Gamo CO2 Extreme – Video Review
Special thanks to Gamo for sending us this rifle and also for PyramydAir for sponsoring this video. Here are some links to products used in this video:
Gamo’s new CFR Whisper Combo
Ok.. let me just say this right now.. Run.. Don’t walk to your computer and just get one. In fact, here’s the link: To Order your Gamo CFR Click here! Read more to know why!
Gamo CFR Whisper - First Look
When I first took the CFR out of the box I was very UNPLEASANTLY surprised. It felt like a cheap copy of the CFX that I’ve grown to love and respect. It was clunky and felt rough to operate. BUT, knowing that all spring guns take a little time, I started shooting some pellets down range. After about 50 shots or so the roughness started to smooth out and the rifle settled down.
Gamo CFR Whisper - Adjustable Cheek Piece
The rifle is really a “mashup” of several guns; The SOCOM Tactical, The CFX, and of course the Gamo Whisper. I’m not sure where the pistol grip came into play, but it is a great fit for this rifle. This rifle has the normal Gamo fiber optic sights with the rear sight being fully adjustable.
Gamo CFR Whisper - Front Sight and NDS
Gamo CFR Whisper - Fully Adjustable Rear Fiber Optic Sight
Gamo’s bundled scope was a cheap 4×32 scope that had noticeable distortion and was an insult to this gun’t potential. I tossed it and added a Leapers 4-16×40 MD, IR, AO scope. What a difference. Of couse I always have to run into at least one snag and this was it. My CFR had noticeable barrel droop. That was quickly handled by shimming the rear rest and I was back in business.
Gamo CFR Whisper - With Mounted Leapers 4-16x40 AO, MD, IR Scope
Being that the rifle was a fixed barrel design like the CFX, I expected good accuracy and I was not disappointed. Before we get there, let me mention the trigger. The trigger is still Gamo’s “new” trigger which is much smoother than Crosman’s counterpart, but still has a very long 2nd stage. Too long really. Gamo does this for liability reasons and really who can blame them. There are options out there if you really want a better trigger and then the liability is on you. Just a note, the adjustment in the rear of the trigger adjusts the length of the 2nd stage. IF the screw were LONGER, you could reduce the length 2nd stage down to something more reasonable. Again, liability and safety issues are why Gamo doesn’t do this already.
I tossed the “PBA Platinum Pellets” aside and went straight to a pellet that worked wonders in my CFX, the Gamo Red Fires. What a dream to see each pellet hit one after the other almost tearing a perfect hole in the bullseye. The shots bellow were from 10 yards and shot indoors.
Gamo CFR Whisper - Red Fire Pellets, 10 Yards, .137" CTC
Velocity with the CFR is less than the rest of Gamo’s line up. That is just fine with me. With its accuracy and an average of 848 FPS equaling 12.98 ft-lbs (with the Gamo Red Fire pellets) anything inside 20 yards would have a very short life expectancy. I achieved a tiny .137″ CTC 5 shot group at 10 yards.
Gamo needs to do a few things to make this gun a little better.
- Stop shipping that crappy PBA ammo.. Ship it with Red Fire pellets that can do the job
- Smooth out some of the rough edges before shipping.. I shouldn’t have to waste 200 or 300 pellets for the gun to stop feeling “crunchy.” A $300 dollar gun should not start out feeling like an $80 Wal-Mart special.
- Include a decent scope. BSA makes some nice variable powered scopes with AO and Mil-Dot features. Include one of those with the CFR and not a disposable 4×32.
- Lastly, how about an IGT version with just a touch more power?
Despite my above wish list.. I’m in love with the CFR. Like Goldilocks and the three bears.. Not to hard, not to soft, just right. We will have a more in depth look at the CFR coming up next month!
Until then, Thank you reading.
Keeping it honest, keeping it Real – With Rick Eutsler & AirgunWeb.com
Evanix AR6 – Airgun Review
Evanix AR6 Shrouded .22 Caliber
W/ Leapers 4-16×50 AO, MD, IR Scope
Written By,
Rick Eutsler
Editor / Owner www.AirGunWeb.com
editor@airgunweb.com
Review Product & Supplies
Provided by: www.pyramydair.com
Without a doubt the Evanix AR6 is a stunning airgun and the exceptional design and craftsmanship is immediately noticeable. The Evanix AR6 comes in an ambidextrous stock that sports nice checkering on the grip and forearm and a raised cheek piece on both sides. The wood grain and finish is right up there with the best airguns I’ve reviewed to date. This version of the Evanix AR6 also comes with a shrouded barrel that helps reduce shot noise.
