A couple of Benjamin Marauder questions

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crankysob

Member
Apr 25, 2022
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california, United States
Hey guys

Just joined the site, planning on ordering an 'entry level' gun tomorrow and had a couple questions.

From what I've read here/there/everywhere, a Benjamin Marauder will suit my needs perfectly.....for now lol.

I need to eradicate some pesky varmints, specifically rats and gophers and ground squirrels oh my. Looking over the options I think I'll be getting

the Field and Target version/synthetic stock/22 cal. Walther Lothar barrel. I was going to order one today but when browsing the various 

online stores I was seeing Marauder models I hadn't noticed before. And now I'm questioning my choice of model. I'm interested in hearing your opinions 

on the other models. And the auto-indexing.....how is that achieved? Is it rotated when the bolt is pulled back? Is it air-powered somehow?

Another question I have is about the Picatinny rail to mount the scope on. Is it long enough/robust enough to mount a serious scope on? Specifically, I was toying with 

the idea of getting an ATN Thor thermal to mount on it, although I just saw another thread here that puts a big question mark on whether that's doable or not.


 
The regular Marauder, vs the Field & Target, produces higher velocities but is unregulated. Granted the lower velocity of the F&T will kill the pests you're talking about, but, the standard model can be tuned down if you desire less power. My first Marauder was a .22 with LW barrel. The next ones were Crosman barrels. I can tell no difference in accuracy, but I'm not a great shooter and I don't go to the extremes that many on these forums do to produce extreme accuracy. 

I assume you are talking about the magazine when you said auto indexing. The magazine is spring actuated and rotates another round into position as the bolt is pulled back. 

The Picatinny rail is robust enough to mount the gear you are talking about, but you need to order the LW barrel on the regular Marauder model to get the the receiver with Picatinny rail. The dovetail mount is robust enough to mount the scope you want, also. Remember, there is no recoil. 

I assume you understand that you will need some way to recharge the air reservoir. If you think you might ever want to have a portable source of air... and I'm betting you will at some point... get a compressor capable of filling a tank. Buy once, cry once. Speaking from experience, I had to cry twice. Many will say you can hand pump the Marauder. I'm pretty sure you won't enjoy it.
 
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Hello Cranky, welcome. One year ago, I bought my first pcp rifle. Benjamin Armada, (Marauder with AR bodywork) .22 cal. It is a great starter rifle. Rifle, scope, bipod, compressor, filter, spare mags from (pissing people off here probably) Amazon for about a thousand dollars. While it's not necessary, I have changed a lot of parts, because I like to work on it as much as shoot it. I just bought my second, a Marauder F &T from the ads on here for $435.00 from a very nice guy in Ohio. Should be here any day. 

You should take a look here as well as on Amazon. There is a gentleman on here currently selling a nice Armada that I would have bought had I seen it b4 the Maurader. Great price. His screen name is thepcplife. 

Good luck. 
 
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I have had two of the Benjamin Marauders. The second gen with the new barrel made by Crosman and the F&T with the LW barrel. My conclusion of the two was the standard Crosman was no less or slightly better than the LW...FWIW

Today I would definitely consider the Air Venturi Avenger or the AEA Challenger Pro as an option in both .22 and .25 

Patrick
 
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I have a Gen 2 Marauder witht he Crosman barrel and it shoots as well as my FX! If you want a regulated Marauder, aftermarket regulators (as well as any other performance part you may desire) are readily available and easy to install. My Marauder has the dovetail mount, but I have mounted my ATN 4K Pro to it and there is plenty of room for forward and aft adjustment if needed. I don't own an ATN Thermal, but I'm assuming they are probably around the same size as the 4K Pros and probably use the same mounts. I have 2 ATN 4K Pro scopes and swiched my mounts to 30mm dovetail mounts on one of them so it's easier to swap between my dovetailed rifles. The other still has the original Picatinny mounts for those rifels with the Picatinny rails.
 
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Thank you, gentlemen! I really appreciate you getting back to me so quickly!

I'm off to order a 'pest reduction' tool.

Although I now have another potential issue.....something was getting my dogs excited a couple of nights ago, so I set up my game camera last night to see if I could catch what was getting them so worked up. I thought maybe the coyotes were back, or perhaps the fox. Nope....
111111.1651084040.JPG


Looks like he's headed towards the smoker. Cats like smoked salmon? Who knew? lol
 
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id get a base model marauder, nothing fancy , a night setup really needs to be a dedicated rifle, i live rural and theres problem sometimes at night but truth is you can always get them in the day or set them up where theres enough light to work, doesnt take much.. a basic scope about 16x will be perfect .. ive put westhunter 4-16 ffps on several guns now and for a budget scope they are the shiznit ..lastly a .25 marauder is ultimately the best mrod for strictly pesting, really whacks um, but ammo is pricey if you plan on doing alot of plinking .. id go .22 ..
 
