Gamo Compact experience

[CB200]

Cb200,
congratulations, sounds like you are progressing well.I think you should be pleased with the way things are going. Keep practicing, but don't over do it.

If you get to a club hopefully they will have an active coaching program you might want to get involved in. Usually there are some experienced shooters who are only took willing to offer help & advice, but it seems as if you are acquiring a good solid base that you can consolidate & move on from.

Hope you continue to feel the reward from your efforts & enjoy your shooting

Ps look forward to hearing how your next 60 go.

Thanks for the encouragement Trajectory, it’s appreciated. I don’t think I will overdue it, I get bored after 20 mins of dry firing - it’s not called dry for nothing!
Hopefully I’ll get to a club in the not too distant future and benefit from some experienced folk, as you say.
Roll on the 15th haha!

[trajectory]

I haven't practiced with my Gamo Compact for a while so I fired a few shots with it today. I really rather like it, but I don't know if it's lack of practice with it or if I had just forgotten ......but it's really fidly loading a wadcutter pellet into the barrel in that confined space. Maybe I need to shoot it a bit more often.

[CB200]

I haven't practiced with my Gamo Compact for a while so I fired a few shots with it today. I really rather like it, but I don't know if it's lack of practice with it or if I had just forgotten ......but it's really fidly loading a wadcutter pellet into the barrel in that confined space. Maybe I need to shoot it a bit more often.

It is fiddly, but you’ll get used to it again if you persevere.

[trajectory]

It is fiddly, but you’ll get used to it again if you persevere.

I think you are right, bit of practice needed. Once again the kit isn't the limiting factor, it's the human!

[CB200]

I couldn’t wait until the 15th to do my next 60 shot, so I did it yesterday: not as much as I’d hoped, but I did break the 500 barrier with 506. I’m going to do a 60 shot every 2 weeks now, just to get used to doing a ‘match’, albeit by myself.

I’d be hoping to upgrade to another pistol this year (hopefully get to at least 520/530 with the Gamo first).
I need a pistol that is as ‘quiet’ as the Gamo, as I shoot indoors, and I need to consider other family members. I don’t mind whether used or new, although weight might be a consideration as I’m 61. I would also need a dry fire function. Those requirements might narrow it down a bit! Any advice would be appreciated - thank you.

[trajectory]

I couldn’t wait until the 15th to do my next 60 shot, so I did it yesterday: not as much as I’d hoped, but I did break the 500 barrier with 506. I’m going to do a 60 shot every 2 weeks now, just to get used to doing a ‘match’, albeit by myself.

IÂ’d be hoping to upgrade to another pistol this year (hopefully get to at least 520/530 with the Gamo first).
I need a pistol that is as ‘quiet’ as the Gamo, as I shoot indoors, and I need to consider other family members. I don’t mind whether used or new, although weight might be a consideration as I’m 61. I would also need a dry fire function. Those requirements might narrow it down a bit! Any advice would be appreciated - thank you.

Firstly, sounds like your enthusiasm is being rewarded which is really good. Increasing to 60 a fortnight seems a reasonable step to me if your 'fitness' level progresses it's likely you will be able to cope with all the rigours that go with it such as maintaining your concentration level. As you know it's not all physical.


Secondly, recommendations or suggestions on pistol upgrading. That's not so easy, some will be able to offer advice regarding kit they own or have used which can be helpful but it's not to say that it will be the same for you. Possibly the advice I would offer is along the lines of don't rush into anything, there is no real urgency to it although the desire might be great the actual need might not be so great, keep in mind the Gamo will probably out shoot you for a while, but I know the trigger weight is higher than you wish but even so I'd advise not rushing things. If you can get to a club, hopefully they might have a couple of club pistols you can try. Hopefully not Compacts, but it's a possibility. Sometimes other shooters will let you borrow their pistol for a few shots or at least let you feel the handling, balance & general properties. Then maybe you can begin to make a list of possible choices or at least features you want in your prospective purchase. Personally I sometimes think CO2 powered pistols are a little noisy, they seem to have a bit of a crack, not sure if its barrel length (don't think so) gas expansion characteristics or what, maybe it's a frequency thing? Not sure. However at a range, maybe with acoustic padding etc or a larger size room than at home it might seem a bit quieter & could be a bit noisier at home. Might be a consideration? PCP can go with a fair pop too, & you need to think about now you want to refill the cylinders too with a PCP. CO2 is fairly straightforward & fairly convenient but temperature & shot count are issues you need to consider.

