The true hunter’s rifle, Gamo Big Cat 1250 offers a superb speed of 1250 fps. The rifle has an all-weather synthetic stock, a bull barrel, and a raised cheek-piece on both sides. It offers precise and accurate shots with a rifled barrel and a 4×32 scope and mount.
What makes the gun unique is the Monte Carlo buttstock with raised cheekpiece on each side, Shock Wave Absorber (SWA) to reduce recoil. The rifle is truly ambidextrous which means it is accurate and comfortable for both right and left-handed shooters.
With choice to shoot lead pellets or PBA ammo, choose the one suiting your purpose. It is great for both hunting and target practicing, and provides hours of shooting pleasure. The intended use of this rifle is target shooting, small game hunting, small and large pest control. With a 4×32 scope, the rifle offers an effective shooting range of up to 40 yards. To increase the range with same accuracy and precision, a scope with better magnification ability will do the trick.
- Velocity: 1250 FPS with PBA pellets, 1000 fps with lead pellets
- Action: break barrel
- Barrel: Fluted Polymer Jacketed Steel
- Trigger: Two Stage adjustable
- Stock: Tough All Weather molded Synthetic
- Butt Plate: Ventilated rubber pad for recoil absorption
- Cheekpiece: Ambidextrous
- Checkering: Non-Slip texture design on Grip and forearm
- Scope Ramp: Grooved Receiver
- Scope: 4×32 Air Rifle Scope with rings
- Weight: 6.1 lbs.
- Trigger Pull: 3.74 lbs.
- Length: 43.3’’
- Ammunition: Any .177 Pellet
- Caliber: .177
- Cocking Effort: 30 lbs.
- Barrel Length: 18”
Performance Testing
The Gamo Big Cat 1250 is a performance based air rifle with 1250 fps speed, as the name suggests. The gun offers 1000 fps with lead pellets and can go higher with PBA platinum. Crossing the sound barrier of 1100 fps, the rifle is fairly fast and belongs to magnum class rifles. Analyzing the FPE of the gun, which is the muzzle energy, one can say it is pretty damaging. The rifle shoots at 16 FPE (foot pounds of energy) with 4.7 grains PBA at 1250 FPS (test conditions). Below explained is the method of FPE calculation and a comparative chart with type of pellet and its respective performance:
| Pellet | FPS | FPE |
| PBA (4.7 grains) | 1250 | 16 |
| 5.4 grains pellet | 1000 | 12 |
| Lead pellet (7.9 grains) | 1000 | 17.6 |
FPE (Foot pounds of Energy) is a measure of how powerful the air gun is. The higher the FPE, the more powerful the air rifle.
Formula used for FPE calculation:
FPE = Velocity (fps) x Velocity (fps) x Pellet weight (grain) / 450240
With such speed and power, the Gamo Big Cat 1250 has enough speed and power to pin down various pests, varmints and small game such as squirrels, starling, opossum, raccoon etc. in one clean shot.
Design: Craftsmanship At A Glance
Embracing the conventional, and modifying it into a performance based machine, Gamo has made several improvements in the Gamo Big Cat 1250. Firstly, the rifled barrel of the gun makes the pellet spin, which improves the precision drastically. The spin stabilizes the pellet, enhancing the shooting range. The other salient feature of the barrel is that it is fluted, which means the internal material is cut out to form the rifles and this makes the gun even lighter, more heat dissipating. These features allow you to shoot for hours without fatigue or heated barrel.
The cocking mechanism of this rifle is a break barrel, single-cocking system. The 1250 is suitable in all weather conditions due to its black synthetic material. It is lighter, provides better climate protection, and requires less maintenance. The air gun is suitable for shooters who live in high humidity regions and frequently hunt for long periods in hail, rain, snow etc.
The non-slip texture design in the grip and forearm improves the grip, while the twin cheek pads make it ambidextrous (Suitable for both left-handed and right-handed). It also features a ventilated rubber recoil pad, which absorbs recoil up to 74% and provides ample damping.
The Gamo Big Cat 1250 is made lightweight, and is easy to carry without any sling. The air rifle has some serious looks at 6.5 lbs. with the scope. The composite stock looks like a cost-cutting measure but it is for the best. The synthetic stock offers durability and longevity to the gun, while the black finish gives it the intimidation potential.
The fluted barrel improves the overall look of the gun and the truly ambidextrous design will surely win many hearts.
Operation: How to Use the Gamo Big Cat 1250
We will do a step by step narration of the operation first:
• Hold the stock and barrel
• Break the barrel
• Pivot the barrel towards the stock
• Insert pellet (With tip facing forward and skirt facing you)
• Swivel the barrel back to its original position
• The gun is now loaded and cocked; Ready, Aim, Fire!
The Gamo Big Cat 1250 shoots at speed up to 1250 feet per second, with the capability of shooting small game in high trees. With test shots, pellets tend to fall into consistent patterns of tight groupings at both short and long distances. The rifle offers great versatility in usage with its all-weather construction, needs less maintenance and is ambidextrous to suit to every type of shooter. It is easy to cock, light, and easy to operate while being easy to sight in!
Accuracy: Hitting the Target
The rifle offers a decent accuracy when the trigger is pulled slowly, but the accuracy depreciates as the shooter tries to shoot quickly. Here are some test results which would give a fair idea of the accuracy of the Gamo Big Cat 1250:
| Pellet | Distance | High | Low | Average | Difference | Groups |
| Gamo Raptor (PBA) ammo | 10 yards | 1166 | 1128 | 1144 | 38 | Tight (0.75”) |
| Crosman Primere Light Pellets–7.9 grain | 10 yards | 899 | 888 | 894 | 11 | Tight |
With this accuracy, power to penetrate tin cans and keep going (at 55 – 60 yards), the gun is just awesome. But does it really go 1250? We tried different pellets and the fastest were Gamo Raptor (PBA) ammo with 1166 fps, which is still faster than speed of sound.
Verdict
Pros:
- The 1250 muzzle velocity
- Solid construction
- Rubber Recoil Pad
- Noise Reduction System
- Lightweight Design
- High penetration power
- Synthetic stock for all-weather usage
- Non-slip texture
- Effective rifled and fluted barrel
- Perfect for hunting
Cons:
- Loud noise
- PBA pellets are expensive
- Scope is is not capable for long range shooting at distances up to 40 yards
Looking at the performance and design of the gun, the $130 is not a very heavy price tag. The gun comes with a 4×32 scope and is weather proof. The maintenance costs are low too, with the quick cooling flute barrel and synthetic stock. The supersonic velocity, the high-penetration power, ambidextrous design, the rifle has so much to offer, it is a grab at this range.
A value for money rifle, great for target practice, small game, serious hunting and pest control too. The Gamo Big Cat 1250 is a performer in terms of velocity, scope, high power and accuracy. A highly-recommended rifle by many experts, the high-power rifle is accurate and it won’t disappoint you.
If you found this Gamo Big Cat 1250 review helpful, help us out by sharing it via social media.
