by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Benjamin Marauder PCP .177-caliber air rifle: Part 1
Part 2
Secrets of loading the Benjamin Marauder magazine
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Fixing a Marauder magazine
Part 7
Benjamin Marauder .25 caliber: Part 1
Benjamin Marauder .25 caliber: Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Benjamin Marauder .22 repeater with synthetic stock: Part 1
Benjamin Marauder .22 repeater with synthetic stock: Part 2
Benjamin Marauder .22 repeater with synthetic stock: Part 3
Benjamin Marauder .177 caliber 50-yard test: Special part
New Benjamin Marauder with synthetic stock has all the features of the classic Marauder in a lighter, trimmer package.
Well, it’s certainly been a long time between reports on this rifle, hasn’t it? Today, we’ll begin looking at the accuracy of the .22-caliber Benjamin Marauder with the synthetic stock. Some of you have already asked me if I plan to also test the new wood-stocked Marauder that has the same new action as this one. I have no plans to test it because I feel this test encompasses everything on the rifle, except for the stock material.
I was particularly keen on testing this rifle because we had a couple new readers who had purchased this gun and were having accuracy problems with it. I wanted to pay closer attention to accuracy than normal. After all, this is a new action, even if the changes have been relatively minor. Also, this is the first .22-caliber Marauder I’ve tested. Since Crosman makes both the .177- and .22-caliber barrels and buys the .25-caliber barrels from Green Mountain, I feel it’s worthwhile to examine this rifle more closely.
Sight-in
I filled the rifle to 3,000 psi because we learned in Part 3 that it’s on the power curve with a 3,000 psi fill. Then, I fired a single shot from 12 feet to see if I was on paper. Following that, I backed up to 25 yards and refined my sight picture. Only the 14.3-grain Crosman Premiers went everywhere! I got them on target, but sometimes a pellet landed an inch away from the aim point.
What was happening?
This is what a couple readers had described, so I did what I advised them to do. I removed all the baffles (see Part 2 of the Synthetic Stock review for this) to see if the pellets were touching any of them. Since they’re just plastic, it would be obvious if a pellet nicked one; but there was no sign of this on close inspection. So, I assembled the baffles and closed the shroud again.
And the next 10 shots with Premiers were remarkable! They went into a group that measures 0.246 inches between centers. Right away I guessed what might be happening is that the rifle was smoothing out as the air pressure dropped. So, even though the power curve seems to support a 3,000 psi fill, the targets do not show the same thing.
Ten Crosman Premiers in 0.246 inches is pretty conclusive! The new synthetic-stocked Marauder can shoot!
You can’t tell everything from just a single group — even a tight one like this. More testing was needed, but now I would be careful about the pressure level at which the groups were shot.
I tried many more pellets, but I’m not going to show all the groups. In all, I fired a total of ten 10-shot groups, making this test more exhaustive than my usual 25-yard accuracy test. I wanted to pin down this pressure-versus-accuracy correlation to see if it was real or imagined.
JSB Exact Jumbo
The 15.89-grain JSB Exact Jumbo pellet gave a very clear example of how the pressure affects the groups. The first group was fired from a fresh 3,000 psi fill and 10 pellets went into 1.131 inches. You can tell at a glance that the pellets are scattered around.
On a fresh 3,000 psi fill, 10 JSB Exact Jumbos are scattered around in a 1.131-inch group.
The second group of the same JSB pellets was fired after the first group. By this point, the rifle’s internal pressure has dropped to the mid-2,000 psi point (2500 to 2600 psi). This group still isn’t a good one, but you can see that it’s tightening up. It measures 0.872 inches between centers.
The second 10 JSB Exact Jumbos on the fill tightened up to 0.872 inches. Still not a good group, but better than the first.
On the third group of 10 shots (still on the same fill), the group really tightened up. These 10 went into 0.592 inches. That’s a good group, but maybe I don’t want to use this pellet in this rifle because it seems too fussy.
The third 10 JSB Exact Jumbos on the fill tightened up to 0.592 inches. This is an acceptable 10-shot group for 25 yards.
No Predators, no Newboys!
