Bought my first PCP

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J

jk

Member
Feb 23, 2022
2
0
WA, United States
Hey all,

After researching, I found the gun for me that I believe will both do what I want of it and also just pegs the “looks awesome” meter for me. I figured for my first airgun I wanted it to be something I was excited to grab and go shoot. My final 3 were the Beeman under lever, Benjamin Marauder Pistol and the Benjamin Akela. The Akela rose to the top for me so I purchased one and I’m impatiently waiting for it to get here.

From reading posts and watching YouTube videos I realize that the barrel will be dirty from preservative. I know that I can’t use my firearm cleaning stuff. I’m planing on cleaning it with a boresnake and ballistol. If you think there is a better way to go for cleaning please let me know.

I have a way to fill it with Air.

I also have a DonnyFL Sumo and ordered the Akela adapter. (Needs to be quite).

Another thing I’m interested in is the HP strip stack which replaces the baffles in the shroud and adds an air stripper sold by Hajimoto. Thinking about getting this too but I was wondering if anyone here has experience with it?

As far as optics go, in the short term, I plan on using my Sig Sauer Romeo5/Juliet3 from my AR to get me started for some plinking fun! But I want to eventually get something dedicated for this gun. My initial plans for use are plinking and pesting in my barn and around the property. I will eventually set up a bench and at that point I know I’ll want to put a scope on it (if not earlier). Just need to do some research first. Any suggestions and tips are very appreciated.

I plan on spending lots of time here learning as much as I can before it gets here! And after it gets here for that mater.

Am I missing anything? Any suggestions on must haves, nice to haves etc? Any particular things I should study up on? Any Akela owners out there that have any out of the box do this first advice? Any threads here in particular I should read that will help in the learning endevor? 

Sorry for all the noob questions, hopefully as I learn and get into this new hobby I’ll be able to pay it forward.

Thanks in advance for any and all help you may send my way!

Jim
 
I think you chose well. My first PCP was the Cayden. I was very happy with the accuracy and all the features.

MidwayUSA typically sells spare magazines for around $14 . They work in all the "Craftsmen" Series as the Akela, Cayden and Kratos.

Akela Magazine



Out of the box, make a cleaning rod from weed eater trimmer line, double it so you have a loop on one end and knot the other into a wooden dowl. Now you have a pull thru to clean the barrel.

Get a can of Ballistol and clean the barrel before you shoot. it will be full of gunk and preservative.

These guns shoot the cheap $6.49 per 500 tin of Craftsmen 14.3 gr pellet, either the domed or Hollow point. Stock up on those.

I picked up a cheap $50 hand pump and used that for awhile, but eventually if yo get into it, you will get a big carbon fiber bottle to refill it or a small compressor.

Good luck and have fun.
 
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jk, 

Congratulations, I hope you really enjoy the PCP experience! Don't know the Akela, but I'm sure you've become familiar watching YouTube and reading posts. A few thoughts, you said you have a way to fill the air, do you know if it has a foster fitting or fill probe? Sometimes fill probes come with threaded ends that require a foster end adapter. (Air Venturi adapter can be found at Pyramid Air for $10.) Another thought, never owned, or used a boresnake, but wouldn't use anything with a brush. (I apologize if I'm all wrong about a boresnake, just didn't want any damage to your new barrel.) Most use Patch Worm with Ballistol. Best of Luck, WM
 
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I had the same "worry" as worriedman about the brush in the bore snake. They do contain a brush with brass bristles. I would suggest the patchworm or the weed eater string cleaning method. I made my own by melting the end of a weed eater string until the melted plastic forms a big bead on the end to hold the patch from slipping off. I then sharpen the other end to pierce the patch. Takes some finesse to get the bead shaped right and the right size. 
Also I wouldnt skimp on optics. I own an swfa scope and I think they are a great scope for a great price at $300. Anything much under that will leave you needing a better scope eventually.
I’d say "have fun" but I already know you will. 
 
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Your gun will be pretty quiet without a moderator. At least mine is. But some people want them mouse fart quiet. The only thing you need to be concerned about that I can think of right now is the moderator is going to add extra length to your barrel and those barrels on your particular gun is very sensitive to bumps and leaning it against a wall or something. I put a barrel band on mine that I got off of eBay. Some people like barrel bands on their guns and some don’t. Mines shoots the same with or without. Just remember that if you don’t use a barrel band on that particular gun that you have to be very careful not to bump it or lean it against something. That’s one thing that I don’t care about on shrouded barrels Although there is a few manufactures that mount them very solid.And I want to add also that that gun comes with a foster fitting and not a fill probe. So that’s a plus.Oh and also you might have to use a scope mount riser or use high rings to mount your scope because several people including me had a problem getting a good cheek weld and I personally had to lean my head all the way as far as I could to the right to see through the scope. I just added a riser to mine and now everything is fine.
 
