Tired of researching/YouTube!!

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Christmas_Tony

Christmas_Tony

Member
Mar 7, 2022
8
1
FL, United States
Hello there. Probably a beat down topic, but I research so much that I’m exhausted trying to find the right caliber and the right gun for my first pcp. I’ve gone through everything from Bulldog to Avenger to Gauntlet and AEA. I’ve seen hundreds of videos and right when I find the one I want, I find a bad review lol. My budget is around $500-$700. I have 40 acres and normally run a 22mag for pest control here in FL. But I want something quieter and more efficient, and pcp air guns are just cool! I’m not dead set on a regulator. AEA looks decent but made in China. I’m leaning towards Gauntlet 30 but don’t want to wait that long. I have two old 3500 psi scuba tanks I need to get looked at. I need a solid raccoon, armadillo, squirrel, type gun. I’m think .30 cal but is that too much? 

TIA!!



 
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Hello there. Probably a beat down topic, but I research so much that I’m exhausted trying to find the right caliber and the right gun for my first pcp. I’ve gone through everything from Bulldog to Avenger to Gauntlet and AEA. I’ve seen hundreds of videos and right when I find the one I want, I find a bad review lol. My budget is around $500-$700. I have 40 acres and normally run a 22mag for pest control here in FL. But I want something quieter and more efficient, and pcp air guns are just cool! I’m not dead set on a regulator. AEA looks decent but made in China. I’m leaning towards Gauntlet 30 but don’t want to wait that long. I have two old 3500 psi scuba tanks I need to get looked at. I need a solid raccoon, armadillo, squirrel, type gun. I’m think .30 cal but is that too much? 

TIA!!


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@Christmas_Tony I see that you’re a new member. First off welcome to AGN. A .30 caliber is not necessary for the animals you listed, but it wouldn’t hurt. A .25 will do if you have good shot placement. Reading gets exhausting after a while. Watching videos can be tedious. You may not figure out exactly what you need until you try few airguns. There are guys on AGN who will come and tell you exactly what they think you should get. I would like to encourage you to look into some Benjamin (Crosman) air rifles if you have not - Marauder, Bulldog, Akela, etc. they should tick some boxes for you and fall somewhere around your price range. If you buy a used rifle you may find a better deal but you run the risk of inheriting someone else’s problem. Good luck in your search. More advice is coming. In the mean time maybe read through some older AGN threads on member’s first PCP purchases and why people wanted/needed them. 
 
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I love my 22 and 25 calibers but I also love my 30 and 35 cals too, tough decision there, there’s nothing better than watching a English sparrows explode with a 30 cal lol, overkill? Yes but fun. I would look here on the classifieds for a good used rifle or check out Utah airguns or airguns of arizona, they have a pretty good selection of used rifles right now. Either way this is not a cheap hobby/sport, if you get addicted like most people in this forum you may eventually find your self in divorce court or being in debt for buying air rifles lol, happy hunting!!
 
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It's too bad your profile says you live in Georgia. I have 2 Mrods that are just collecting dust and would sell for a fraction of a new one and would be willing to let you use for a while. But I'm in FL. Try to find some friends online in your area and see if they would be willing to take you out to a range and test their wares. That way you could possibly see lots of guns and it might help in your decision making process.

My bad. I clicked on the wrong profile. If you are in the LOL area, send me a PM.
 
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I would also recommend .25 caliber for the species you listed as Ezana4ce stated. From my perspective, the cost to performance ratio is best with .25 caliber. I've used my .25 cals to take woodchuck, fox, skunk, and raccoons out to 85 yards regularly. I've heard great things about the gauntlets, but have never owned one. The avengers may be something to look at, or the airforce guns if your looking for high power. The only issue with the airforce guns is they are single shot.

Welcome to airgun nation.
 
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Have you tried cb caps in a .22? As has been said PCPs is an expensive hobby to get into. Do you have a hp air source? Hand pumping gets old for most very quickly. Is being made in the United States important? My first PCP was a Aspen and it was good for a year but is now just collecting dust due to a leak I can't find. I never had a problem with the built in pump just the leak. I agree that the Mrod has a rep for being reliable and there's a ton of mod parts to make it into just about anything you want it to be. Be careful with referbs as sometimes the seller doesn't do anything to correct the problem that caused it to be sent back.
 
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25 Marauder is a good choice. There are a ton of upgrades and how to do videos out there. Parts are very easy to get if you ever have any issues. These are also incredibly easy to work on. I had a .22 and upgraded the hell out of it. Ended up selling it to a friend at a good price so he could get into the hobby. They are also pretty dam quiet as well when put next to a fair amount of the other .25 out there. Simple sound suppressor added and its just that much better. They are worth more then the asking price in my opinion.
 
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my dad has a farm a few miles over .. if i was there more and wanted to keep an airgun to handle things i ran into in the gator id keep the bulldog with me with a donnyfl emperor and hill depinger to keep it super quiet ... sure a .25 mrod would work but the bulldog has alot more horsepower .. i think it would be just right for what you describe ..
 
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Hello. I think the Benjamin Marauder Field &target in .25 will make you happy. It is factory regulated and the availability of replacement parts and tuning mods is endless. I have a Benjamin Armada. 22 that I have been tuning on. 

Tune 1: 3000 psi fill, reg set at 1900 psi

30 shots at 875 fps - 25 fpe

Tune 2 : 3000 psi fill, reg set at 1500 psi

70 shots at 840 fps - 20 fpe. 

I am shooting field target so #2 is the right tune for such an event, but as you can see the variations of set up can be quite different for your purpose. 
 
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It's too bad your profile says you live in Georgia. I have 2 Mrods that are just collecting dust and would sell for a fraction of a new one and would be willing to let you use for a while. But I'm in FL. Try to find some friends online in your area and see if they would be willing to take you out to a range and test their wares. That way you could possibly see lots of guns and it might help in your decision making process.

My bad. I clicked on the wrong profile. If you are in the LOL area, send me a PM.
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LOL as in Land of Lakes? I live in Christmas FL just east of the Space Coast. I’ve heard Georgia is nice though ;)
 
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Another new guy in a similar situation. Too much info, too many options.

My difference is that I'm in California and won't be able to hunt with it for another year more than likely, so it's all target use for now. I also tend to go big or go home, so those FX Impact's are mighty tempting... but I'm also looking at more classic stuff.

I'm just venting at the frustration of choosing I suppose!
 
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IMO assuming you know air guns (pump, co2, hpa, etc.) and the general maintenance that goes with them. This is an expensive hobby. 700/800$ arguably would only cover a filling station setup. Then odd caliber pellets (read anything not .22 or .177 here) are also more expensive and can be difficult to obtain if needed quickly. That being said get the best quality gun you can. Buy it once and be happy because as you get into them you'll be buying other "stuff" (also expensive) and nothing will grind on you more than putting high-end "stuff" on a low-end gun. Anyhow, that's my thoughts.
 
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Hello. I think the Benjamin Marauder Field &target in .25 will make you happy. It is factory regulated and the availability of replacement parts and tuning mods is endless. I have a Benjamin Armada. 22 that I have been tuning on. 

Tune 1: 3000 psi fill, reg set at 1900 psi

30 shots at 875 fps - 25 fpe

Tune 2 : 3000 psi fill, reg set at 1500 psi

70 shots at 840 fps - 20 fpe. 

I am shooting field target so #2 is the right tune for such an event, but as you can see the variations of set up can be quite different for your purpose. 
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The Marauder doesn’t come factory regulated in .25 caliber. The Marauder field and target models are .177 and .22 only. 
 
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