Started with a couple springers. Never could shoot worth a darn. They were the $200 type guns, so not slouches. Triggers horrible, vibration horrible, you name it.
Bought a Marauder and thought I hit the jackpot. 75 yard groups were pretty tight and it has a decent trigger. Wonderful gun, except I just couldn't get the shots to tighten up enough to shoot in a bench competition. Still have it and don't plan on selling any time soon. Needs a new fill valve (which I already have) and other than that, it's shot thousands of rounds.
Finally decided that I wanted "Top Shelf", so bought a used Impact (not an X of course, just a used Impact). Night and day difference. Trigger fantastic. Everything is adjustable externally. Still figuring it all out, just adjusted the regulator this weekend and will shoot again at longer ranges this weekend. removable air bottle, adjustable regulator, adjustable hammer spring, adjustable everything. (OK, so it's ugly, but I'll forgive it for that). While I can adjust the Marauder, the Impact is so much more easily adjusted and fine tuned. The trigger alone was worth a couple hundred as I'd never have gotten the Marauder Trigger as smooth.
It all just depends. I suppose if I'd had the time, I could have done a trigger job on the Marauder, but it would never have cocked as smoothly as the Impact. Compressing that 10 pound spring a few hundred times lets you know you've been at the range. Cocking the Impact is completely effortless. Smooth as butter as they say.
Is it worth the $$? That is in the eye of the beholder.
