by Tom Gaylord
Exclusively for PyramydAir.com. Copyright2007. All Rights Reserved.
Get the latest buzz on the Shadow 1000
While veteran American airgunners have paid more attention to the magnum Gamo guns, such as the Hunter 890 and the Hurricane 1250, the general buying public has focused its attention on the smaller rifles. As a matter of fact, the Shadow 1000 is a fancier derivative of the Hunter 220, the best-selling of Gamo's sporting air rifles.
The Shadow 1000 is an all-black rifle with synthetic stock and dark black metal finish. It features adjustable open sights with bright fiber optic tubes that enhance the sight picture in most lighting conditions. It has an installed scope stop, which is an indication that Gamo expects many customers to mount a scope.
The Shadow is a hair longer than 43.25" and a whisker over 6 lbs., making it a small-to-medium-sized air rifle. Cocking effort is just 28 lbs., which is on the low side for the advertised power (1,000 feet per second with .177 lead pellets).
The synthetic stock is smooth, yet not at all slippery. A pebble-grain surface on the pistol grip and where the off hand rests under the forearm provides extra protection against slipping. The stock pull (distance from the center of the butt to the trigger) is 13-7/8", which is on the short side of normal for a modern adult male. That means the rifle will fit and feel comfortable to most average-sized adults.
How does it shoot?
With a spring rifle, you can get right to shooting. There are no pre-operations procedures, such as filling the air reservoir or determining the number of usable shots per fill, as would be done with a precharged pneumatic. You can just pick up the rifle and let fly. On the other hand, every spring rifle has to be broken-in to some extent. Some guns take up to 1,000 shots before they have completely settled down and are ready for serious work. In my experience, Gamos do not take as long to break-in. Except for the trigger, which does wear in over many thousands of shots, a new Gamo spring air rifle is almost broken-in when you unpack it.
I first tested the rifle at 10 meters using open sights. It recoils very little for its power, but there is a high-velocity buzz at the end of every shot. It isn't enough to annoy, but I did have to get used to it before I could settle down and shoot a group.
The Shadow's rear sight is click-adjustable for both windage and elevation. It features a bright green fiber optic tube that gathers light and projects two pinpoints of green to frame the front sight's red dot.
The fiber optic sights are very nifty to look at. The rear sight has two bright green dots that frame a bright red dot from the front sight. This arrangement is fast to acquire in the field.
For precision shooting, you have to adopt a special sight picture. For greatest accuracy, balance the bullseye on top of the front bead and lay the bead at the bottom of the rear notch. This is the sight picture used by the top target shooters at the turn of the 20th century, when square front post sights were uncommon. Some people have called it the 'snowman' hold because the round bullseye appears to balance on top of the front bead. If everything goes your way, the two 'balls' are approximately the same size. Shoot with this sight picture, and the rifle will group as well as possible.
And, this rifle did want to group! After I began using this sight picture, the groups shrank to a very respectable size - especially with H&N Finale Match and Crosman Premier pellets. Surprisingly, Gamo's own Match Target wadcutters didn't want to group in this rifle, which is strange. A company's brand of pellet is usually among the best performers in their own guns.
At 10 meters, five H&N Finale match pellets went into this tight group using open sights. |
Though this looks like only 3 shots, it's actually 5! Crosman Premier pellets were the most accurate in the Shadow using open sights. Target shot at 10 meters. |
I selected the light Premier pellet that weighs 7.9 grains because of the rifle's power level. No doubt, the heavy 10.5-grain pellet would also work, but the heavier pellet slows the velocity enough to be a real factor over longer distances. I know for sure the 7.9-grain Premier remains stable out past 50 yards.
The trigger is a two-stage unitized unit that, unfortunately, is the weakest part of a strong airgun. Though it's very safe and reliable, there's a long second-stage pull with lots of creep that just cannot be removed easily. The only adjustment is for the pull-weight of the first stage.
The trigger does get smoother with time, though. I've shot many Gamo rifles that had thousands of shots through them, and the triggers were all much smoother than the one on my rifle. This is not just a Gamo phenomenon, either. Triggers in older Webley guns, such as the Vulcan, also had to have some time on the clock before they wanted to perform at their best - as did most BSF spring rifles. So, if you get a Gamo springer, be prepared to do lots of shooting to break-in that trigger!
The safety is a lever in front of the trigger, and it works manually only. In other words, if you want it on, you have to set it; the rifle does not set it automatically as part of the cocking sequence. This is as it should be.
There is an anti-beartrap mechanism to protect your fingers during loading. When the barrel is broken open, the trigger should not function. This feature prevents the breech from closing on your fingers while you insert a pellet in the barrel, but it also means that the rifle cannot be uncocked. If you cock it, you must shoot it. NEVER shoot a spring gun without a pellet in the barrel, and cleaning pellets do not count. And, you also never trust the anti-beartrap mechanism. Always hold that barrel open when you load the gun. At the worst, it keeps your fingers away from the trigger, where they don't belong anyhow.
How fast?
Gamo advertises the Shadow rifle as being capable of 1,000 f.p.s. (feet per second). That's a dangerous claim for any company to make today unless it's true because so many airgunners own and use chronographs. In the case of our test rifle, however, the claim is actually understated!
