I have a budget of $1500 to get the best hunting air rifle in .25 Cal. let me know what you think, p.'s. I have two marauders already. Tell me why your pick is the one to have. thanks. Frank.
The best hunting air rifle.
- Thread starter fmglass
- Start date
get a .30cal best all around hunting cal. Now many to choose from, Fx, Raw, Evanix, Vulcan, Daystate and this list goes on...
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I a recent buyer of .25 air rifles (3 in the last 12 months). Mine have been Daystate and FX. The biggest decision I have to make is whether I like bullpen or full size? Also, am I satisfied with mid-30 FPE or low 40 FPE? One has to also decide the aesthetics; wood stock, synthetic, fit and finish.
The comments on this site have the most influence on me. I also watch review videos by a few folks.
I will be the first to admit I don't know enough about air rifles to be as discerning as I can be with powder burners, or especially recurve bows.
I'm currently shooting both extremes; FX Wildcat in .25 and Daystate Wolverine in .25. The Wildcat is about 1 pound lighter and nearly 10 inches shorter. I like how handy it is. Accuracy, at least at squirrel hunting distances, is so close between the two that my abilities can't determine a difference.
Lots of fellows here have shot all of the ones and more that you listed. I'd bet if you made a check list of what's important to you, some here could help you compare.
Finally, I'd watch the classifieds here. It seems every time I buy a new one, a used one comes up for sale. Some of the used ones in the classifieds aren't shot more than a person could do in a single weekend.
I know I'm not a lot of help, because frankly, I'm pretty close to being in your shoes. When I've made my decision I'm going to have 2-4 rifles that will go unused.
The comments on this site have the most influence on me. I also watch review videos by a few folks.
I will be the first to admit I don't know enough about air rifles to be as discerning as I can be with powder burners, or especially recurve bows.
I'm currently shooting both extremes; FX Wildcat in .25 and Daystate Wolverine in .25. The Wildcat is about 1 pound lighter and nearly 10 inches shorter. I like how handy it is. Accuracy, at least at squirrel hunting distances, is so close between the two that my abilities can't determine a difference.
Lots of fellows here have shot all of the ones and more that you listed. I'd bet if you made a check list of what's important to you, some here could help you compare.
Finally, I'd watch the classifieds here. It seems every time I buy a new one, a used one comes up for sale. Some of the used ones in the classifieds aren't shot more than a person could do in a single weekend.
I know I'm not a lot of help, because frankly, I'm pretty close to being in your shoes. When I've made my decision I'm going to have 2-4 rifles that will go unused.
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As far as raw power in a .25 you will be hard pressed to exceed the muzzle energy of an AirForce Condor with 24" barrel shooting a 50 grain cast bullet (.25 ACP mold) at over 100 ft/lb.
Thurmond
Thurmond
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Easy: edgun r3m.25
proven concept, good working mags and magstorage, very efficient, easy to make quiet, lightweight and easy to shoot offhand
accurate, simple, high quality.
I have the long version.
what more would you want?
regards, Mike
ps, you said hunting, so you dont have to lay down cover fire, so the simple bolt mechanisme at the back should not be an issue....
proven concept, good working mags and magstorage, very efficient, easy to make quiet, lightweight and easy to shoot offhand
accurate, simple, high quality.
I have the long version.
what more would you want?
regards, Mike
ps, you said hunting, so you dont have to lay down cover fire, so the simple bolt mechanisme at the back should not be an issue....
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The answer to this question is a Catch-22 scenario! I'll buy that the Air Force Condor is a very powerful weapon. I don't own one, but my shooting partner does. It will kill about as well as any .25 caliber airgun. But... The darn this is REALLY noisy when compared to my Benjamin .25 Marauder. Yes, it is half the power, but the poster didn't specify what kind of game he was gunning for? Coyotes? Yep, the Condor can do the job out to about 100 yards if you know how to shoot. For say doves, it is overkill, and way to noisy!
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OK sorry I should have set some boundary. I like full size and bullpen designs. I shoot in tight and open hunting areas. I like .25 Cal due to its have a ton of pellets. I don't favor one brand over another. I want the best accuracy with a good shot count. thanks.
