Benjamin Kratos .22 or .25 for 100 yds?

[Roachcreek]

Years ago, I bought two Royals, the 400 for my pesting job on the vineyard I lived on, the 25 caliber 500 for long range target work, 225 to 285 yards.

The 25 spiraled badly with JSB Kings while the 400 was probably the most accurate small bore I have owned.

I you can get the 22 “Kings” to shoot in your 22 or the 34 grain pellets to shoot fast enough and they are accurate, in most comparisons you would need to get into the 257 bore to beat it.


All three of those Craftsman series are the same platform, why they did not put a shroud the Cayden is mystifying. I have no problem with bottle guns, I even like them, but a lighter Cayden with a shroud would have been a no brainer for me. Having said that, I found regulating a bottle gun, far easier that a tube gun.


Roachcreek

 

[Stretch]

Thanks for the helpful information!

 

[pnwairgunner]

Years ago, I bought two Royals, the 400 for my pesting job on the vineyard I lived on, the 25 caliber 500 for long range target work, 225 to 285 yards.

The 25 spiraled badly with JSB Kings while the 400 was probably the most accurate small bore I have owned.

I you can get the 22 “Kings” to shoot in your 22 or the 34 grain pellets to shoot fast enough and they are accurate, in most comparisons you would need to get into the 257 bore to beat it.


All three of those Craftsman series are the same platform, why they did not put a shroud the Cayden is mystifying. I have no problem with bottle guns, I even like them, but a lighter Cayden with a shroud would have been a no brainer for me. Having said that, I found regulating a bottle gun, far easier that a tube gun.


Roachcreek

That’s one thing I like so much about the Cayden. Rock solid barrel, no POI shift if it gets bumped walking through the woods or something like that. Airgun moderators are as common now as can be, so the option is there for loud/quiet. It’s a very versatile approach in my opinion. 

Also there are countries where shrouded airguns are not permitted, Canada for one. Australia also I think...So the Cayden would enjoy more sales in those places than the Kratos. 

 

[Stretch]

Years ago, I bought two Royals, the 400 for my pesting job on the vineyard I lived on, the 25 caliber 500 for long range target work, 225 to 285 yards.

The 25 spiraled badly with JSB Kings while the 400 was probably the most accurate small bore I have owned.

I you can get the 22 “Kings” to shoot in your 22 or the 34 grain pellets to shoot fast enough and they are accurate, in most comparisons you would need to get into the 257 bore to beat it.


All three of those Craftsman series are the same platform, why they did not put a shroud the Cayden is mystifying. I have no problem with bottle guns, I even like them, but a lighter Cayden with a shroud would have been a no brainer for me. Having said that, I found regulating a bottle gun, far easier that a tube gun.


Roachcreek

That’s one thing I like so much about the Cayden. Rock solid barrel, no POI shift if it gets bumped walking through the woods or something like that. Airgun moderators are as common now as can be, so the option is there for loud/quiet. It’s a very versatile approach in my opinion. 

Also there are countries where shrouded airguns are not permitted, Canada for one. Australia also I think...So the Cayden would enjoy more sales in those places than the Kratos.

The Cayden definitely has a "bark" to it. I put a DonnyFL Tanto on mine and it does an excellent job of reducing the bark.

 

[JimNM]

Seneca 28.5g in .22 has a higher density and per cross section than the AA diablo 25g in .25. I shoot both and the wider, lighter .25 are more "floaty" in the wind than the more dense .22. both guns happen to be Kral, so they are cousins to the Benjamin you are looking at.

The .25 is tuned for 45 fpe.

The .22 is tuned for 42 fpe.

Both guns have scored pest kills in the 130-150 yard ranges. The vast majority of pest work is done at 40-60 yards. Again, the magic 100 yard number is just a number that people glob onto. It is a meaningless arbitrary number, but people fall for it like zombies. The FPE chase is just as bad. I fell into that trap early on, thinking just a little more FPE than stock from the factory and I would be super happy with my guns. Turned out that accuracy is more satisfying than missing the shot with a suped up foot pounds of energy gun.



I do hope you get a good gun. Every manufacturer has lemons, and most can produce superb examples.



Shoot em good amigo

 

[Stretch]

Seneca 28.5g in .22 has a higher density and per cross section than the AA diablo 25g in .25. I shoot both and the wider, lighter .25 are more "floaty" in the wind than the more dense .22. both guns happen to be Kral, so they are cousins to the Benjamin you are looking at.

The .25 is tuned for 45 fpe.

The .22 is tuned for 42 fpe.

Both guns have scored pest kills in the 130-150 yard ranges. The vast majority of pest work is done at 40-60 yards. Again, the magic 100 yard number is just a number that people glob onto. It is a meaningless arbitrary number, but people fall for it like zombies. The FPE chase is just as bad. I fell into that trap early on, thinking just a little more FPE than stock from the factory and I would be super happy with my guns. Turned out that accuracy is more satisfying than missing the shot with a suped up foot pounds of energy gun.



I do hope you get a good gun. Every manufacturer has lemons, and most can produce superb examples.



Shoot em good amigo

That's sort of the direction I'm thinking. Low cost, magnum PCP rifles (I'm thinking Hatsan) look awesome on paper but then when you watch the videos and the groups they're getting at 25 or 50 yds, I think the accuracy at 100 yds will be disappointing.

