Entry Level PCP Airgun Questions

The Benjamin Marauder is a very popular adult PCP guys start with here on the forum. They have high satisfaction rate with it. The AEA has a little less satisfaction overall on the boards. 

Benjamin also supports their guns with spare parts very well. Not sure about AEA. My first PCP was a Marauder pistol (Prod) and I really like it. It is 22 caliber which has proven to be plenty for reliable one shot kills on squirrels at 25 yards or so once I turned the power up to about 18 ft. lbs. Stock it came at about 13. I think you could get close if not all the way to 18 just by turning in the hammer spring adjustment screw about 7 turns. I increased the transfer port thinking I had the hammer spring all the way turned up when it wasn't. The stock transfer port is .080, I went to .1015. I can get to almost 20 ft lbs with more hammer spring tension but I use 5 turns to get more shots.

A big advantage of the Prod is the small chamber if you are hand pumping. That also limits shot count, however. It takes me about 30 pumps to recharge my Prod. At 18 ft. lbs that gives me about 20 shots, 24 if I hold a little high on the last few. A Marauder rifle will give you more power and shots but will require more pumping.

I recently tested out a couple of more moderately priced rifles as compared to FX's, Daystates, etc. I will have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by all you get with the Benjamin Cayden (although what I tested was the .22 cal).

I was interested in the Marauder, but after having used side lever cocking actions I find it difficult to purchase any bolt action gun any more. And the side cocking of the Cayden is very nice and smooth - just what I wanted.

Its barrel is likely Turkish made (Kral?), but in my short time with the gun it has been MOA accurate out to the 61 yards I have shot it. And it would likely become better the more I shot it, and got used to it.

You mention wanting to fit a muzzle brake - which is not necessary on a .25 cal airgun as there is really no muzzle flip to control. If you meant to say moderator or silencer, then yes the Cayden can use any mod with the standard 1/2" UNF threading without needing any modification or accessories. And yes, my .22 cal benefited greatly from the addition of the smallest DonnyFL moderator, which would be even more necessary on a louder .25 cal gun to make it backyard friendly/more hunting ready.

I wonder whether Crosman stopped using Green Mountain barrels when they instead gave buyers the option of choosing factory fitted Lothar Walther barrels on the Marauder?

As your first PCP rifle I would definitely be more confident in a Benjamin product with its 5 year warranty and U.S. service center. Although I have never had the opportunity to utilize this warranty with any Crosman/Benjamin product I have owned - which is a very good thing!

The other reasonably priced rifle I tested against the Cayden was the Air Venturi Avenger. I also tested a .22 cal, but it is available in .25 cal as well. It was perhaps not a fair comparison as I chose to get my Avenger with the plastic stock, so it didn't feel as nice in the hands as the Cayden. But the Avenger is regulated (and the regulator is externally adjustable), and while I didn't like its trigger as well, it is somewhat adjustable (where the Cayden's is not). 

In order to fit a moderator onto the Avenger you would need to purchase an adapter from DonnyFL. But perhaps like the Marauder, I found the Avenger's shroud to be effective in keeping the (.22 cal) noise down to backyard friendly levels on its own. YMMV with a louder .25 cal.

The funny thing is that while I didn't enjoy shooting the Avenger as much as the Cayden (due to its overall feel in my hands, and the way the trigger came from the factory), I could actually get more accurate groups with it on my backyard 61 yard range - approaching 1/2 MOA. And with a little more planted feel of the gun if I had chosen a wood stocked version, I may have liked it even more.

So these are just a few thoughts about other possible guns for you to look at which are in the Marauder price range. Sorry I can't directly compare them to a Marauder - the only time I ever tried to purchase one the vendor ended up having issues, I never got my gun, and I had to go through all of the PayPal hoops for months to get my money refunded.

the mrod .25 is awesome with the green mountain barrel, id say probably nothing else can beat its performance in the low to midrange price point .. those are gen1 though and im not sure how different a crosman barrel would be .... the pistol marauder is deadly on pests to and i can routinely hit stuff out to 50 with it, its just limited in its punch, the rifle in .25 makes a much more final impression especially on larger pests but its heavy and a large piece of hardware which is a big factor to think about... i usually grab the pistol for close encounters of the pesty kind and it has more kills than anything i own including firearms ... for actual predators after my chickens i generally go for the .25, theyre usually tougher critters and longer shots and they rarely survive once the hairs get on them i can tell you that ... so either one you win ... personally i think the prod will serve you better as a first gun and its something you will continue to use when you move up later ..

