Happy Halloween 2022! 🎃 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️ 👻

We love Ed & Ein from Cowboy Bebop

We just got back from our first Halloween in two years! 

There were hundreds of kids roaming around our neighborhood having a wonderful time. The weather was nice & cool. Candy, chocolates, and cool drinks were being passed around. 

Lots of Anya & Yor Forgers, Nezukos, some Genshin kids, Spider-Men, Ghosts, Tarkovs, and a couple of zombies to boot. Cosplay is a big deal over here. 

There were even some wonderful people giving away free pork barbecue on a stick, popcorn, and ice cream to everyone! 

Some whole areas were preparing more than a few house parties for the little ones. 

From a survivor's point of view, seeing carefree and happy children is the greatest reward and defiance against a pandemic finally on its heels.

 

*****

What have we been up to? 

PANDEMIC IN RETROSPECT

The worst seems to be over. The virus has been far less lethal with each passing month since Omicron first appeared. We are still on-guard. We dine indoors now with absolute confidence. Its been two years now and none of us have gotten the bug. 

The hardest part was keeping our seniors mentally healthy and free from the awful fake news spreading over social media. 

I am extremely lucky and grateful for it. Some very close friends had suffered great losses to their families. 

What worked for us? Outdoor gatherings were the best. We avoided close-in gatherings and large amusement parks. Hospitals from 2020 to late 2021 were to be avoided. Staying healthy by eating well and home exercise were our MVPs. 

I even managed to finish a few of the games in my Steam library that had gone unplayed for years. Mental health is 🔑. 

PRACTICAL SHOOTING

We have been intensifying our practical shooting training all year. I can't believe we've been going non-stop since January. 

We even got to shoot and win some awards at the USPSA 2021 Oregon State Championship in Bend and hang out at the Route 66 Shooting Sports Park in San Bernardino, CA in 2022. 

There is an ongoing crisis for reloading components, particularly with the cost and supply of primers. They cost more than 3x than what they did in early 2020! 

The US ammo shortage is the primary culprit but I am very sure that a few big players in the country are also hoarding them and exacerbating the situation for their own benefit. Vile scumbags. 

OUR FIRST DRONE: THE DJI MINI 2 

We bought it when the drone was newly released in December 2020. Just in time for the pandemic lockdown. 

Having a drone opens up a new dimension of options for survival. For one thing, it fits in my go-bag very easily. Being able to fly over anything and do so unobserved is a dream come true. Its also incredibly easy to fly. 

There were a few instances of house fires near our residence in the past two years. We launched little Dronie upon hearing the sound of fire truck sirens and got a lot of useful intel. 

For reconnaissance, nothing beats having a pocket sized aircraft. This is one of the very best things a survivalist can add to their kit. 

Its versatility is off the charts. Go get one already. 

CRYE JPC, BATTLE BELT, QORE ICEPLATE, Etc.

I've refined the loadout of my plate carrier and battle belt. The now-venerable Crye JPC is still the gold standard and I have not made significant changes to its configuration even after rolling in the dirt with it for several occasions this year. 

We had a few live-fire sessions at our new range and I am very happy with its overall weight distribution. 

Even in full kit I am almost as nimble as I need to be. The Qore Performance Iceplate served me well in the hot sun. I didn't freeze it but I was noticeably cooler even if the water turned lukewarm in less than an hour. I think it still prevents overheating even with regular water. 

We have been using locally-made smoke grenades and I am satisfied with their performance. Having one or two of them on your kit can definitely come in handy. Stay tuned for a full review! 

VANQUEST IBEX 26

This is one of my best scores of the year. I purchased this at the closeout section of Forged Philippines at 50% off. The value of this backpack even at full price is out of this world. 

The hallmark of modern backpack is ease of accessibility. 

The Ibex is a clamshell-style opener. I can't count how many times Ive quickly grabbed my gear in mere seconds. I marvel at this feature every single time. Its got side compartments and loops galore without looking too tactical. 

The internal compartment is roomy and Vanquest has modular cubes that you may attach nearly anywhere inside by hook & loop or molle to suit any mission. 

