Thanks Riddict I watched your new video on it while I was waiting for mine to show up lol, I think it will definitely be a keeper but like you said time will tell. Really enjoy your vids man.
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Crosman Vapor Max?
- Thread starter BerkshireHunter
- Start date
I hear ya man I bought one around that age too lol it is similar looking but weighs a bit more and feels a lot more solid.
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... The answer my friend is blowing in the wind - Oh if it was only so for the scope rail! 
First Impressions
The main reason I purchased the Vapor Max was its looks. Normally, I put function ahead of appearance, but in this case, aesthetics won me over. The two-tone stock, in particular, caught my eye. The ads showed a brighter contrast than what I actually received; the lighter panels appeared much lighter in the promotional photos. In reality, the gray-and-black contrast is more subdued, and while not a deal-breaker, it was a little disappointing compared to my expectations.
Power (14 ft-lbs?)
Beyond appearance, the next big draw was the advertised power—14 ft-lbs in .177 caliber. That’s impressive for this platform, and in my testing the rifle lived up to the claim. Using Crosman Hollow Point 7.9 grain pellets, I recorded the following five-shot string: 898, 896, 894, 896, and 894 fps. That averages out to about 14.07 ft-lbs under conditions of 82°F, 78% humidity, and roughly 75 ft above sea level.
Confession: I did push past Crosman’s recommended 10 pumps and tried 12, hoping to break 900 fps. Instead, velocity dropped to 853 fps. Lesson learned. Later I realized this is because the design doesn’t use a hammer system, but rather something similar to Daisy’s 700 series match pistols—modified with a check valve for higher pressures.
On three pumps, the rifle averaged 602 fps with the same pellet, which is plenty for casual plinking and very easy to pump at that level.
Accuracy
This is where things fell short. With Crosman Hollow Points, groups averaged about approximately 1.25 – 1.50 inches at just 10 yards. I tried three approaches: open sights, a peep sight, and finally a scope. None produced better results. I did try RWS Meisters and Beeman Silver Bears with slightly better result.
Scope Rail (Problematic Design)
Mounting a scope revealed another issue. The receiver is plastic, similar to the Legacy 1000, but instead of having scope rail halves molded into both sides, the Vapor Max’s rail is molded entirely into the right side. This leaves the left side unsupported, creating a gap that allows flex. To make matters worse, the rail itself is too thin and shallow. Even with moderate tightening, scope rings wedge against the rail, making it unstable.
As most shooters know, any play in a rail translates to lost accuracy—not more of it. A modification might solve the problem, but in factory form, the rail design is disappointing and limits the rifle’s potential.
To give my setup a bit more of a chance for success, I ended up filing down the bottom of the ring to decrease the wedging affect, but the left side is literally biting into the end of the rail – see photos; about 0.075”.
Cocking Mechanism (Sliding Joint)
Another concern is the sliding part of the cocking linkage. While the main stress is taken at the upper end, the sliding section feels like a long-term weak point. By comparison, the Daisy 880 uses a metal cocking arm with a sturdier non-sliding design that inspires more confidence.
Stock Flex (Wrist Area)
Finally, the wrist of the stock flexes when pumping. It’s not excessive, but the joint between the stock and receiver clearly gives a little under pressure. Over time, this could worsen. A reinforcing dowel or similar fix inside the stock might address it, though disassembly would likely be required.
Final Thoughts
At this stage, I’m undecided. On the plus side, I enjoy the 10-shot magazine, the convenience of cocking and pumping for each follow-up shot, and the ability to hit 600 fps with just three strokes. Achieving 14 ft-lbs with reasonable effort is also a big advantage.
On the downside, accuracy has been disappointing so far, and the weak scope rail design severely limits optics options. Until I find a pellet that performs better and a solid modification to stabilize the rail—I can’t fully recommend it. The potential is there, but the execution leaves room for improvement.
First Impressions
The main reason I purchased the Vapor Max was its looks. Normally, I put function ahead of appearance, but in this case, aesthetics won me over. The two-tone stock, in particular, caught my eye. The ads showed a brighter contrast than what I actually received; the lighter panels appeared much lighter in the promotional photos. In reality, the gray-and-black contrast is more subdued, and while not a deal-breaker, it was a little disappointing compared to my expectations.
Power (14 ft-lbs?)
Beyond appearance, the next big draw was the advertised power—14 ft-lbs in .177 caliber. That’s impressive for this platform, and in my testing the rifle lived up to the claim. Using Crosman Hollow Point 7.9 grain pellets, I recorded the following five-shot string: 898, 896, 894, 896, and 894 fps. That averages out to about 14.07 ft-lbs under conditions of 82°F, 78% humidity, and roughly 75 ft above sea level.