I have a Marauder and 2 AEA

the MRod is a more "finished" gun, and way easier to work on than the AEA offerings. But both AEA's are early models, so cant speak for current AEA offerings

After youve been in the Mrod a bit (and you will be... ) that knowledge will make tinkering with other guns eiaser

Yeah the Gen 1 marauders in 25 cal have the green mountain barrel. It’s a great gun and I’ve had mine for 8 years give it take a little and it’s been a great gun. A head shot at 50 yards on a squirrel is no problem for it. I’ve not shot any of the newer Benjamin guns but everything I’ve read about them says they are accurate. I don’t think you would go wrong with any Benjamin gun. And let’s be honest your going to buy this gun shot for a 6 or so months get hooked on PCP’s and you’ll be buying another if your like the rest of us

I hope you realize your are stepping on to a very slippery slope!

I agree on the Marauder as a great first PCP. I have been using one in .177 to drop rabbits. One shot to the head and they are done. Accuracy is dead on. Never had a single problem with it. 

Yeah the Gen 1 marauders in 25 cal have the green mountain barrel. It’s a great gun and I’ve had mine for 8 years give it take a little and it’s been a great gun. A head shot at 50 yards on a squirrel is no problem for it. I’ve not shot any of the newer Benjamin guns but everything I’ve read about them says they are accurate. I don’t think you would go wrong with any Benjamin gun. And let’s be honest your going to buy this gun shot for a 6 or so months get hooked on PCP’s and you’ll be buying another if your like the rest of us

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I had a Gen1 .25 cal Marauder. It would group very nicely but the POI would change hour to hour.

I sold it.

Just saying.

Will

I hope you realize your are stepping on to a very slippery slope! 

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Woodard63 and scubajeeper, Ya, that's what I was afraid of.

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Mark, 

they told you about the slippery slope of airgunning. Good. 



But... — did they tell you about the gigantic hole that you are about to fall into?!



The airgunning hole is virtually bottomless. Once you slide over its edge your body falls. If you are lucky, you can grab the edge to delay your fall. But sooner or later you'll have to let go — and down you go.  



Ask me how I know! 

Matthias 





A photo of the hole: 

A Marauder was my first PCP and it actually kept me pretty happy for about 7 years (actually, I am still happy with it). It is a great platform to get oriented to PCP airgunning with. Parts are not a problem to get. Plenty of help to found if you get stuck. And they shoot great. The only reason I bought another PCP was to have something light to carry around. My Marauder, all scoped up and ready to shoot, is tipping the scales at 9-10 pounds and does better rested.

The Marauder is a relatively quiet airgun even without a moderator and it is one of the easiest guns for which to get accessories and parts and advice. The regulated version, the BPSAS Field & Target sells for only $230 more than the unregulated Marauder. The .25 provides roughly 50% more hitting power but it also drains the gun's air tank twice as fast. At distances of 40 yards or less I doubt that the .25 offers significant advantages over the .22 for most critters in terms of one shot kills.

In the under say $800 range which I assume you are in the Kral's are hard to beat I got a .25 Super Jumbo as my first PCP ( or 40 yrs of using springers) and a .22 Knight plus a .25 barrel for it. The "craftman" series from Benjamin are "Kralish" and probably some of the best rifles Benjamin has right now and I almost got the Kratos but felt a true Kral was a better way to go. As others have said once you shoot a side lever action you won't want to shoot anything else that adjustable power and magazine count on the magazine and direct threading of a moderator with an adapter (as opposed to the craftman series which need adapter) is why I went with Krals. I had to get the SuperJumo from Krale in Europe and the Knight I got from Pyrmyrd Air. Good luck!

As some have mentioned, the Mrod (Marauder) is a great first PCP, but as has also already been mentioned, it is heavy!

So, if you intend to shoot off-hand most of the time it may not be for you. If you will be using a rest of some sort most of the time, you really can't go wrong with the Mrod. JMHO

I was in your shoes...I picked the Cayden over the Marauder. 

I wanted a side cocking lever

I wanted hand pump friendly

I wanted traditional rifle features.

I wanted .22 Cal

The Cayden was everything the internet said it was...Plus a 5 year Warranty backed by a company that is well established.

Air efficient, powerful for pesting, accurate with an excellent trigger.

I had one of the first Marauders in .22 when they fist came out.

I wasn't lucky on the barrel lottery and down the road it went.Among other guns i now have a Cayden and the gun is very accurate,has great shot count/power and is very well built.

I also have gone through a couple of Avengers and although accurate enough they are not in the same league in build quality as the Cayden.

I have to admit after having both bolt (Fortitude) and side lever (Nova Freedom) I do prefer side lever MUCH MORE over bolt action.