Spring is coming to MT, and that means taking some to off from the Knife shop, and thinning down the gophers!
Just can't get powder ammo, so it will have to be "air guns" this year. I've been shooting "springers" for a couple of years now, and initially was very pleased with my SIG ASP20. That is after I found a scope that it didn't destroy,
and learned enough to enjoy it. One nagging issue with that gun, that caused me to order my first PCPs a couple of day ago... is the fact that it can be "dead on" at the end of a shooting session, then the next time I shoot, it takes the gun 3-5 shots before it hits the Point of Aim. In other words it seems the gun needs to "warm up" each time, before it hits the POA. It's frustrated the daylights out of me, and I've not found any way around it, and simply can't have/use a gun that doesn't hit the POA the first shot.
All that being said, I just ordered a Benjamin Marauder Synrod .22 combo https://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Marauder_Synrod_Combo/3540#6826 from Pyramid Air, and thought it worth it to also get their "20 for $20 deal. (for the $20 they inspect/test the gun to hold air, and whatever else.... and then mount/zero the scope, and shoot 20 rounds, and send the results with the order.)
I also ordered a Yong Heng compressor from Walmart. At first I was looking at the Benjamin Traveler, the Nomad II, and the new Umarex..... but kept reading about people having failures with all of them, and major hassles fixing, returning, and/or replacing...so for the simple fact of the return policy for the Yong Heng/Walmart, I chose that route. Prior to ordering, I scoured the forums, and the net, read/watched everything I could find on the gun and/or the compressor. I come today with the following newbie to PCPs requests.....
1. Would be happy to hear what anyone with Marauder experience can tell me. (I have ZERO experience with PCP guns)
2. Same for the compressor
3. The other thing that I'd like to acquire, is a portable air tank. My whole agenda for the PCP includes spring gopher and maybe some Prairie Dog hunting here in Montana, and I'd need a portable air source to do it with the Marauder. Are portable air tanks super popular right now? Or, are they just crazy expensive all the time??? I do know I'd want one of the 4,500 psi tanks..... but what about size? What would I NEED for a day's worth of shooting? (estimating 200-500 shots/rounds in a good day of gopher shooting) And, the big question..... where to look, and should it be new? Or, is it OK to buy used... and if so, any specifics I should be aware of??
Thanks in advance for advice/help!
All that being said, I just ordered a Benjamin Marauder Synrod .22 combo https://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Marauder_Synrod_Combo/3540#6826 from Pyramid Air, and thought it worth it to also get their "20 for $20 deal. (for the $20 they inspect/test the gun to hold air, and whatever else.... and then mount/zero the scope, and shoot 20 rounds, and send the results with the order.)
I also ordered a Yong Heng compressor from Walmart. At first I was looking at the Benjamin Traveler, the Nomad II, and the new Umarex..... but kept reading about people having failures with all of them, and major hassles fixing, returning, and/or replacing...so for the simple fact of the return policy for the Yong Heng/Walmart, I chose that route. Prior to ordering, I scoured the forums, and the net, read/watched everything I could find on the gun and/or the compressor. I come today with the following newbie to PCPs requests.....
1. Would be happy to hear what anyone with Marauder experience can tell me. (I have ZERO experience with PCP guns)
2. Same for the compressor
3. The other thing that I'd like to acquire, is a portable air tank. My whole agenda for the PCP includes spring gopher and maybe some Prairie Dog hunting here in Montana, and I'd need a portable air source to do it with the Marauder. Are portable air tanks super popular right now? Or, are they just crazy expensive all the time??? I do know I'd want one of the 4,500 psi tanks..... but what about size? What would I NEED for a day's worth of shooting? (estimating 200-500 shots/rounds in a good day of gopher shooting) And, the big question..... where to look, and should it be new? Or, is it OK to buy used... and if so, any specifics I should be aware of??
Thanks in advance for advice/help!