Confession: I did push past Crosman’s recommended 10 pumps and tried 12, hoping to break 900 fps. Instead, velocity dropped to 853 fps. Lesson learned. Later I realized this is because the design doesn’t use a hammer system, but rather something similar to Daisy’s 700 series match pistols—modified with a check valve for higher pressures.
On three pumps, the rifle averaged 602 fps with the same pellet, which is plenty for casual plinking and very easy to pump at that level.
Accuracy
This is where things fell short. With Crosman Hollow Points, groups averaged about approximately 1.25 – 1.50 inches at just 10 yards. I tried three approaches: open sights, a peep sight, and finally a scope. None produced better results. I did try RWS Meisters and Beeman Silver Bears with slightly better result.
Scope Rail (Problematic Design)
Mounting a scope revealed another issue. The receiver is plastic, similar to the Legacy 1000, but instead of having scope rail halves molded into both sides, the Vapor Max’s rail is molded entirely into the right side. This leaves the left side unsupported, creating a gap that allows flex. To make matters worse, the rail itself is too thin and shallow. Even with moderate tightening, scope rings wedge against the rail, making it unstable.
As most shooters know, any play in a rail translates to lost accuracy—not more of it. A modification might solve the problem, but in factory form, the rail design is disappointing and limits the rifle’s potential.
To give my setup a bit more of a chance for success, I ended up filing down the bottom of the ring to decrease the wedging affect, but the left side is literally biting into the end of the rail – see photos; about 0.075”.
Cocking Mechanism (Sliding Joint)
Another concern is the sliding part of the cocking linkage. While the main stress is taken at the upper end, the sliding section feels like a long-term weak point. By comparison, the Daisy 880 uses a metal cocking arm with a sturdier non-sliding design that inspires more confidence.
Stock Flex (Wrist Area)
Finally, the wrist of the stock flexes when pumping. It’s not excessive, but the joint between the stock and receiver clearly gives a little under pressure. Over time, this could worsen. A reinforcing dowel or similar fix inside the stock might address it, though disassembly would likely be required.
Final Thoughts
At this stage, I’m undecided. On the plus side, I enjoy the 10-shot magazine, the convenience of cocking and pumping for each follow-up shot, and the ability to hit 600 fps with just three strokes. Achieving 14 ft-lbs with reasonable effort is also a big advantage.
On the downside, accuracy has been disappointing so far, and the weak scope rail design severely limits optics options. Until I find a pellet that performs better and a solid modification to stabilize the rail—I can’t fully recommend it. The potential is there, but the execution leaves room for improvement.
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Great review man, I just looked at mine to see if I had as much flex as you are getting and it is minimal on mine but I am also using a 2 screw wider ring base so maybe that is the trick on these. Sorry to see the accuracy you are getting with yours, I only had the crosman round Nose 7gn to try but they were short in the magazine however I did get around .65"@ 15 yards, I think I have some CS HP's I'll give them a try and see what I get i hope these don't end up being luck of the draw or bad QC! I'd like to pick up another one. Thanks for reviewing yours I hope you find a pellet it likes oh and that's a big difference in fps at your elevation compared to mine lol.... The answer my friend is blowing in the wind - Oh if it was only so for the scope rail!
First Impressions
The main reason I purchased the Vapor Max was its looks. Normally, I put function ahead of appearance, but in this case, aesthetics won me over. The two-tone stock, in particular, caught my eye. The ads showed a brighter contrast than what I actually received; the lighter panels appeared much lighter in the promotional photos. In reality, the gray-and-black contrast is more subdued, and while not a deal-breaker, it was a little disappointing compared to my expectations.
Power (14 ft-lbs?)
Beyond appearance, the next big draw was the advertised power—14 ft-lbs in .177 caliber. That’s impressive for this platform, and in my testing the rifle lived up to the claim. Using Crosman Hollow Point 7.9 grain pellets, I recorded the following five-shot string: 898, 896, 894, 896, and 894 fps. That averages out to about 14.07 ft-lbs under conditions of 82°F, 78% humidity, and roughly 75 ft above sea level.
Confession: I did push past Crosman’s recommended 10 pumps and tried 12, hoping to break 900 fps. Instead, velocity dropped to 853 fps. Lesson learned. Later I realized this is because the design doesn’t use a hammer system, but rather something similar to Daisy’s 700 series match pistols—modified with a check valve for higher pressures.
On three pumps, the rifle averaged 602 fps with the same pellet, which is plenty for casual plinking and very easy to pump at that level.
Accuracy
This is where things fell short. With Crosman Hollow Points, groups averaged about approximately 1.25 – 1.50 inches at just 10 yards. I tried three approaches: open sights, a peep sight, and finally a scope. None produced better results. I did try RWS Meisters and Beeman Silver Bears with slightly better result.