The rifle uses a 6 shot rotary cylinder. The pellets load skirt first from the front of the cylinder. Unlike the Magazine for the Marauder, the AR6’s cylinder allows for longer pellets like the Polymags or the Eun Jins making the AR6 a very flexible rifle.
The Evanix AR6 is both double and single action. The pull weight on the double action is so heavy that it is virtually unusable, so treating it as a single action rifle is going to be your best bet. The trigger pull is very heavy because of the powerful hammer spring which is necessary to achieve the high volume of air needed to reach for that 60 FT-LB target. The trigger is still very stiff, even in single action and is not adjustable. There is NO 2nd stage to this trigger, just a stiff short pull.
I Mounted a Leapers 4-16×50 AO, MD, IR scope to this rifle. I really like Leapers products. I’ve found them to bring some of the best value to the table as far as features vs. price goes. I mounted the scope with a set of 2 piece Accushot high rings which provided more than enough clearance for the 6 shot cylinder.
The AR6 is a standard PCP rifle that operates at a max of 3000 psi. The manual and integrated meter were a little confusing because the meter goes from green to red at 150 bar, approximately 2175 psi, but the manual says that you can go to 3000 psi, or closer to 206 bar. I’m cautious about taking things “into the red” so I called the techs at PyramydAir and got the OK to go all the way to 3000 psi. They confirmed that the manual and the gauge were a little confusing and gave me the “go ahead” to fill it all the way to 3000 psi.
The rifle fills by using a high pressure source, like a scuba tank, or hand pump. I use a scuba tank and fill kit that I got from PyramydAir some time ago. The AR6 uses a simple probe which I’ve adapted to work with my foster quick connect fitting. This makes it quick and easy to switch between adaptors to fill any of my PCP rifles from the same tank and fill kit.
Performance & Accuracy:
There is always a balance between velocity, accuracy, and energy put on the target. The Evanix AR6 offers all 3 but not with just one pellet. The rifle can shoot the very heavy 32.4 grn Eun Jin pellets at almost 900 FPS. The down side is that their accuracy started to fall apart past 25 yards.
The BEST pellet in the AR6 was the 21.14 grn Beeman Kodiaks. These delivered less energy, but remained accurate out past 100 yards. So, at 25 yards and in, the Eun Jin pellets deliver moderate accuracy but incredible power, perfect for larger pests. For every other application, the Kodiaks are the pellet to use. Here are the numbers:
Starting with the Eun Jin Pointed 32.4 GRN pellets
- High: 899
- Low: 857
- Average: 878
- Extreme Spread: 42
- Standard Deviation: 14.94
- Average Energy: - 55.47 FT-LB
- Max Energy in tests: – 58.16 FT-LB
We did not get the full 60 FT-LB stated in the specifications, but we only needed another 15 fps to get there. I don’t tweak the rifles before I test them. These are “out of the box” results. I wonder if there is a way to get that extra 15 fps?
Now on to our most accurate pellet the Beeman Kodiaks at 21.14 grns.
- High: 988
- Low: 934
- Average: 962
- Extreme Spread: 54
- Standard Deviation: 20
- Average Energy: - 43.41 FPE
- Max Energy in tests: – 45.83 FT-LB
Review Summary:
You may never hear me say this again so please take note. There are times when accuracy is relative. When you consider most airguns need pinpoint accuracy to get clean kills, the Evanix AR6 is more like hunting with a bazooka. If you hit game with close to 60 FT-LB it is going down. Yes the Beeman Kodiaks gave us the best groups, but there is something to be said about putting over 58 FT-LB on a target inside 25 yards. The accuracy difference at that range was certainly close enough, especially if you are trying to take down bigger game that has a larger kill zone.
Now, when you need to reach out past 25 yards, then the Kodiaks are going to be your best friend. Just as a side note, if you are just shooting for fun and max power is NOT the issue. Consider filling the rifle to just 150 bar and shooting the Kodiaks. You’ll get a good 12 shots per fill and you’ll get more fills from your scuba tank because you are not trying to get 3000 psi into your gun. You always have the option of taking it to 3000 psi when you need it.
Here is an average group from 25 yards using the Beeman Kodiaks:
Evanix AR6 .22 from 25 yards using Beeman Kodiak Pellets
Now to the scorecard, Pros and Cons:
The Cons:
The Evanix AR6 is not as accurate as I would have liked and is definitely louder than I would have liked. Even with the barrel shroud, it is well over 110 db. The difference between the Benjamin Marauder .22 and the Evanix AR6 .22 is very noticeable. This may not be a big deal to some, but if you are getting this to shoot in your backyard and you have picky neighbors, consider something else.