I tried both Predator Polymag and Skenco Newboy Seniors, but both were too long to fit in the Marauder’s rotary magazine. If you want to use these pellets, you’ll need to use a single-shot tray; and since Crosman no longer makes them in .22, good luck finding one. Of course, you can load pellets without the tray, but it’s more difficult to align them with the breech.
I wondered how Premiers might do on the third batch of 10 shots after the fill. Ten pellets went into 0.496 inches. Not as tight as the second 10 after the fill, but still very good!
The third batch of 10 Premiers after the fill went into 0.496 inches. This is a good 10-shot group for 25 yards.
JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy
The 18.1-grain JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy pellets behaved much the same as the regular Jumbos, except the groups were tighter. The first 10 went into 0.653 inches; the second 10 went into 0.657 inches, and the third batch went into 0.591. All 3 groups are pretty close to one another; but in light of the Premiers and the Kodiaks we have yet to see, I don’t think they’re the best in this particular rifle.
Beeman Kodiaks
I was burned out when I got to the Beeman Kodiak pellets — 100+ shots is too much for a single session when every shot requires concentration. I didn’t mention shooting RWS Superdomes yet. I did shoot 1 group with them, and it was a bust at 0.83 inches. When I got to the Kodiaks, I wasn’t concentrating as well as I would have liked. And I shot this single group on a fresh 3,000 psi fill. I felt I could get away with that because of the weight of the 21-grain Kodiak pellet.
And I was right. Even though I was fading, 10 pellets still went into a tight round hole that measurtes 0.378 inches between centers! It’s the second-best group of the test and earns the Kodiak a spot in the 50-yard test, for sure!
Ten Beeman Kodiaks made this very round 0.378-inch group at 25 yards. What a nice finish to today’s shooting!
What I’ve learned
The first thing I learned from today’s test is that this particular rifle doesn’t seem to shoot as well on a fresh fill as it does on the second and third magazine of pellets. So, if you stop filling at 2,600 psi, you’ll get 20 good shots from the rifle and not waste any air. I also learned that Crosman Premiers are the miracle pellet in this rifle, just like they’ve always been.
That last group of Beeman Kodiaks has me thinking that Premiers and Kodiaks will battle it out at 50 yards for the overall accuracy championship. I know Premiers are aerodynamically excellent, but the Kodiaks look like a real challenger in this air rifle.
I need to comment on the noise, or lack of noise. This .22 caliber Marauder is extremely quiet. It’s more like a .177 than it is like a .25 in that respect.
I expected to have problems with accuracy when I encountered those wild shots during sight-in. But by hanging in there and shooting both the second 10 and the third 10, I learned that this rifle likes to push its pellet slower than most. I would have to live with the gun for a long time to learn all of its secrets, but the test rifle is a very accurate PCP that’s worthy of the Benjamin Marauder reputation.
I like the synthetic-stocked rifle, but in my opinion it is no better than the older model in the wood stock. I never minded the thickness of the old wood stock, so I’m just going on the performance of the gun at this point.
BB
I forgot what sighting device you have on the gun right now; or are you shooting open sight? I guess I’m getting lazy. I should of looked back before I started my reply.
And what made you decide to shoot so many shots with different pellets on this test. Are you home from the Shot show and you got a itchy trigger finger?
I don’t know if this correct as I’m quoting from internet research but I don’t think a Marauder can have iron sights do to the shrouded barrel.
Ben your right. I didn’t even realize I wrote that.
I remember some where that BB was talking about using a Dot sight on one of his tests and I wrote down open sight instead.
That See All sight from the SHOT show has me all excited. And I think that’s why I said open sight. I got that sight on my mind. I’m going to try one on the .25 cal. Benji nitro piston break barrel I got.
It’s not equipped for a front sight, but the shrouded barrel wouldn’t be the stopper… Cut a dovetail fitting onto the “ring” that surrounds the muzzle end, and mount a high globe, slip an aperture on the rear…
Interesting, and thank you, iron sights are almost a necessity in the bush. I plan on buying one of these soon and that is my biggest hang up.
