Got it home last night.

Box was smashed, an inner lens on the scope has a small crack in it. Fkin'g apes handling this stuff....maybe these UPS idiots will let me come over and ride my dirtbike in their living room.

Cabela's also didn't do the best packing job, and it's not the first time. They wadded up my invoice like a piece of trash and stuffed it in the box as the only packing. So- both are getting nasty e-mails today.

I drove a truck for several years, handled millions in cargo each week, if we busted a box we got reemed, or fired!

I said screw it and put it together. Scope worked, adusted ok, crack is 99%below line of sight for the most part.

Did some shots at 10y, get a good hold and it'll dot the BE no sweat.
Trigger has a lot of take up, 2nd stage is supposed to be adjustable but aint messed with that yet but it's OK for now, trigger gaurd front screw is a sheet-metal screw that screws into the plastic stock- and it just spins. Rest of hardware is decent torx-head. Scope rings have an adheasive on inner portion of rings and the rear one has a stop stud. 4x scope is nice and clear, has a duplex reticle w/ 30 MOA subtention @ 100y.
Gun shoulders great, weld is a tad low for me but the cheek piece is a wrapover so lefty's will like it too, slightly muzzle heavy and feels really good in the hand standing. Does well prone too. Barrel is a steel within a fluted polymer wrap. Adds weight and aids gripping for cocking.

Penetrates halfway through a thick phonebook with 7.4gr Crosman Spire points and the PBA. My target box is full of mags, papers and a Cabela's "dictionary". Spires went through over 300 pages with some deformation but you can still make out the grooves. PBA did the same w/o any deformation but it did leave tiny slivers- watch it if you eat something killed with these, could be a nasty surpise as they are HARD- again, I don't recomend these for hunting.

Gotta claim with UPS so...we'll see what gives and if they'll pay me for the rifle/scope or if they want me to send it back. Further testing pends my HP ammo coming and the claims process.

Fer 99$ I'd say it's a fair deal, and, the aftermarket has a lot of upgrades for this unit like triggers etc. The barrel seems to be inhearintly accurate w/ different ammo, espcially so with certain kinds.

pics of scope box, muzzle, etc...

#2

#3

Could ya have dropped it offa higher loading dock? Sorry- I was p/o'd so my hands were kinda shakey.

...puter locked- sorry.... shot of it on the red carpet... will do some formal testing tonight from prone at various distances using the PBA and the Crosman 7.4gr Spire lead. Sorry again for the crummy pics, hands shake when I get bent and the light setting thingy was off as well. Not a very good report, I know...

Send it back and make the bastards replace it mate. You should not accept a parcel that has been trashed like that mate...bloody disgusting and totally unacceptable.

Cheers, Vince

Stovey

Sorry to hear about the unwanted durability test. However, you've been having too much fun lately. Every once in a while some rain must fall.

Thanks guys. Lil disapointed. Was really looking forward to it.
UPS is processing the claim. Not sure if they are going to call it back or not. It was dropped off here at work so...didn't see it till it was too late.

Shot it some last night. Prone, rested @ 10y I got one tiny little hole about .25" with the 7.4gr spire points. Moved it to 25y and tried the PBA. Flyers galore. That was odd. Everything was tight. Tried it again, little better, then flyers, then tried 7.4gr wadcutters, 3/4" group, but way low- scope jumped it's stop pin hole (rear ring has a stud that locates in the reciever)- that explains it, scope was scooting all over. I installed it to the letter in the instructions w/ loc-tite. Still jumped out of the hole in the reciever. It was hot and really humid and forgot my soptting scope so...I was fragged and soaked from walking back and forth. Loaded up and went home. Crack in inner-occular lens got worse too so it's back in the box. Gun has potential though. Looking foward to the new one and will test 4 diff. kinda of ammo next time, getting a scope-stop as well. Was encouraging to see that first group, very impressive! Killer accuracy. I can see why this gun is getting rave reviews.

