Benjamin marauder .25 vs .22

Seems there are two sides here. The .25 really uses the air--so you get half as many shots per fill as the 22. I am not a hunter, but I think there is a lot out there to suggest the .25 really smacks small game. So I think it is shots per fill vs energy. I also feel my 25 handles the wind better--at least than the .22 pellets I shoot from my Disco. About the barrels--let somebody else answer that. Keep in mind this is coming from somebody who has only owned this gun a few months--with limited knowledge of PCPS

You can go on the AoA web page and they will tell you how many fills--or top offs--you will get for the rifle. From 2000 to 3000 their 75 cubic feet tank gives you about 49 refills. That would mean about 800 shots on the 25 (I am getting 16 to 18 useful) -but probably 1500 (someone may correct me) on the 22. In other words, you can make one trip to the scuba shop and shoot for a long time on the 22.

Crosman has the .25 barrels made by Green Mountain and it is a great barrel. Most .25's tend to be good shooters out of the box and great shooters by simply tuning the gun. Of course the .25 is more powerful and has the potential to take larger game than the .22. Pellets are more expensive and less variety to choose from. .25's will get 16-20 shots.

Crosman makes the .22 barrels and has a major quality issue with the .22 barrels. The gun itself is essentially the same as the .25. The barrel is the issue. I have been lucky and have gotten good barrels on the .22's I have had. Many aren't so lucky. BareBones just found his replacement marauder .22 has an oversized bore which is why his is scattering 2" groups at 20yards. If you could count on getting a good barrel, then the .22 has the advantage of cheaper more available pellets and a large selection to choose from. The .22 will get 30-40 shots.

I have the .22 and I guess I got a good barrel, if that is still an issue. Mine has been unbelievably precise. I have made no alterations to it. It is a synthetic version and it shoots dime groups at 40yrds. The ammo is readily available at all major retail stores and I just picked up six 500 count cans for $6.49 each in crosman premier hollow points. That's unusual but better than my .25 by a long shot. I have to order anything .25. You can see my Greatest Hits squirrel video in the Hunting section to see the .22 in action. Its also quiet. Any loud noise in the video is from videoing in slow motion setting.

My experience with the marauder is limited to the .25 and so far I'd say it's good out of the box, or at least mine has been. Of course I bought it specifically to hunt with, and I made sure I had a few local places that could fill my SCBA tank so I'm not to worried about the lower shot count compared to the .22.

I have the Marauder in all three calibers including the .22 pistol
The .25 is by no doubt the most accurate one of the four.... The pistol is very accurate as well but I never shoot that farther than 30 yards.

My 25 was accurate but did not have the power to put down a coyote reliably. It put out about 40fpe. A wounded Coyote is a dangerous coyote. You might want to try to find someone close with one and shoot some small game before you buy. You can mod it to have the power you need, or if you have a great stalk and are close with a very accurate shot, you can put one down, but there are a lot of if's.

joboboMy 25 was accurate but did not have the power to put down a coyote reliably. It put out about 40fpe. A wounded Coyote is a dangerous coyote. You might want to try to find someone close with one and shoot some small game before you buy. You can mod it to have the power you need, or if you have a great stalk and are close with a very accurate shot, you can put one down, but there are a lot of if's.

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Curious about your shot placement and distance?

I chose not to attempt it with my Marauder. Shot placement on crows, squirrels, raccoon were head shots and although successful they at times needed follow up shots to be humane. That was unnecessary with a 60fpe gun. A perfect shot at 20fpe, would put a coyote down, but we can't always count on perfect shots. It is really about the margin of error you feel comfortable with.