GF1
When you shoot down from the maximum rated fill , even though the curve looks good on the chrono , you can find areas where it will group much differently . This is something you should check a rifle for. Takes a lot of shooting, but it is a good idea to make sure of what to expect.
Although B.B. does not believe in it, there is also the issue of bore conditioning to the particular kind of pellet. After shooting through an entire fill with the same pellet, I would refill and do it again. I have seen both things happen.
twotalon
TT
I totally do that with my PCP guns. I just don’t recall seeing BB take that many shots before. So it caught my attention.
GF1,
That’s funny. I never mentioned it. I’m using a Leapers 4-16X50, mounted in 2-piece BKL double strap rings.
B.B.
Gunfun,
Pls see my comment on your suggestions for my screw problem at the end of yesterday’s comments.
Pete I left a reply over there ok.
BB, Good morning all. I’d like to insert an off-topic question please, if I may: With my .22 Hatsan ‘Striker’ stripped, I attached a dowel rod to the piston to test the ‘feel’, with a push/pull motion. It was consistent all along the cylinder, showing a good parallel bore, a good interference fit I thought.
However not so loose, the piston (& dowel) would slide down under gravity.
Should I have ‘honed’ the cylinder/seal with automotive valve grinding paste until I was close to the ‘gravity drop’. (Allowing for the weight of the dowel)?
Many thanks in advance to BB or anyone who cares to comment.
Slinger
Slinger,
I would leave that rifle alone. That kind of piston fit is exactly what you are looking for. I am assuming the piston seal was fitted when you did this?
B.B.
Thanks BB, yes the seal was fitted.
Slinger
I did not have the opportunity to spew out anything too much yesterday, but I wanted to give you guys just a little more food for thought.
Though our government and it’s various agencies (OSHA, EPA, etc.) can be quite a pain quite often, can you imagine the mess we would have if the Capitalist Pigs were not kept under control? Just look at China. Their government is clueless on how to get a handle on all of that and unless they do, their country will be a polluted wasteland in no time. India is well on it’s way to following suit.
We do not have to look overseas for an example of the dangers of Capitalism run amok either. Just look at the Robber Barons and the Henry Fords of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The workers had to literally rise up in revolution to bring them under control. Do a little research into the origin of the term “Redneck”.
Don’t you Commies get too excited here. If you overburden the Pigs, they will either die off or find another trough.
I’m sorry BB. If all this is more than you want here, I won’t be upset if it is taken off.
B.B.
Looks like they are listening to you. The 2014 Marauder with wooden stock will now have an adjustable comb. Looks great too. A+ for Crosman.
Pete
B.B.,
The Kodiak/Barracuda Match is the best pellet in my own .22 Marauder as well.
If you’re so inclined, you can try closing off the metering port screw a little to reduce the pellet velocities and excess air spillage, since your groups seem to be better near the end of the shot string where they are slower. According to the ‘A Team’ tuning instructions for the More, closing down the metering port can flatten the shot string curve, making velocities more consistent and improving air efficiency, yielding more shots.
So the older model was more accurate through a wider range of pressure? I’m getting to within a couple months of needing PCP. All I know for sure right now is what I’m looking for. I would like something to replace .22 rim fire. I’m trying figure out how much I’ll need to set aside for both a Marauder and an AF (either talon or condor). For sights I’m putting a Leapers on one(I got a 3×9 bug buster and I the only thing it’s lacking next to a quality scope(Leoplod vari x III or better) is a bit of clarity and it’s not very bright in low light however the windage and elevation adjust like a high end scope and to top it off the UTG rings that came with it are better than the higher end rings I ordered with it in a lower height, I’m impressed and then some so far and 30mm full length model will probably be better ) I figure for the other I’ll pickup a hawke sidewinder. How much extra do I need? I figure 3000$ will do it 2000$ will probably be short. Will 2500 be enough to get both guns and means to charge them that are practical and enjoyable? And I’m curious how long it takes you to shoot 10 10 shot groups BB? I can’t remember the last time I shot anything 100 times unless it’s at my place and then I’m doing other light projects as well. And I’m poor health but good shape cardio vascullary.