It has a plastic insert to hold its ergonomics together. Combined with the kidney strap, this feels half as heavy on your back. 

I use this primarily to hold my go-gear, or as an assault pack. Things that will sustain me for 3-4 days while Im off doing something very important. 

Did I say that this thing was built tough? I mean its also Mordor-and-back durable. 1k Cordura in structural places, and 500 for the rest. 

More details to follow. 

NEW FIREARMS

Buying a gun in the Philippines is a very deliberate and un-spontaneous event, thanks to our onerous gun laws. That being said, we have acquired a second 9mm 1911 to compliment my daughter's competition gear. She now has two of them and I think its a brilliant firearm. 

We are also expecting to receive our first Pistol Caliber Carbine PCC very soon. 

It is her firearm too. A partner if you will to my AR15. Practically the same manual of arms except in 9mm. 

We went with the "buy once cry once" route this time around. 

*****

To our Doctors, Nurses, volunteers and Medical Professionals

The pandemic is fading. Some didn't make it out. I am grateful for the luck we have had for the past two years. 

If there is anything I could take away from this whole experience is that it takes a community to survive big calamities. 

From Taal Volcano's eruption, to Covid-19, and the various environmental calamities that came along, people helping each other is what really carries the day. 

For the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who risked it all to save others. You have my sincerest gratitude. How does one say "thank you" to people who have seen it all? Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from their selflessness. 

Stay Vigilant! 

Outfitting a Young Zombie Hunter: The Light Reaction Kit

Our goal during a global zombie apocalypse is to survive. My daughter has spent the past few years preparing to do just that. In addition to rigorous academic pursuits, she continues to train in hand to hand combat, wilderness survival, first aid, and firearms.

The latter skill requires specialized equipment that we have acquired for our young Zombie Hunter.

Light Reaction Kit

Capabilities: 

This is her baseline equipment for fighting the undead. Its is tailored to utilize her present size and skills. If things go bad, she can put all of this on in a few minutes. With all of this she can silently destroy the undead from afar or in CQB.

At present she has qualified with her rifles to hit eyeball sized targets at 50 meters and brain sized bogeys at 100. She aspires to increase her effective range in due time.

She is also deadly accurate with her sidearm which was custom built with match grade components.

Items can be added according to the mission such as ballistic armor, melee weapons, survival and evasion gear, or additional ammunition. 

Firearms: 

The Kel-Tec SU22 was the first firearm she trained with in 2016. The suppressor makes it hearing safe with CCI Standard Velocity ammunition. Averaging 1050 fps with 40 gr. heads, these blast through hard coconut shells at 300 meters. The 3x UTG magnifier combined with the Holosun HS503c lets her engage zeds close-in and push out to medium range.

The Marlin XT-22YR uses Armscor Super Quiet ammunition. They are 40 gr. projectiles but shoot at an average of 875 fps making this rifle inaudible at 50 meters. The rifle has a buttstock bag that keeps extra magazines. Inside I was able to fit 5 more 10 round magazines and a small box of 50 more rounds of ammo. She can easily carry up to 300 more cartridges in her chest rig. 

The sidearm is a Metro Arms MAC Classic 1911 chambered in 9mm. We enhanced all of the pistol's internals with EGW parts for top level performance, all installed and tuned by one the best gunsmiths in the country.  

Carry ammo is Hornady Critical Duty but I load primarily 147 gr. SWC heads for maximum accuracy.

It is also her competition handgun in IPSC matches. We hope to bring it to California so she could give USPSA rules a go. 

Load Bearing Gear: 

click to enlarge

Yes that was my 5.11 TacTec Chest Rig, its hers now. With minor adjustments it fits perfectly. I'm particularly fond of how easily the six magazine pouches hold all everything in a very low profile. She can conceal all of this under a jacket.

An essential tool is the Vortex Ranger 1000. This rangefinder has a red LED display so she can stalk prey at nighttime. It is fast and precise so all of her shots land with pinpoint accuracy.

The radio is a Versa Alerto dual band HAM radio. Its basically identical to the popular Baofeng UV5R. We have a few more of these that are always ready to use along with spare batteries.

