One should not judge a book or piece of equipment by its cover or packaging, we are often told. However, when I looked at the classy gloss black box the GAMO Arrow came in, I could not help but wonder what a great air rifle I was about to test. GAMO did not disappoint. Right out of the box the rifle was impressive. The manual is thorough, and I recommend sitting down with a snack, beverage or some quiet time to fully digest. Reading and rereading the easy-to-understand instructions took me less than 15 minutes.
The rifle handles well and, as with most PCP air rifles, it was easy to fill via the Foster Quick Fill adaptor under the forearm. The pressure gauge is located on the front of the forestock just under the barrel. If I were being picky, I might say that I would prefer it under the stock so I was not looking at it from the muzzle end of the gun, but there are plenty of air rifles with the gauge in that location.
I used GAMO Redfire 15.4 grain pellets in my testing. I started to try other pellets which is my normal testing routine, but honestly, this rifle was so accurate with the Red Fire pellets there was no way I was switching ammo! Checking around I hear that the Red Fire pellets are indeed the go-to for many Arrow owners.
I first tested the rifle at 20 yards. I used a CenterPoint 3x9 scope that I had lying on my gun bench. Normally I shoot three shots before moving the scope adjustments, but the ambidextrous charging handle was so nice to shoot and the trigger was so smooth, I felt pretty confident and made adjustments at each shot and ended up sighted-in after four pellets. Then I switched targets and began testing for accuracy. Three shots were one hole that was about the width of two pellets. I shot two more and the hole widened a tad with me knowing I threw one shot just a smidge, but the target was still at one ragged hole at 20 yards. I went ahead and sent all 10 pellets downrange and the hole remained as one big hole. I was impressed. 
At that point I realized the ergonomics of the rifle were very favorable and, at just over 5 pounds with the scope on the rifle, it was very enjoyable to shoot. As I stated above, the straight pull back on the charging handle made reloads fast. I felt like I was using a bolt rifle, but the pull was simply straight back and forward. I was able to acquire my target and hit it and reload in seconds.
Another thing that struck me about this rifle was how quiet it is. The Whisper Fusion technology works well, and I noted that this rifle could easily be shot in a large backyard setting with nosey neighbors none the wiser.
After the accuracy testing, I got ambitious and decided to take the shooting to just over 50 yards. My range has an assortment of metal targets that I recycle for my personal enjoyment, as well as shotgun shell hulls and other small objects propped on the shooting stands at the various stand ranges. (I probably have a bit of attention deficit disorder given that paper targets quickly bore me!)
A gouged-up nonstick frying pan got my attention, and I began hammering at it with a fresh 10-shot magazine. The pan started singing and I noticed that the pellets were hitting one on top of another. That intrigued me, so I put a fresh paper target up and hiked back up the hill, waited a minute to get my breath under control and then took careful aim. The shots were still grouping at one inch!
At this point the gun was at 40 shots, and I get nearly 60 shots before having to refill the reservoir. I could probably get 60 out of it, maybe more, but shooting with too low of power will possibly damage the Whisper Fusion internal parts, so I do not take chances. When it gets near the yellow zone of the fill gauge I stop.
The sun broke through the clouds and filtered down through the leaves on the trees as I was shooting. At shots 45-50 I was watching the pellets lob into the target. They reflected the sun momentarily and I was able to see them smack into the target about 2 inches below the bull. I held over the bull for shots 47-50 and started wrecking the bull. I loaded another mag and held a tad higher as I could see the gun was losing power. Up until shot 56, the pellets were right on target. That was impressive. The air rifle is advertised to be used up to 60 shots per fill and that is accurate from my testing if you fill the reservoir completely.
When I went down to inspect the target up close, I took a gander at the frying pan. At 50 yards and over halfway through the reservoir, the pellets were putting a very sizable dent and individual pellet impressions in the metal. I feel any squirrel shot in the vitals up to 50 yards is dead, as is a rabbit or smaller varmint. Shots at 30 yards and under are going to be “gimme” shots. I base that statement on previous tests with other air rifles hitting similar metal targets.
Other notes I made about the Arrow include that the 10X Quick -Shot magazine is very easy to load and easy to see how many shots you have left if you do not count them as you shoot. The fiber optic sights are very well designed, and I would feel completely confident using just those open sights for small game hunting or taking out any competition in a shooting match with friends. The packaging and user manual is superb, and the trigger pull is excellent with no creep or rough spots. The stock has a non-slip texture in the right places as well.
The weight of the rifle is good for just about all ages, and other than very small-statured shooters, this rifle will fit most. The straight loading handle works like a dream. All in all, this air rifle is made to impress. I really enjoyed testing this one and I am a sucker for consistent accuracy, particularly when the rifle is such a joy to shoot. MSRP $229-$239 depending upon model chosen; GAMOUSA.com.
Specifications:
- 10 shot Pre-Charged Pneumatic Straight Loading System
- Trigger: Two stage independently adjustable custom action trigger (CAT)
- Trigger Pull: 3.2/2.6 pounds
- Stock: Glass filled nylon nonslip texturing at the grip and forearm
- Ventilated rubber recoil pad on stock
- Safety-standard manual in front of the trigger
- Optics: 11 mm dovetail for scope mounts
- Sights: fiber optic fully adjustable open sights with a hooded front sight. The hood can be removed.
- Weight: 5 pounds without a scope
- LOP: 14.57 inches
- Length: 38.98 inches
- Barrel: Metal Jacketed Rifled Steel at 20.08 inches
- Caliber: .22
