N/A First PCP - Umarex Notos or Gamo Urban - 4 practical off-hand shooting

So im torn between Umarex Notos or Gamo Urban - i like nice stuff so while i might upgrade to a compact FX impact m4 down the road im really looking for something to get my fingers wet with - to see if this is my thing or not.... not new to shooting hunting etc.... and was looking for quiet and light weight .22 air rifle/carbine that doesn't break the bank and has a magazine of sorts (not single shot). And by light weight i mean sporty - something that can be shot accurately off-hand while standing up - not a bench gun. I had a rws side cocking rifle years ago (Diana Model 48 .22 ) and i swear that MF was heavier than my .308 - it was terrible. Both the Notos and the Urban seem to fit the bill and im sure both are
quieter than 90db which is about what im getting from a 22LR cci CB cap out of an 18" brl - dont need to scare / alarm neighbors... mostly looking for squirrel and opossum control in my urban farm... but nice if there was a way to pump it up manually off grid if needed . i think both of these PCPs also offer hand pump options.

I guess im wondering or rather thinking why doesnt the Urban have a regulator - wouldnt this make the gun shoot more consistent along with the pressure curve? Ive been reading here though that many like 80+% say the urban is more accurate and or a better option - and im trying to figure out why?

is the regulator on the notos not adjustable? is it the shorter barrel? Build quality? I like the look of the notos but would like something accurate from 5-100 yards

Ive seen posts of Frankenstein guns : notos frames with gamo urban barrels - what does this give you (besides a headache when some seal or some part needs replacement)? Interesting ...but IDK...
 
There is now a deal on Amazon where you can buy a Gamo Urban for about $170.
This $178 deal is for the Urban and 1 tin of pellets:

The Urban will give you 40 shots as if regulated.
Out of the box my 2 Urbans were much more accurate than my 2 Notos.
The Gamo Urban has significantly more power than the Umarex Notos.
The Notos is much smaller than the Urban.
Both can be shot off hand if you know how.
The build quality is good on both.
 
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I don’t think you could go wrong with either, both are good quality.

with your chosen purpose of pest control and distance in mind, a regulator would be less of a selling point to me; the Urban has a BSA cold hammer forged barrel.

If you like to tinker, the notos seems to be growing a substantial aftermarket. I’ve learned a ton from tearing down and modifying my first pcp (p-rod), and I’m sure the Notos would be a good starter for that reason too. It may also give you an idea of what you’ll need for that next gun you’ve already got your mind on for consistent 100 yd shots 😉
 
Both are great but the NOTOS is great out to about 35 yds but not much past that. The BSA cold forged barrel is fantastic and the accuracy beats the NOTOS. The URBAN will work consistently well out to about 65 yds. There are those that will tell you they have killed tree rats at much greater distances with both and I believe them; but those are exceptions. The ranges I have listed are for the “average” shooter.
 
It's been my experience the Notos is good out to about 30 yards, after that, the power drops off a good bit, so for pesting or target shooting beyond that range, the Urban would be better. Urban spare magazines are pretty expensive, where the aftermarket section of Notos magazines if really pretty good and the after market Notos mages are far superior to the OEM, so expect to replace them pretty quickly! Otherwise, both are really nice air rifles for the money!

As for an upgrade, I definitely recommend an Impact! The new M4 model is a pure joy to shoot and it's extremely versatile!
 
So im torn between Umarex Notos or Gamo Urban
Haven’t own a Notos, but a Gamo Urban was my first… It blew me away in what I could do with it… No chipmunk within 60 yards was safe. Furthest kill on a woodchuck? 80 yards, it was standing upright facing away from me. Many, many pests down with mine. I own BRKs now, but in practical hunting or pesting applications at practical ranges? The Gamo gives nothing up in that department. The BSA barrels speak for themselves… Good luck with your choice…
 
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There is now a deal on Amazon where you can buy a Gamo Urban for about $170.

The Urban will give you 40 shots as if regulated.
Out of the box my 2 Urbans were much more accurate than my 2 Notos.
The Gamo Urban has significantly more power than the Umarex Notos.
The Notos is much smaller than the Urban.
Both can be shot off hand if you know how.
The build quality is good on both.
sadly that deal is over if your lucky you might get gamo for 230 (sans shipping)

Yeah liked the smallness of the notos esp with a folding stock and removable moderator - seems like would be perfect to fit in a small day pack
 
I don’t think you could go wrong with either, both are good quality.

with your chosen purpose of pest control and distance in mind, a regulator would be less of a selling point to me; the Urban has a BSA cold hammer forged barrel.

