Gamo CFX - This Air Gun Makes the Grade

The Gamo corporation has quite a presence in the American airgun market. Gamo's Air Gun marketing and product line has made them one of the most recognizable names in the growing American airgun market, and they have the lion's share of sales here in the United States.

I was recently asked to review the Gamo CFX in .177 caliber. After picking up the gun, I started some off-hand plinking with the open sights, and was pleasantly surprised with the accuracy right out of the box. Within a few shots, I was hitting the swinging ram on my metal target at 20 yards without difficulty. Curious as to the potential accuracy when using a scope, I mounted an extra Tech Force scope I had on hand and fired five shots. The picture below shows the results.



As you can see, the 5-shot group gave me the kind of accuracy that really makes me happy as a hunter. At 20 yards, 4 of the shots are nearly touching, with one flyer that I knew was off the moment I shot it. And this is off-hand shooting, not from a bench-rest.

The CFX gave me the best groups overall with the Crosman Premiere 7.9 gr. pellets. And the penetrating power of the shots was all you could ask for in a sporting rifle. Notice the holes in the tin can shot at 15 yards. A clean hole through both sides of the can translates into plenty of power for small game such as squirrel and rabbit.



The velocity I attained from the 7.9 gr. Crosman pellets was in the low 700's, averaging in the 720's. This is closing in on 10 fpe, plenty for plinking and small game hunting, as well as pest control.



Loading the Gamo CFX requires you to actuate the underlever mechanism, cocking the spring and returning the lever to its closed position. Then open the loading gate, slide your pellet in, making sure it is fully into the barrel. I shaved off the rear end of a few pellet skirts before I noticed what I was doing. Closing the loading gate, you are ready to fire. The safety, located inside the trigger guard, is not automatic, so if you didn't reset the safety after the last shot, then the trigger will fire the gun, so be sure you keep your fingers off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.







The loading gate will open if you break the cocking lever open partway, allowing you to load the gun without cocking it. This would be helpful for when you are hunting and wish to leave the gun uncocked until your game is sighted.

The front and rear sight have fiber optic inserts that aid in open-sight shooting, and are nice and bright, helping with target acquisition.





At 6.5 lbs. and 44" in length, the Gamo CFX sells for $199.95 at the time of this article. The combination of out-of-the-box accuracy and synthetic stock make this gun an excellent candidate for your shooting pleasure that will bear up for years under the abuse of constant use. And Gamo's Limited Lifetime Warranty is another point in favor of this air gun joining your household.

**Addendum**
After researching a little bit, I learned that the CFX, for some reason, seems to be very touchy about pellet fit as it relates to velocity. I ran some tighter fitting pellets than the Crosman Premieres through the CFX, and all the tighter fitting pellets gained velocity. In fact, the RWS Superdome, which has a thinner skirt than the Crosman pellet, gained 130 fps, giving a velocity in the upper 800's. So be aware of how drastic a difference can be found just by changing pellets.

Crosman's 2200 Air Rifle

Crosman has been making airguns for a long time. Model after model has passed off of the company's airgun assembly line over the years, and many a child has been awarded a new level of responsibility when they receive their first Crosman air gun. Crosman's Model 2200 continues a long line of pump-up guns that is geared towards the youth market that Crosman and Daisy have dominated here in the United States.



The design of the Crosman 2200 emulates the look of some well-known centerfire rifles, and is closer to being full-sized than many airguns on the market. The receiver is metal, and the wood-grain plastic is very serviceable and easy to grip with the checkering molded into the stock itself. The bolt, when pulled back, reveals a generous loading port that allows you to roll the .22 caliber pellet of your choice into place, ready to be loaded.



During shooting, I tried various power levels, from 4 to 10 pumps. I found that 5 pumps gave me the best accuracy at 15 yards and under. One thing that I noticed is that the trigger pull changes based on how many pumps you put into the reservoir before firing. At 10 pumps, the trigger pull is quite stiff, with a correspondingly easier pull with the lower number of pumps.



The size of the 2200 lends itself well to the market it is designed for, and my 12-year old son is shown aiming the gun in the above picture. The fiber-optic front sight aids in quick target acquisition, and a handy scope rail is molded into the top of the receiver. I mounted a scope for some more accurate shooting evaluation, and found that the gun performed the best under 20 yards as is indicated on the box.

For a close-range pest gun, the 2200 would work quite well on light-bodied animals up to the size of a squirrel. The big .22 caliber pellet will roll a can with the best of airguns, and a good wadcutter puts a very satisfying hole in paper targets that is easy to see from 10-15 yards.

The Crosman 2200 is a great gun for the beginning shooter, as well as for those more experienced shooters who want a fun gun to plink off the back porch with. And as light as it is, you can carry this Crosman air rifle for many an hour without tiring. So take a look at this offering from Crosman the next time you are looking for a pump-up air gun to add to your shooting enjoyment.

