viper Express

[454 Big Block Chevy]

what is the deal with the viper express, is it hunting accurate with pellets???

idc about the shottie part, but its a cheap gamo .22...

[hodgjy]

It's a smooth bore barrel, and I've seen some "tests" on youtube with people shooting it.  It seems ok in the accuracy department at short range using pellets and lead roundballs, but it's not the best.  The shotgun part of it is pretty much a joke.

If you want a cheap .22, look into the Crosman Quest 800.  Cheap and very accurate after a nice break in.

[LPC]

it's hunting accurate only if you get within 5yrds of your intended game, "ya might as will just hit it with a stone or sumthin". it does about  4"-6" group @ 25feet with pellets. "IT STINKS!" and costs way too much to operate, 25rnds of shot shells for almost $8.

i have one, i bought it for $240+ from the sports authority store when it first came out a few years ago. the only reviews i could find then were the advertisements. so i fell for the hype. really, i should just keep my mouth shut and let people experience the burn, just too bad i'm not that cruel.

Lee.

[shadow]

It's a wall hanger, check out my airgun/shotgun .  :0 A good idea with no power behind it unless you sneak up on the critter and whack em with it. Ed

[dave2288]

ed, maybe its supposed to be a new kind of hunting then???  ONLY FOR THE EXTREMELY SKILLED!

[RedFeather]

One thing for sure - it's a boat anchor or fence post.  That is, resale value is nil.

[mvhunter]

i  have a viper as well...  man was i disappointed...it is junk.......i spent over 200 dollars and was so mad that i gave the gun away before i threw it in the wood stove..........they should nt   sell trash for that kind of money......

[davee1]

I have a Shadow Express...right now I'm using it for parts. Eventually I'll rebuild it back up, but I'm in no hurry. The shot shells can be fun if you load your own, but they have a tendancy to split...and the range is 10~15 feet for decent accuracy. The novelty factor is its only attraction for me. The .22 pellet capability is nice, but its a smoothbore, so its not as accurate as a rifled bore, but its not horrible. I cant say its junk, but I would never buy another. I say save your money, and buy something else, with a rifled barrel. If they were only 50~80 bucks I think a lot of folks would probably feel ok about them...but wally world had em for 150 bucks. Thats too expensive, and the shotshells are too.

[dave2288]

ya know, once i have my finances in order, and i'm actually saving(so, a bit down the road) i think i'm gonna try to build one up, just to see if it can actually be useful, like gamo says it is from the factory...they're such a joke...CUSTOM WORK FOR THE WIN!

[lillysdad621]

i actually enjoy my shadow express... it is quite good with the shotgun shells for impromptu bird hunting from right under the tree, and at no more than 30 feet. Sparrows, starlings, maybe a pigeon... and the pellet function, well it is good enough for 1.5 inch 5 shot groups at 20 yards. it is extremely pellet sensitive, and believe it or not, it shoots the Daisy wadcutter .22 with extreme accuracy. i use the bead to aim, no scope, and you just need to learn how to aim it, and make sure that you are consistent with your head, eye, shoulder positioning...i can take my time and aim correctly and get head shots at 20 yards, but i know that if i bring it up to my shoulder quickly i must aim 1 inch to the left and i'll hit my target also. It has balls! knocks squirrels right off the tree and it hits coffee cans decisively. it is relatively quiet and sturdy. Not accurate with light pellets, so no hobbies RWS for my shottie. It likes also the Gamo hunters. It is not a BSA, but then my BSA could not hit a bird on take off if it lifted off 5 feet in front of me (but if it sat on a tree at 50 yards... that is another story...). look at it for what it is, is a daring attempt at something different, not perfect, but not a bad rifle...

[VINNY]

I havent used mine that much, but I recently read something from Jim Chapman tha he uses it to kill pigeons in barns. It was  advertised on one site [ Cobra Airguns I think] for that purpose. You can take out pest birds at close range [ 10 yds ] , and not do damage to the roof.I think people thought it was supposed to be like a a real shotgun, but its not. The test on Cobra's video was 10 yards, and it did a pretty good job.I shot a 1 gallon milk jug full of water at about 12 yards at work when I first got it. I was expecting something really dramatic, but I didnt see anything happen. We all walked up to the jug and was definatly converted to a sprinkler. I wanted one real bad when I first saw it, like someone stated, it was all the advertsement. I picked it up for $ 99.00 at Sports authority.No,it is not cheap to shoot, but I will be using it this summer a bit.

[hockea]

It's a fun shooting gun.
I use it to jump shoot flying grasshoppers in the backyard in preparation for quail season. You can easily reload the shells by using cotton (with a bit of wax) or can make wads out of old credit cards.  I dont consider it to be hype; it's just not a 12ga.

[Jerrycup]

An interesting thread. Looks like almost a consensus thumbs down to me. At ten yd range limit, you might consider lashing a pocket knife on it, using it as a bayonet to go in for the kill after the first shot. Indoor hunting for mice without damaging the drywall?  ;-)

[lillysdad621]

I disagree with you jerrycup. it is not a unanimous thumbs down, but a clear shout that whoever bought it clearly did not know what they wanted to do with it, and more clearly, what the viper can do. I have a qb 78 that could not hit an elephant at 50 yrds+. does that make it a bad rifle? absolutely not! i got it because i wanted a close to medium range bird hunter (10 to 30 yards). at that range is dead accurate and extremely effective at dispatching game. it also allows me to use open sights if i want (a lost art...). my BSA supersport in the other hand is a long range gun that at 45 yards+  is deadly and accurate. It is scoped for that purpose. You hide in the woods, and wait. anything coming within that range is done... but you need to be careful about misses and where they could end up. My viper shadow (the all blacked out one) in the other hand is awesome for other things. It helps me hone my stealth skills as i need to aproach the game til i get in effective range ( not as easy... try it.) plus i dont have to worry where the missed shots go (in shotgun form) as they disperse energy at at more rapid rate than pellets. i can use it indoors (squirrels in the attic are no longer a problem), and even if it's not dead accurate, i can get 5 pellets in a 2 inch circle at 30 yards. And it hits so hard... must be the fact that the pellet starts to tumble... it is the only rifle in my case that has been able to convince the racoons that my garbage is definetely off limits. ( a 2 inch circle is about the size of a raccoon 's head. i tried it, it hit it in the cheek (aimed behind the ear, but with open sights and at night, who knows?) and it made the animal back off about 6 feet from the cans, and drop dead.). if you dont believe me, get an old paint can, put it at 25 yards and shot it. i still do it and am amazed every time at the hole it makes... bottom line is. dont have it as your sniper rifle, but keep it as a fun, once on a while there is something cool to shoot at with a shotgun, back door gun (and keep a little jar with the adapter and some 15 gr. .22 cal pellets, in case you have uninvited guest roaming through your property...

[Jerrycup]

Maybe you are correct, Gabe. But it's about 5-1 negative on this thread, with some pretty strong words used.
Could be I am biased against Gamos. I spent a lot of time, effort, money on a Whisper, which some say is fantastic. Mine got traded to a guy who replaced the tile floors in my bathroom, and I don't miss it.
Anyway it must be an interesting gun to have. At the range limit of the Viper, I would think I could hit with my rifle nearly every time open sight and quickly - but I could be dreaming. Anyway, one of the posts called it practice for quail season. I can see that. Good luck with it, and I think anyone who wants one knows where a couple are available...;-)