The Pros:
The Evanix AR6 has tremendous power, easy loading of pellets, easy cycling of the cylinder, it is lighter than I expected, and quieter than the non-shrouded .22 cal AirForce Condor in and RWS Dominator, two rifles that are in the same power class.
Final Word:
Written By, Rick Eutsler
Editor / Owner www.AirGunWeb.com
editor@airgunweb.com
Copyright 2011, Dog River Design, LLC – All Rights Reserved.
Beeman R7 – Airgun Review
Beeman R7 Elite in .177
W/ Mounted Bushnell 4-12×40 AO Scope
Written By,
Rick Eutsler
Editor / Owner www.AirGunWeb.com
editor@airgunweb.com
Review Product & Supplies
Provided by: www.pyramydair.com
The Beeman R7 is a truly gorgeous airgun. It is virtually a miniature Beeman R9 in just about every way. The craftsmanship of the woodwork and metalwork is just what you’d expect from an expensive, high quality, German airgun.
The stock is simple and works equally well for both right and left handed shooters. There is nice checkering on the grip and forearm which is not only decretive but functional, adding texture to the stock.
The stature of the Beeman R7 is short and compact making it very light and easy to handle. The barrel is relatively short and has a weighted muzzle break for balance and to help with cocking the rifle. There are no open sights.
The Beeman R7 is all metal and wood with no plastic parts to be found. There is a distinct difference when you handle the Beeman R7 compared to other “youth” airguns. The fit and finish, the feel, and the “presence” of this rifle are only equaled by other high end airguns such as the Beeman R9 and the Air Arms TX200. With proper care and maintenance, this gun should last several lifetimes.
The Beeman R7 Elite ships from PyramydAir.com for about $450 and includes a mounted Bushnell, “dusk & dawn” 4-12×40 AO scope. This is a very nice scope and has one of the brightest site pictures that we’ve seen. The scope has a simple duplex reticule.
Perhaps the most surprising feature of the Beeman R7 is the Rekord Trigger. This is the same trigger that is found in the Beeman R9 and other high end Beeman models. The Rekord trigger is one of the top three airgun triggers that we’ve had the pleasure to test, the other two being the triggers on the Air Arms TX200 and the Benjamin Marauder. The Beeman R7 has an automatic safety at the rear of the gun that is reset between shots.
While the Beeman R9 is a true blue hunting airgun, the Beeman R7 is designed for 10 meter target practice. It weighs in at around 8 pounds, with the scope, is extremely easy to cock, and is not overly hold sensitive. It is setup perfectly for smaller shooters and is ideal for shooting paper targets, spinners and learning how to properly handle an airgun.
Our velocity tests showed that Beeman R7 topped out at around 667 FPS with the 7.0 grn RWS hobbies, our standard pellet for testing a rifle’s maximum velocity.
Here are the results of our velocity tests with the RWS Hobbies:
- High – 667 FPS
- Low – 647 FPS
- Average – 654 FPS
- Extreme Spread – 20 FPS
- Standard Deviation – 5 FPS
- Average Energy – 6.65 FT-LB
The advertised velocity for this rifle is 700 FPS making these results quite good being only a few FPS off the mark.
Our most accurate pellets were the Crosman Premier Lights in the cardboard box. They are a 7.9 grn pellet, slightly heavier than the RWS Hobbies, and they gave us the following results:
- High – 609
- Low – 596
- Average – 602
- Extreme Spread – 13
- Standard Deviation – 3
- Average Energy – 6.36 FT-LB
The Beeman R7 is designed for optimal accuracy at 10 yards, but we also performed tests at 25 yards, just to make it stretch its legs a bit.
This first group is from 10 yards. As you can see, the accuracy is what you’d expect from a fine German airgun baring the Beeman name.
10 Yards using the Crosman Premier Lights
This second group is from 25 yards. While not as good as the Beeman R9, it is still VERY respectable.
25 Yards using the Crosman Premier Lights
The Beeman R7 is a wonderfully fun airgun and is a complete joy to shoot. It may not be a hunting airgun, but it is extremely accurate and you can shoot it all day long without getting worn out.
If there is one down side to the Beeman R7 it is only in the price tag. At around $450, it is an expensive airgun, but worth it when quality is more important than price. Everything about the Beeman R7 is quality and precision. The Beeman R7 has the famous Rekord Trigger which can’t be overlooked. When it comes to accuracy a lot of things play a role. For me, having a trigger with a crisp, light 2nd stage is really important. That is one of the things that make the Beeman R7 as good as it is.