Beeman R-7: Air Gun Quality in a Small Package

The Beeman R-7 is perhaps the ideal gun for those who dream about an easy-to-cock, extremely accurate, loads-of-fun air gun. It's size lends itself to the smaller shooter, such as most women and teenagers, and the cocking effort addresses the smaller shooter as well. It is around 5" shorter than the behemoth R-1, but still sends the a .177 pellet down range at 700 fps at the muzzle. Available in .177 and .20 caliber, this little gem of a pellet gun will satisfy most shooters in the accuracy department as it comes with the famous Rekord trigger that lends itself to being adjusted to the shooter's preference, enhancing accuracy.

I picked up my R-7 a few weeks ago and began a side-by-side comparison with its larger sibling, the Beeman R-9. The R-7 is easier to cock, smaller is size, and shoots about 200 fps slower than the R-9. The result is that I can stay on target while looking through the scope and watch the pellet go down range with the R-7, while the R-9 tends to make me lose the sight picture with the sharper recoil it generates. And it shoots a variety of pellets quite well, though each kind has a different impact point. Set the gun up for the pellet of your choice, and you'll be able to put the pellet on target with ease in a very short time.

The R-9 deluxe I own enjoys a better finish and comes with some nice checkering on the forearm and grip, compared to the plainer R-7 that has checkering only on the grip area, but if I want a truly nice stock, I can always go custom. I bought the R-7 for the "fun factor", as well as a small pest and small game airgun. The accuracy of both guns is all I could ask for in a sporter air gun, and I seriously doubt I'll find two more accurate guns without going to a match-type rifle at 10 meters. And my smaller children will enjoy shooting with Dad in the backyard with this scaled-down springer which is closer to their needs in size and cocking effort.



To get the most out of this quality, German-engineered and built Beeman air gun, a good scope is called for. At 20 yards, I can spin the small chicken on my metal spinner target most of the time, and that target is about the size of the end of my thumb. Larger targets such as a metallic ram, or a soft drink can have no chance at all against the accuracy that is delivered by the R-7. I like a 3-9x40 scope, or something of similar size, mounted on secure rings. The recoil is less than the R-9 as mentioned above, but it is still possible to have the scope mounts shift if you don't use the scope stop thoughtfully built into the top of the receiver. But if you prefer open sights, a nice globe-type front sight is provided, as well as a fully adjustable rear sight.

Though the R-7 is less powerful than the R-9, it still does a great job controlling pests. Sparrows and starlings fall easily to its accuracy, and I plan on doing some closer-range squirrel hunting and rabbit control later in the year when the season opens up.



Currently retailing for $325.95, the Beeman R-7 will fit nicely into your airgun collection, filling that niche of an easy-to-cock, short-but-accurate sporter airgun that we all find a use for when plinking or ridding the property of small pests.

Compasseco's TF-40 - Techforce Top Performer

Written by: Randy Mitchell

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then this Techforce air gun is an excellent form of flattery indeed. The TF-40, imported by Compasseco, is a clone of the venerable TX-200 from Air Arms. However, the original costs over $500, while the TF-40 comes in at a 40-50% discount, retailing at just under $300.



The TF-40 you see in the picture above is a .22 caliber version, and I had the opportunity to try several different pellets while warming it up. All of the pellets fit very tightly, and the only complaint I have with this gun is that the loading end of the barrel is slightly undersized. You can get the pellets in, but you have to press some of them with a little attitude to get them in. Opening up the breech end of the barrel just slightly would facilitate easier loading and do wonders for the enjoyment of a long shooting session.

I tried Crosman Premieres, Gamo Hunters, RWS Superdomes, Beeman Ramjets, and JSB Exacts in the TF-40 during the warm up, and then shot for accuracy. The Beeman Ramjets came out on top, followed by the Superdomes. And the advertised velocities are actually accurate, with the Crosman pellets going an average of 730 fps over a 5-shot string. Below is a pic of one of the slower shots.




Beeman Ramjets provided the best accuracy in this particular gun.

The fit and finish of the TF-40 is quite excellent. If you are used to the normal finish on many Asian guns, then you will be pleasantly surprised at how nice the TF-40 feels in the hand, as well as its firing behavior. The cocking handle is machined, not pressed and rolled, and the cocking behavior was very smooth on the example I was given to shoot. The beartrap release worked smooth and positively, and the blueing was among the best I've seen on guns from this manufacturer.



I mounted a Tech Force 3-12x40 in simple two-piece mounts for my test firing. I was concerned that it might creep, but during my testing I didn't experience any scope creep at all. However, there are scope stop holes milled into the top of the receiver for rock-steady mount if you are so inclined.



The TF-40 is an excellent contender for your shooting dollar. If you want an accurate gun that won't break the bank, is a joy to shoot, and delivers the accuracy needed for target shooting as well as hunting, then put this air gun on your list of possibilities.