First PCP, how important is regulated, Marauder vs? Something less expensive?

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caito222

Member
Jan 11, 2021
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CO, United States
I am sorry to send out a "what should I get..." question but maybe I can simplify it a bit. I have years of experience with spring air rifles and pistols daisy 753, R10, FWB 90 pistol etc. PCP sound interesting but I need to try one to decide how much different it is ie more fun (like i need another gun to shoot). My criteria is:

1 I will hand pump initially ( I only shoot 20-30 pellets in a sitting ) ... sound like a pain but lowers initial investment.

2 Target only , I will not hunt with it. Range 30-50 yards max. 

3 Regulated??? since I am pumping ?? Is this really a requirement

4 Low maintenance (I like the 5 year warranty on Benjamin?? maybe not a big deal). Works when I take it out of the box. I do not want to fix guns I like to shoot.

5 Probably .177 but would consider .22 if you have a good reason (I have all 177 now)

7 Accurate!!! not olympic accurate but i consider dime size groups at 30 yards pretty cool. Quarter size at 50 yards?? Is this reasonable.

8 Cost?? $500-600 max or would I be able to get something for less? It seems a Marauder fits my bill , I wont regret lower quality, good warranty, accurate?, and I can sell it if I dont like it but would much prefer something less expensive. I dont want to regret going cheap. 

**** OR my real question is: for a occasional shooter 1x week to shoot 30 pellets can I get something less expensive and fit this criteria??? Thanks
 
Hi caito222, I was thinking Marauder all the way until I read your last statement where you said " OR my real question is: for a occasional shooter 1x week to shoot 30 pellets can I get something less expensive and fit this criteria??? Thanks". 

Unless you're doing something real special with those 30 pellets, hunting with the requirement of some faster follow up shots, for example, yea... you could get something less expensive to do the job. In fact for 30 pellets those springers are fine. 

A lot of times it comes down to an adequate place to shoot. Once you get a PCP and see how impressive they are you are best off getting one that will last you, even though there is a cost factor up front. In that case the Marauder in almost any form will be great.
 
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I have a Gamo Urban - good gun, but the Marauder is the 10/22 of PCP's. I think I can safely say that there are aftermarket parts and modifications for the Marauder than any other PCP so you can grow with gun or leave it stock...oh, cheap magazines, too. My choice would be at least 22, but if I was just shooting targets I would choose the 177 for economy and as you said you have a few 177's...
 
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I bought a Marauder directly from Crosman and with the AGNATION code you get a 25% discount which brings it down to $405. I put a 3-9X50mm A/O scope on it for $105 and bought a Yong Heng for $231 on Ebay. Crosman service is excellent and parts are available. Made in the USA. And yes, dime size groups and smaller at 30 yards are the norm with mine and that is with the cheap CPHP pellets I get at Walmart for $6.24 a tin of 500. It will shoot JSB's better but then you are talking $15 for a tin of 500. In the spirit of honesty I will saw it is heavy. I got the wood stock and the finish was poor so I called Crosman and they sent me a synthetic no charge. They have a few quirks that are extremely easy to fix such as the shroud does better if not tightened completely and many guys pull the hammer after finding the settings they want and use blue loctite on the striker threads. You mentioned you will hand pump. I don't know what pellet and speed you are looking for but I shoot a 14.3 Gr. .22 cal pellet at 820 to 845 fps with my tune. I am not regulated and get 40 shots at between 1700 and 2250 psi. This tune is extremely accurate and although I don't hand pump if you wanted to you could stop at 2100 and get 30 shots and have a pretty manageable task to fill. I researched quite a bit before I bought and have not regretted my decision a bit. Of note I too had only shot break barrels to this point and still shoot my gas piston more than my Mrod because quite honestly it is so accurate it can be boring. 
 
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@caito222, consider the aa s200 in .177 12 fpe. The hunter .22 come in @ 20 fpe. Well built and will out shoot the ones on your list now. Small tube and hand pump friendly.
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I'm shocked no one has mentioned the Avenger yet. Not only is it regulated but it is externally adjustable as well as an externally adjustable hammer spring. You can have them in .177, .22, or .25 and they can be bought anywhere for $299. The technology is far ahead of the Marauder which looks very long in the tooth by comparison. I would be looking at one of those over the Marauder any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I've never had an Avenger but all accounts so far seem to be pretty glowing. I have had a Marauder and.....meh. I'm not saying it's bad, it was awesome for what it was when it came out but by the standards of the competition today it's....meh. That's my .02. You will find a ton of votes on the forums for the Marauder because the platform has been around forever and up until just a couple of years ago, it was the only "real" budget pcp in the game so that's what everyone and their brother bought. 

