Page 24 - Benjamin Marauder PCP Reviews

NOTHING SO FAR

HONESTY IN ADVERTISING

NOBODY'S WEBSITE INDICATES THAT ALL YOU GET IS THE GUN AND A MAGAZINE CLIP. THIS IS A PUMP UP GUN. PRETTY DAMN USELESS WHEN A PUMP IS NOT INCLUDED. PUMP IS ANOTHER $160- $200

Great gun. Once you start shooting it, you will not be able to put it down. Extremely accurate. Right out of the box it shot dime size groups at 10, 20, and 30 yards. I'm sure it will do the same at longer distances. I just haven't had the extra distance yet. Very quiet. I put a Centerpoint 4-16x40 scope on it and it seems to be perfect for this gun. This is a fantastic rifle!

Nothing.

I started with a hand pump. It wasn't too bad to pump, but if you have a few extra dollars, I would buy a scuba tank. It would make your shooting much more convenient. I just bought an 80 cu. ft. steel tank that fills to 3442 psi. It makes it so much easier to shoot. I can now shoot for hours at a time with little hesitation.

American made, .25 cal powerful, ultra quiet, pressure guage, sling swivels

Not a deal breaker but an extra magazine and a single shot tray in the package would be nice.

In .25 cal mine came factory set to work at 3000psi, it is an air hog, but you get incredible power and an eight shot bolt action repeater. It can be tuned down for 2500psi which would likely give more shots per charge, I fill after 8 shots. It's not a plinking gun, get a .17 cal for plinking, this gun in .25 cal is meant to hunt.

Accurate, repeatable, and extremely quiet. Great airgun!

Nothing.

This gun is by far the best gun in my collection!! Very accurate, and very deadly.

Nothing.

That the hand pump with this gun is not as bad as what people say it is. It is pretty easy.

Repeater I can get 10 shots off in about 3-5 seconds. The price-point is good and Crosman customer service is good. This is a PCP so there is no recoil and it's not hold sensitive. The trigger is wonderful. I like the ambidextrous stock as I am a lefty.

I have a .22. The accuracy on these guns are not consistent.. Some users report 1 hole groups at 30 yards, and some users report 2 1/2 inch groups from same distance. Barrels need improvement some are tight and some are loose the loose ones don't shoot well at all. The .25 barrels are manufactured by an outside vendor and of better quality. The stock is too fat in the grip and mid section, It's too long too. Stock wood is of low quality sycamore wood. The checkering is not helpful for gripping the gun. I would have preferred deeper checkering or laser engraving with the letter "B" in the fore-grip to improve grip.

This gun has become and obsession for me to make it accurate. Some people have luck with it and get a good one. Other people like me get and average one that shoot decently. My groups are about 1 1/2 inches for 30 yards. Nothing to get excited about.

I put this review here once I don't know why it didn't post. Maybe I did something wrong. The 25 caliber is a choice rifle and shoots good, and isn't picky about the pellets it shoots. It shoots the 43 grain good too. Groups in light shoot high and heavy shoot low, but they stay in the same group form. I don't shoot in access of 35 yards, because Like a Bow it's useless to shoot further than you hunt. I have never killed a squirrel any further than 35 yards in the woos with a shot gun or 22 rifle, so to try to make a record shot with a air rifle would be defeating its purpose lolol.

Nothing

These guns are IMHO the best for the price. I have all 3 of them. I'm keeping my Air force Condor because it shoots a little faster but the 25 caliber 43 grain pellets are not as accurate as the Marauder. As a matter of fact th Air Force isn't as accurate as the Marauder, but it is more flexible and lighter to handle. Also the Discovery isn't as accurate in 22 as the Marauder but they are all still pretty accurate guns. Depending On what you are trying to shoot.

Larger air reservoir than Discovery. Eight shot Magazine!! Wohoo! Easy to shoot and easy to figure out.

I would be OK with a "thinner fore stock". A bit less checkering and toning down the "Benjamin" logo would be nice too.