The medical items could be found at the right side pocket of the photograph. I decided to just put them in there instead of a dedicated medical pouch to minimize bulk.

The gas mask was purchased via VARUSTELEKA in Finland. I'm quite happy about their products services. They ship directly to the Philippines in less than a week's time. We replaced the old army surplus filters with a new one.

The ESSTAC Shooter's belt is fantastic. It has a rigid inner lining that helps keep everything upright. The build quality tells me that this will see decades of use as long as the user's waistline stays generally the same. I love this belt!

I will replace that BLACKHAWK Serpa as soon as our Enhanced Community Quarantine is over with a mid-ride Safariland ALS holster. Its the only thing that I want to change in this entire setup.

The Schrade SCHF13 drop point is her favorite knife, totally loves that thing. Glad to know she has something to use if ammunition ever runs out or to pry open a can to eat.

The 5.11 3x6 Medical Kit was one of our earliest accessories. It carries just enough to control massive bleeding.


Putting it Together

Smart placement is key. She should be able to grab anything instinctively.

Look at how slick her back is. She could put on a survival backpack or sit in vehicles without any difficulty.

She prefers to keep the magazine pouches open for quick access. Elastic bands in the pouches keep them from falling out. Saying it again: that ESSTAC Shooter's Belt is smokin' hot. The Geissele hat? Top tier swag!

Going stealthy with her Marlin XT-22YR

The Hunter and her knife

That's a pro shooter's grip.

The most important thing is to make everything suit the user.

She's had this chest rig long enough to work out the kinks and train with all of the items.

Should SHTF happen, there would be more than one in our household who could save the day. I've been looking forward to putting this article for many years.

She helped me quite a bit on this project. From the photoshoots, suggestions, and practice sessions.

In her language, this was a great 'collab.

She asked me just now what would her dodo (granddad) would say about all of her training. I told her that all of us are immensely proud of her. Thank goodness she likes to learn new things with me. That alone gives us more than a fighting chance.

She's come a long way but we will keep on training, learning more, and equipping better.

Keep on moving if you want to survive, for even the undead do not stand still.

Stay vigilant!

The Trauma Kit

"Stop holes, plug holes, make holes..."

- Garand Thumb

"... All men are made of water, do you know this? If you pierce them, the water leaks, and they die."

- Syrio Forel

"May this be of no use"

- Aradesh to the Vault Dweller (Fallout 1)

"You can never have too many tourniquets"

- "D", US Army Ranger

Medical gear was one of the top things on our list when we began this journey. I'm preparing for the unlikely event that we may need urgent medical care. It can happen anytime before or during SHTF. Not only should your home have them, they're a must-have for your emergency bags.

We shall focus on 4 Kinds of Trauma Kits. All of these were designed to address massive bleeding and airway management.

I. Condor Rip-Away EMT Pouch

I first saw it on a video by Ultimate Survival Tips back in 2016. That video was about his 25 pound combat survival loadout. Another cool guy who uses this is Skinny Medic.

Tell you honestly its huge. Look how my hand barely grasps the whole thing. I won't put it on my chest rig because of the sheer size.

The good thing however is that you can tear if off any bag that uses MOLLE panels for quick access. This big fat pouch serves as our trauma and all-around medical supply bag for the family bug out bag.

Contents:
4x 6-inch Israeli Bandages
2x nasopharyngeal airway
2x Quick Clot
2x CAT Tourniquets
4x HYFIN Chest Seals
2x Celox Hemostat Gauze
lots of sterile gauze
trauma shears
small flashlight
Sharpie pen
2x pair of gloves
+general boo-boo kit like band-aids, ibuprofen, diatabs, moleskin tapes, etc.


II. Condor Rip-Away EMT Lite




This is attached to my personal 3-Day Assault Pack. If I need to go somewhere and do something important and dangerous for a few days, this is the backpack that I take with me.

The Lite has the perfect balance of size and carrying capacity. I highly recommend this kind of pouch as it can fit even on your EDC bag. There is no reason why you should not have one of these on you.