Written By, Rick Eutsler
Editor / Owner www.AirGunWeb.com
editor@airgunweb.com
Copyright 2011, Dog River Design, LLC – All Rights Reserved.
Gamo Whisper “CSI” Special Edition with Air Venturi Gas Ram and BSA 3-12×44 AO Scope
When you think of break barrel spring rifles, it is hard not to think Gamo. They have a huge product offering for the Springer Rifle Enthusiast and they always seem to be pushing the envelope on performance and features. About a year ago Gamo released their “Whisper” line of air rifles. My first impression was that Gamo was just adding something new to an old design to boost sales, so I did not give it much thought. As time progressed I had the opportunity to shoot a few Gamo rifles and found that, while they may exaggerate their velocity claims, they actually make a pretty nice rifle for the price. So when the opportunity came to review the Gamo Whisper, especially with the Air Venturi Gas Ram upgrade, I jumped at the chance! This version is the .22 caliber, which is my preference 95% of the time. I’ve found the .22 better for pest control and accuracy beyond 30 yards. Since I live out in the country, I’m often shooting at 30+ yards so I normally choose .22 over .177.
Gamo Whisper CSI with BSA Scope
The very first thing I noticed was just how light this rifle was. I’d just finished up a review on the Benjamin Super Streak and the Walther Falcon Hunter. It was sweet relief to be reviewing a light, easy shooting rifle. I really debated putting a scope on this gun because I did not want to weigh it down and possibly take away one of its greatest features.
Gamo Whisper CSI with BSA Scope
The Gamo Whisper CSI edition comes in a beautiful ambidextrous stock that is colored in “real tree” camo. The stock has a raised cheek pad on both sides which is nice for you lefties out there. At the front of the barrel you have the “business” end of the Whisper, Gamo’s intergraded noise dampening system. My first opinion when I heard Gamo was putting this on a rifle was to dismiss it as totally unnecessary. Pellet rifles are already so quiet anyway… right? Well let me tell you, I’m a convert. This thing works and works really well. I can put any of my similarly powered .22 caliber pellet rifles next to the Whisper and they are easily twice as loud. Whatever Gamo did, seems to work, and the Gamo Whisper has become my favorite spring rifle.
Gamo’s Integrated Noise Dampening System
On top of the Noise Dampener you have a fiber optic front sight. Unfortunately Gamo did not put a front globe on this rifle to protect the sight so you’ll need to be really careful about damaging the front sight. My rifle arrived with a broken fiber optic and it quickly disintegrated into nothing. Gamo was very good about sending me a replacement free of charge, which was very easy to replace. But still, how much would it be to add a front globe to protect the front sight?
Front Sight – Needs something to protect the Fiber Optic.
The rear sight is a standard Gamo “micro-click” adjustable metal sight with fiber optic inserts. I spent many weeks using this rifle with open sights before putting a scope on it. It performs extremely well with the open sights. Had I not ordered a scope along with the rifle for the review, I may have never put one on. It shoots that nicely.
Fully Adjustable Rear Sight
I chose a BSA 3-12×44 scope and a 1 piece Accushot mount. I should have made sure that the scope had range-estimating mil-dots for the reticule. Having a simple Duplex Reticule has proved frustrating because I’m just not able to judge the hold over well enough to be reliably accurate when the target is beyond the center of the cross-hairs. Now this was my fault not BSA or Gamo’s. I should have paid more attention to the item’s description and I would not be in this situation. With all that said, the BSA scope is VERY NICE. The optics are as good as anything else that I’ve tested and it was priced very aggressively. I like having the 12x zoom. It helps me squeeze every last drop of accuracy out of the rifle.
Shooting the Gamo Whisper is a very pleasant experience and I can only imagine that the Air Venturi Gas Ram makes all the difference in the world. The first time I cocked the rifle it was smooth as glass and cocked with minimal effort compared to those big magnum rifles I’d been shooting. This is truly an all-day shooter if I’ve ever seen one. Even my wife is able cock and shoot this rifle and she actually enjoys shooting it.
Another point of note with this particular Gamo Rifle is the trigger. It seems to be a bit smoother and lighter than Gamo’s standard trigger. When shooting with open sights I don’t seem to notice the trigger pull as much as when I’m using a scope. So in my first video review using just open sights, I stated the trigger seemed really different from other Gamo Rifes. Now that I’ve mounted a scope, my opinion has changed. The trigger is more like the old Gamo triggers than I had originally thought. That said, I was able to get the hang of it. You have to be very patient and steady with a Gamo trigger and you need to practice good follow-through techniques.