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Congrats! All my Marauders from .177 to .30 all had ATN’s at one point, even a Marauder pistol has one. T he rail is fine for heavy optics the ft model has a pic rail, otherwise you can get an insert adapter which work great, or a riser adapter rail if you dont mind adding height. The FT model is a performer in both .22 and .177 right out of the box. I have both and upgraded both for more power and finer tuning. The .177 was really match ready from the factory, the .22 was shooting the same way. But, the regulator is not adjustable and the tube holes are not spaced the same as the standard model. So if you replace or add a regulator be sure to note the tube model. Huma makes an adjustable drop in for the FT model or the xl plemum with the gauge block removed. The LW barrel makes a difference IMO and its not much more $, costs more aftermarket, but I have other marauders with crosman barrels that are dead on shooters. If you dont want to tinker and tune much, yes, grab a FT model and happy shooting. Thats not saying a standard model takes alot of tuning but it does take some, which takes time, airand pellets. A marauder can be molded into many things, from a powerhouse hunter to a competition rig to a high shot count super quiet practice plinker. Best part is theres not much to fail on them, they are easy to repair and volumes of tuning and modification info. 
 
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O.K., so I ordered a "SAM" version. "Just pull the trigger" for 10 shots in a row has a lot of appeal lol.

The 'supporting cast' consisted of things like: 

100 cu. inch air venturi tank/a few extra magazines/degassing tool/every hose adapter available (3)lol/a hand pump, because that way air is always available/ soft case/ some pellets....can't remember which ones. Adam at pyramydair made the recommendation so I went with what he said. What a nice guy. I talked his ear off. Shouldn't have had coffee before calling! 

It sure adds up fast.

Next recommendation I'm seeking is a stand-up tripod to shoot off of. Suggestions?

And to respond to a few posts:

A) Great poem! lol

B)Thanks, and you're right... I don't HAVE to shoot at night, it's just one more justification to get a really cool toy that I've always wanted....and can use for other purposes as well.

C)Thanks for all the info. I ended up not getting the LW barrel---for no reason other than being worn down from considering all the various configurations of this platform! The 'SAM' version supposedly has an upgraded barrel over previous model, so I just went with it. As your post highlights, I can always change things up if/when I feel the need. And evidently have all the help I need to get there!
 
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If you decide to get an ATN Scope for your SAM, I highly recommend a refurbished one direct from ATN! They are cheaper, have been tested and come with the same 3 year warranty as a new one! I have 3, the first I purchased new, had a problem with it and had it replaced under warranty. The other 2 were refurbished and I've never had an issue with either and they were much cheaper than a new one! I use them primarily for videoing my rat shooting! I shoot more rats during the day than I do at night, but it is nice having the capability to see in the dark when needed!
 
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crankysob said:
Thank you, gentlemen! I really appreciate you getting back to me so quickly!

I'm off to order a 'pest reduction' tool.

Although I now have another potential issue.....something was getting my dogs excited a couple of nights ago, so I set up my game camera last night to see if I could catch what was getting them so worked up. I thought maybe the coyotes were back, or perhaps the fox. Nope....View attachment 212611

Looks like he's headed towards the smoker. Cats like smoked salmon? Who knew? lol
Click to expand...
Yikes. We have one, too. He's gotten at least 8 goats. Chickens and ducks aren't safe either. I am in the process of buying a .357 pcp. That's the states minimum caliber for game like this...deer, too...and the javalina that are destroying my garden.
 
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Like some of the other I started with an Armada almost 2 years ago now. Ran 4-5k .22 Hades through it and loved it. Upgraded to an FX Maverick last year and couldn't be happier. Actually semi-gifted the Armada to my brother and nephew so they can spend more time together.

A couple of observations. Hand pump is great for a backup on that gun and the 100 Cu in tank is a good start, but I would start looking at a bigger buddy tank. I think I lasted about 2 months before I was done with the pump. Ended up with the 60min CF tank and could shoot a lot of rounds before I had to get it refilled. After I got the FX I ended up with a Yong Heng compressor and now I don't even have to wait on the local safety company to refill the tank. (Actually they ruined a weekend of shooting for me by not getting it filled in time causing the order for the compressor). Above all have fun with it. Great starter gun. I have a buddy with an Avenger and some weird offbrand Chinese rifle and I would put the Avenger in the same class, but liked my Armada setup better.
 
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I hope I am not hijacking this thread. I think my questions fits into this thread and might help a new Marauder user. I am a new PCP user - actually, I just ordered a F&T and should get it on Monday. I was searching for the owners manual and recognized there is no dedicated manual for the regulated Marauder. Can somebody sum up the difference between the regulated and un-regulated model in regards of parts and usage? Is not having a owners manual for the regulated version a big deal?
 
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