Despite the Gucci crowd's disdain for anything Condor, I stand by this product.






Contents:
1 CAT Tourniquet
1x 4-inch Israeli Bandage
1x Z-Pack Dressing
2x Hyfin Chest Seals (compact)
1x nasopharyngeal airway
1x Celox Hemostat Gauze
1 pair of gloves


III. Blue Force Gear Trauma Kit NOW! Micro

Living at the center of my battle belt is the highest-speed & lowest-drag item in my collection. I needed to put the smallest possible trauma kit to keep the belt as light as possible. Its only downsize is that its too small to hold a CAT Tourniquet so I have a separate pouch dedicated to that one TQ on my belt. I have two more on my plate carrier and a pair of trauma shears.

Its so small and well-built, I love it.

Contents:
1x 4-inch Israeli Bandage
1x Hyfin Chest Seal (it actually contains a pair for entry and exit)
1x nasopharyngeal airway
1x Celox Hemostat Gauze
1x pair of gloves

IV. 5.11 Tactical 3.6 Med Kit Pouch

This was my very first medical pouch. When it was new, naysayers criticized it for being too small to contain what people thought was needed for an IFAK.

What people didn't get was this particular pouch was intended for severe trauma. In our case, bullet holes and massive bleeding.

With my setup, it can basically carry what the EMT Lite can PLUS an additional Israeli Bandage. Its an underrated product and the build quality is the usual top notch from this brand. The TQ is also INSIDE the pouch, something that the Blue Force Gear offering cannot do. 

V. Summary

Your medkits should serve a specific purpose, and size is one of the biggest factors on how they will be used. Check out this photo for size and content comparison. Over the years I've had enough opportunities to bring them around and we have settled on the most useful contents for each.

Tactical Combat Casualty Care and the IFAK has come a long way. Today's standards are now mission-specific and minimalist. The contents have also evolved to fit smaller and lighter kits.

That's good news for family-oriented survivalists like you and me. I've tailored our gear according to each member's level of training and we do practice with them on a regular basis.

Make sure to have duplicates that are within reach like putting them in EDC bags, your car, or at your workplace. Anything could happen.


Stay vigilant!

Survival Strategy #16: A Bug Out Bag in the Philippines for Kids

Today is a very special day! Could you believe it, we're making the most exciting homework ever! I started this blog back in 2010 to chronicle my journey of preparedness. My little girl is now 8 and will be 9 in a few months. She was less than a year old when this was but a spark in my mind. All of these activities, the skills, prepping, equipment, training, blogging, its all for her.

And now WE BUILD A BUG OUT BAG TOGETHER. Major parenting win here folks!

So the task was to build an Emergency Plan and her very own B.O.B. And get this: their school calls it a "Z-Bag", playing on the name "emergen-zee". As far as I'm concerned, we all know what the Z really stands for! How cool is that??

My little survivalist will present two days from now these things in a show & tell format for Science. That happens to be one of my favorite subjects. Don't give me that look.

I. The Emergency Plan

In case she is ever caught in a calamity in school or at home all by herself. We constructed a few simple rules for her to follow to ensure safety.

We have safe-zones for her to stay in case of an earthquake, typhoon, flood, or riots & civil disturbances.

Listed down were the locations of where she will evacuate to if she is forced to leave these safe zones and where to find our supplies. Snazzy.

As you could see, many elements of the Emergency Plan came from our previous articles, particularly the Home Defense Analysis. It was really cool to revisit Floorplanner.com to find that my files from 2011 were still there.  Awesome!


II. The Z-Bag

The contents were expertly constructed by her mom. Mrs. Zombie Hunter sorted and zip-locked the contents for easy access. The mission was to be okay for two days. Stay warm & dry, hydrated, light her path, fix minor boo-boos, fill her stomach, and handle obstacles such as smoke, rain, and general confusion.

A key element for building a bug out bag for kids is being mindful of the overall weight. Mobility and having enough supplies are opposed to each other. Having "enough" is always subject to harsh debate.