Scope Rail (Problematic Design)
Mounting a scope revealed another issue. The receiver is plastic, similar to the Legacy 1000, but instead of having scope rail halves molded into both sides, the Vapor Max’s rail is molded entirely into the right side. This leaves the left side unsupported, creating a gap that allows flex. To make matters worse, the rail itself is too thin and shallow. Even with moderate tightening, scope rings wedge against the rail, making it unstable.
As most shooters know, any play in a rail translates to lost accuracy—not more of it. A modification might solve the problem, but in factory form, the rail design is disappointing and limits the rifle’s potential.
To give my setup a bit more of a chance for success, I ended up filing down the bottom of the ring to decrease the wedging affect, but the left side is literally biting into the end of the rail – see photos; about 0.075”.
Cocking Mechanism (Sliding Joint)
Another concern is the sliding part of the cocking linkage. While the main stress is taken at the upper end, the sliding section feels like a long-term weak point. By comparison, the Daisy 880 uses a metal cocking arm with a sturdier non-sliding design that inspires more confidence.
Stock Flex (Wrist Area)
Finally, the wrist of the stock flexes when pumping. It’s not excessive, but the joint between the stock and receiver clearly gives a little under pressure. Over time, this could worsen. A reinforcing dowel or similar fix inside the stock might address it, though disassembly would likely be required.
Final Thoughts
At this stage, I’m undecided. On the plus side, I enjoy the 10-shot magazine, the convenience of cocking and pumping for each follow-up shot, and the ability to hit 600 fps with just three strokes. Achieving 14 ft-lbs with reasonable effort is also a big advantage.
On the downside, accuracy has been disappointing so far, and the weak scope rail design severely limits optics options. Until I find a pellet that performs better and a solid modification to stabilize the rail—I can’t fully recommend it. The potential is there, but the execution leaves room for improvement.
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Thank you, Sir. You’re absolutely right—altitude really does make a noticeable difference. Honestly, I wasn’t entirely convinced the Vapor could reach that kind of power, but I’m glad to see it actually does.
I may have gone a bit overboard with mine—it’s currently in pieces, lol. While working on it, I noticed some issues with the crown. It wasn’t terrible, but it was clear it wasn’t properly centered, so I fixed that. I also checked the rifling engagement, and in my opinion the throat was way too long. I could stack three pellets head-to-skirt before the leading one even touched the rifling. To correct this, I trimmed about 1/12” off the breech. (But this has caused some problems since the barrel only engages the muzzle/front sight piece by about 1/4" - oh well). Now the pellet head just kisses the rifling, which in theory should improve accuracy. I say “in theory” because I’ve never actually tried this before, lol—so we’ll see.
The bigger challenge will be stabilizing the rails. My idea is to install a metal strip inside, then fasten a second metal rail to it from the top. (Yes, I know—I’m getting a little carried away with this project
). Thankfully, it looks like there’s enough room to pull it off.
Anyway, I really appreciate your feedback. I’ll update this thread once I get everything back together and tested.
I may have gone a bit overboard with mine—it’s currently in pieces, lol. While working on it, I noticed some issues with the crown. It wasn’t terrible, but it was clear it wasn’t properly centered, so I fixed that. I also checked the rifling engagement, and in my opinion the throat was way too long. I could stack three pellets head-to-skirt before the leading one even touched the rifling. To correct this, I trimmed about 1/12” off the breech. (But this has caused some problems since the barrel only engages the muzzle/front sight piece by about 1/4" - oh well). Now the pellet head just kisses the rifling, which in theory should improve accuracy. I say “in theory” because I’ve never actually tried this before, lol—so we’ll see.
The bigger challenge will be stabilizing the rails. My idea is to install a metal strip inside, then fasten a second metal rail to it from the top. (Yes, I know—I’m getting a little carried away with this project
). Thankfully, it looks like there’s enough room to pull it off.Anyway, I really appreciate your feedback. I’ll update this thread once I get everything back together and tested.
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Your welcome man, yeah you are definitely getting into this one lol please post up a picture of the internals if you would that way I won't have to tear mine apart to see what's in there lol. That does seem to be a lot of free bore I'll try to measure mine and see if there's a difference maybe that and the damaged crown on yours could be the accuracy difference to mine. Looking forward to seeing the mod for the scope rail.Thank you, Sir. You’re absolutely right—altitude really does make a noticeable difference. Honestly, I wasn’t entirely convinced the Vapor could reach that kind of power, but I’m glad to see it actually does.