If you like to tinker, the notos seems to be growing a substantial aftermarket. I’ve learned a ton from tearing down and modifying my first pcp (p-rod), and I’m sure the Notos would be a good starter for that reason too. It may also give you an idea of what you’ll need for that next gun you’ve already got your mind on for consistent 100 yd shots 😉


Speaking of tinkering is there a carbine kit or folding stock kit for the Urban? Or If the only thing the urban has on it over the notos is the barrel - what about putting the urban barrel on the notos? I did see that some people have made bullpups but without an off the shelf solution (i have enough large projects ) and no way do i have the time to make a full on custom stock like this guy


The Notos just fits better with the form factor - i could add small .3L bottle and folding stock. - That Urban bullpup w/ huma regulator looks pretty sweet . Maybe i should rein- in my expectations in terms of distance - really just want something that accurate out to say 80 yards (if that) but realistically most shooting will be done around point blank range (when stirring up critters hiding in the barn or out by the coop) - to say 50 yards. But yeah after 80 yards might as well use a subsonic 22LR -- as for the airgun it just would be nice to have something that was more concealable / packable.
 
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In my opinion the only things the two choices have in common are the budget price. The Urban is wildly better in just about every category. They are pretty simple for a pcp with only a handful of orings and will last you many many years. The Urban is fantastic offhand, they really did a stellar job designing the thing. Accuracy is really really good with those BSA barrels, and the performance is great too. You can turn an Urban down pretty far if you want and up to about 20fpe.

That being said, I know there are lots of Notos fans and for good reason. But I have 4 BSA/Gamo rifles and they have been amazing, great value for your money.

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Here is a good price on an Urban to consider, $236 plus shipping/tax. MGW is a solid company too.


ETA: Might want to wait for Holiday sales to get the best deal. MGW has free shipping during the sale season, which will save you a lot now. They appear to have doubled their shipping cost since the last time I ordered from them.
 
Speaking of tinkering is there a carbine kit or folding stock kit for the Urban? Or If the only thing the urban has on it over the notos is the barrel - what about putting the urban barrel on the notos? I did see that some people have made bullpups but without an off the shelf solution (i have enough large projects ) and no way do i have the time to make a full on custom stock like this guy


The Notos just fits better with the form factor - i could add small .3L bottle and folding stock. - That Urban bullpup w/ huma regulator looks pretty sweet . Maybe i should rein- in my expectations in terms of distance - really just want something that accurate out to say 80 yards (if that) but realistically most shooting will be done around point blank range (when stirring up critters hiding in the barn or out by the coop) - to say 50 yards. But yeah after 80 yards might as well use a subsonic 22LR -- as for the airgun it just would be nice to have something that was more concealable / packable.
To my understanding you cannot purchase a BSA barrel a la carte, and something comparable would be more expensive than either a Notos or an Urban. It’s a very nice feature; there’s a chance the Urban holds its own against that FX M4 out to 50 meters with that barrel, and you can’t say that for a Notos.

Portability in a backpack is gonna be the Notos. It’s a nice little carbine.
 
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Th only downfalls of the urban are unregulated action, and the pronounced hammer bounce. It almost sounds like a fart when it shoots instead of a quick thud. If they made some sort of free floating hammer system for it, I feel it would become much more air efficient, and much more a.lccurate due to lack of waste air behind the projectile. I could see this making the urban accurate out past 100yds.
 
It's been my experience the Notos is good out to about 30 yards, after that, the power drops off a good bit, so for pesting or target shooting beyond that range, the Urban would be better. Urban spare magazines are pretty expensive, where the aftermarket section of Notos magazines if really pretty good and the after market Notos mages are far superior to the OEM, so expect to replace them pretty quickly! Otherwise, both are really nice air rifles for the money!

As for an upgrade, I definitely recommend an Impact! The new M4 model is a pure joy to shoot and it's extremely versatile!
I Liked you until I saw the reference to the Impact.
A $2000+ M4 Impact costs 5-6 times more than my most expensive PCP which is the Umarex Zelos.
 
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