Regardless, best of luck with whatever you choose!

Cliff
 
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The marauder is kind of heavy. It's a great gun but for an entry experience I suggest the avenger. You can learn and experiment with tuning or leave it alone either way it's an inexpensive option. I also like the urban for an in try level performer. It's just great right out of the box. Quiet and easy to pump. If you do choose a marauder keep in mind it's an entry gun and dont spend more than it's worth building it up.
 
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Lots of good choices these days. I still have my Marauder and used to pump. Figure on about 30 shots per fill. Pumping is about 100 strokes for the 30 shots. Shoot from about 2800 PSI to 1800 PSI and you should be good with a .22. The last 20 or so strokes are a real bear, you need to put full body weight into the pump. Go slow. Resistance from 2400 PSI and up is pretty stiff!

Marauder is a good platform to start with as there are many after market parts if you end up wanting to modify the gun.

On the other hand, the Avenger is getting rave reviews. It's already regulated. It's also less expensive.

Regulation improves consistency between shots so all shots are within 20 fps or so of each other where an unregulated gun can get 50 or more FPS difference in the shot curve. A regulator can be more efficient with the air. Example, my .22 Marauder got 30 shots per fill when I purchased the gun. I added a regulator, new hammer and a couple lighter springs and increased shot count to 55 shots per fill. Nearly doubled air efficiency. I have 5 10 shot magazines, so just load all 5, fill the gun, shoot till gone. Works great.

When I bought a Marauder, it was the low price gun. Not many other choices. Today, lots and lots of choices. Do look at the Avenger as the trigger is supposed to be good. The gun is pretty accurate at closer ranges, and according to Airgun Depot, gets about 60 shots per fill. That's important when you hand pump. If I hadn't just purchased a second Impact, I was thinking about an Avenger. For $300 you can't go wrong. You can also tune it down a bit and get even more shots per fill. Don't know about the Avenger, but my Marauder is most accurate at around 50 yards, with a lower power tune. I suspect the Avenger would be the same.

Good luck in your choice!




 
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@caito222, consider the aa s200 in .177 12 fpe. The hunter .22 come in @ 20 fpe. Well built and will out shoot the ones on your list now. Small tube and hand pump friendly.
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For hand pumping and price vs performance i don't think you can beat this one. Easy to pump with small cylinder and good amount of shoots at 12fpe. Also very accurate rifles.

Btw how many shoots do you get on a fill? 
 
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Something easy to hand pump and the Crosman 1701P with at least the OEM 0.067 Challenger and optional OEM 0.080 P-Rod Transfer ports for easy power upgrades.

Add the RAI AR stock adapter and a TKO or cheaper Airgun Universe LDC.

The only other easy pumpable gun with target grade accuracy you seek would be the Crosman Challenger with OEM P-Rod Transfer port. 

Both mentioned guns would fit right into your wants and needs if sheer target accuracy is most important to you.

Strictly considering hand pump friendliness here.

The Maximus isn't as accurate for 50 yard paper targets compared to either of them but can blast birds at 80- 90 yards.

I'd say get the Maximus if you needed to hunt.




 
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The Avenger is not a reliable rifle due to the poppet design. It's crap a shoot as to how long it will go before the poppet starts leaking and then not sure if you can buy a replacement. PA probably has them but may not want to sell them but make you send the rifle in to them to repair. There is an aftermarket replacement made by Darkchrisma on GTA but he's pretty busy making parts for nova guns which makes the Aspen/Freedom, Liberty, Avenger, Origin.
 
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Hard to go wrong with the S200 as long as you keep a few facts in mind.

It is not and will not be a powerhouse.

It is very accurate and of a simple design.

it comes as a single shot but aftermarket magazine systems are available.

And last but not least (for some folks) there is no safety.

They aren't too loud, but you can get LDCs for them.

They're nice and light!

Like an idiot I sold mine when the pandemic hit as I had had no income for a month, wish I hadn't done that!
 
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If you buy an Avenger crank the power down to the minimum to prolong life expectancy.

Buy at your own risk. You can blame all who recommended it to you later. Don't you read the forum? Search function works.

If you buying a tank anyway buy the used 177 Brocock Sniper HR from the classifieds. Dig deep for that $950 shipped since you are already used to accurate quality guns.

You may likely be disappointed buying anything less that may feel cheap to you.

I do understand people gotta learn the hard way too. That's what makes us HUMAN.

I don't really like being people's daddy but just a voice of reason.

HMMM...


 
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