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Gamo Camo Rocket IGT

Gamo Camo Rocket IGT

With their sheer simplicity of design spring powered airguns, of course, remain as popular as ever.

Take a closer look at today’s marketplace, however, and it becomes clear that a mini revolution is underway. Gasram technology is, indeed, all the rage, and with the majority of Theoben’s patents (the originators of the gas-ram idea) now having run their course, many airgun manufacturers have wasted no time bringing out their own versions.

For those unfamiliar with the general principle behind gasrams, here’s a quick description of their operation, and for those who are, bear with me. The general principle of the gasram sees the fitting of a sealed chamber of air (sometimes called a gas strut) in place of a conventional mainspring.

When the rifle is cocked in the conventional manner the sealed chamber of air is compressed further by the drawing back of the piston (instead of compressing a mainspring). On firing, the piston is released and the compressed air behind it forces the piston forwards. From this point on, the gun acts like a conventional springer, with the piston compressing the air in front of it and powering the pellet. The air contained within the sealed unit should not escape, and in theory, should give lasting, reliable service.

In use, rifles fitted with a gasram often display an incredibly quick, smooth action, with none of the spring resonance and vibration normally associated with more traditional designs.

Cocking the action is certainly smoother, and with no spring to wear out the Gas Ram version can also, in theory, be left cocked for greater lengths of time with no adverse effect on performance or components. The design normally has fewer moving parts too, meaning less to go wrong. On test here is a brand new model from Gamo, and it certainly looks the part.

In the Air

One of my favourite Gamo-made rifles was always the Viper Skeet, now sadly unavailable, but this Camo Rocket IGT model actually utilises much the same action as that highly versatile classic, save for the obvious gas-ram power plant in place of the mainspring. Gamo’s entry into this sector of the market has seen the introduction of models with IGT in the name. This branding stands for Inert Gas Technology, and basically represents their take on this highly trendy theme.

They market this model as a kit, including a 4 x 32 scope and mounts; so it’s an all-in package, and represents good value for money on paper. The scope is actually ultra-compact and has a nice solid feel, along with positive clicks on the adjustments which is always a good sign.

The mounts even come fitted with an arrestor stud which locates onto the rifle’s receiver, preventing scope creep; so there’s plenty to mull over.

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Where the rifle is concerned, significant weight-saving is made with the use of a barrel sleeve set inside a synthetic outer, and of course that eyecatching synthetic stock. Fully ambidextrous best describes the stock, and that rather snazzy camouflage pattern covers twin cheekpieces, an excellent grip profile, and that smart extended forend.

A substantial rubber butt pad comes fitted too, although this is a little rigid in use – a curious trend these days! Triggers are an area where Gamo have made some improvements of late, and the Camo Rocket comes fitted with the SAT trigger unit, standing for ‘Smooth Action Trigger’. In use, it works quite well, with a totally creep-free final release, although release weight is still par for the course for this type of rifle.

On the range, this gun certainly proved an intriguing candidate. Gamo’s advertising claims the IGT internals give ‘constant smooth cocking effort’, ‘extended durability’, ‘reduced stock vibration’ and a reduced lock time’ among the many benefits. Cocking the action reveals a nicely machined breech and détente lock-up, and the barrel releases fairly easily too; yet cocking effort is significant. To be fair, the cocking stroke can be optimised by a quick downwards all-in-one motion, although I reckon it must require greater input than its spring powered counterpart.

Okay, that snappy lock time may well be much faster than a comparable spring powered model, but to be honest, so what? The reality is that I found the action of this model rather violent on test. Possibly the most disappointing characteristic though, was the noise generated from the action, and its subsequent resonance through the synthetic stock.

Over the chronograph, consistency was excellent with a variety of pellets, and with 10 shot strings all showing single figure spreads, the word ‘textbook’ comes to mind. Accuracy varied, but representative group sizes were around 1.25-inches over 25 yards, with RWS Superdomes proving the most compatible.

Conclusion

As a huge fan of the old Viper Skeet, ‘disappointing’ has to sum up my time with the Camo Rocket IGT. Having said that, there are plenty of positives to note – I loved the handling of the lightweight action, the configuration of the synthetic stock, the bull style sleeved barrel, and that excellent breech arrangement. The feel of the firing cycle, however, is just a little too harsh for my liking, and whilst trends are all very well, a properly set-up spring powered action still takes some beating in my book.

With an increasing number of gas-ram models from which to choose these days, the choice can be bewildering, but my final conclusion here may raise a few eyebrows. Given the choice, I would opt for any spring powered version of this model in preference to the IGT, with the Shadow DX a prime candidate.

RRP: £149 inc. 4 x 32 Gamo scope and mounts

VELOCITY:
Air Arms Diabolo Field
-RWS Superdome pellets

High 744fps
High 791fps
Low 735
Low 783
Ave 742
Ave 785
spreads 9fps
Spread 8fps

  • Gamo Camo Rocket IGT - image {image:count}

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  • Gamo Camo Rocket IGT - image {image:count}

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  • Gamo Camo Rocket IGT - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Gamo Camo Rocket IGT - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Gamo Camo Rocket IGT - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Gamo Camo Rocket IGT - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • click on image to enlarge

gun
features

  • Model: Camo Rocket IGT
  • Manufacturer: Gamo
  • Country of Origin: Spain
  • Type: Break-barrel gas-ram powered
  • Calibre: .177 on test/ .22 availa
  • Weight: 6.1lbs
  • Overall Length: 43-inches
  • Barrel Length: 17.75-inches
  • Stock: Ambidextrous composit
  • Trigger: SAT 2-stage unit
  • Energy: 10.3ftlbs 11.4ftlbs
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