I have the .25 Cal version. I wanted something suitable for small game and this more than fits the bill! It's one hard hitting air rifle! Likes heavy pellets but not just any heavy pellet will do. Mine likes the H&N Baracuda, 31 grain best but I also tried out the Eun Jin, 35.8 grain as well. The Eun Jin pellets were all over the place but I haven't tried adjusting the rifle much yet either. For those with Benjamin hand pumps...you will get a workout! I got about 24 shots per fill and then worked the hand pump to get going again. I found that for every 100 psi you want to add to the reservoir, you'll have to pump 10 times. So if you start off at 2800 psi and shoot down to 1800 psi, you'll pump 100 times to get the pressure back up. Looking into scuba stuff now!

This rifle is so quite you can shoot it anywhere safe. Slap on a scope and you will be hitting a quater everytime at 30 yards. It's just awesome right out of the box and with a price that can't be beat.

Nothing from the factory, it's still new but i would like to start seeing after market add-on's like stocks, it would be awesome if someone would make a "Bull-pup" kit

Make the move too PCP! it's sooo much better then spring piston.

Well, I've had enough time to evaluate this rifle and I'm impressed. The settings from the factory as far as the trigger and the power are concerned, didn't suit me. I changed the settings for 3000 psi and upped the velocity. I also re-adjusted the trigger to my satisfaction while maintaining the safety functions. If your so inclined, please read the owners manual and if your not a gunsmith or well versed in such operations leave the trigger alone. It's pretty good as it comes. Ok, the gun......let me just say that the power is impressive. This arm is no toy and should be treated as a firearm would. It is quite capable of causing an accidental injury or death! We shooters have enough problems as it is without creating more for ourselves. I've not had the chance yet to shoot beyond 20 yards, but at that range, the rifle with Benjamin Discovery pellets consistently shoots one hole groups and completely penetrated 3/4 inch plywood. For giggles, I placed a piece of 3/4 inch pine in front of the ply and fired 3 shots two penetrated both boards completely and the third was plucked off the last board with my fingers. Ok, pay attention...at 20 yards I set up my steel pellet trap fired a nice one hole group and removed the target to find a 3/8 inch hole through the back of it. I've since purchased a trap capable of stopping a .22 rimfire. The rifle is VERY quiet so shooting in your back yard may be possible with a PROPER backstop.

So far, I've only found one thing to gripe about and it concerns the trigger. I really think an over travel adjustment is called for. Being a gunsmith, I may deal with that issue at another time, but for now I like it fine. (On another note, I wish Benjamin would design and market a single stage adjustable trigger as an after market item for this rifle. I know many people love two stage triggers but some of us don't.)

Nothing important, just that as others have said, this is a very quiet pellet rifle. When shooting outside, all you hear is a Poing......thwack! the sound of the hammer spring and the pellet striking the target. :-) It's a bit strange for a person who's never shot a silenced firearm.

The power is outstanding in .25 cal.!!

The perfect air rifle! nothing wrong with this rifle. Need more magazines.

The 25 cal. is more accurate than the .22 cal. Yes i said that!! JSB's .25 cal is the way to go with this rifle. Crosman is coming out with the .25 cal premier pellet in late spring 2010, can not wait!!

This is by far the best air rifle I have ever owned. With the right scope it is amazing. Comfortable to hold easy to scope. The list could go on and on.

Nothing, but I would like to see it in an all weather synthetic black thumg hole stock like the FX monsoon.

With the hand pump and pumping it up to 3000psi you do get a good work out.

My 25 caliber arrived today from Pyrmid air. It shoots the 43 grain Eunjin pellets at 670 per second and will go through a 2X4 narow side. It also shoots the Diablo exacts as good and at a speed of 870 FPS. This gun is super accurate. Benjamine is really making the air gun world look good. Also the packaging from Pyrmid Air was exelant. Thanks .

Not one thing. unless you want to make a 9-MM in this rifle, or maybe a 9-MM in the discovery.

If you dont have this gun you better try it, It is not pellet picky, it shoots em light and heavy it just dont care, The EunJin heavy Pellets fit right in the 8 Shot clip with ease too.

this is a very powerful .25 cal rifle. how about a .20 cal?

everything about this rifle is great! woutld not change a thing.

devasting power with heavy pellets. i have four now, can not wait for the .20 cal.

