Marauder 25 or 22, used, or new?

 I just sold a 601 and now am ready to purchase a Marauder.
I am just using for target shooting, and plinking.
I like the idea of the power of the 25, but I think it is just power envy, I don't hunt, and on my property 60 yards is about all I can get for my long range shooting.
I also feel pretty self conscious about the noise, though neither is loud.

Another piece is if you have the funds do you buy new gen 2, or a modded gen1?

I await your insight.


Thanks Curt 
 
I would get a new .25. Here is why. If you buy a new one, you know how it has been treated. You have a warranty, should anything go wrong. If you don't like it you can return it. Not so easy with a used one. Good point made by wyshadow about the .22, you will get more shots per fill with the .22 than the .25. Now with that said, in the Marauder line, at least as of a couple of years ago, the .25 barrel was made by Green Mountain, while the .22 was made in house by crosman (or a subcontractor, not sure). I do not know if this is still an issue or not. Point being many reviews have been made that the .25 was a better shooting gun than the .22. Now that does not mean every .22 was less than sub par, but there were a lot of squeaky wheels out there complaining about their .22's not being very accurate. Personally I like my .25 and have found shooting out to 75 yards with it is no problem at all. There is just something about picking up a gun that you know you can hit your target with confidence out to 75yards. Love mine and would not even think of parting ways with it. Hope you enjoy yours and let us know what you decide to get. Hope this helps.
 
"curtcro"Great points guys! DO any of you have a 22 Marauder, have you had accuracy concerns?
I really appreciate the dialogue.
My son has a blast with the .22 Marauder, its accurate no doubt about that and the .25 Marauder is no slouch either. They will never leave my collection and for the price you can't go wrong with either one...
 
My neighbor and I both have .22 Mrods that shoot 1/2" groups at 50 yards with Crosman Ultra Mags (his) and JSB Jumbos (mine). We are both getting ~ 30 shots per fill. Both Mrods produce 30 fpe give or take. 
The only tuning was adjusting hammer spring using Chrony. Early .22 Mrod barrels had bad reputations for accuracy but both of these .22 s are shooters. At some point and time I will put a regulator in mine to increase shot count. 
 
Check out Cabella's.com, they are selling .177 and .22 caliber Marauders for $350! That's a great price for a great rifle. Like so many guys on the forum, it's the first PCP I bought. I have since bought two others that were much more money, but the Marauder is still my favorite. It's just a fantastic platform for a first gun that can be modified to be even better with very little money. For $350 I may just buy one in .177 and set it up for a field target gun. You won't be sorry if you buy it, good luck.
 
Better yet, try to pick up a Marauder with a Marmot barrel and all the mods on it. Chances are you will have a very accurate and dependable rifle. I have both calibers and may be the odd one out but I prefer the .22 caliber. It is my most accurate rifle and has a better shot count than the .25. The .22 is very accurate out to the 75 yards. If you are hunting past that distance the .25 may serve you better.
 
I have the gen 1 .22, outstanding, had several .177's and saw many more all good. A .177 will do what you want also.

I do like the better receiver attachment and bolt cocking set up on the Gen 2 better.

Dropping, a reg in either ( not a total tune but putting in a reg that works ) is literally 5 min utes if that suited you.

the .25 is just too much airgiun unless you have some special need. Targets, .177 & .22.

Personally "I" would buy used tuned & tweeked from a well know shooter but if not arou nd just gather every coupon/deal you can and get any og them, there all fun.


John
 
These are what my son shoots at with the .22 Marauder, the gongs at 75 and 109 yards are a challenge for him but everything under 60 yards he can hit. So is the 22 a good shooter....yes it is..
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I am a fan of the Gen1 Marauder, and as such am bound to buy used only. I have had real good luck buying used and new, as I was never disappointed. I have even purchased a refurbed Marauder, and loved it! For shot count, the .177 is hard to beat. But if you want larger ammo, of the two choices you are considering, I would go with .22 (new , used or refurbed). There are more choices in ammo for the .22, and the shot count is better.
 
