trying to pick a .25 for hunting Benjamin trail xl or hatsan 125

hey guys new here but not new to air guns, been shooting a crosman vantage .177 for a while now and love it just absolutely love it have never connected with a target more with any other rifle but i am currently in the market for an affordable .25 im currently leaning toward the benjamin trail xl simply because ive always ended up with crosman products ive just always had luck with them, but the hatsan 125 has really caught my eye for the soul fact it has open sights not like id be using them but it is nice to have the backup if i have a scope problem while out hunting. looking to see if anyone has experience with one or both before i make my decision. so far though the benjamin is winning just for the sling points and better included scope but im up to hear arguments for the hatsan.
 
I have a Crosman Benjamin Trail NP XL 1100 and its not a rifle I shoot much. Maybe a few hundred times. I have had it apart and polished all the insides and added a Charliedetuna trigger. For those rifles I would recommend putting a bayonet on it. Not really for stabbing your game(well maybe sometimes) but it would be nice around the campfire with the marshmallows. Its a little like carrying a log around to hunt with. ;) But its the greatest air rifle I have ever had to test scopes with. If they last on a NP XL, they will last on anything? I have not used the hatsan to give a comparison.
 
hmmmmmmmmmmm interesting. trail xl is looking mighty fine. the vantage np i have is the same system as the xl 1100 if i remember right and mine is just awesome. but just like everything else one persons will be perfect and the other guys was on the line where the qc guy was sleeping. for me a crosman product has never done me wrong but i know thats not the case for everyone 
 
ricky11010 I really didn't explain enough in my post on the NP XL. I was not saying the rifle is not good to hunt with. A few years ago it was my second air gun. And since I have picked up a dozen since then. Others just do the same job easier. Figure $30 for a new trigger and then it will shoot nice. Test the heavier lead pellets and I think it will be work for you. For me I only use springers up too around 30 yards.

Looking back on buying that rifle I would now get a maxius in .22 with a pump. Plan on upgrading the scope since that is a beast of a rifle. And if you did have a PCP a less expensive scope would hold up and really be cheaper in the long run?
 
Rickyt11010,
If you want the Maximus:
​Use the 25% off AGNATION code at the Crosman.com website.
Get the Bundle at:
http://www.crosman.com/airguns/air-rifles/maximus-kit-22
If ordered on a Friday, shipping is free.
Total cost out the door 262.50
​It includes the pump, target, goggles, etc.

​Now to play the flip side... I kinda like springers for plinking. I have a springer which I feel is good enough for Squirrels, but it is only 22 cal
​I have a Hatsan on order, so I don't have bad feelings about them (yet).
 
well after seeing some reviews and doing some research i think im gonna ditch the springer and just get the maximus. from what i gathered it shares the same platform as the discovery so the mods that are floating around will work on it. was really drawn to the .25 and still plan on getting a .25 eventually but the availability of .22 it just too good to pass up. 
 
"rickyt11010"well after seeing some reviews and doing some research i think im gonna ditch the springer and just get the maximus. from what i gathered it shares the same platform as the discovery so the mods that are floating around will work on it. was really drawn to the .25 and still plan on getting a .25 eventually but the availability of .22 it just too good to pass up.
The maximus does share some traits of the discovery, but the power level of the maximus is not upgradeable. If more power is what you may be after later the discovery is a better choice. If you are happy with the Maximus power level and dont expect anymore from it then it is a great deal. Something about the air chamber/breech setup that limits pressures in the maximus.
 
the power level should be enough for what i plan on doing with it. i know crosman his very conservative when it comes to their "suggested activities" and if they say their is enough power there for everything from small game to varmint hunting then i actually believe it. biggest stuff i really ever go after are rabbits and the occasional trouble making raccoon or skunk. id personally like the discovery way more but its just a little too pricey right now. will probably get one down the road after the maximus since id already have a pump 
 
waiting for a buddy of mine to buy one of my other toys off me before i get it. hopefully itll be soon. lol getting to the point where im starting to sell off a firearms to get air guns. right now im letting go of my mid to late 80's Taurus model 66 6 inch barrel .357 magnum. really no place left for me to shoot the loud stuff so moving more to air. crosman though has always been my go to though growing up ive gone through at least 3 or 4 pump masters and 2 power masters. a couple pump masters were lost from abuse and getting fully submerged and caked with sand but the rest just got worn out. were always good gun and ac accurate as i needed them and when i moved on to springers i always got crosman vantages because they were cheap and i loved them. especially my np one which ive never missed with........well till my failed squirrel hunt over the weekend sights were off after being in storage for a while.
 
i own a 125 sniper .25 its a beast. one tough gun the turks make strong stuff.if u wont to kill something big like coons this beast will do it. if u wont to shoot paper targets and hold groups 1/2 inch this is not a gun for u.like all springers hold senitivity is a factor. mine likes jsb kings 25,39 gr and hn 31 gr match. all guns need to find there own pellet.for what its worth i own a disco in 22.i put a tko 7inch on it made it quiet cost 70.00 dollars. had to replace the bolt because the handle broke off 5 months after in bought it. that cost 30.00 dollars. then the hammer spring went bad. its all good now and i really like it. the new max is haveing the same problems. do u have pcp stuff tank/hose /gage a dive shop?" all this stuff adds up.i get 20 good shots to a fill not bad and 780 fps jsb 15.89 gr exact. i shoot a lot i dont wont to pump up my gun every 20 minutes. the 125 is heavy kicks hard takes some muscle to cock and not atarget gun.but u can hit stuff like a coon at 50 yards and he wont get up. hope is helps its hard to know whats right when u cant shoot the guns before u buy them. all my guns were a take a chance because the reviews led me that way. i would not have bought some of them and scopes had i the oppourtunity to try them first