The legendary Gamo Hunter 1250 air rifle is designed for hunting. This is a very powerful weapon, part of the group of spring-piston rifles. The Gamo Hunter 1250 fires aimed shots at ranges up to 100m, although it can hit a target at a greater distance. Due to its extraordinary power in some countries, this weapon was named "Hurricane".
A few words about the manufacturer
Founded in Spain, the world famous company Gamo has more than 50 years of history as a manufacturer of airguns: bullets, rifles and pistols. In 1961, the company's pilot air pistol was launched on the Spanish market and immediately became popular with consumers due to its excellent quality. The first steps of the company were aimed at creating the production of air rifles from guaranteed interchangeable parts.
Since 1963, deliveries of the company's products to the UK began. At the same time, Gamo became a participant in international exhibitions. By 1970, the company's products were already supplied to40 countries. In 1980, business ties began with similar enterprises in the United States, and in 1995 Gamo USA Corporation was founded.
The company has been 100% owned by New York-based Brookman, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. (B, R, S) since 2013.
The subject of our review - the powerful air rifle Gamo Hunter 1250 - has been on the world market since the beginning of 2000.
List of features
This single-shot rifle is loaded with a broken barrel and combines massive power with high accuracy. It is designed to fire lead bullets of 4.5/5.5 mm caliber. The bullet speed is 381 m / s (open version), and the shot power is 36.3 J (open version). The number 1250 in the name refers to the English unit of speed FPS (1250 feet per second).
It is important to note that the rifle is delivered to Russia in a weakened version with a power of 7.5 J and a bullet speed V0=175 m/s. In order to return full-fledged characteristics to the Gamo Hunter 1250, it is necessary to ream the bypass hole (remember the ban on possession of such a powerful weapon - it is a criminal offense).
Clamping force is 26.5 kg (in both versions). The weight is 4.1 kg. The total length is 123 cm, and the barrel length is 400 mm.
Who would suit this air rifle
Of course, its power is impressive, but not everyone can run through the forest with a four-kilogram rifle. But if you already know what the Diana 54 Airking rifle is, then you will have somethingcompare. In any case, this weapon is intended for an experienced and strong user. The fact that the rifle is suitable for a large-sized shooter is also confirmed by the fact that from the middle of the butt plate to the trigger is as much as 37 cm.
The recoil after the shot is such that if you have weak shoulders, it is better not to try to cope with the Gamo Hunter 1250. The rubber butt pad on the butt, which is designed to reduce recoil, will not help either. In short, it’s better not to take such a rifle into weak hands - you won’t get any accuracy of the battle, although the weapon itself will have nothing to do with it.
But if you have already run a couple of years of military service with SVD, then the Gamo Hunter 1250 is made for you as ordered. Let's take a closer look at the individual options.
Butt
It's made of wood, and if it were plastic, it would be an absolute disaster for this rifle. The 1250's plastic stock wouldn't last long, so it's finished in a classic Monte Carlo style of impregnated beech (or walnut for the US market) with a rubber recoil pad.
In order not to slip the palm on the handle, fish skin lining is made on both sides of it. The same pads are available on the forearm.
Barrel
The 45 cm long steel barrel has 12 grooves. It ends in a cylindrical muzzle with a diameter of 33 mm, which helps to somewhat muffle the sound of a shot. Although at maximum bullet speed in fullversion, it is guaranteed to break the sound barrier, and the clap is noticeably loud. The muzzle, equipped with a front bolt, can be easily removed if desired.
The barrel is very firmly screwed and pinned into the receiver. The latter is inserted without play into the "horns" of the air cylinder of the rifle. The quality of the metal prevents the risk of backlash in the future.
Rear sight and scope
The aiming bar (sight) has a combined "plastic-metal" design and can be adjusted horizontally and vertically. It is also permissible to install an optical sight on a rifle. To do this, a dovetail mount is welded on the receiver coupling.
A telescopic sight must be selected according to the principle of strength of its design, since a considerable load acts on it with strong recoil. Usually, when installing it, the muzzle is removed.
How to reduce recoil in Gamo Hunter 1250
A gas spring instead of a twisted one will achieve this. It is a cylinder with a rod filled with an inert gas. If a coil spring always generates an oscillatory process when fired, which results in the so-called double recoil, which throws the barrel to the side and reduces accuracy, then the gas spring provides a single, short and softer recoil.
Today, these springs are prefabricated and are widely offered on the airgun market. Installing it in Gamo Hunter1250 really improves the performance of the rifle: it reduces recoil and increases the accuracy of fire.
Which powerful air rifles are the most popular in our market
Among the most common models are the Gamo Hunter 1250 and Hatsan 125 (made in Turkey, shown in the photo below).
Both of them are powerful long rifles designed for tall users. In terms of shot power, they are almost the same. Both manufacturers, both Spanish and Turkish, declare the ability of their products to hit feathered targets at distances up to one hundred and fifty meters (with a non-aimed shot). It is possible to aim from both rifles, as noted above, at targets at a distance of up to 100 m. And here the character of the “Turkish woman” begins to appear in comparison with the “Spanish woman”.
She has such a return that many owners who use optics have a characteristic injury in the form of a broken right eyebrow. The barrel performs a complex forward-backward-up motion during recoil (exactly in this sequence!).
What is the reason for such a crazy return? The fact is that the “Turkish woman” has a very large volume of the compressor cylinder, so that when air is compressed in it, significant energy accumulates, which, on the one hand, is transferred to the bullet when fired, and on the other, causes the appearance of a recoil momentum directed opposite to the momentum of the bullet (the law of conservation of energy, nothing can be done).
The only way to get rid of such recoil is to replace the conventional coil spring with a gas one. For allSeemingly difficult, this really helps to cope with the recoil of both Hatsan and Gamo, and also significantly improves the accuracy of fire.
So what to choose - "Spanish" or "Turkish"?
Another important drawback of the Turkish rifle is the use of cheaper materials. So, her butt is plastic and hollow, so a heavy barrel takes the rifle down when aiming, it takes a lot of effort to level it. And although the price is significantly reduced when materials become cheaper, but if we are talking about weapons, then the inevitable decrease in the quality of the product can play a fatal role. There are cases when the plastic butt just burst in the cold.
The Hatsan 125 barrel itself is very long - 510 mm versus 400 mm for the Gamo. It is not very convenient to wade through the thickets with him, although in general the "Turkish woman" is half a kilo lighter than the "Spanish woman".
Many complaints are made by users about the quality of Turkish springs. The strength of their elasticity decreases by 30 percent after several dozen shots. But on the other hand, the Turkish manufacturer supplies its rifles to the Russian market without any modifications in order to weaken the power of their shot to the permitted 7.5 J, simply inserts a weaker spring, and adds a full-fledged one with which the power of the shot is the same as have a full-fledged Gamo.
On what basis should one choose between Hatsan and Gamo hunter 1250? User reviews confirm the identity of their characteristics, but at the same time they all emphasize that the “Turkish woman” needs more improvements,a kind of rifle tuning.
In general, the choice between them depends on financial capabilities. If you are strong enough and trained enough, but you are not able to buy a “Spaniard”, since its typical price today is about 31.5 thousand rubles, then do not be discouraged. A Turkish rifle will give you the same pleasure from target shooting and hunting for much less money (from 11.5 to 13.5 thousand rubles), but for this it will require great muscle effort and patience when fine-tuning it to the desired condition. Happy hunting!
