First-Ever Airgun Shoot-Off: Gamo, Walther, and Norica

According to a search of our website, gun-tests.com, we have never tested air rifles. Then again, we've never seen the cost of ammunition rise the way it has in the past year. Air rifles are commonly used in competition and as a training device for young shooters, and also for killing small game and pest control where firearms would overpenetrate. So we thought it might be worthwhile to try some air rifles to see if they were an economical vehicle for sharpening our skills. In this test we evaluated four single-shot pump-action air rifles. They were the $319 Gamo Whisper Deluxe No. 611006754, the $325 Walther Falcon

All four rifles were accurate when fired from 12 yards. But with scopes mounted, we moved back to the 25-yard line. The 22-caliber $325 Walther Falcon Hunter shown delivered the smallest groups on a consistent basis, whether we used the open sights or peered through the supplied 3-9X44mm illuminated Mil-Dot scope. But it was the most difficult to pump, as you can see. The $319 Gamo Whisper Deluxe was nearly as accurate and just as consistent. It was easier to pump and the 177-caliber pellets cost less than a penny each. The Whisper Deluxe lived up to its name and was quiet enough to be used outdoors without hearing protection. The $220 22-caliber Norica Dream Rider was the budget gun of our quartet. It performed well at closer distances and was easy to pump. But we thought the trigger was unnecessarily heavy. The Walther and maybe even the Gamo rifles could be used for hunting or shooting pests. But as a training rifle, the 25-caliber $290 Norica Marvic Gold offered the best replication of a match-grade rifle. In our view the Marvic Gold mounted like a full-size rifle, and the trigger was precise, offering the sensation of a “real” long gun.