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Best scope for a Gamo Swarm Magnum .22 ?
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Ashman View Drop Down
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    Posted: 23 hours 52 minutes ago at 4:08pm
So this is by way of an introduction also.
I'm a more mature (which means near fossil stage) guy that's looking to continue hunting, but only with an air rifle.  I've previously, for well over 50 years, been a hunter and also in pest management and I'm looking to have some fun with air and also harvest small game for food gathering purposes.   I started with airguns as a 8 year old keeping seed eaters off our gardens with a Milbro 45, all 450 fps of it and then was gifted a BSA Meteor, far superior and way more distance and power.
I've kind of settled on the rifle, though there is room, given insight, to modify that however I've had Gamo before for vineyard pest control and, even though that was quite some time ago, their product has always been reliable and purposeful.   Tell me I'm wrong and why, please.
The real question is scope choice. I'm thinking 4-12 x mag and somewhere between 40 -50 ml objective lens sizes.
There are packages available from Gun City with their Ranger scope, but I'm a bit suss about their own branded stuff after several dealings over many years with them, and I'm thinking there maybe better options for the same or even a little more dollars?
Any ideas, please??
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Hello and welcome to the forum.

Ive had very good success with the Nicko Stirling Mountmaster 3-9x40 AO scope on my very powerful Hatsan.  It has no problem handling the recoil.

I have found hunting with that mag scope is fine. Wouldnt want to go to much higher as it makes it harder to locate your traget especially at night.

Gamos have very bad triggers and a lot of people dont like them. They are also not made very well and are considered entry level. But they will get the job done once you find a pellet it likes.

I wouldnt be looking at the most powerful thing on the planet because they shoot all over the place. A nice 800-900fps in .177 or 6- 700 od in .22 will make a nice easy to shot rifle.
2nd place HP springer - WFTF World Championships 2014
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Hey welcome aboard.
Price if your buying it new. They cost to much for what they are. You can pick up a higher quality non magnum second hand gun for same price.
I picked up a diana ar8 for less than new gamo magnium.
It a magnum and shoots extremely well, but is better built rifle.
Gamos are light and jump a lot, takes a bit to master.
Ive gone for a set focal plain 3-9×40
Which i find ample out 100m for magnification at 3×. Still running it through the will be handel and an air rifle,but few hundred pellets in its holding.
Find it much easier for hunting
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-Ec View Drop Down
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Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I’m of a similar age and bought my first airgun under a year ago to deal with a possum problem on our rural lifestyle property.

Not knowing much about airguns I bought a .22 Gamo Wildcat Whisper with a 4x23 scope and 4 tins of pellets for $260 on TradeMe. I chose this because it was the only .22 available for a price I was prepared to pay that was close enough for me to go and collect.

I’ve since become a bit addicted and have added a 30 cal Hatsan, a .22 Diana 31, an old Chinese .177 I got off TradeMe for $15 and two Webley air pistols to my Gamo.

Overall, I’m happy with the Gamo. It is accurate when I do my part as I’m still learning how to consistently shoot all my guns. It is a good weight to carry for extended periods and the synthetic stock stands up well to the knocks.

I never managed to zero the Gamo with the scope it came with so soon was looking for a replacement. I now believe this was as much because of the rubbish pellets that came with the gun and me learning how to shoot the gun consistently as the cheap scope.

After watching a lot of YouTube reviews I ended up buying a CVLIFE JackalHowl 3-9x40 which cost $115 including delivery and a set of dovetail mounts. The Scope came with a set of weaver mounts as well. This is a very good scope for the $$$. It is very clear and the 3-9 magnification works well for spring powered air gun ranges. I have used this on my Hatsan and it has stood up fine on a gun that is regarded as a scope killer – the Gamo 4x32 lasted less than 10 shots on this gun. This scope is currently on my Diana.

I then purchased a CVLIFE FoxSpook 3-9x40 AO to put on the Gamo which cost around $60 including delivery. This scope is not quite as clear as the JackalHowl but is still good. Not sure if I like the AO (adjustable objective) or not. It does help to work out how far away a target is but as the adjustment is on the front of the scope it is a bit impractical for hunting. I’m currently waiting on another 309x40 FoxSpook without AO that cost $54. I will be putting the JackHowl back on the Hatsan but I’m not sure which FoxSpook will end up on which of my other guns.

