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We recently posted an article on the Gamo Varmint Power .25 Kit, which ships with a 4×32 optic. The standard Gamo 4×32 scope is not a bad pairing, given that the Varmint Power is ideally suited for back-yard distances. But we know how we are, i.e., airgun enthusiasts, and we want to tinker and upgrade just about everything we put our hands on, so why not upgrade the scope to something that would give us more flexibility and usability in the field? While upgrading your scope may seem straightforward, you can run into challenges. We certainly did. And, we learned some important lessons along the way that we’d like to share with you all. Spoiler alert, it really worked out well in the end! Let’s get started.
The Gamo Varmint Power does not use Gamo’s multi-shot SWARM system, which makes choosing a suitable optic a bit easier. It’s important to check that the front objective of your scope will not be in the way of the breech or the SWARM mechanism while cocking the gun. You don’t want to purchase a scope only to find out that you can’t use it.
We chose the Hawke AirMax 4-12v40 AO scope, which is decently compact while packing in a ton of great features. The key features we look for when picking an optic for our break-barrel airgun, like the Gamo Varmint Power, would be: its ability to withstand reverse recoil, size compatibility, adjustable parallax, etched glass reticle with some sort of range estimation markings (mil-dot), and a reasonable magnification for our use case. In our experience, the Hawke AirMax line checks all those boxes. We also had one already sitting on the bench, in a set of mounts.
If you are new to mounting optics, be sure to watch some of our YouTube tutorials. We have several that can help. But for this article, let’s assume that you have some basic knowledge and experience. You need to make sure that you have the right mounts.
There are four key points you need to remember when picking the correct mounts for your break barrel airgun: the diameter of your scope tube, the type of rail on your gun, stop pin placement, and height. Spoiler alert again, it’s that last one that gave us some trouble!
Our Hawke AirMax was already in a set of one-inch, 11mm dovetail mounts with a stop pin, so we removed the bundled optic and mounted our new setup to the receiver. It lined up nicely, and we headed off to the bench to get sighted in.
When moving from a 4×32 to a 4-12×40 scope, you may have less overall adjustability. Quick note, the first “real” airgun we tested was a Gamo Hunter 440 with a 4×32 AO Gamo scope. When we “upgraded” to a new 4-16×40 optic, we could not move the point of impact high enough to center on the target. Seems this is still a “thing” as we had the same issue here with our Varmint Power some 20 years later. The phenomenon is called “barrel droop,” and it’s fairly common. Fortunately, it’s very easy to overcome.
Back in the day, we would use shims to lift the rear a few degrees. We’ve used aluminum cans, business cards, grip tape, and a whole host of other materials to help us get on target. Fortunately, Hawke has a much better solution.
Hawke makes 25 MOA shims for both their 1-inch and 30mm scope rings. They are perfectly matched to provide the right angle without pinching the scope tube. They drop right into place and work perfectly. We’ve used them extensively over the years to overcome both barrel droop and barrel rise across all types of airguns.
Now that we’ve dealt with the barrel droop, it’s time to get sighted in finally.
With our shiny new scope mounted to our Varmint Power, we setup at the bench with our targets at 25 yards. We had great results at 20, so our expectations were high. Unfortunately, things just would not come together. We’d get a couple of good shots, and then things would start to wander. Moreover, the whole setup just didn’t “feel” right.
Hold consistency is critical when shooting breakbarrels, and we just couldn’t find any. After stepping back, it was clear that the high-scope mounts were the problem.
25Y JSB Kings – Hawke AirMax 4-12×40 AO with HIGH mounts – Results were not great…
The Varmint Power has a low cheekpiece, which is great for open sights and the bundled scope. When we moved to the new scope with high mounts, it threw everything off, and our results on paper at 25 yards proved it. Given we’d been at the range for hours and were losing our light, we decided to take a break and hit it fresh the next day.
I love it when a plan comes together…
It’s a new day at the range, and we have our Hawke 25MOA shims and a brand new set of mounts for our Hawke AirMax and Varmint Power setup. After a few minutes of setup, we were ready to start sighting in at the bench. Things went much better this time around.
We immediately saw a dramatic improvement with our groups. Originally, we were shooting two and three-inch groups; now we were getting one-inch groups. The feel of the gun as we pulled it to our shoulder was far more natural and comfortable. Getting a consistent hold now felt effortless, rather than tedious and impossible, as it had the day before. This is how shooting a breakbarrel should feel.
25Y Multiple Pellets – Hawke AirMax 4-12×40 AO with LOW mounts – Much Better Results!
In our original testing, we shot the 25.39gr JSB Kings. Today we shot those again, along with the 25.39gr JTS Dead Centers, 26gr Predator PolyMags, and the 19.91gr H&N Baracuda Green pellets. The three lead pellets delivered around 500+/- FPS and 14 foot-pounds, while the lead-free Baracuda Greens pushed our velocity to an average of 615 FPS and topped out at over 16 foot-pounds. Additionally, they produced the tightest group at well under an inch.
The right setup makes all the difference.
Our new favorite breakbarrel?
There’s something about a traditional spring gun that shoots so well. We have access to a lot of airguns, but the Varmint Power with this new setup is one that we’d take home to shoot recreationally. We are extremely pleased with how this turned out and look forward to spending a lot more time with our Gamo Varmint Power.
Credit: Rick Eustler – AirgunWebTV
