The Beeman XTREME VIPER comes in a wood stock or a synthetic stock in either .177 or .22 caliber. I tested the Model 1125 chambered in .177 with a wood stock. My initial impression of the gun out of the box was quite good. It appeared to be of good quality and well made. The directions were simple and easy to read and figuring out the rifle was easy as well.
Once I read the directions, I gathered a variety of pellets and headed to the range. I held off on mounting the scope because the fiber-optic sights were so good that I wanted to just try it with open sights and evaluate how well the rifle handled and functioned, and then check accuracy a little closer with the scope.
It was a bit tough to break the barrel for about 100 shots, until it loosened up a little bit. I actually found myself using the palm of my hand to strike the underside of the forearm to give the gun a bit of persuasion to break the barrel. I also noticed even past the 100-shot mark that the user needs to be sure to pull the barrel ALL the way down until it clicks when cocking it. If you bring it most of the way down and ease up on the tension thinking you are done, the barrel will spring back upwards. Also, as Beeman points out in the instructions, do not get pinched between the barrel and stock as you cock the gun.
The barrel has ample material to grasp when cocking the gun, but the effort to cock the gun is in the “adult only” category. You need to have your Wheaties for breakfast to crack and cock the gun.
The gun is single-shot, meaning there is no magazine to use. Each pellet gets loaded individually, which I did not find to be an issue at all. The stock is a bit bulky, meaning a small-framed person might find it a bit of a task to grasp the grip and reach the trigger, so maybe this airgun goes into the “average- to large-framed shooter/user” category.
The trigger pull is smooth, a bit too long for my taste but it breaks at around 4 ft/lbs which is a relief after a long pull. The safety is just in front of the trigger and is conveniently flicked forward to fire and pulled back to the trigger to put the rifle on safe.
The sights are great. The brightness of the fiber optics is a plus. I also really appreciated that Beeman included a 6x40 scope with rings. I was even further surprised that the rings were actually squared up on the scope right out of the box. The included Allen wrench allowed me to quickly mount it on the sturdy Picatinny rails with no issue. I was back on the range in no time! The scope is great at 6x. It would be easy to have some competition with this rifle or use it for hunting. Although a fixed power, at 6x, you can still quickly find targets and actually be able to see detail on them. I also greatly appreciated the variable objective.
When I started shooting the rifle I was happy with the sights and how the gun handled, even though it is a tad bulky for my taste. When the first shot went off, I was a bit surprised at the noise. The box says there is a noise reduction system on the rifle. I find the rifle to sound much like a .22 rimfire going off. My wife even thought I was shooting my .22 rimfire rifle. I don’t mind the noise at all but if you want to shoot this rifle on the “down low” without alerting the neighbors that live nearby, that won’t happen. This rifle gets attention.
On the flip side of that, the rifle sends pellets sizzling. I shot at some heavy vegetable cans. The cans barely moved because the pellets zipped right through them without much more than a slight flinch. I cannot wait to try this rifle on squirrels. I bet it is a tree rat dropper!
Accuracy is decent. However, I should qualify that to say that when shooting lighter-grained pellets (approximately 7-8 grains), I found accuracy to be poor at 50 yards. Some of my groups were over 2”. When I switched to heavy-grained pellets, specifically the HN Baracuda Match (yes, that is the way the manufacturer spells it) pellets at 10.65 grains, the groups tightened right up to right at an inch, maybe a fraction less. THAT is squirrel dropping accuracy in the big woods. It pays to shoot a variety of pellets to see which one is the best fuel for your next adventure.
In summary, the rifle has some possible cons if one is picky. The stock is a bit big. The rifle is a bit loud and it can be hard to cock for those that are not fit or do not have a long reach. The trigger is long. The positives include great sights (open or scope), sizzling speed and energy, simple operation, nice looks, quality make, available in several configurations: wood/synthetic in .177 and .22 caliber.
I think shooters will enjoy this rifle quite a bit and appreciate the quality of the workmanship. Available at retail stores such as WalMart, for approximately $200 (prices may vary by location).
Features:
- Break barrel Gas Ram powered
- Manual safety in front of the trigger
- Fiber optic sights front and rear
- Picatinny rail for the scope mount
- Comes with a 6x40 scope
- Fluted barrel sleeve
- Pellets travel at up to 1150 fps with the .177 and up to 850 fps with the .22
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