Gamo Whisper: The .22 Caliber Version

Gamo has made the Gamo Whisper available to the market in .177 for a season now, and the .22 caliber version shares the exact same look and powerplant. Of course, with the heavier and larger pellet, the .22 version delivers more FPE with less velocity, a simple matter of a larger projectile making the difference.



Sporting the same features as its .177 caliber little brother, the .22 is well-suited for small game hunting and pesting. I consider it a better choice for larger small game such as the groundhog and possum. I shot one of the last pears that was hanging in my tree out back with a JSB Predator pellet. The result was dramatic, the hollow-point, polymer-tipped pellet making shambles of the pear, blowing out the back side with malice afore-thought! This kind of performance from a well-designed pellet is exceptional for taking small game. The JSB Predators were also humming along at an average pace of 667 fps from a 5-shot sampling. Below is a pic of one of the JSB chrony test shots.



The other pellets used in the velocity and accuracy testing were: Crosman Premiers, RWS Superdomes, Gamo Hunters, and Beeman Kodiaks. Each was adequate for aluminum can blasting, but I received the best accuracy from the RWS Superdomes, followed by the Gamo Hunters and CP's. The Kodiaks were also accurate, but were edged out by a small margin.



The velocity results were as follows:

Crosman Premiers : 714 fps
RWS Superdomes: 725 fps
Gamo Hunters: 696 fps
Beeman Kodiaks: 547 fps
JSB Predators: 667 fps

The Whisper, true to its name, sports the same sound-reduction muzzle that has been reported to reduce the sound produced during firing by up to 52% or so. This is hard to tell from the shooter's perspective since the action of the gun is still right beside the ear, and the perceived noise, for the shooter, remains the same as most other spring-piston airguns. However, a decibel meter placed at the muzzle during firing will show a sound reduction, according to some published and viewed testing procedures on some noted hunting shows on the outdoor channels that are available on my cable subscription. I am unable to reproduce this test at my humble testing facility (my backyard), so will accept the results given.

The gun I was sent came with a Gamo scope and single-piece mount that remained snug during the testing session. The scope works well, and I was able to reliably swing the ram, goat, pig and chicken that serve as metal test-subjects in my backyard without any problem with the more accurate pellets.



If you elect not to use a scope with this gun, you will find a very nice fiber-optic rear sight, and a hooded front sight that works just fine for those of you who still have vision up to the task!





The trigger and safety of the .22 caliber Gamo Whisper are the usual Gamo setup, with the safety in front of the trigger, both inside the trigger guard. This is a simple but effective setup that works well and allows the shooter to work the safety and trigger with one finger.



For $224.95 you get a weather resistant stock, fiber-optic sights, and a scope and one-piece mount. Couple this with the accuracy I achieved in the testing procedure, and you have an economical pest control and small game rifle. Or, if you don't hunt, a more neighbor-friendly, backyard plinking gun that will roll a can for all it is worth!