familiar with the differences in FPE of a .177 and a .22 airgun, read up on it and you'll see what I'm talking about.
   As for an inexpensive .22 caliber pellet gun...I'd definately go for an XS B21. www.funsupply.com has them in .22 for around $140. Its a Chinese made clone of an RWS model 48 ...now...this is important...FIRST THING...SEND IT IN FOR A TUNE. Go to www.charliedatuna.com and read up on what a tune does. A super tune will run you about $112. You'll have a great shooting, accurate, hard hitting gun within the budget you mentioned.

4. brucemg51 on 9th May 2005

   Hi Rob3dr,
   I have read quite a lot about the differences in velocity, range, etc. between .177 and .22, but I just don't get it. Most of what I read does not reflect what my own experience has been. For instance, I recently purchased a Crosman 2200 magnum, just to make a comparison. Now, I know that anything by Crosman cannot compare to an RWS or something in that class, but I didn't want to sink a lot of money into it, and I've read good reviews saying the 2200 was good for pest control. Crosman claims a muzzle velocity of 575 fps. I know that isn't a lot, but I'm only going to be shooting squirrels at a range of 25 yards, max.
   The first time I tried it on a squirrel, I hit the squirrel 3 times at full power (10 pumps). Each time, the squirrel got up and ran off. At that range, my Gamo will punch right through both sides of a squirrel, leaving quite a large exit wound. So I figured that concluded my comparison test. I figure at greater distances, a .22 might be better, but as I've said, there aren't many in my price range and the ones that are, don't have much higher velocity than the Crosman. A neighbor of mine has a Benjamin/Sheridan pumper in .20 caliber. She says sometimes she pumps the rifle 25 times to kill a squirrel. Why would she do that if the advertised velocity of around 675fps was adequate? I can only conclude from all of this that these gray squirrels that we have around here are tough, wiry little vermin and many air rifles that would easily put down other pests, don't make of an impression on these things.

5. rob3dr on 11th May 2005

   Thanks for the reply... If Crossman is claiming 575fps, its probably closer to 500 at best. Manufacturers...all of them... inflate their specs quite a bit. Plus, you have to realize that a pellet will lose energy quick. If it is 550fps at the muzzle, then thats less than 10fpe using a 14.5 grain CP. That velocity will drop rapidly once it exits the barrel. In contrast, that Gamo, shooting a 7.9gr pellet at around 850 fps will give almost 13fpe at the muzzle. Now, lets look at a 200$ springer..we'll use the B-20 (TF-20, XS-20...all the same thing) Its a Chinese clone of a Beeman R9, and a good clone. You can pick one up for around $100...Send it off for a tune at a cost of $112...you have a $212 gun that will shoot a 14.5 gr .22 CP at around 750-800 fps. At 750 fps, you'll get over 18fpe. Thats more than enough for reasonable shots. Best places to look for informaion is www.straighshooters.com for velocity tables and www.pyramidair.com for tech articles. I'll admit, given a choice on the 2200 and the Gamo, I'd pick the Gamo. You might even try using CP heavy pellets in the Gamo and see if they group well. They are a bit heavier than regular pellets and you'll get more shock on small game. Some people prefer a .177. I wont knock them. I own several spring piston guns in both .177 and .22 and 3 PCP guns in .22 so I normally use the PCP guns for small game. I use my .177's for plinking mainly. I'm sorry I cant offer a better explanation on FPE, but read the tech articles at pyramidair and you'll get the idea.

6. rob3dr on 11th May 2005

   Another thing too...and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that many, while considering a squirell a 'pest' dont put them in the 'pest' class with regards to airgun capabilities. When one talks of pest control, in the airgun world, that usually means mice, rats, starlings, and grackles. Squirells are normally considered large pest or just hunting quarry.

7. brucemg51 on 14th May 2005

   Thanks much for the info. It's been very useful. I'll just add that I've experimented with just about every pellet in the .177 caliber that I could find, all the way up to the Korean 16.1g. I've found the most accurate to be the Gamo Hunter and the RWS superdome. Any pointed pellets and the heavier pellets have not been as accurate. I've always figured that accuracy is number one consideration. Things like penetration, mushrooming, impact don't mean much if you don't hit what you're shooting at.
   Also, in regards to the question, "Is a squirrel a pest?" My 10 year old daughter recently asked me to define what a "weed" is. I said that a weed is any plant that's growing where it isn't wanted. The same goes for pests. The neighbor's goats are pests when they are over here eating my flowers, but of course I can't shoot the goats.

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