I may have gone a bit overboard with mine—it’s currently in pieces, lol. While working on it, I noticed some issues with the crown. It wasn’t terrible, but it was clear it wasn’t properly centered, so I fixed that. I also checked the rifling engagement, and in my opinion the throat was way too long. I could stack three pellets head-to-skirt before the leading one even touched the rifling. To correct this, I trimmed about 1/12” off the breech. (But this has caused some problems since the barrel only engages the muzzle/front sight piece by about 1/4" - oh well). Now the pellet head just kisses the rifling, which in theory should improve accuracy. I say “in theory” because I’ve never actually tried this before, lol—so we’ll see.
The bigger challenge will be stabilizing the rails. My idea is to install a metal strip inside, then fasten a second metal rail to it from the top. (Yes, I know—I’m getting a little carried away with this project
Anyway, I really appreciate your feedback. I’ll update this thread once I get everything back together and tested.
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I took mine out of the box today. Cleaned the barrel (was not bad, one wet patch and two dry patches).
I zero'd mine at 20 yards using the Benjamin 10.5's. I was getting ten shots in a two inch splatterburst with three pumps. Accuracy was good enough that I did not try any other pellets. Iron sights with fiber optic front post worked well out of the box. Straight shooter, had it zero'd in 10 shots.
Had enough juice to go all the way through a soup can at 20 yards with two pumps. Was able to hit a can at 30 yards fairly consistently.
2 pumps = 4.5! fpe
3 pumps = 6.3! fpe
4 pumps = 8.1! fpe
5 pumps = 9.6! fpe
Five pumps is doable and plenty enough for 20 yards. Really impressed by the power and ease of cocking, this is an adult pumper.
Fit and finish is not the greatest. Cocking arm and innards are very stout. This part of the rifle looks like where all the money went to. I put two drops of pel oil while I cleaned it. It looked dry. Has a very deep inhale at the pause of cocking, really gets in the air.
Is it worth $120? I think so, especially for backyard plinking or pesting. Would be a great back door shooter. However, a couple of hard knocks and all bets are off. Mine rattled right out of the box and the rifle definitely has some flex. The "dovetail" rail is for looks only.
I zero'd mine at 20 yards using the Benjamin 10.5's. I was getting ten shots in a two inch splatterburst with three pumps. Accuracy was good enough that I did not try any other pellets. Iron sights with fiber optic front post worked well out of the box. Straight shooter, had it zero'd in 10 shots.
Had enough juice to go all the way through a soup can at 20 yards with two pumps. Was able to hit a can at 30 yards fairly consistently.
2 pumps = 4.5! fpe
3 pumps = 6.3! fpe
4 pumps = 8.1! fpe
5 pumps = 9.6! fpe
Five pumps is doable and plenty enough for 20 yards. Really impressed by the power and ease of cocking, this is an adult pumper.
Fit and finish is not the greatest. Cocking arm and innards are very stout. This part of the rifle looks like where all the money went to. I put two drops of pel oil while I cleaned it. It looked dry. Has a very deep inhale at the pause of cocking, really gets in the air.
Is it worth $120? I think so, especially for backyard plinking or pesting. Would be a great back door shooter. However, a couple of hard knocks and all bets are off. Mine rattled right out of the box and the rifle definitely has some flex. The "dovetail" rail is for looks only.
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Nice review and I agree they definitely spent the money on the internals, I have well over a thousand shots through mine now and haven't had a single issue.
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Heres my group at 15 yards with the Crosman Hollowpoints they weren't as accurate as some at 0.8" but not the worst lol here's the group and the scope mount setup I have, I'm not easy on my equipment and haven't had any point of impact shift.Thank you, Sir. You’re absolutely right—altitude really does make a noticeable difference. Honestly, I wasn’t entirely convinced the Vapor could reach that kind of power, but I’m glad to see it actually does.
I may have gone a bit overboard with mine—it’s currently in pieces, lol. While working on it, I noticed some issues with the crown. It wasn’t terrible, but it was clear it wasn’t properly centered, so I fixed that. I also checked the rifling engagement, and in my opinion the throat was way too long. I could stack three pellets head-to-skirt before the leading one even touched the rifling. To correct this, I trimmed about 1/12” off the breech. (But this has caused some problems since the barrel only engages the muzzle/front sight piece by about 1/4" - oh well). Now the pellet head just kisses the rifling, which in theory should improve accuracy. I say “in theory” because I’ve never actually tried this before, lol—so we’ll see.
The bigger challenge will be stabilizing the rails. My idea is to install a metal strip inside, then fasten a second metal rail to it from the top. (Yes, I know—I’m getting a little carried away with this project
Anyway, I really appreciate your feedback. I’ll update this thread once I get everything back together and tested.
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Thank you guys for the info. Any updates on your accuracy and impressions after a few weeks of ownership?
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Happy to share and yeah I'm still loving the Vapor, I have around 2000 shots through mine and it hasn't had any issues and is still shooting as tight of groups as it started out with.
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The barrel is 0.785 and I did buil a moderator for it with 4 baffles that works really well.
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