Mrs. Z and I are never a few miles away from our daughter even while at work so being separated from each other by even the harshest of calamities will never go beyond two days of walking. Even if a massive earthquake, tsunami, zombie attack, or whatever happens, either of us can reach her in 24 hours.

Armed with this, we have outfitted our daughter to handle 48 hours for her pack.

A liter of water per day, 

she also asked for a few favorite snacks and canned goods...

III. Evacuation Drill & Area Reconnisance

We took a little tour of the neighborhood. We've been here for 10 years but this is the first time my daughter had a look around the place keeping in mind how things could be like during a disaster.

Lets go for a walk...

It was a lovely day. A few light showers didn't bother us, we had rain gear in case it got stronger. It didn't.


Its not exactly a long-range patrol, but it was good to have look around for possibly trouble areas like bottle-necks, flood-prone areas, dead-ends, points of ambush, hiding spots, and other points of interest.

I'm hoping to develop in her mind the technique of looking at her surroundings in this manner at all times. If it becomes second-nature, then she'll become increasingly self-reliant.

"how many neighborhoods surround us?"

"where does that creek lead to? is the water good or bad?"

"that street is a dead-end, but it has a good hiding spot"

"how many trees have edibles?"

"is that house really haunted?"

"where will daddy come and find me?



This way of thinking trains her mind. Looking at the world through a scout's eye will give her a tremendous advantage.

It was also the perfect time for her to evaluate our neighborhood to find good reception for communicating with home base. For a child like her born in this decade surrounded by Samsung Galaxy 8s, micro-drones, and other gadgets, the concept of handheld radios and UHF/VHF is a novel experience. Too many houses blocked line of sight. We did however find a few spots that gave clear signal and decent coverage.

At last we arrived at the safe zone. Its the club house where sports and parties are typically held. Its common practice to make this an assembly point for calamities as its a large building that has two basketball courts, 3 tennis courts, a bowling alley, and two large ballrooms. Its also got a few decent restrooms for a fairly large capacity. Its sturdily built and it can take a lot of punishment. I'm perfectly fine with her staying at this place if ever our home is compromised.

She made it!

IV. Lessons Learned

Most of her education regarding preparedness came from the classroom and this was the first time that we did this as a family. Mrs. Z was amused by all this saying that this blog has been waiting for the little girl all ths time.

As a parent, I'm swelling with pride because she's reached a point where all of these concepts of safety and self-reliance are finally within her understanding.

I was too accustomed to how I'd treat her like when she was younger.  I keep saying it to myself every year: don't underestimate her.

She had a good day. Her adrenaline was up till late night too. I'm so pumped, I wrote all of this in a single go. Before she slept, we talked about doing more practice runs like this, I'm so thrilled. Look out world, player three has entered the game. :-)


Stay vigilant!

Photo Editing my Wasteland Suit With Prisma

Yep, this is me. hello zombie world! - TZH

click photos to enlarge

I've spent nearly two years putting this loadout together including the various tests for this blog. Nearly half of it is photography. Just yesterday I stumbled upon PRISMA on Google Play and its now my go-to photo editor to make my drab old photos look zombie-apocalypse themed. I love it!

The various filters really capture the mood I was looking for and I'm really happy how they come out. I can't wait to see how this app will evolve. Its free but frankly I'm prepared to pay a fair fee for some premium features because this stuff is pretty slick.

All my photos now have a comic-book feel and I think its perfect for my blog. Easy Peasy: I just put my favorite photos in my mobile phone, edit them with Prisma, and presto!

I don't have professional photography or studio so this app helps make my photos look way better. I actually spend a lot of time admiring my own collection and a lot more when they're edited.

Anyway, here's a sneak preview of my Wasteland Suit (still thinking of a more appropriate name) that's designed to operate away from my base for extended periods.

I can do well fighting a horde of zombies while knee-deep in floodwater in a raging tropical storm. In the dark. That is what my kit is designed for.

Its got a suppressed Kel-Tec SU22, eight 30 round magazines, my high-capacity Para-Ordnance P16.40 with 3 extra 19 round magazines, my United Cutlery M48 Tomahawk, and a Schrade bushcraft knife. There's more ammo and survival gear in the backpack.