Standard Gamo Trigger
The Gamo Whisper requires you to pay close attention to your hold and shooting techniques. It is very hold sensitive, with the point of impact changing as much as several inches at 27 yards. Whatever you are going to use for a balance point, remember it. Once you’ve zeroed your scope, you don’t want to be changing your hold or you’ll be chasing your shots all over the place. Once you’ve got your hold down, it is just a matter of trigger control and follow-though.
Before we look at accuracy, let’s take a quick look at what kind of velocities we generated with the Air Venturi Gas Ram upgrade. Many people ask me if it is worth the $100 or so for the upgrade… let me say emphatically YES. What the Gas Ram does, no spring can. It greatly speeds up and reduces recoil and eliminates torque. Besides that, it is less sensitive to cold than a steel spring and can be left cocked for long periods of time without the threat of metal fatigue that can damage a standard spring.
Moving on to the big question, does the Air Venturi Gas Ram shoot with greater velocity than the standard spring? Well in the Gamo Whisper it does. The Gamo Whisper states that it shoots lead ammo at 750 FPS and PBA ammo at 900 FPS. Our tests put the Hobby pellets near 780 FPS and the PBA ammo runs at or just over 900 FPS. The Gas Ram DOES make a big difference in this rifle.
Now finally, lets look at the accuracy. When I could shoot 3/4” groups at 20 yards with open sights, I knew that this was an accurate rifle. Once I got the scope mounted, I was able to see just how accurate. We did all of our shooting at 27 yards, which is the distance from my shooting bench on my porch to my target stand at my fence line. Because the weather has been so iffy, it was easier to just set up under cover of the porch and shoot between the rain, wind, and cold. I’m going to start with the worst pellet of the bunch and work my way forward.
Starting with Crosman Premier Hollow Points we got the following from our Chronograph (see below). As you can see, accuracy was not what I’ve come to expect from Crosman Premier Hollow Points.
High – 741, Low – 728, Average – 733, Difference – 13
Next were the Gamo PBA lead free pellets in .22. These did far better than I expected with a 1/2” group at 27 yards. These may be a good option if you feel you need to shoot over 900 FPS.
High – 905, Low – 877, Average – 884, Difference – 28
The next two pellets were very nearly a tie, but the Beeman Field Target Specials grouped just slightly larger than our best pellet. With good velocity an excellent accuracy, they are a good choice and seem to hold their accuracy over a long range.
High – 723, Low – 718, Average – 720, Difference – 5
Our best group came from Gamo Hunter pellets. They were spot on nearly every time. They are certainly ugly pellets, but they shoot great in the Gamo Whisper. They are fairly heavy and so the velocity may not impress those who want to brag about how fast their rifle can shoot, but I’ll take hitting a dime every time over shooting fast any day.
High – 686, Low – 664, Average – 673, Difference – 22
Well that’s it for the Gamo Whisper. The Gamo Whisper CSI edition with the Air Venturi Gas Ram upgrade, BSA Scope, and Accushot mount, is going to run you about $500. That is a lot of money and you really won’t be able to appreciate this rig until you shoot one. Every person who has picked this up has tried to take it home. There are a couple of things that I’d like to see change with it however. Gamo needs a better trigger PERIOD. This one was better than other Gamo rifles, but still hard to get used to. At least it was smooth and not terribly heavy, just very, very long. It also needs a front globe or something to protect the front sight. It looks like the standard Gamo globe would work, they just need to include it from the factory.
Bottom line for me is this, I’ve spent a lot more than $500 trying to find the right rifle and scope combo. I can’t tell you how many rifles, i.e. Crosman rifles from Wal-mart… etc., that I’ve bought hoping to achieve what this Gamo Whisper CSI combo does. I’ve probably bought this rifle at least 2 times over, maybe more. If I can save you the headache, disappointment, and frustration of dealing with bad springers that just won’t shoot right, please listen. Pick up the Gamo Whisper with the Air Venturi Gas Ram from PyramydAir.com TODAY. If you need to save a few bucks, get the standard Whisper with the Black Stock and hold off on the scope for now. It is well worth the money and PyramydAir is a great company to work with. They will stand behind what they sell.
As always, thank you for taking the time to visit the site and read the reviews. Until next time… Rick
Written By,
Rick Eutsler
Editor / Owner
www.AirGunWeb.com
Copyright 2008
www.airgunweb.com &
Dog River Design, LLC.