You may find this YouTube video a useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxoED_cvfFk&t=1522s
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-Ec
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-Ec View Drop Down
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On a slightly different tack - I see you are from Christchurch.   Might be worth checking out 
https://collectorweapons.co.nz/

Andy Mayberry who runs this is based in Christchurch and has hundreds of Airguns for sale, not all of which are listed on this site.  If you haven't already purchased a gun it might be worthwhile making contact with Andy and checking out what he has available.  This is where my Diana came from.
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-Ec
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Thanks for your reply.
I hear what you say about power.   The reviews on various sites spell out a slightly different story in regards to accuracy for this gun in particular.  With the right pellet, they're well under an inch at 25 metres which should suit me fine and, as it's primarily for small game, the speed is a factor in knockdown power.
I'm coming from 50 years of 12g, .270, .30 and 7/08 weapons so shooting technique shouldn't be an issue, especially with a history as an Infantry marksman. 
The trigger on the Swarm is a adjustable 2 stage unit that also has after market kits available.  Bog standard, they're 3.5 - 4lb pull but there's an aftermarket adjuster screw that can take that down to 1.5 at minimal cost.
In addition, it's a air piston operation, rather than a springer in the true fashion, and that's also a plus to me as I know from previous springers the spring deterioration can be a problem.
Which is why the question was about a scope rather than the air gun itself.
Do you know where I could buy a Nikko Stirling Mountmaster scope in 3 - 9 x?  Sounds like a way better option than anything Gun City branded.
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Originally posted by kruzaroad kruzaroad wrote:

Hey welcome aboard.
Price if your buying it new. They cost to much for what they are. You can pick up a higher quality non magnum second hand gun for same price.
I picked up a diana ar8 for less than new gamo magnium.
It a magnum and shoots extremely well, but is better built rifle.
Gamos are light and jump a lot, takes a bit to master.
Ive gone for a set focal plain 3-9×40
Which i find ample out 100m for magnification at 3×. Still running it through the will be handel and an air rifle,but few hundred pellets in its holding.
Find it much easier for hunting

I hear you.
What weight is your Diana?
The Gamo is 6.9lb bare, so not light and the air piston, as opposed to an actual spring, is an additional feature I like the engineering of.
is your Diana a springer or air piston?
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Originally posted by -Ec -Ec wrote:

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I’m of a similar age and bought my first airgun under a year ago to deal with a possum problem on our rural lifestyle property.

Not knowing much about airguns I bought a .22 Gamo Wildcat Whisper with a 4x23 scope and 4 tins of pellets for $260 on TradeMe. I chose this because it was the only .22 available for a price I was prepared to pay that was close enough for me to go and collect.

I’ve since become a bit addicted and have added a 30 cal Hatsan, a .22 Diana 31, an old Chinese .177 I got off TradeMe for $15 and two Webley air pistols to my Gamo.

Overall, I’m happy with the Gamo. It is accurate when I do my part as I’m still learning how to consistently shoot all my guns. It is a good weight to carry for extended periods and the synthetic stock stands up well to the knocks.

I never managed to zero the Gamo with the scope it came with so soon was looking for a replacement. I now believe this was as much because of the rubbish pellets that came with the gun and me learning how to shoot the gun consistently as the cheap scope.

After watching a lot of YouTube reviews I ended up buying a CVLIFE JackalHowl 3-9x40 which cost $115 including delivery and a set of dovetail mounts. The Scope came with a set of weaver mounts as well. This is a very good scope for the $$$. It is very clear and the 3-9 magnification works well for spring powered air gun ranges. I have used this on my Hatsan and it has stood up fine on a gun that is regarded as a scope killer – the Gamo 4x32 lasted less than 10 shots on this gun. This scope is currently on my Diana.

I then purchased a CVLIFE FoxSpook 3-9x40 AO to put on the Gamo which cost around $60 including delivery. This scope is not quite as clear as the JackalHowl but is still good. Not sure if I like the AO (adjustable objective) or not. It does help to work out how far away a target is but as the adjustment is on the front of the scope it is a bit impractical for hunting. I’m currently waiting on another 309x40 FoxSpook without AO that cost $54. I will be putting the JackHowl back on the Hatsan but I’m not sure which FoxSpook will end up on which of my other guns.