Excellent fit and finish, air rifle is first class has a great magazine and is VERY powerful. The gun drives tacks it can one hole good pellets off hand at 75 feet and I have taken squirrels out of Oak Trees at 50-60 yards EASY.The trigger is absolutely awesome !!! The air rifle loves match pellets and is deadly with predators, optimum pellet weight is about 16.00 grains and it will give you a consistant 850 FPS and a very very good range about 60 yards for humane kill.

Blue finish on gun is not firearm quality. It is very nice has a Matte finish but gun would benefit from a true blue gun finish.

This air gun is not for little kiddies- It is definitely an adult air gun the pump from benjamin is real nice and is a separate $ 179.99 purchase but it is high quality, if you weigh under 150 lbs pumping can be labor intensive, my son is 115 lbs and pretty strong for his age and cannot pump the pump up to 2500 PSI as required he does not have the body weight to fully depress the handle.

Incredible rifle!!! Wish I could give it more stars. Buy plenty of pellets and magazines (I bought 4). You'll want 'em. Extremely accurate with the Premier Dome's -14.3 gr. in CARDBOARD BOX(dime size groups at 50 yards- no BS) Still testing others... I've read some reviews with issues about the magazines, but that's user error. The magazines require some common sense, that's all. CO2 is ok, but strongly recommend buying a scuba tank (Got an aluminum 4280 pressure/80lb. from a local Scuba shop for $190). Forget the pumping! I really love this rifle. EXTREMELY QUIET! Hardly take out the springer anymore.

NOTHING

BUY THIS GUN!

For the price point, the fit and finish are excellent, as is the most important aspect - accuracy! Out of the box it was shooting CP 14.3 (brown box) into one ragged hole at 25 yards - NO BS. Using my chrono, fill at 2600psi, here are the first two 20 shot groups (recharged after each 20 shots) - First group- 853 fps (HI), 836 fps (LO), 17 (Ex Sd) 4 (Std. Dev), Second group 849 fps (HI), 834 fps (LO), 15 (Ex Sd) 3(Std. Dev). I wanted a bit more power so I "tuned" it based on the manual for greater velocity and within a short period of time came up with this group - again, shooting ONE RAGGED HOLE groups at 25 yards with CP's - this is a 20 shot group... Fill at 2700, 889fps (HI), 875 fps (LO), 14 (Ex Sd) 4 (Std. Dev). You can easily get 30-35 useable shots from one fill. By the way, I eliminated three tree rats at various ranges with head shots after sighting in that final group. This gun is simply AWESOME!!!

Nothing...good stock (no fancy finish but solid, functional and "nice" looking), easily adjustable to the way you wish to use the gun, and ACCURATE!!!

My second major purchase from Pyramyd Air - both were flawles - I recommend highly.

very solid, great attention to detail, very consistant results. this air rifle is very quiet, build or buy a quiet pellet trap and no one will be disturbed even in the next room while you fire it in the basement.

nothing, buy a lot of pellets because this is a blast to shoot.

the hand pump works well, takes a few minutes to pump the rifle up to 2500 psi but at least you get a good work out at the same time. probably will invest in an air tank to make it easier.

Power, Accuracy, Overall Quality. All of the mechanics of this gun are excellent. It is made in the USA.

My only gripe (this is being nit picky) is that the wood looks almost like it was painted instead of stained. When compared the the RWS 54, it just looks much cheaper. When not comparing it to a fine German made gun, it looks fine.