On the other hand, I have a Cayden .22 that will shoot cloverleafs at 50 yds and very close to 1 MOA at 100 yds. I get 3 magazines (36 rounds) before the pressure dropoff becomes noticeable. I know a heavier pellet would do better -if- I can boost the power up enough, but the smaller tank is a limiting. I just ordered a Kratos in .25. I would have gotten a Kral Puncher Pro 500, but it wasn't in stock and, on paper at least, the Kratos seems to have slightly more power. And I was able to use a coupon with the Kratos. I plan on shooting both and continue to do my homework on these and their Kral cousins. I hope to tune the Kratos so I can push heavier .25's. That big bottle will help keep the shot count good.

Where can I find more info on tuning Krals (and hopefully my Kratos and Cayden)?

 

[JimNM]

Troy Hammer @thammer is THE source for Kral knowledge. He has been elbow deep in the guns since their introduction. He is the man.

 

[waynebo]

Seneca 28.5g in .22 has a higher density and per cross section than the AA diablo 25g in .25. I shoot both and the wider, lighter .25 are more "floaty" in the wind than the more dense .22. both guns happen to be Kral, so they are cousins to the Benjamin you are looking at.

The .25 is tuned for 45 fpe.

The .22 is tuned for 42 fpe.

Both guns have scored pest kills in the 130-150 yard ranges. The vast majority of pest work is done at 40-60 yards. Again, the magic 100 yard number is just a number that people glob onto. It is a meaningless arbitrary number, but people fall for it like zombies. The FPE chase is just as bad. I fell into that trap early on, thinking just a little more FPE than stock from the factory and I would be super happy with my guns. Turned out that accuracy is more satisfying than missing the shot with a suped up foot pounds of energy gun.



I do hope you get a good gun. Every manufacturer has lemons, and most can produce superb examples.



Shoot em good amigo

I have to agree with everything you said,accuraate hit beats a miss any day,i have a Caydens coming tommorow 3-12-22. I like the fact that the barrel band just like the 

mrods do that attaches to the hexagon where the fill probe is. Unsupport barrels suck because poi changes when handled,useless for hunting for be because these panhandle florida woods are way to thick to expect you can go into the woods and not bump the barrel or snag it on vines and underbrush.

 

[waynebo]

Years ago, I bought two Royals, the 400 for my pesting job on the vineyard I lived on, the 25 caliber 500 for long range target work, 225 to 285 yards.

The 25 spiraled badly with JSB Kings while the 400 was probably the most accurate small bore I have owned.

I you can get the 22 “Kings” to shoot in your 22 or the 34 grain pellets to shoot fast enough and they are accurate, in most comparisons you would need to get into the 257 bore to beat it.


All three of those Craftsman series are the same platform, why they did not put a shroud the Cayden is mystifying. I have no problem with bottle guns, I even like them, but a lighter Cayden with a shroud would have been a no brainer for me. Having said that, I found regulating a bottle gun, far easier that a tube gun.


Roachcreek

That’s one thing I like so much about the Cayden. Rock solid barrel, no POI shift if it gets bumped walking through the woods or something like that. Airgun moderators are as common now as can be, so the option is there for loud/quiet. It’s a very versatile approach in my opinion. 

Also there are countries where shrouded airguns are not permitted, Canada for one. Australia also I think...So the Cayden would enjoy more sales in those places than the Kratos.

The Cayden definitely has a "bark" to it. I put a DonnyFL Tanto on mine and it does an excellent job of reducing the bark.

My Cayden will be here tommorow 3-11-22 and i choose it not just because it looks really good,big plus,but the barrel has a barrel bang like the mrods do where it attaches to the hex nut where the fill probe is located. It can not rotate like other barrel bands that just slide over the air tbe and the barrel,they are useless as when barrel is bumped it just stays out of place and exacerbates the problem of poi shift

 

[Stretch]

Seneca 28.5g in .22 has a higher density and per cross section than the AA diablo 25g in .25. I shoot both and the wider, lighter .25 are more "floaty" in the wind than the more dense .22. both guns happen to be Kral, so they are cousins to the Benjamin you are looking at.

The .25 is tuned for 45 fpe.

The .22 is tuned for 42 fpe.

Both guns have scored pest kills in the 130-150 yard ranges. The vast majority of pest work is done at 40-60 yards. Again, the magic 100 yard number is just a number that people glob onto. It is a meaningless arbitrary number, but people fall for it like zombies. The FPE chase is just as bad. I fell into that trap early on, thinking just a little more FPE than stock from the factory and I would be super happy with my guns. Turned out that accuracy is more satisfying than missing the shot with a suped up foot pounds of energy gun.



I do hope you get a good gun. Every manufacturer has lemons, and most can produce superb examples.



Shoot em good amigo

I have to agree with everything you said,accuraate hit beats a miss any day,i have a Caydens coming tommorow 3-12-22. I like the fact that the barrel band just like the 

mrods do that attaches to the hexagon where the fill probe is. Unsupport barrels suck because poi changes when handled,useless for hunting for be because these panhandle florida woods are way to thick to expect you can go into the woods and not bump the barrel or snag it on vines and underbrush.

Funny you resurrected this old thread because I just finished shooting my Cayden .22 at my home range. I have a 4" gong set up on the side of our mountain at 150 yds from the house. The wind was at my 3 o'clock and gusting well over 10 mph. Shooting FX Hybrids I hit the gong 9 out of 12 shots and the shots that missed were because I failed to guess windage correctly and I missed by no more than an inch. I've tried over a dozen other PCP air rifles, from an FX Impact to an Airforce Condor, but none have shot more accurately as consistently as my Cayden .22.