Beeman R9 Goldfinger .22

I am new to air guns and researched this board and others before purchasing the R9 Goldfinger .22, so take this review with the understanding it comes from someone without a lot of experience.

First, the R9 Goldfinger comes in .177, .20, and .22 caliber but not everyone sells all three. I purchased mine from Bass pro in large part because of another review on this site that mentioned that they sold it. When I looked, they did indeed have the best price but the air gun was not identical to the version of the R9 Goldfinger .22 sold by other places. At Bass Pro the included scope is a Beeman 3-9x32 scope (probably a Bushnell Sportsman 3-9x32 marked with Beeman logo). At every other place I looked, the scope is the a Bushnell Banner 4-12x40mm. I believe Beeman scopes are made by Bushnell. The difference is that the 3-9x32 scope is a less expensive and less powerful scope than the 4-12x40 scope. For me, the savings between Bass Pro "version" of the Goldfinger and the version sold by others (e.g. the lesser scope) was worth the savings as I was still getting a highly reputed air gun. I even called Beeman and verified this was what was going on and they were a little frustrated that Bass pro labeled the rifle a "Goldfinger" as according to Beeman the Goldfinger included the 4-12x40 scope. Beeman did confirm that the underlying rifle used by Bass pro was the same R9 used in other Goldfinger models. All this is to say, the price difference is more of a product difference and you should pick the price point based more on what scope you want. I have read elsewhere that the 3-9x32 is a "light recoil" air rifle scope where the 4-12x40 is a "medium recoil" scope so perhaps the 3-9x32 scope will not last as long when used on the R9.

All that said, I received the gun a few days ago and have shot 100-150 pellets through it at both targets and squirrels. I used Beeman FTS pellets because of their generally good reviews (and will try a variety once I shoot through these). I shot at a target from 10, 20, 30, and 40 yards. Keep in mind my only prior air gun experience has been a cheap $30 Walmart rifle with plastic sights. I have NEVER shot a rifle or air gun with a scope. Despite this, on my first outing, I was able to make a tiny group at 10 yards (perhaps the size of a nickel), and even keep it at 1 inch at 30 yards with a little larger (2 inches) at 40 yards. WOW! I cannot imagine what some practice and better technique will yield. The gun has a lot of capacity to shoot well right out of the box for a complete novice so for someone with experience, I cannot imagine the accuracy.

I have also shot perhaps 6 or 7 squirrels with it as well (it is a long story as to why I have so many squirrels in my yard). 2 were at 30 yards and 1 at 35 yards, the rest at shorter distances. I am not good enough to try for a headshot at that range but the body shot did the trick, it seemed to have no problem knocking them down and given that I usually saw an entry and exit point, the pellet was moving pretty good on impact even at that range.

Even not having owned a nice air gun before, this one appears to be very high quality. The stock is very nice, the trigger is smooth and easy, recoil is modest (at least compared to regular rifles I have fired), and the cocking mechanism is smooth and has a nice click as it locks the spring back.

Whatever I was expecting with my first air gun has been surpassed and it has been so great to hit the squirrels from a distance. Thanks to Longislandhunter (I think that is the name) for the helpful review on this board for this rifle. Anyone considering this rifle should read that review for the serious analysis.

[Splash]

Jason, welcome to the forum. That is 1 of the most informative posts I have ever read, well done.  You've done alot of research and made a wise choice. The other scope may have been better, but you can always get another and put this 1 on the next purchase. I see that you like to hunt, so visit the hunting gate and post some stories of your adventures, with some pics.
Again welcome, to a great place to be.
Mike

[shadow]

Yes welcome Jason and good review. My fellow moderator Jeff aka longislandhunter does a lot of hunting with his and she's a killer for sure. I'm sure he'll chime in when he get's back in town. The R9 is on my list of got to have but I got my CFX.22 coming in tommorrow and after that I'm looking at that MONSTER the Gamo Hunter Extreme. I'm working out now so I can cock her when I get her hehe. Ed

[USNCop]

As far as a first springer, you would have been hard pressed to make a better choice.
I bought a B26 in .22 just a few months ago.  What is it a copy of, yep an R-9.
And I can tell you based on using my B26, it will be a killing machine!

I also have a Beeman Bearcub .177 which is actually a Webley Vulcan MkIII that was bought from Beeman and supplied with a Bushnell Sportview 4x32 A/O. The same you have but in 4 power.  I have been using it for 3 yrs now so your scope may hold up.
If you want something durable, may I suggest a Tech Force.  I think they are a great value for the price.
I have spent a couple hours talking with the guys behind the scene there, one who actually deals with the build specs.
He said they are actually the old Gamo design.  They have had so few returns that they have never been changed!
If you talk with Randy Mitchell from Adventures in Airguns, he uses them alot.
No, I'm in no way affiliated with any company, just want to pass on what I learn.
BTW, you are correct that Beeman scopes are Bushnells.  If you look on the Bushnell website, you will see which ones are AG rated.

Thanks for the good info. I will use this scope as long as it lasts. But I can already tell that it would be nice to have a little higher magnification at the high end for those shots at 30-40 yards. Of course, it won't matter at all once I practice enough to get my accuracy up.

[longislandhunter]

Hey Jason,
     
Congrats on the new rifle.  I'm glad my review of the rifle was helpful to you when you were considering what to buy.  

I absolutely love mine, and like Ed (Shadow) said,,,, I do alot of hunting with it.  I also was impressed with the out of the box accuracy, it's a straight shooter for sure.  After you get used to shooting it you will be amazed at the accuracy that the rifle will deliver.  

I use the JSB Predator pellets almost all my small game hunting and the rifle loves em.  It's a devastating small game pellet, especially in .22 caliber.  

Best of luck with the rifle, I know you'll come to love yours as much as I do mine.  Looking forward to your future posts and hunting pics.  

Jeff