Author Topic: Gamo Hornet/Swarm Problems (Read 659 times)

Gman · « **on:** August 21, 2017, 09:12:36 PM »

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and would love to have some feedback re: issues surrounding my Gamo Hornet/Swarm....namely those frustrating scopes. My past with airguns has always been with open sights. So, now I find myself trying to understand these Gamo supplied scopes. One day I'm dialed in and the next time shooting (in my garage) it's like a different gun, and I'm re-dialing it in. Since I mainly use them for rat patrol, I need to be spot on or it's a waste. Initially, after I bought them both I had them both dialed in using my garage target and all went well, I couldn't miss a rat. Now suddenly I'm missing not by a little but by a lot. I ran an experiment in my garage and the results were totally unexpected. I have targets set up at about 15 ft. This is okay for now since my sniping position for the rats is about the same distance. So I dialed both my Gamo's in again, a never ending battle, and then set up a small empty yogurt container with a small target drawn on the side. This was set on the floor approx. 15 ft. away. My angle of shooting was downward at 35-45 deg. with about 5 ft. of elevation to my head position. To my utter amazement, every shot was 5-6 inches high. Now, this was totally unexpected since I know I'm not that bad a shot at that distance. So, I redialed in both scopes for bullseye's for the downward firing targets. Then I went back and shot at my usual straight on targets. Now the guns were both hitting the targets 5-6 inches or more below my aiming point. I've read many comments about the Gamo scopes being bad but was hesitant since I was new to using a scope. But because the distances are so close I have no other explanation for these results, especially since I was doing just fine when I first started using them and had them sighed in on my usual garage targets and found I couldn't miss a rat (shooting downward from 6-7 ft.).
I'm looking to upgrade one of the scope's soon and prove my theory but would I'd love to hear from others. I'm starting to feel like the the 9th inning closer who can't throw a strike to save his life.

Martin · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2017, 09:19:45 PM »

Well, a scope that moves like that is either not working, or not mounted correctly. make sure your rings are mounted on the tube and use blue locktight on all the screws. Let it sit a day and if it moves again, it's the scope and the only remedy is to toss it and get a working one. At least that's my experience. If I mount them correctly, the rifle will be dead on after a lot of abuse. This is just my experience with scopes and I have no idea what rifle you are talking about. Some rifles just move a bit and hopefully that isn't the case or you are going to be FORCED to get a new one

Christopher · « **Reply #2 on:** August 21, 2017, 11:37:19 PM »

Not sure of the power levels that a Gamo Hornet/Swarm has, but from my experience "magnum" or higher powered springers are murder on scopes. My son had a Benjamin Trail NP2 and it devoured scopes. It eventually self-destructed by means of it's own violent vibration. Always check the screws in your springers; stock screw, screw at the pivot pin, scope screws, etc, etc. From my own research scopes on springers are hit and miss. Some have decent success, while others not so much. The only sure fired cure is to get a PCP

Chris

Alan · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2017, 05:04:42 AM »

So you know where I come from.... I do not like anything nitro-pistoned, and scope life is one of them! The type of hold is another, and I take aim (pun intended) at those who believe or tell me they can shoot accurate groups both off hand and over bags. I've owned two, and that is all it took to swear me off forever!

I do have one springer, that shoots extremely tight groups out to about 20 yards. But it isn't a nitro-piston.

My advice? Buy a PCP!

Gman · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2017, 09:10:47 AM »

Thanks for the tips. While I agree that technique may play a part in some of my (mis)shooting I'm leaning towards the stock scope as the issue. It seems that both guns left to sit for a few days and then brought out again for some shooting almost always have shifted their pellet placement from the last use. At first I kinda blamed me but many have mentioned this same effect. I will admit to my need to establish consistent head placement for proper sighting and prevention of the dreaded parallax (reticle shift). This will be the hardest part for me. But even this can't totally explain what's happening.
I decided to try a red dot sight on one and see how this compares. I'm hoping it will take the place of the urge for my need for an open sights.