Ben,
Yesterday took close to 2 full hours of shooting, and I was moving right along.
B.B.
I couldn’t get 100 rounds down range in less time and still maintane accurate product testing. I’ve been burning the midnight oil reading your post and articles and you’ve covered marksmanship fundamentals well but I haven’t found a mention of physical shape and conditioning. Some regular light cardio and breathing exersizes will keep eye fatigue and muscle tremors down and as a side bonus they’re better than prescription meds for pain and stress.
Ben,
Stay alert to the short eye relief on the bug buster. Mounting on an AF or a Marauder may be a challenge. Doubt if you can use your UTG rings and get proper eye relief.
kevin
I’ve got the bug buster mounted on a break barrel and it is great. I’m going to get a full length Leapers with 30mm tube when I get set up for PCP. The bug buster is great I’ve been shooting to different weight pellets that both shoot great but impact almost half an inch different horizontaly and I have a mark for each one on the windage so far I’ve ran into zero stiction and even better I didn’t optically center the scope, lap the rings or even check the alignment of the rings and I don’t have to touch the elevation knob. I thought this scope would fall short of the marketing but in my book Leapers is the ONLY economy priced scope that you is functional without a bunch of tricks most people that buy low priced scopes haven’t learned. Tom Gaylord, as I dig deeper your journalistic integrity continues to impress me.
Ben,
I do yoga 5 days a week and I walk 7 days a week. My resting heart rate is between 45 and 55 BPM. I’m old, but not worn out, yet.
B.B.
I’d like to see a blog on about yoga. Good marksmanship and good health(physical and mental) go hand in hand. I always loved to shoot and would spend all my free time shooting at progressively more difficult targets. But eventually I’d get bored and set down whatever weapon I was into at the time. It wasn’t until I started focusing on my breathing exercises that shooting became my way to unwind. My groups improved and my life improved. Now I shoot everyday(at least six days a week) not just in obsessive streaks during an infatuation period with a particular gun or bow. I’ve never done any yoga but I believe breathing is a big part of it.
BB or other AG Expert,
Please educate me. Doesn’t a shrouded barrel assist in making for a less pellet sensitive barrel? I was surprised to see the wide range of results at just 25 yards with this PCP.
TC,
Shrouded barels are not pellet-sensitive. They are just as broadly usable as non-shrouded barrels.
B.B.
B.B.
I heard this mentioned a couple of days ago.Can you use Nitrogen in place of HPA,in a PCP?
Sal,
Yes. Air is 78 percent nitrogen. AirForce recommends it. Other companies don’t but it is okay, as long as the pressure limits are observed.
B.B.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair-questions/4302788
Above talks about Nitrogen vs air in car tires. Less moisture in an air rifle sounds like a good thing to me
I don’t want to start a big debate here. But since your talking about Nitrogen.
I always wondered if N2o/Nitrous Oxide could be used to fill a PCP gun?
GF1,
Nothing other than pure Nitrogen or air.
B.B.
From the point of view of physics, the best gas would be helium since its atomic weight is so low. Unfortunately:
1) It would leak right through the seals and
2) Even if you just kept refilling the tank, you couldn’t afford it!
But if price were no problem, I suppose you could make a gun with the right seals.
PeteZ
It would also be lighter 😉
Would there be anything else that would work well with “air”guns? I’m not talking filling the guns we presently have I’m talking like the helium thing… if we had the right seal material and or technology?
J-F
The weight difference from the gasses would be more than made up by the heavier tanks and valves needed to contain the helium economically.
Geez Pete did you recently graduate from killjoke U?
J-F
J-F,
I outdented so there was enough room to write. Not K-JU, Stanford. But a few years ago, when I heard about nitrogen fill in tires, I went through the physics and a bit of the engineering for other gases including He. I thought for a day or two that helium might really be a good idea.
It isn’t particularly. I don’t even think that nitrogen makes much sense for ordinary tires in ordinary uses. High temperature applications, maybe.
pz
Can someone explain “pressure sensitive” and what would be causing that? I have seen velocity sensitive, but not pressure sensitive. Maybe because I generally use heavier pellets? Has this been seen in other PCP reviews?