This ain't cosplay, all my equipment is the real deal. My gear is not not mil-spec but I'm happy to say that everything is ready and tested for SHTF.

Full details to follow sometime soon. Pinky promise.

My kit was assembled and evaluated more than a year ago. If things go bad, I can put it all on in less than 10 minutes and it comes with my tier-two bug-out-bag which is good for about 7 days tops.



Stay vigilant!

GAMO Whisper Silent Stalker IGT (.177) Review

UPDATE: Click here for The Smashing Coconut Test!

**********

I discovered an impressive lineup of airguns at the Willi Hahn Enterprises booth at the gun show earlier this year.

Three things about their new airguns grabbed my attention:

1. It could shoot a lead .177 pellet weighing 7.66 grains at nearly 1000 FPS
2. It has a built-in "sound moderator" or silencer that greatly reduces the noise
3. These rifles did not need to be charged with CO2, the break-barrel cocking system powers the gun for each shot

After a lot of research I came back and bought my first break-action air rifle. Its been an interesting 3 months in the making.

Product Review: Gamo Silent Stalker Whisper IGT

 

click to zoom

I. VITAL STATS

Mechanism

• Velocity: 1300 feet per second (fps) with PBA Platinum 
• Single Shot 
• Break Barrel: Single Cocking System
• Automatic Cocking Safety system 
• Barrel: Fluted Polymer Jacketed Steel with ND52 Technology 
• Cocking Effort: 32 lbs 
• Trigger: Two stage adjustable SAT (Smooth Action Trigger) 
• Manual Safety 
• Rated for about 150,000 shots before changing the piston

Stock

• Stock: Tough All Weather molded Synthetic 
• Butt Plate: SWA (Shock Wave Absorber) Recoil pad with up to 74% recoil absorption 
• Cheekpiece: Thin cheekpad molded on each side for both Right hand and Left hand shooters Checkering: Non-Slip texture design on grip and forearm 

Optics

• Scope Ramp: Raised Rail 
• Scope: 3-9x40 air rifle scope with rings.
• Fiber-optic iron sights

Specifications

• Weight: 7.15 lbs 
• Length: 43’’ 
• Ammunition: Any .177 Pellet 
• Caliber: .177 
• Trigger Pull: 3.74 lbs 
• Barrel Length: 18 in

II. General Impressions
The gun is sturdily built and looks fantastic. I love the texture of the rifle and its contours. The stock has a openings that enables a light but solid grip. These also reduce its overall weight, and its easy to carry around.

The moving parts of the cocking mechanism does not wobble. The barrel is jacketed with polymer so it won't rust.

The cocking mechanism is very smooth and feels lighter than the published 30 pound effort when you get the technique right.

III. Smooth Action Trigger
The "SAT" can be adjusted to make it lighter. I've read that this has made significant improvements compared to previous models.

You can "stage" the trigger it near the end as it travels a small distance as you squeeze it, and then it gives just enough resistance before it breaks. I did not have difficulty getting used to this mechanism.


IV. Not So Silencer
The ND52 noise moderator thingamajig reduces sound "by nearly 50%". It actually is a lot quieter than the unsilenced airguns that I used to own.

Thing is, they are not as quiet as those high-end PCP airguns which really are stealthy. I can shoot those without waking anybody up! I was hoping that this air rifle would have similar performance but they are still loud for indoor shooting.

The good news is that the sound moderator becomes far more effective outdoors. I am happy to say that it then becomes quiet enough for me to practice at my back yard without irritating my neighbors. Outside it sounds like someone firmly closed an aluminum sliding door. It is important to note that most of the noise from this gun comes from the gas piston, not the muzzle.

V. Sights & The Scope Mount Debacle

The fiber-optics on the front and rear sights are very good. The front is orange while the rear are "Luke Skywalker" green. My only problem is that I need to crank the rear sights as high as possible to shoot properly. 

The basic scope that came with the gun is a bit of a disappointment. I can only get a good focus at 4.5x even if its highest magnification is 9x. If you could get a scope with an adjustable objective, you'll be making the most out of this gun.