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A very difficult question. It depends so much on what you want to do with it. I have a Kalibrgun Crickett in a .25 caliber. Easy to carry in the field, very accurate and quiet. The big draw back for me is it does not have a safety, but all that means is that you must use a little more caution. I get a good shot count per fill, about four magazines at 12 rounds per magazine, it can shoot on nitrogen gas as well as ambient air. It is sudden death on squirrels and rabbits. I have excellent 100 yard groups, approx 1.5 ". I got a nice sized jackrabbit at 75 yards. A lot of good advice as stated in all the responses. You have a hard decision to make but that is part of the fun to see how close you can come to that perfect hunting rifle if that is possible!
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Custom made condor in 257 cal .theres a couple videos out there and this guy was hitting soda cans out to 400 yards and 2 liter soda bottles out to 800 yards.know that's impressive
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If you consider a single shot, you cant go wrong with the evanix rex. It has power to spare but it is rather loud, you would need a after market ldc if you want to hunt all day(i think wolfsilencers makes them). You can hunt predators with the high power mode and you can hunt small game with the low power mode.
i hope this helps
,Niels
i hope this helps
,Niels
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I would go with Daystate Regal XL. It iThey s light weight accurate and from what I have been reading 630 shots or more w9th a charge. Everybody seems to love the trigger pull. They only cost 1049 from AOA. It is the best bargain out there. You can get it in .177;.22 ; .25. If I am going to carry a rifle all day, I do not want to carry a log of a gun .They are beautiful guns and a bargain. I was also looking for a hunting air rifle four about six months, and this was the only choice for me. Good luck
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I agree with Mr. Johns about the Regal XL. Mine is a .22. It is only 40", powder burner weight, very accurate, and the shot count isn't bad at 39-40 shots in the sweet spot for me. It also looks very nice, about as close to a powder burner (.22) as you'll find. That new price at A0A is amazing! I paid more than $1,200 each for two of them, one for myself and my adult son. I would have liked .25 over .22 for my squirrel hunting but FPE wasn't enough different and shot count would have been skinny.
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fmglass, I have to agree with Bwalton; a regulated .30 cal is the best all-around small game gun. I have settled on the FX Impact .30. Now, if I was a strict day hunter, I would go with the FX Boss .30; but I need a compact bullpup to fit in a backpack for night-hunting.
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The Regal is an excellent gun and probably the best deal going right now, but it's not the best platform in .25. I have to second the choice for the Cricket, mine is making 61 flbs. and is quiet and will put a 12 shot mag into a 1.3 inch hole at 100 yards.
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Thank you every body now I have a lot to think about. How does the regal in .22 stack up against the field for long range hunting, small game and pesting.
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I will go with the 25 Cricket, Its built like a tank and no one ever has any problems with it,
If money is very tight ,Buy a 25 marauder, but just knowing someday you will own a Cricket 25.
Buy the right gun now and save money down the road, The Cricket is the gun.
Mike
If money is very tight ,Buy a 25 marauder, but just knowing someday you will own a Cricket 25.
Buy the right gun now and save money down the road, The Cricket is the gun.
Mike
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Like iride, I vote for the Cricket. I have it in a synthetic stock .25 cal and it is a well built rifle. It's not the shortest, it's not the lightest, and I do not jump for joy over the rear cocking lever. However, it is more accurate than I'll ever be able to match and is a very well known platform. Mags are simple but a bit tougher to load than some. 1/2" groups at 50 yards are fairly common.
I use mine regularly for pesting and hunting. No problem zapping sparrows, starlings and pigeons at 50+ yards. I do like the .25 cal over the .22 cal for wind resistance and overall knockdown power. Gives a bit more flexibility so I don't feel I need to make the "perfect" shot. Sometimes I do, sometimes I do not. Either way, the critter is down virtually immediately.
Other posters have mentioned the Vulcan, Wildcat and Regal - all good choices! I'm seriously considering one of these for my next rifle.
Good luck!
Scott
I use mine regularly for pesting and hunting. No problem zapping sparrows, starlings and pigeons at 50+ yards. I do like the .25 cal over the .22 cal for wind resistance and overall knockdown power. Gives a bit more flexibility so I don't feel I need to make the "perfect" shot. Sometimes I do, sometimes I do not. Either way, the critter is down virtually immediately.
