New to PCP: Talon SS vs Avenger

[prose]

Hey all,

Totally new to the PCP game and looking to purchase my first gun. Shot cheap pellet guns back in the day and my wife and I recently had a squirrel issue, so I jumped back in and brought out my old .177 Crossman 2100 pump. Well, 10 squirrels down and I am totally hooked. Love drinking some coffee in the morning and doing some urban hunting.

I live in a very dense city and want to get an accurate .22 PCP primarily for pest control for 30 yards and closer. Noise would be a consideration because our lot size is small, and I don’t want to tip the hat to the neighbors so was planning on getting a Donny FL suppressor. Regardless of that, my search has led me down the path to two guns: Talon SS and Avenger

I am very curious to everyone’s option but here are my uneducated thoughts after a couple of months of reading and youtube:

Talon SS

-From what I have read and seen; design seems very simple which has equated to longevity and less things breaking

-Ergonomics look like they suck but power and weight may balance that out for me

-I personally don’t mind the single shot for what I would be using it for so long as it is very accurate 30 yards and under

Avenger

-I like the way this looks (wood stock) more than the Talon SS and I would guess ergonomics are much better

-I have heard the wood stock model has had issues with barrel droop and accuracy

-Love the action and multiple shot magazine but again, accuracy is a priority

Given that this is my first PCP and my primary use is squirrel control under 30 yards I definitely did not want to jump straight to FX or Daystate even though they look totally sick (maybe one day)! Any advice all of you experts can lend on these two guns (or others) for my use would be so much appreciated. I am so stoked to jump into the PCP thing and appreciate everyone’s input.



Thanks,

-Peter

 

[OldSpook]

Akela

 

[bertman77mk2]

Prod! Still have my 1st one. Easily tuned and modified, with a folding AR 15 stock and a moderator it is silent and accurate to 40 for sure and totally quiet by anyone’s standards. I introduce all new PCP shooters with Prods, just to show them how much fun it is with an accurate gun. Have not missed much of anything inside 35 yds. With the adjustable buttstock my little grandson or his mother can shoot it! I keep 2 of them so I won’t sell my original one—when you take people out shoot and they love the gun they insist on buying it for the kid or wife.

 

[Wr250r]

2100 was best gun on the block when I was a kid. 13 or14. Bought a Benjamin 392 for 115 bucks new. No id. Took bus home. Best buy i ever made. Feel Sorry for all the rabbits and ground sqs

 

[esingle]

Hello out of the 2 you mentioned I would go with the Talon ss, I do not have any experience with the Avenger but I have had a Talon ss for over 10 plus years and it has been a great gun, simple, rugged, and accurate. Also Airforce has been great, I had an issue with the gun about 4 years ago(Don't remember what it was) but the the gun had an early style moderator that froze to the frame making the gun unrepairable so they replaced the whole gun for free(Great Customer Service). With all that being said bertman77mk2 made a great suggestion with the Marauder pistol I had one as well and that is a great little gun for what you are looking for, light, accurate, hand pump friendly, easy to accessorize, and dead quiet with a moderator. Also TKO22 makes a great aftermarket stock for the gun. Well hope this helps and if you have any specific questions in regards to the Talon or Marauder pistol just ask Eric

 

[wimpanzee]

i think a taipan veteran shorty would be the very best thing for you.

 

[darylm]

Why on earth would those be your only two considerations? There are at least a dozen bullpups and carbines under $1K that would fit the bill better for 30 yard urban pesting than either of those guns.

 

[Ernie_Shackleton]

Another vote for the Prod. Mine only makes a whisper with a depinger and a Donny Sumo. Its compact and easy to shoot out a window and I’ve gotten more than a few headshots at ~40yds. Also, there’s endless options for modifications. I hear the talon SS is pretty loud out of the gate too.

 

[efrobert]

I have both. The Talon SS is nice, single shot and a lot lighter and smaller but as a first gun I would choose the Avenger, however I would choose a Marauder over the Avenger and since you are planing on spending an extra $180 on a moderator, the Marauder with no moderator is just as quiet as an Avenger with one. It’s the quietest gun I own and shoots a lot better.

 

[dizzums]

id go with a prod to .. if your in the thick of urbanville a higher power gun is going to be a liability .. so will a large noticeable one .. and with a donnyfl of some flavor on a prod it will be super stealthy ...

 

[Guest]

I have a Talon P and my god did this little rifle impress me its first day out! Shot great groups even while zeroing. Hits hard, hits fast... guns a riot.

 

[MrP]

Heck yes love the talon P. It is where I started too. Can very easily be modified for more power too if that is fun for you.

 

[Guest]

Check out DAR offerings too, good looking gun at a very reasonable price,.....don't need much power for your applications so you can easily back down the power to the -/+ 14 FPE range and you would have a very quite gun with a ton of shots on tap,

Avenger would be easy to get to that stage too.

 

[Guest]

Right here on the classified



https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/wts-dar-22-cal-200/?referrer=1



Small investment to get you started and see how you like PCPs,.......I bet you could even ask the owner to tune it down in power for you since he probably knows the gun real well.

 

[prose]

@oldcrow went with the Akela! I had never heard of it before you mentioned but after going down the youtube hole I really appreciate your recommendation. Short, accurate and very good ergonomics . Also, is priced in that mid tier which for my first PCP seemed right. Will post pics once I have it setup and thanks to everyone for the recommendations!

 

[Styger]

Avenger for me. Multi shot. Regulated, and mine is more accurate than the talon I owned. Does not seem pellet finicky either.

 

[Marley5]

My Talon is simple and built like a tank but won't shoot as accurate as my long barreled bench guns, duh.

Single shot never bothered me either and despite the above, Airforce won't disappoint with their build quality but Marauder would be a great choice as well. Imo

 

[Blackpaw]

again, not sure on your budget, but there is an AirMaks Arms Katran Compact in the classifieds under $1000 and from what I have heard the Katrans have great accuracy. Plus the gun collapses to 20 inches if you wish to backpack it.

https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/wts-22-airmaks-katran-compact/?referrer=1

 

[Guest]

First offt ,, If you live in a dense city you should check the laws on airgun shooting with in that city.I know in my town,, and i live out in the country. You can only shoot an airgun within 500ft of neighbors if it less then 600fps.Hopefully you can go outside the city. 

 

[jsbill55]

I have had an Avenger in .22 for about a year now and it has been fantastic! Not one issue! Shoots everything from 14.3g Crosman pellets, to 15.89gr JSB's to 22gr FX Hybrid and NSA slugs! Simple to change the tune for each of these projectiles. The fun is finding the right tune for your rifle and it's been a ball. I've run more than 2,000 rounds through it and it has not skipped a beat. It is remarkably accurate, especially for the price point. I've taken, squirrel, woodchuck, muskrat and chipmunks with it. One of the woodchucks was at 90 yards. I too, didn't like the feel of the plastic stock as many mention so I opted to go in a different direction and bought a carbon fiber and 3D printed chassis with an AR style buffer tube and stock. I've added the Donny FL adapter and have a custom moderator that makes it really quiet. Love the look and feel of it now! I've never held or shot a Talon SS so can't speak for it. The Avenger is an amazing value for what you get... my 2 cents!