CO2 fell out of favour when PCP came on the scene for all sorts of reasons for top end match competition, but for social competition shooting maybe it's a possibility. You might not think the noise is an issue, it's just my take on things & that's why I suggest you get to go & have a look & a try with as many types as you can. It's your choice but I think you will make a better decision once you have as much information as you can get from practical experience.

Does that help? Probably not, but it's one persons take on the question?

Atb

[bootneckbob]

I wouldn't go CO2 over SSP. If you can manage the charging then there are better pistols but really I'd go for PCP. As has been said get to a club and try and get a feel for some of the likely contenders, Steyr, Walther, Morini, FWB etc. They will all shoot as good as each other but some will feel better to you. At the end of the day the top pistols allow a greater degree of fit so it's really getting the grip size right off the bat so you don't need to buy another unnecessarily.

You won't lose much if anything on a good quality SH PCP, but you will save a fortune on buying brand new. I've had a few 10m match pistols but if I were going to buy another (I have arguably the best already with a Steyr Evo10e) I'd go to a shop and get the fit right. For me I have a Walther with a M grip which fits like a glove but my Steyr was L and now I have a Rink on it, also L. So If I were going to spend the best part of 2k again on a Walther LP500 I'd want to try it with a L grip just to make sure. The rest of the pistols bits are all broadly similar. I do like that Steyr have easy to adjust sights making corrections on the fly dead easy, but the Walther needs adjusting with an allen key which is no great shakes either really. Silly little things like that are the things I look at now. One or two cylinders, never had an issue with a Walther cylinder but they only usually supply one where as Steyr do two. I needed the extra one once as I had a failure with the other holding the charge.

[CB200]

Firstly, sounds like your enthusiasm is being rewarded which is really good. Increasing to 60 a fortnight seems a reasonable step to me if your 'fitness' level progresses it's likely you will be able to cope with all the rigours that go with it such as maintaining your concentration level. As you know it's not all physical.


Secondly, recommendations or suggestions on pistol upgrading. That's not so easy, some will be able to offer advice regarding kit they own or have used which can be helpful but it's not to say that it will be the same for you. Possibly the advice I would offer is along the lines of don't rush into anything, there is no real urgency to it although the desire might be great the actual need might not be so great, keep in mind the Gamo will probably out shoot you for a while, but I know the trigger weight is higher than you wish but even so I'd advise not rushing things. If you can get to a club, hopefully they might have a couple of club pistols you can try. Hopefully not Compacts, but it's a possibility. Sometimes other shooters will let you borrow their pistol for a few shots or at least let you feel the handling, balance & general properties. Then maybe you can begin to make a list of possible choices or at least features you want in your prospective purchase. Personally I sometimes think CO2 powered pistols are a little noisy, they seem to have a bit of a crack, not sure if its barrel length (don't think so) gas expansion characteristics or what, maybe it's a frequency thing? Not sure. However at a range, maybe with acoustic padding etc or a larger size room than at home it might seem a bit quieter & could be a bit noisier at home. Might be a consideration? PCP can go with a fair pop too, & you need to think about now you want to refill the cylinders too with a PCP. CO2 is fairly straightforward & fairly convenient but temperature & shot count are issues you need to consider.

CO2 fell out of favour when PCP came on the scene for all sorts of reasons for top end match competition, but for social competition shooting maybe it's a possibility. You might not think the noise is an issue, it's just my take on things & that's why I suggest you get to go & have a look & a try with as many types as you can. It's your choice but I think you will make a better decision once you have as much information as you can get from practical experience.

Does that help? Probably not, but it's one persons take on the question?

Atb

Thank you for your detailed and considered response, I do appreciate it. Joining a club will likely be a good way forward for all the reasons you mentioned, although I’ll wait until covid disapates more before I jump in there. I’ve had a few suggestions from worthy sources up to now: Tau-7 and LP1, amongst others. I quite like the idea of a Tau, as it doesn’t have too many adjustments! And I can get it new with a warranty for a very reasonable cost. Also Co2 canisters are cheap and readily available. Any used gun is likely to want a service/ re-sealing. I realise that the Tau is no were near as refined as a Styer, but if it gets me to the next level? Do you have any experience of a Tau-7?