Other posters have mentioned the Vulcan, Wildcat and Regal - all good choices! I'm seriously considering one of these for my next rifle.
Good luck!
Scott
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I'd vote for the Brocock Compatto. (and I have a Marauder too)
It's shorter and more balanced than a rifle, but not so sure as to be a proper bullpup. (expensive) The Walther barrel is great, the Huggett moderator is great, the action is great and ergonomics are great. The only thing lacking is the looks, with its plastic stock.
This might be helpful to you: I just yesterday put up a review video of the Compatto, featuring the Marauder for comparison.
I've shot a couple Daystates (Regal XL and Airwolf MCT in .22) They're very nice, and the electronic trigger of the Airwolf is VERY light. I would call it a hair trigger. They shoot great and look great.
FX, I've shot one (Royale) and it was somewhat less reliable; prone to blowing out the breech O-ring.
If you bought the Compatto, you'd have money left over for a killer scope.
If you already have a scope earmarked for it,a Taipan Mutant in .25 would probably be my next choice, or a tuned Hatsan from bwalton. (bwaltonpcp.com, I think)
Let us know what you end up with.
It's shorter and more balanced than a rifle, but not so sure as to be a proper bullpup. (expensive) The Walther barrel is great, the Huggett moderator is great, the action is great and ergonomics are great. The only thing lacking is the looks, with its plastic stock.
This might be helpful to you: I just yesterday put up a review video of the Compatto, featuring the Marauder for comparison.
I've shot a couple Daystates (Regal XL and Airwolf MCT in .22) They're very nice, and the electronic trigger of the Airwolf is VERY light. I would call it a hair trigger. They shoot great and look great.
FX, I've shot one (Royale) and it was somewhat less reliable; prone to blowing out the breech O-ring.
If you bought the Compatto, you'd have money left over for a killer scope.
If you already have a scope earmarked for it,a Taipan Mutant in .25 would probably be my next choice, or a tuned Hatsan from bwalton. (bwaltonpcp.com, I think)
Let us know what you end up with.
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I have never understood how a poster could get an recommendation or one give an recommendation for a rifle without knowing the needs of the shooter. fmglass as this thread has gone on you have given some more of what you intend to do with this rifle and some conditions under which you hunt. To really get what you need in a rifle though you should be as specific as you can.
As you said you intend to shoot small game but what game do you mean, at what distances and how many shots would you typically need for a hunting trip. The game you intend to shoot also dictates the power or fpe needed. How much of your shooting is in dense cover verse open area, if dense cover is more prevalent than a bull-pup style rifle may be better. Will you be doing a lot of walking, if so a lighter rifle will be advantageous. If you can see yourself taking many shots over 50 yards then I would say your rifle should have a regulator to keep velocity spread tight for long range accuracy. Is a quiet rifle also a need. For pesting around buildings or squirrel hunting I like a quite rifle, however if you shoot a lot in open areas the rifles report will be less of an issue.
The best thing for you to do is to make a specific list of your needs and conditions you hunt and that will lead you to the rifle with the features you need. Or then post that list here and then you can take best advantage of the members here to get the best rifle recommendation. Bill
As you said you intend to shoot small game but what game do you mean, at what distances and how many shots would you typically need for a hunting trip. The game you intend to shoot also dictates the power or fpe needed. How much of your shooting is in dense cover verse open area, if dense cover is more prevalent than a bull-pup style rifle may be better. Will you be doing a lot of walking, if so a lighter rifle will be advantageous. If you can see yourself taking many shots over 50 yards then I would say your rifle should have a regulator to keep velocity spread tight for long range accuracy. Is a quiet rifle also a need. For pesting around buildings or squirrel hunting I like a quite rifle, however if you shoot a lot in open areas the rifles report will be less of an issue.
The best thing for you to do is to make a specific list of your needs and conditions you hunt and that will lead you to the rifle with the features you need. Or then post that list here and then you can take best advantage of the members here to get the best rifle recommendation. Bill
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