This gun is a pleasure to shoot. Compared to my RWS 54 (.22), it is more accurate, hits harder, is quieter and is a 10 shot repeater. It is well built, but it has a cheaper look then the 54, but is still nice. I love both guns. I use the manual pump -- It takes several minutes to pump to full capacity. I weigh ~160lbs and I use my full body weight approaching 200 bar. It starts out much easier though. The good news is that you can use your body weight and gravity to do much of the work. I bought the .22 caliber and would recommend it. I have only shot it at distances of 15 yards so far (indoors due to weather conditions outside). My 10 and 20 shot groupings are approximately dime to nickel sized. I have not changed the factory settings. A full charge got me 55 shots last time. That took me down close to the red zone. The magazines are very easy to load after a little initial confusion. My gun came with one. I bought 3 extra which suit me well. The RWS 54 weighs a pound or two more, but the Marauder still is a heavy gun. The pump is also surprisingly heavy. Carting it out in the field would be a burden. I would recommend a good scope. I got a 3-9x40 (gift from my wife), but for 50 yards or greater, I would suggest a 4x16 or longer. I am very price consious. This gun offers great value. It is my first PCP and I did a great deal of research before buying. I initially considered CO2, but the pump is much cheaper in the long run and it is more powerful.

I was completely ready to give up on this .22 rifle and send it back due to accuracy issues (2.5 inch groupings at 30-35 yards with fliers everywhere, looked like I was using a shotgun). This bad accuracy happened consistently with H&N Field Target Specials, Crosman Pointed 14.3 gr., and H&N Barracuda Match 21.14gr. But today I found THE magic pellet for my particular rifle, the JSB Jumbo Exact Heavy 18.1 gr. I am now getting dime sized groups at 30-35 yards. I was so frustated in the first week of owning this rifle, i was sure mine was defective. It seems my rifle only shoots these JSB Jumbo Heavy's accurately, and lucky me as these pellets are just awesome; very clean, well built, and each one the same like tiny sculptures. It is very quiet and won't alert your neighbors when you shoot it, or scare away every critter in the woods. The trigger is nice and light and breaks cleanly and predictably. I like the self rotating clip, it has not once malfunctioned or failed to load each pellet. One clip is included with the rifle. Very good quality and the value is outstanding for the accuracy you get and comparison to other more expensive PCP's in the market.

Reading online forums, I've found that most people that own this rifle in .22 say that it has great accuracy with all pellets, with accuracy being best when using H&N Field Target Specials and Crosman Pointed Field 14.3 gr.. Meanwhile, very few have reported that the rifle only shoots certain pellets well. One guy reported his shoots nothing but Beeman Kodiaks well. Another reported his doesn't shoot any of the whole JSB line well at all. And my rifle only shoots JSB Jumbo Exact Heavy's well. So I can conclude that every Marauder rifle is different, with the fair majority of them being tack drivers (very accurate) with many different pellets, and some being particularly pellet picky. I wish mine was accurate with more than just one pellet, which is why I didn't give it a 5 star overall rating. The rifle is a tad heavy and long for hunting, but to me the quietness makes up for that. I can shoot all i want in by back yard without making the neighbors mad, and I don't scare all the squirells away after I shoot just one.

If you are having accuracy issues which is rare with this gun, you can order something called The Ultimate Pellet Sampler (just google ultimate pellet sampler, youll find it), which gives you samples of many different pellet brands to find the perfect match for your gun. Or, I heard a guy sent his back to crosman with accuracy issues and they sent it back to him with good accuracy with the crosman pellets he was using (not sure if they gave him a new one or tweaked the one he sent). Or pyramid air will definently give you an exchange if your not satisfied, great company and customer service. For your information, my .22 calibur Marauder is equipped with the Leapers SWAT 3-12x44 with the large sidewheel. And UTG SWAT bipod which fits perfectly with no issues. I have 5 magazines which is perfect and gives me 50 accurate shots all the way down to low 1000's PSI when charged from 2500PSI at 30-35 yards target practice. My setup is stock factory. I have a Pelican 1750 rifle case which cost me $220, the only case that would fit the scope sidewheel without cutting the foam. A good case that will last a lifetime and is water resistant to 3 feet of water, and the only case I would trust an airliner with. I use an 80 cu. inch scuba tank which beats the heck out of pumping and makes me assured knowing that I am feeding my gun only clean, dry, diving quality air. A great gun overall, you won't be dissapointed. Crosman has great customer service, and it's made in good ol' U.S.A