A big problem came after I shot about 80 pellets. The scope mount that came with the gun was made of soft cheap alloy. The screw that joins the scope mount to the gun was also of similar sub-standard material. 

Due to the recoil being generated for the whole length of the rifle because of its compressed gas piston, the scope stop slowly destroys the restraining screw and damages the cheapo scope mount. It gets pushed backward until the screw is deformed.

As of this writing, GAMO seems to be unaware of this problem. 
Probably because it is new in their lineup.

I had to visit Hahn's excellent gunsmith twice just so we could discover that using a scope mount of higher-quality steel and a screw made of harder material is needed to keep the thing from creeping backward after each shot. This was a frustrating problem before it was resolved. 

Out of the dozens of reviews I've read on this gun on the internet, I've only read just two user comments that identify this problem. Those professional reviews were good, but they did not mention this issue. 

All good now. No more problems.

VI. Shooting, Power, & Accuracy

The gun is both powerful and accurate!

I've blasted pellets through a lot of fruits, water jugs, and various hard objects. I've even killed a large rat with a center-mass shot that was unlucky enough to wander into my back yard.  

Mrs. Zombie Hunter was my excellent spotter that evening.

At 15 meters, the bullet hit its lower chest and then it went straight out its back. The impact was a "thump" as if I punched it with my fist. You know you hit good with that sound. It hobbled a few meters before expiring. I suppose a larger caliber would have dropped it cold with the same gut shot.

Tip: head shots for any target are the way to go. I've also seen a video of this taking down a fox with a well-placed head shot. This is not ideal with .177 caliber ammo because you cannot guarantee a humane kill. The video only shows that it can be done. 

The proper targets for .177 are smaller critters like rabbits, birds, chickens, rabies-carrying squirrels, etc.

When I got the scope problem licked, I could land shots in 2 inch groups at around 25 yards away from the standing position. From a bench I could tighten it to under two inches at nearly 30 yards, ideal for eyeball shots on the walking dead. With a better scope I'm sure I can take it further.

Good news: Unlike spring-powered air guns, this not as hold-sensitive as other springer type break-barrel rifles. You still need to master the "artillery hold". but this is much more forgiving. You just need to make sure to not grip it too tightly and use the same technique all the time. 


VII. Chronograph Test
I've measured the speed of these two pellet types:

• Gamo Magnum Pellets (designed to deliver more energy on impact) averages 975 feet per second 

• Gamo Pro Magnum (has an extra lining/reinforcement inside the pellet to improve penetration) averages 955 fps.

VIII. Ammo Variety!

What I dig about air rifles is the wide selection of pellets for all kinds of applications, and there are just as many brands.

There are steel tipped armor-piercing pellets which let them punch through light sheet metal, hollow-point ammo for hunting, precision ammo for competitions, heavy field ammo for long-range shots, and a lot more.  Gamo's pellets have good reviews.  Click this link to check out their video that describes each one.

IX. At the Range

This is what a target looks like at 25 meters. Below is a photo of 4.5 times magnification. Gamo says that this is the gun's hunting distance sweet spot for hunting because penetration power decreases further away.

I have shot up to 50 meters and they still perform pretty well with good bullets. Quality stuff means having no defects and good aerodynamic properties. Take note that strong wind will greatly affect those tiny but potent 7.66 grain pellets.


X. OVERALL RATING

Everything about this gun is great once you get a high quality scope and scope mount. Hours of fun and thousands of pellets await!

I score this 8/10 after solving those 2 problems (w/o fixing a 5/10). The score could have been a 9/10 if it was quieter.


XI. Six reasons why this will help you survive the Zombie Apocalypse

1. hunt small game with this gun and feed your family. 
2. quiet enough to do whatever you want without attracting zombies!
3. no need for gunpowder or CO2
4. ammunition is very cheap & lightweight
5. costs a lot less compared to those fantastic PCP "pump" air rifles.
6. affordable backyard training is priceless

And I've also done a few very interesting penetration tests. Stay tuned for those.


Stay vigilant!