The Smashing Coconut Test III: GAMO Silent Stalker Whisper Air Rifle (.177)

I've had my Gamo Silent Stalker Whisper air rifle for nearly a year now with over a thousand rounds shot through it. With the Gamo Pro Magnum pellet I can group under 2 inches at 26 meters (or 28 yards) from the standing position. I'm a happy guy.

Why an Airgun?

This break-barrel air rifle is using a new IGT gas piston system that does not have the recoil and sensitivity that spring systems have. Unlike other airguns, it does not need to refill by a hand pump or CO2 tank.

This thing is no toy, it could shoot 7.8 grain .177 caliber pellets at an average of 970 feet per second. Ammo is cheap and lightweight, and you can use this to hunt small game and train your family very affordably. The sound moderator or silencer on the rifle is also quiet enough to do all these without attracting unwanted attention.

This is an ideal survival tool, but can it kill zombies?

Equipment:

• Gamo Silent Stalker Whisper (.177)
• Gamo Pro Magnum pellets
• a spoon 

Target: 

• 3 coconuts, husk removed (needs to be "ripe" for maximum shell strength)

The Test:

• Can an air rifle penetrate a human skull?

Technique:

We will most likely employ this weapon from an elevation so I shot at the coconut from my balcony at approximately 40 degrees and then from ground level.

The Results:

Coconut 1

Coconut 1 was fired upon from my balcony from 28 yards away five times. You could see in the photo that there are 3 holes on top and then two hits below that did not penetrate. This shows that you can punch through the shell if you hit it squarely.

The white stuff tasted good. I didn't eat the lead, don't worry. 

I cracked the coconut open with my United Cutlery M48 Tomahawk and was pleased to see three pellets inside. They were deformed flat and took out decent-sized chunks.

Coconut 2

The second coconut was a lot more interesting. I must have landed my shot at a certain spot that caused it to split open. Crack! Coconut juice flowing out! Gnarly.

I don't expect to split a zombie skull like that, but the impact was quite convincing.

The third coconut was a larger sample and had already gone stale. The shell is nearly twice as thick as the others but the pellet also punched through.

Check out the video below, note that from 26 yards away you could barely hear the rifle, good to know that the silencer works.

Conclusion:

I am very pleased to report that this air rifle chambered in .177 caliber pellets can punch through a coconut and do significant damage to the brain. With good aim, these are likely to penetrate a zombie's skull. I hope that destroying them would require less than two well-placed shots. 

 

I'm limited to relatively short distances with this weapon, but I'm good enough to hit a zed's eyeball at around 30 yards. That would definitely take them out.

This weapon is now part of my survival gear. My family can practice marksmanship and hunt small critters. With 2000 pellets easily stored in my pants, a comfy chair, and a cold drink with me on top of my hidden post at my roof, I could whittle down zombies that come close to my fortification.

The white coconut meat was my rewarding afternoon snack. Tasty!

*****

For my next round of tests I need to acquire a pig's skull for me to shoot at. Why a pig's skull? Because they can be readily obtained from our local butcher. These are thicker than human skulls but should prove to be a definitive penetration test. 

Stay vigilant!