Gamo Match Target pellets, 7.6 grains |
H&N Finale Match pellets, 7.5 grains |
Crosman Premier , 7.9 grains |
Skenco D&S pellets, 5.6 grains High: 1147 fps Low: 1071 fps Avg: 1112 fps Extreme spread: 76 fps Standard deviation: 20 fps Muzzle energy: 15.38 ft-lbs. |
Eight of the 10 Skenco pellets went supersonic, and they showed poor accuracy at 10 meters, as a result. But they do uphold Gamo's velocity claims for the series. Actually, I was surprised to see this much power in such a lightweight rifle. The Shadow weighs less than a Beeman R7, yet it has the same punch as the more powerful R9.
Shooting with a scope
I installed a Leapers 4x40mm Tactedge scope on the rifle and went back to the range. The little scope was a beautiful size for this rifle. It adds just about a pound, yet it offers a crystal clear sight picture.
I mounted a Leapers 4x40mm Tactedge scope. It's ideal for this rifle.
Once again, 5 shots look like 3. Shooting with a scope at 10 meters, Premier pellets were tight. |
H&N Finale match also tried to look like 3 shots, but you can see all 5 upon close examination. From a scoped Shadow at 10 meters. |
On the range, I discovered the Shadow's sensitivities, which probably apply equally to all derivatives of the Hunter 220. The rifle wants to be held with its balance point resting on the open palm of your off hand. That's a point just behind the cocking slot. When my hand crept up to the middle of the cocking slot, the pellets flew all over the place. But, with the gun rested at the balance point, groups shrank to their tightest. Heaven forbid that someone should try to grasp the stock like a firearm! Spring rifles don't tolerate that kind of hold very well. So, just balance her on the open palm of your off hand at the place where the rifle balances fore and aft, and keep the rest of your hold as loose as you possibly can. That's the way to wring real accuracy from this model.
I would scope the rifle. There is enough accuracy to warrant the extra expense, plus it's much easier to shoot accurately when you can see the target clearly. The open sights that come with the gun are good enough to get started, so you can put off the extra cash outlay until you are ready. Or, kill two birds with one stone and get the Shadow Combo, which comes with a BSA 4x32mm scope and rings!
The bottom line
If you want a powerful spring-piston air rifle with solid sporter features, check out the Gamo Shadow. There's also a Silver Shadow Supreme, which comes with a red dot sight and rings. These rifles are attractive, lightweight, powerful and accurate. They're also very easy on the pocketbook. Any of these rifles would be a great addition to your armory, and they're ideal for introducing new adult shooters!
Buy With Confidence
Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.
Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.
View Shipping Info
We work hard to get all orders placed by 12 pm EST out the door within 24 hours on weekdays
because we know how excited you are to receive your order.
Weekends and holiday shipping times will vary.
During busy holidays, we step our efforts to ship all orders as fast as possible,
but you may experience an additional 1-2 day delay before your order ships.
This may also happen if you change your order during processing.
View Shipping Times
It's important to know that due to state and local laws, there are certain restrictions for various products.
It's up to you to research and comply with the laws in your state, county, and city.
If you live in a state or city where air guns are treated as firearms you may be able to take advantage of our FFL special program.
U.S. federal law requires that all airsoft guns are sold with a 1/4-inch blaze orange muzzle
or an orange flash hider to avoid the guns being mistaken for firearms.
View Shipping Restrictions
Get the most out of your equipment when you work with the expert technicians at Pyramyd AIR. With over 25 years of combined experience, we offer a range of comprehensive in-house services tailored to kickstart your next adventure.
If you're picking up a new air gun, our team can test and tune the equipment before it leaves the warehouse. We can even set up an optic or other equipment so you can get out shooting without the hassle. For bowhunters, our certified master bow technicians provide services such as assembly, optics zeroing, and full equipment setup, which can maximize the potential of your purchase.
By leveraging our expertise and precision, we ensure that your equipment is finely tuned to meet your specific needs and get you ready for your outdoor pursuits. So look out for our services when shopping for something new, and let our experts help you get the most from your outdoor adventures.
View Service Info
Shop and purchase with confidence knowing that all of our air guns (except airsoft) are protected
by a minimum 1-year manufacturer's warranty from the date of purchase unless otherwise noted on the product page.
A warranty is provided by each manufacturer to ensure that your product is free of defect in both materials and workmanship.
View Warranty Details
Didn't get what you wanted or have a problem? We understand that sometimes things aren't right and our team is serious about resolving these issues quickly. We can often help you fix small to medium issues over the phone or email.
If you need to return an item please read our return policy.
Learn About Returns
Get FREE shipping on qualifying orders! Any order $150+ with a shipping address in the contiguous US will receive the option for free ground shipping on items sold & shipped by Pyramyd AIR during checkout. Certain restrictions apply.
Free shipping may not be combined with a coupon unless stated otherwise.
View Shipping Info
Want More?
Join Our Email List for News and Deals!
Join the Pyramyd AIR mailing list: Our e-mails are filled with new products, deals, sneak peeks, tips and tricks, contests and more - sign up today!
Text JOIN to 91256 and get $10 OFF Your Next $50+ Order!
* By providing your number above, you agree to receive recurring autodialed marketing text msgs (e.g. cart reminders) to the mobile number used at opt-in from Pyramyd AIR on 91256. Reply with birthday MM/DD/YYYY to verify legal age of 18+ in order to receive texts. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg frequency may vary. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. See Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.