You may find this YouTube video a useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxoED_cvfFk&t=1522s


Thanks for your in depth reply.
I hear what you say about pellet selection.  I'll pick up whatever I doo actually buy and, after recommendations, I'll also pick up 4 or 5 packets of various quality and weights in hunting pellets to see what it likes.  It's the same with rimfire and centrefire, less so with shotties .  My 7/08 was super accurate with Hornady Superperformance 139g SST's but less so with everything else, so that is in no way unique to air rifles.
From where is the CVLIFE Jackal howl? 
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Originally posted by -Ec -Ec wrote:

On a slightly different tack - I see you are from Christchurch.   Might be worth checking out 
https://collectorweapons.co.nz/

Andy Mayberry who runs this is based in Christchurch and has hundreds of Airguns for sale, not all of which are listed on this site.  If you haven't already purchased a gun it might be worthwhile making contact with Andy and checking out what he has available.  This is where my Diana came from.

I'm having a look there next and thank you for the link.
Much apppreciated.
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The best scope for a Gamo Magnum is one with a no questions, lifetime warranty.
I would still recommend some form of recoil protection.
Diana ZR mount is an option, seen below with a NS Panamax 3-9x40.
Secure back-stop is essential, I have used the rear section of the supplied Gamo rail.



Look forward to future posts.
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Originally posted by mercs mercs wrote:

The best scope for a Gamo Magnum is one with a no questions, lifetime warranty.
I would still recommend some form of recoil protection.
Diana ZR mount is an option, seen below with a NS Panamax 3-9x40.
Secure back-stop is essential, I have used the rear section of the supplied Gamo rail.



Look forward to future posts.

Yep, no questions warranty is a no brainer.  I was talking to a mate in pest control that uses an Elements Iris 3- 9 x40 on his Swarm.   It's a $400 scope though.
Any other options around that price that are better value?
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Hi,

I got my CV Life scopes via their web site 
https://www.cvlife.com
Here is one of the reviews I found prior to buying my first one. The reviewed scope is one of their cheaper ones
https://youtu.be/Mf4-WhxzXQE?si=LzEIAtqFDUghaoT0

One trick I've found with CV Life is to register on the site, add what you want to the basket and then exit.  Within a day they will email you a discount code to encourage you to buy.  I got 20% off my first two and 30% off my most recent one.  Although CV Life are Chinese the scopes are shipped from the Netherlands and take about a month to arrive.

There is also this review of a different brand of scope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4omH5jGAdEY

 Kruzzaroad  from the forum recently bought one of these for his Diana and he seems happy with it. Must work OK as he put a a picture of a hare he dropped at over a hundred meters.

As for finding the right pellet for a gun - can get expensive.   Some manufacturers  sell sample packs with 4-5 packs of 30-40 pellets for around $50. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4omH5jGAdEY


Edited by -Ec - 2 hours 57 minutes ago at 1:03pm
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-Ec
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Originally posted by Ashman Ashman wrote:

Originally posted by mercs mercs wrote:

The best scope for a Gamo Magnum is one with a no questions, lifetime warranty.
I would still recommend some form of recoil protection.
Diana ZR mount is an option, seen below with a NS Panamax 3-9x40.
Secure back-stop is essential, I have used the rear section of the supplied Gamo rail.



Look forward to future posts.

Yep, no questions warranty is a no brainer.  I was talking to a mate in pest control that uses an Elements Iris 3- 9 x40 on his Swarm.   It's a $400 scope though.
Any other options around that price that are better value?


i also notice you have a mountain of clearance between the scope and the tube, which seems contrary to accepted practice for accuracy?
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Nikko Stirling Panamax $250, ZeroTech Vengeance $400, Bushnell R3 $400.

All will eventually fail but no issues with warranty returns in my experience.

Element Iris is of interest but 100 yard fixed parallax like the Panamax is generally a compromise needing to keep magnification low.

Side focus on ZeroTech is a nice feature.
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While most fixed parallax scopes are set at 100 yards, it is possible to adjust this - this is covered in the following video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxoED_cvfFk&t=1522s

Doesn't work on the cheapo Gamo 4x32 which is set at 25 yards  but did work on the CVLife JackalHowl.   Still need to fine tune a bit but I've reset this to around 30 meters.
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