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That SIG red dot magnifier combo won't make full use of the capability of a PcP not sure a 3x magnifier to a 2 moa red dot does any good or rat hunting.

If you appreciate quality then the Leupold Freedom EFR 3-9x33 AO won't add much more weight to an all ready heavy bull pup.

If you are familiar with Leupold brand you'll know how nice their scopes are and of not you are in for a pleasant surprise.

When the AO is set at 60 yards it's clear from 10 yards to 75 yards at 3x and 15 yards to 70 yards at 9x no need to keep adjusting the AO with this one.

Mine focuses below 10 yards and when set at 3x it's clear at 4 to 5 yards and at 9x clear at 6 to 7 yards. Life time warranty that you most likely won't ever need to use.

Cheapest places to buy this Leupold.

Do consider final cost to you delivered with any additional fees factored in.

https://www.adorama.com/r/ld175075-reviews

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/923620755

This one ends soon only a few hours left don't over pay if you bid compared to Adorama's price with free shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154854047567?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194871582286?

Affordable adjustable ring mounts for the Leupold scope and a much cheaper alternative compared to the $150 Eagle Vision brand of this mount. You will really appreciate the added height and adjustability for good cheek weld to scope eye placement and for typical droop compensation most air guns tend to exhibit from their factories.

HIRAM Cantilever Scope Ring Mount for 1" and 30mm Rifle Scopes with 2 Slot Raised Picatinny Rail Mounts, Adjustable Cantilever Mount

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088LNQ8Y3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_7BVQTFKX5Z7FHWEGH918?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

If you don't mind a scope that's made in CHINA that's priced right with very nice glass side focus hold over reference points 30 mm tube excellent scope regardless of price other seller selling for double this price too then this one included picatinny rings to mount on to the other suggested 20 moa base riser you definitely want. Life time warranty.

Very quick and easy to use set and go shoot with compared to many much more expensive scopes with finiky parallax.

You will totally understand what I mean if you have more expensive Chinese made side focus scopes to compare this one to regarding parallax adjustments.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265519578933?

You will want to order this 20 moa droop compensation add on rail for little more scope mounting height for the Akela you'll see exactly what I mean after you buy it and definitely regret not having it if you don't.

UTG Leapers MT-RSX20MOA Inc Super Slim 20 MOA Elevated Picatinny Mount, 13 Slot, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1KP7PD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_Y0WZ2429F8NJ8PX4P0BJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Add this to make the $25 minimum to get free Amazon shipping a very useful easy to use scope installation tool.

TXTactical Scope Leveling Tool, Scope Leveler, Scope Leveling Wedge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096FGVK7Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_463BFB6R33VY3Y7ZTTV2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Or any thing else to make the $25 free ship.

Would have suggested another scope that starts at 6.5x but you definitely want a very low atleast 3x or less on the bottom end for close quarters rat shooting on up to targets at longer distances. I'll post it in another new post.
 
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On Scope for the Akela, due to it's bullpup design, it has a very short distance between your eye and the scope rail, very short.

Earlier I had purchased a Hawke "compact" scope who's specs incorrectly stated a common 3" eye relief. The actual eye relief is about 1.25" It was USELESS on the rifle I bought it for, requiring a backwards offset mount to get it close enough to my eye to use.

When I got the Akela, I was having the opposite problem, pushing the scope so far down the rail, it was awkward. thankfully I had not yet sold the brand new perfect Hawke scope. That scope's 1" eye relief is a perfect match on the Akela.

https://us.hawkeoptics.com/airmax-30-sf-compact-4-16x44-amx-ir.html
 
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Big thanks to you all for replying to my questions! I really appreciate all the advice and tips! Definitely looking into a barrel band. I ended up purchasing a scope, I went with more budget oriented one suggested by @Batman2 - thanks! I don’t have the spare cash for a high end one right now. I’m sure I will end up upgrading it down the road. And thanks for the heads up on not using anything with a brush. The boresnake I have doesn’t have one, but I like the idea of using the weed eater nylon string. I’m going to give that a go.

Again, thanks guys for taking the time to send some knowledge my way!
 
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It’s ok to use a brass brush on steel barrels. 


when a sheet of 48 x 96 stainless got pulled off the rack and we made pieces out of it, the protective plastic always stayed on and the last person to remove it was the installer of the fabricated piece. Typically we would pick up a piece of copper pipe stub the plumber left on the ground, hammer one end flat and took tin snips and cut an angle off, so it looked like a home made shank.

we would take that shank and scribe it on the stainless to cut the plastic so we could peel it off. Not one mark on the stainless from the copper shank, ever
 
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