Cablea's is wanting to take it back and sending a new one per their e-mail.

They might just keep my business yet! I told them have someone else besides Magilla Gorilla pack the next one, please.

stovepipe wrote:

I told them have someone else besides Magilla Gorilla pack the next one, please.

Funny that they just didn't ship it in its original container which should have handled the journey. Did they send you a floor model or one from the bargin cave?

Floor stock I think... either or...it's going back, their dime. 3rd strike too. Very nice people to do busniess with but, I keep getting either the wrong stuff, messed up stuff, etc. Shopping somwehere else. 3rd time in a row and I'm too old to be waiting 4-6 weeks for the turn-around for them to get it right.

OK- changing gears here.....
I noticed something when shooting the 760 Pumpmaster back to back with the Gamo.
I really do like the unscoped youth models as they are way eaiser to get around with in the brush and semi-urban environments, and, they look WAY more discrete. The Big Cat is a serious starter/midrange pellet-hunter, as far as air guns go. $99.00 is all I'd pay for one too. I'd for sure keep it if the scope wasn't cracked. I'd also install a wel-nut in the front trigger guard screw hole, get better rings and another scope stop etc. It's huge and heavy- almost 7#. I already got a scoped small bore hunter, Mossy 22LR, that is WAY lighter, way smaller etc. and costs less than suggested retail for the Gamo. So, aint breaking my heart to see it go back. I aint feelin' the "large pellet hunter rifle" thingy....target stuff? Sure, nice sculpted wood stock, go nuts there.
Pellets rifles and 22's and such should be more like "scout rifles" to me. Tidy, quick etc.

Since it is going back I'm getting something smaller, lighter, still a break-barrel but with open sights.
Was orriginally told it's a no-no in Ca. so I blew it off, then, saw the Gamo for 99$. Got some bad info there.
The sights are 2-color, three-dot fiber optic so I can see them. Yay!
It'll work on small pests and tin cans in the yard, and, will carry and handle like a pellet rifle should, since 99% of my shooting is 10-25y max.

Crosman Raven....$69.00

I also had a .22 cal CO2 S&W target/hunter gun back in the late '70's. That thing was the bee's knee's and man I saved for it for a long time. I wish I could find a pic of it or the model. It kinda looked like the S&W 22A we recently got for the lady. Had a very simliar breech/loading area and the cartridge went in the butt w/ an o-ring'd knurled screw in cap with a piercing needle in it. Ferral "stuff" dried up really fast around lots and old buildings due to that thing. It went through cartridges way too fast too. Loud as heck, but, twas the real deal.

Anyone else have a Blue Streak? Man was that a neat gun to me as a yunker. Still has a classic look, esp with that hardwood stock and it's youth sized too so it's tidy and handy for rootin' out stuff in the thickets. Might get another one someday! Pigeons hated that thing. PAP! Plop.

New gen spring guns are fast, but, they kinda lack the classic 'crack' of a pumper or a gas unit. Esp don't like the *twang* but they seem to hold up well and the one cock break-barrel is handy and ya dont have to hide as long to pump yer brains out after ya find something.

I've heard the spring loaded guns can knock a scope around as much as a high-power rifle.

Spring powered guns are hard on scopes because they have "recoil" in both directions, not just back.

Yeh- they have wicked un-coil. TWANG! Using a firearm scope on a springer will result in a busted scope in some cases. The Big Cat has an egg-shaped slot on top of the reciver with a corresponding stop pin in the rear ring. The slot should be round and a LOT closer in size to the stop pin. Mine jumped it's stop after 30 rounds from un-re-un-coiling. Once you find a method to keep the scopes from flying off they are tack-driving hunter's. First 3 shots in earnest went into the same hole at over 10 meters. My bud and I just kinda stood there and scratched our heads, but, the pellets were in the trap and there was one tiny hole in the target!