Gamo Silent Cat Air Rifle

Comment: This "Silent Cat" isn't. It makes just as much noise shooting as the air rifle I had previously. It also has a long trigger creep which takes getting used to. If you are buying this to be able to shoot without making much of a racket, forget it.

Comment: Generally pleased with this air gun. Have been shooting a variety of pellets, but like the Gamo Tomahawk pellets, and Beeman Hollowpoint.

Though the trigger is adjustable, I was rather disappointed at the hard pull which made accurate shots difficult and didn't bother trying to adjust it out. Instead replaced with a GRT III which made the trigger very close to the stock trigger on my Air Arms s410 in performance, and now it's quite nice and allows much better accuracy. Once the trigger was replaced, the accuracy has really improved in terms of tight shot patterns. But frankly it did ok with the stock trigger as long as I used a good artillery hold with some added stability such as sitting and using a leg for added support. Standing and shooting with the stock trigger was difficult as the hard pull made shot patterns dispersive. However, the light weight of the gun, surprisingly light, generally makes this gun easy to handle.

Scope is good enough, way far from top of the line but good enough for this gun. Clear and easy to mount with a stop pin. Used loctite on the screws and after hundreds of shots have not had to adjust after the initial sighting in. Though did run about 250 pellets through it prior to sighting it in to get a reasonable break-in.

The cocking effort seems much less than I've seen listed (anywhere from 28 ft/lbs to 38) and really seems more like 18-20. Any abled 10 year old can cock this weapon. I place the gun butt on my left thigh, hold just above the trigger guard with my left hand, with my right grasp the silencer and break it open and cock it. Really can do hundreds of cocks a day with no arm fatigue.

For a springer the gun is relatively quiet. As far as speed of the pellets it must be as advertised, because the PBA pellets break the sound barrier (1116 ft/s) and it sounds like a rimfire .22 going off. It's certainly louder than my s410 which is a PCP and extremely quiet. The s410 is so quiet I missed a squirrel twice (today) and it still sat eating calmly, then I got a little stability as I leaned against a tree for the long range shot (about 60 yds) and took it out with the 3rd. While I wouldn't have taken such a long range shot with the Silent Cat, I also wouldn't have gotten more than one chance. Still, the gun is certainly more quiet than any rim-fire or center-fire weapon.

The gun started out with some twang from the spring but that quickly dispersed. Also, there is a little bit of torque from the spring, and a tune would do this gun some justice.

For target practice and light hunting I find myself grabbing this gun from time to time, but will give it to a 12 year old boy as first real gun capable for training and field.

Comment: A bit disappointed on the so called 50% reduction in noise. GAMO, in my assessement, overstated the effectiveness of the Whisper technology.

Comment: After sighting the scope this pellet rifle is very accurate at 200 feet. Invasive nusiance squirrels have vacated. I first bought the GAMO Whisper VH Air Rifle with 3-9x40 Scope, Laser, Light and PBA (.177 Caliber) but it jammed after 10 shots and had to be returned. The Silent Cat was coincidentally released that week so I bought it instead. I've shot the Silent Cat for several months with no problems. The Silent Cat is slightly shorter and lighter than the Whisper which makes the Silent Cat easier to handle.