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Gamo Silent Cat – Click to enlarge
The Silent Cat is my favorite Gamo air rifle. It’s powerful enough to hunt small game, but quiet enough for plinking in the backyard. This 0.177 caliber rifle features an all-weather synthetic stock (so you can shoot in any weather) and a ventilated rubber pad for recoil absorption.
At just 5.28 pounds, the Silent Cat is surprisingly light. With a 46” length and 18” barrel, this gun looks as good as it feels in your hands. And it comes with a 4×32 scope (which, I’ll admit, isn’t that great). Scope issues aside, this is a lightweight air rifle that’s powerful, accurate and easy to use for all skill levels.
The Silent Cat is my number one Gamo rifle pick, and I’ll explain why in this review.
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Packs a Punch
The Silent Cat is a spring rifle that really does pack a punch. I personally prefer to shoot with PBA (Performance Ballistic Alloy) pellets, so I’m regularly shooting at 1200fps with this gun. If you’re using lead pellets, expect about 1,000fps.
Regardless of what pellets you’re using, this thing will blow through a 1/2” piece of wood without giving it a second thought.
The cocking effort isn’t really as high as I’ve seen listed. Gamo says 30lbs, but I’d say it’s closer to 20. Any able-bodied 10 year old can easily cock this rifle.
Trigger and Scope Issues
The Silent Cat has an adjustable, second stage trigger, which should be a great feature. But the hard pull makes it difficult to get accurate shots. Some people have no issues with the trigger. I’m not one of those people. I recommend giving the trigger a try first, and if you find that the pull is too hard, replacing it.
I was still getting pretty accurate shots beforehand, but after I replaced the trigger, it improved tenfold.
The skeleton stock is comfortable to hold too. It’ll give you the same grip as most handguns. The comfortable grip alone really helps to improve accuracy.
The scope is okay. It’s far from a top-of-the-line air rifle scope, but once you get it sighted in, it will get the job done.
Check out the Gamo Silent Cat in more detail below. Click any of the pictures below to enlarge.
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Pros
The Silent Cat is lightweight, accurate and powerful. It’s durable, can be shot in any weather conditions and comes bundled with a scope. Basically, you’ll get everything you need (ammo aside) to start shooting out of the box. And you can use the Silent Cat for plinking, pest control and small game hunting.
Cons
My only qualm with this rifle is the noise. It’s still a little louder than I thought it to be. Was I expecting it to be completely silent? No. But when Gamo boasts about its noise dampener reducing noise by 52%, I expected it to be quieter than it was.
Don’t get me wrong; it’s quiet enough to shoot in your backyard. So, if you’re in city limits, you can still use the Silent Cat. But expect it to crack like a .22.
The only other issue with this rifle, like I mentioned earlier, is the trigger. It does have a hard pull, but it’s easily replaceable.
The Bottom Line
Like I said earlier, I’m partial to the Gamo Silent Cat Air Rifle. It’s probably my favorite in the Gamo lineup, and arguably one of the best air rifles under $200. It feels good in your hands and it packs a punch. I use it mainly for plinking and pest control, but I’m fairly confident you can use this to hunt some small game. It’s not without its flaws, mainly the trigger and scope issues I discussed, but these are just minor imperfections that can easily be overlooked. This is a rifle that will work consistently well for a long time.
| Click here to buy now and get discounted price on the Gamo Silent Cat .177 Caliber Air Rifle. Plus, get FREE shipping too! |
