N/A new backyard pcp rifle under 500

3Crows said:

The synthetic stocked Marauder rifle is 7.1 pounds and the length is due to the effective shroud which eliminates the need for an aftermarket suppressor for all but the most sensitive environments. Air Gun Revisions makes the Marauder Shawty which is a carbine length and it comes expertly tuned. But the OP wants under $500 so he is left with little choice but China sourced. The little Notos is really cute and there seems to be a pile of (mostly 3D printed) parts for it plus some other items like plenums and bottle adapters.

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Agreed, OP might prefer a longer, heavier gun, just wanted to assure he knew of alternatives. First PCP was Umarex Gauntlet, checked all the boxes, regulated, synthetic stock, length and weight never entered my mind, figured all the same. Shock when unboxed, all-day hunter was out of the question. Started following AGN shortly after figuring if I'd checked with others, might have avoided my predicament. Goal now is to encourage those considering PCP purchase to be cognizant of size, weight and technological advances. WM

pcponly said:

so my plinking back yard rifle has reached its end and now i need a .22 caliber pcp for back yard plinking dont want .177 since i have so much .22 ammo already.

my two key points is: 1 accuracy and 2 of course quietness very important as i do have neighbors

i hear bejamin maureder or jts aircuda max ..but would like to advise of all you pros in those small calibers and that do back yard plinking.. thank you in advance

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Prod is the perfect backyard plinker for me. An effective moderator on the muzzle is the secret to quiet, undetectable back yard shooting.

The barrel lottery really comes into the picture when you’re going 500 and under. I’ve won and lost.

I have a new Marauder that I got just before Christmas. This is my first air gun so I don’t have knowledge of how other air rifles sound, but I can agree with others on here that the Marauder is very quiet. I think the gun is heavy however. At least as compared to my powder rifles. Mine is the walnut stock model so I don’t think it would meet the $500 max price limit.

Just my experience but I think the Marauder Gen II walnut stock looks very well made.

WorriedMan said:

Agreed, OP might prefer a longer, heavier gun, just wanted to assure he knew of alternatives. First PCP was Umarex Gauntlet, checked all the boxes, regulated, synthetic stock, length and weight never entered my mind, figured all the same. Shock when unboxed, all-day hunter was out of the question. Started following AGN shortly after figuring if I'd checked with others, might have avoided my predicament. Goal now is to encourage those considering PCP purchase to be cognizant of size, weight and technological advances. WM

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Yes, PCP rifles, just about all of them, need to go on a diet. I do have aluminum tubes on two Marauders and a hybrid aluminum/steel on another and the weight is below 5.5 pounds and with a cut down shroud under 39 inches. But, the OP is probably not ready to start modding before he starts shooting .

I have a Benjamin Maximus that’s been pretty good and fits your requirements. I also have two Gauntlets in .25, one was good when I got it and the other required some work. Both shoot well now but aren’t the quietist in my arsenal.

Rick H.

My advice would be a Gamo Urban or Coyote. They are super quiet, and have been stupid accurate with 15.89g Hades for me. I have mine set to shoot about ~800-805fps and get 3 mags on the Urban. They are built well and will last you a long time. They make enough power to hunt pigeons at about ~60yds max, so a squirrel or rat is no problem. Here is the cheapest place to get one I have found:

I have a Gamo Urban and it has been reliable and accurate. Mine is set to about 24-26 fpe for 30 shots. Under $300 and can be hand pumped. My problem with the Urban is that bonded on pickle. I double fed the thing once and did not realize it and shot the baffles out of the pickle. Unlike Crosman who answers the phone and sells parts over the phone with a CC and no questions, I had to beg the nice Gamo lady to sell me anything at all and she had to check with her boss. But she did sell me some O-rings, a seal moulding for the fill assembly and a spare exhaust poppet but no baffles, not available. So, I burned the pickle off and adapted a DFL to my Urban. My Urban has taken down several skunks and armadillos and many HOSPs and starlings.



With the pickle and now with the DFL, the Marauder is still much quieter. I have to turn the Urban down to about 18 fpe to get it close.

If I were buying a .22 Marauder I would probably upgrade, maybe, with the LW barrel. In a .25 it is not offered and for whatever reason, most Crosman .25 barrels are shooters.

I only have a Marauder Synthetic 22 so far. I just can't get away from the magic of the bell curve and learning about the tuning process with a basic rifle with adjustments and also a great trigger. So yeah that's over $500 new but there are a couple of nice marauders in the Classifieds right now that look to be in excellent shape and some two of them are scoped which will help keep in budget.

Congratulations. I'm glad you're Liking your new Marauder. One question about the scope, is the knob on the left side of the eyepiece for adjusting power? I've never seen one like that. Just curious.

You will love your new Marauder. The things that some call "dated" are exactly the things that make the Marauder a wonderful first PCP (in between or last) or any PCP for that matter. It is simple, easy to tune and adjust and hardware store O-rings and a phone call to Crosman gets you the rest and good technical support.

Really, the only basic improvment Crosman could make that would satisfy a bunch more shooters is to add a freaking side lever! But the bolt is fine and can be easily swapped side to side and unless you start putting in heavy power springs and going down the rabbit hole, the bolt is dandy. One of mine, JSAR aluminum tube, "special" tech valve, Houma reg., .196 porting, .25 cal, 60 fpe, standing on Blue Bird overwatch duty:



Looks just like yours . But it ain't . Can be pinky cocked because the special valve requires little force to open and the FFH is lightweight Delrin type material. That is the beauty of the Marauder.