Benjamin Maximus (.22) Review

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MJS

Member
Oct 11, 2016
333
253
Colorado, United States
 I've owned some nice springers (RWS 24, 34, 36, Beeman R10, HW 50s) but this is my first PCP and I'm liking it!
I bought this for backyard pest control up to 30 yds.
I ordered the Maximus (.22 cal) starter kit from Crosman for $350 (plus $32 shipping/handling). It comes with the rifle, pump, pellets, target, shooting glasses.
It arrived double boxed and in good shape. I noticed the gauge was showing about 1000 psi so it was holding air.
The first thing I did was give it a really good cleaning, including the bore. It really needed that.
Then I pumped it up just shy of 2000psi and shot a few rounds in the basement.

First impression: Smooth firing but loud. Every shot startled my wife who was upstairs and knew I was shooting.

I had a TKO and a TRUGLO 93A sight waiting and I installed them right away. I like open sights.

Second impression: Smooth firing and very quiet. My wife could barely hear it.

Next, I went outside and sighted it in at 20 yds with JSB Exact 15.89 pellets (because they shoot well in almost everything.) 
The TruGlo front sight mounts perfectly on the TKO and lines up nicely with the stock rear sight.
After about 20 sighting shots I was shooting < 1" groups from a free standing position at 60'.

I went out today and clocked it with JSB Exact 15.89. (I started with 2000psi)

Shot 1: 825 fps
Shot 2: 827
Shot 3: 815
Shot 4: Chrony error
Shot 5: 832
Shot 6: 816
Shot 7: 836
Shot 8: 820
Shot 9: 809
Shot 10: 794
Shot 11: 815
Shot 12: 798
Shot 13: 799
Shot 14: 774
Shot 15: 768

Not bad! It's nice to see an airgun perform close to a manufacturer's claim with a medium weight pellet. Crosman claims up to 850 fps.

Other thoughts:
1. This is a really fun rifle to shoot and it means business, too.
2. I'm enjoying the smooth firing behavior so much that I haven't thought about modding the trigger. (Well, maybe a little, but it's not that bad!)
3. Without using a rest, I am more accurate with this gun than my more powerful springers. It's easy to shoot well.
4. It takes me about 60 pumps to bring it up to 2000 psi from 1200 psi.
5. With the TKO, this rifle is a full 48" long! Neighbors wont hear it, but if they see it they might be concerned.
6. I really like that the rifle stays charged and ready to go when needed. (True of all PCP's) 
7. I don't mind the single-shot action at all.
8. The rifle is light and nicely balanced. I don't give the synthetic stock a second thought. It feels and works just fine.
9. The gun feels like it is built to last (we'll see.). Not ultra refined, somewhat industrial, but a very capable work horse.
10. Terrific plinker and pester for my 90' x 90' backyard.

I'm glad to see Benjamin/Crosman doing well in this arena!

I'll update this as I learn more.

 
Congrats welcome to the PCP world. If you back the power down to 800fps it should flatten your shot curve and increase the number of consistent shots before the need to refill. Accuracy generally goes up for this type of platform as well. I had good luck with a Discovery backed down to 800fps for 30 consistent shots using 14.3gr Crosman Hunting Pointed pellets in the tins of 175pcs and 14.3gr Crosman Premier HP (Hollow point domes) out to 55 yards. They are hard to beat for the money.
AJ
 
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I like the charm of springers, just shot my Summit a bit tonight.

...but PCPs are just easier to be accurate with, especially when the power is over 15 FPE. Your back yard critters aren't going to last a week. Just watch your backstop, and remember that even on hits, the pellet is going to pass through, most of the time.

I'm glad to read Maximi have good barrels. I hope this trickles down to their other PCPs.

Get the the trigger kit and it'll take you up another notch. 4 lb. trigger is not conducive to longer range accuracy. You can do well, once you get used to it, but not as well as if you had a better trigger in there. Oh, and get a good scope on it too. At least 12X with a 40mm objective. UTG's 4-14x44 SWAT mil-dot is a good choice. It'll add some weight to the gun, but wait 'til you see what it can do for your groups!
 
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Congrats on the new rig. Personally I just found out I need a new chrony.

I went with the .22 "Hunter" package as I already have air, rifle & 6x mil-dot scope & rings for about $175 delivered. I was one of those people who put a deposit ( $10.00, the good ole days) down on THE lowest cost pre-charged to hit the U.S. a few years back, a Bam50 for the unheard of low price of $400.00. So is this half the rifle the Bam was? 
Yes & no. Trigger on the maximus ( Bam trigger set at 4oz ) is unlike anything I have used in many years, heavy indeed but in an interesting way. I may only try to make it one pound lighter & stay with a heavy pull.
Bam had wood, of a sort. Maximus "plastic" stock does seem just fine and it is SO much lighter.
Like the 2,00psi fill.
Sling studs are nice.
Balance ( with a light enough scope like the 6x it came with not the box o rocks UTG I have mounted now ) is good.
Threaded barrel on the Hunter model.
ROUGH lead , BEATING pellets up loading, but somehow with only 100 or so shots it groups well, inside a dime 5 shot groups at 27 yards so with polishing it should really shoot well.
This one will only get proper barrel prep & be used about the Farm but with a Marauder trigger group added would be worth what a B50 used to cost ( finish isn't as nice on the crosman but customer support cant be beat so......).



John
 
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"spysir"Congrats on the new rig. Personally I just found out I need a new chrony.

I went with the .22 "Hunter" package as I already have air, rifle & 6x mil-dot scope & rings for about $175 delivered. I was one of those people who put a deposit ( $10.00, the good ole days) down on THE lowest cost pre-charged to hit the U.S. a few years back, a Bam50 for the unheard of low price of $400.00. So is this half the rifle the Bam was? 
Yes & no. Trigger on the maximus ( Bam trigger set at 4oz ) is unlike anything I have used in many years, heavy indeed but in an interesting way. I may only try to make it one pound lighter & stay with a heavy pull.
Bam had wood, of a sort. Maximus "plastic" stock does seem just fine and it is SO much lighter.
Like the 2,00psi fill.
Sling studs are nice.
Balance ( with a light enough scope like the 6x it came with not the box o rocks UTG I have mounted now ) is good.
Threaded barrel on the Hunter model.
ROUGH lead , BEATING pellets up loading, but somehow with only 100 or so shots it groups well, inside a dime 5 shot groups at 27 yards so with polishing it should really shoot well.
This one will only get proper barrel prep & be used about the Farm but with a Marauder trigger group added would be worth what a B50 used to cost ( finish isn't as nice on the crosman but customer support cant be beat so......).



John
Click to expand...
Cool set up! While normally viewing pictures of Discos with TKOs, What a really FAT CAN you got there! It must really quiet!
AJ
 
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353e06cb32e7b0032b2be5dc9ae25dd9.jpg
Well I've shot air guns for years and just bought my first PCP the Benjamin Maximus. First thoughts is the stock has to go. I will be getting a Boyd's thumbhole stoctock. Other than that the rifle is sweet and there's mods I will be doing soon. Just waiting for my scope rings to come in to put my bushnell 4x12x40 on. 
 
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