I am still hopeful for a used Marauder, but have been rather discouraged.
I have found a couple of used ones 1 25, 1 22.
I have corresponded with the sellers, asking what I believed relevant questions: Has it been modified, if so what?, Are you the original owner, how much for shipping to XXXXXXX?
Both sellers so far have decided not so sell to me, and apparently I have offended them!
I am working with another seller with a gen 1 .22 which looks form the pictures quite nice, if it falls through though I will just order new from Cabela's .
I have bought and sold other airguns and not had this issue, so I hope all works out with this .22.
Perhaps there is an unspoken rule you just buy it , or not buy it, but ask no questions?

 
"curtcro"I am still hopeful for a used Marauder, but have been rather discouraged.
I have found a couple of used ones 1 25, 1 22.
I have corresponded with the sellers, asking what I believed relevant questions: Has it been modified, if so what?, Are you the original owner, how much for shipping to XXXXXXX?
Both sellers so far have decided not so sell to me, and apparently I have offended them!
I am working with another seller with a gen 1 .22 which looks form the pictures quite nice, if it falls through though I will just order new from Cabela's .
I have bought and sold other airguns and not had this issue, so I hope all works out with this .22.
Perhaps there is an unspoken rule you just buy it , or not buy it, but ask no questions?



I would never buy from anyone that is not willing to answer all my questions to the fullest. I have bought from one person here and he encouraged me to ask as much as possible and was great person to deal with. I sold to someone as well and I gave him the same courtesy. There are always new posts for sale, I would just be patient, and or post a WTB yourself. Marauders can be bought at a good deal brand new with dealer discounts and or with codes provided by AEAC and or this forum. 
Another suggestion might be to have other options as to what may satisfy your needs/wants. I hear a lot of good things about the Daystate Regal. I owned a Brocock Compatto that I sold for a song. AoA will sometimes have good deals on their "used" list. The Comatto itself, new, is at a good price right now. 
Good Luck. 
 
Very few Marauders are out of the box ready to shoot. I have two and have done mods to both. If you go with a Marauder you need to be prepared to do these mods if your rifle does not perform the way you want. The good news is, there is a lot of help out there and you can do most of these yourself. The Marauder forum and WICKED AIR are great resources to help you. These mods can increase your cost several hundred dollars but can really improve performance. I do not ever plan on selling my .22 as it is extremely accurate. I have taken several Prairie dogs at 90 yards with my .25. I think the mods were worth it and I learned a lot about the workings of pcp's. Not sure I would have done the mods to a $1K rifle. 

As Intensity already stated, The Daystate Regal and Brocock Compatto have great reviews and tend to be out the box shooting well. That said, having a chronograph is extremely important to help you fine tune your rifle. You will need to match the correct pellet brand and weight, shooting at the optimal speed to shoot accurately. You may need to slow or increase the pellet speed to reach optimum performance. The distance and purpose may determine the speed that you want to shoot. 
Ex. My .22 Marauder performs best shooting 15.89 gr JSB's at 880 fps. The lighter pellet outperforms the 18.13gr JSB's. Other Marauders may like the 18 gr better. Straight Shooter sells a sampler pack that will help test what your rifle prefers. JSB's tend to be the "go to pellet", however, I have one rifle that prefers H and N. It's actually quite fun spending the day figuring out what pellet works best.
Best of luck with your decision. 
NM
 
As I stated before, if you can purchase a Marauder with the mods already done, this is a great value. Most of us who do the mods know we will not get the money back in resale. That said, the Marauder is a great platform. It is relatively easy to repair and replace parts, the magazines are very inexpensive, and with the mods the rifle can compete with the with the more expensive rifles. I placed 22 in the 25 meter at last years EBR out of 75 competitors. This was my very first ever competition. I wonder what a more experienced shooter would have done with this rifle. 
 
Guys, I decided after consideration, and tons of videos that I am getting a GAMO Urban 22. I ordered a new one form Amazon. If I don't like it I will send it back and get a Marauder.
I like the synthetic pistol grip stock, I love BSA actions and mechanics. Really the only negative has been the price of the clips, I don't hunt so one is sufficient for me.
You all have had some valid points. I took away from this: The Marauder in stock configuration is not what the Marauder can be with MODS., The gen 1 22 cal has had some barrel issues. The biggest takeaway has been that the used sellers on line have just been flakey. I see that buying a used with the mods is the best option, just not that simple.

A huge thank you to you all.

Curt