I ordered the Gamo Varmint on Amazon and put it to several range tests. It's easy to cock and shoot, and very accurate and lightweight. Here's my hands-on review.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
Gamo Varmint Air Rifle
Highlight: 4x magnification scope is included.
Helpful review: I was sent a Gamo Varmint Air Rifle to review, and I have found that I do like higher-end air rifles for certain things. The Gamo Varmint rifle is a full-size air gun. It shoots and feels like a firearm, which is great for old guys like me. The air rifle that I received already had the 4x32 scope mounted. The air rifle also has a recoil pad and a Monte Carlo-style stock. The Monte Carlo stock works the best for me as a shooter. The Recoil pad, I think, is added to complete the “real gun” look and feel. I don’t think there is enough recoil from an air rifle to need one, but it looks great.
Gamo Air rifles have barrel breaks for charging the rifle, and the movement and ease of use are some of the most significant features. The long lever (barrel) makes cocking the air rifle simple for any shooter. The loading of the breech is simple and easy. Standing in my shop and working all of the parts on the Gamo Varmint, I did not have any hearing protection or see no reason to do so. I decided to pull the trigger by aiming the empty air gun at some old boxes and pulling the trigger to check the pull and break of the trigger. The trigger is a nice and clean break, and the sound is loud, on the scale of “holy crap,” which made my ears ring loud. I have another air rifle from Stoger that has suppressors on it, and I honestly thought that was more of a gimmick than functional; now I know better.
I set up the Gamo in my shop to attempt my best bore sighting, then built a world-class pellet trap to sight in the air rifle. Just so everyone knows, use heavy-duty items to stop the pellets. I used 2x6s to prevent the pellets and six layers of cardboard to slow the ammo down as it passed through. The pellets will still slam into the wood backstop and embed, on average, about a quarter of an inch. After getting my hearing protection, I started shooting to get the scope zeroed. The “range” I built in the shop was about 12 feet long and good enough to get the scope aiming where the gun was shooting. I do have to say that shooting the air rifle with pellets is quieter than “dry fire.” I am sure that is a result of the air pressure working as it should down the barrel rather than a rapid release.
After the air rifle hit the center of the paper in the shop, I went to the field down the street to get some distance. As required by the laws of human nature, I had to take some cans with me to shoot. It took me about five minutes to get the Gamo Varmint rifle to hit the cans dead center. I only moved the crosshairs with one or two clicks and was in business. After shooting half a tin of pellets that Walmart had for sale (I don’t remember the maker), I got serious and used the bottom of the can as a more exact target. I figure the can bottom is about two and a half inches across. The cans were twenty feet away (as detailed by my stepping-off method) and laid on their sides on a small dirt pile. Every round I shot hit the bottom of the cans, and most of them right in the middle. The 4x32 scope made this an easy shot to make. After resetting the cans, the follow-up shots hit next to the original hole every time.
The scope and mounts do not get loose or move, and the scope adjustments hold true after every shot. The Monte Carlo stock made shooting for about an hour comfortable and easy. The thing I like most about this Gamo Varmint air rifle is that I can shoot for relative accuracy practice just down the street and not have to travel to the range. The sound from the Gamo will get neighbors nervous, so make sure you put some distance between you and their homes, and you will be good to shoot for hours or until you run out of pellets. — Caleb T. Hayes
Get it from Amazon now: $139.99 & FREE Returns