John,
I used that term for lack of understanding exactly what is causing this phenomenon. Maybe it is velocity. Maybe it’s something else. Don’t fixate on what I said, because it isn’t an exact term.
B.B.
BB,
I experienced something similar to this with the stock barrel in my Gen 1 .22 Marauder – accuracy got worse (but not as bad as you found) on the downside of the pressure curve.
I battled with it for months and could not get rid of it. Eventually I decided it had to be sensitivity to harmonics as the shot cycle changed. Over on the Marauder forum it is pretty clear that the .22 seems to suffer more from accuracy issues and wandering POI than the other two calibers, and we can’t help but want to tie it to the fact that the .22 barrel has the thinnest walls of all three: both the .177 and the .22 use a 0.43″ barrel and the .25 uses a 0.50″ barrel. It just seems that the barrel gets moving at certain points in the shot string where the other two do not.
Eventually I switched to a 0.63″ LW Poly barrel and the vast majority of that sensitivity went away. As a last step in the quest, I am preparing to regulate it to eliminate the last source of major variability in harmonics, since that will stabilize the shot cycle over many more shots.
There have been many .22 owners on that same forum that have gone against the idea of the free floating barrel and installed a ridged mount to the barrel band, and they have reported improved results. Out of curiosity, I reinstalled my stock barrel and did the same, and working off my old stock of 5.53 Baracuda’s observed the improvement as well (but still not as good as the LW). It seems that the .22 barrel is just too thin for the power level the gun puts out.
Alan in MI
Alan,
Well, knowing that will keep me from busting a gut trying to solve the problem. I really like the accuracy of this barrel and want to keep it with the gun (which isn’t mine to play with anyhow), so I will experiment with the gun in its stock form.
But knowing what you said is a real help!
Thanks,
B.B.
So, this sounds like the first time you have encountered this. ie repeatable accuracy changes depending where it is in the shot curve? and not caused by low Es velocity change (vertical poi).
I have seen allot of 22 mrod poi issues, many being blamed on thin barrel, but this is the first time I’ve seen correlation to pressure point in shot curve. I have seen some movement in poi, but grouping well at specific pressure and not at another, within just a few hundred psi, interesting. My first thought is tethering at those specific pressures and seeing if it is truly that, vs pressure change. ie some slight mechanical movement thru the pressure change.
I’d be interested in what your contacts at crosman thought of what you found.
From all the way back when I got my first pcp the Discovery. I learned right away that it had a sweet spot when it hit a certain psi in the gun.
I didn’t have a chrony at first so I would watch the poi. What I finally started doing even after I got my chrony was this. I would put 3 or 4 targets up on my board at the distance the gun was sighted in at.
Then fire 5 or 10 shots at each target from left to right. I would right down the beginning and ending fill pressure on each target. And of course shoot from a full fill to the end of the fill ( and what I mean by that is when the poi was dropping where I couldn’t produce a shot to stay on the paper any more).
Then I would go back and look at the targets and see if the groups were better at any certain fill pressure. That way I could pretty well tell what the gun liked with that particular pellet and fill pressure.
That’s why when I got my Talon SS that had the standard tank on it with out the gage kind of gave me a fit because of the way I was use to tuning a gun. I actually took the tank off the gun and checked the fill pressure at the end of each 10 shot target. But it all worked out.
But like I said I do both now (targets with fill pressure and chrony) every time I make a change or test new pellets. A little time consuming but I like to shoot if you know what I mean. 🙂
I need to re-phrase this.
“I didn’t have a chrony at first so I would watch the poi. What I finally started doing even after I got my chrony was this. I would put 3 or 4 targets up on my board at the distance the gun was sighted in at”
Should say that after I got my chrony I would use the chrony to check the fps then use the targets and fill pressure to see the poi verses fill pressure.
I did the 3 or 4 targets and fill pressure tests before I even got my chrony. Then added the chrony testing in with the mix after I got it.
Another question for anybody with more experience than three months on a Chinese breakbarrel. There is probably no need on a PCP if they are recoiless are the good synthetic stocks engeneered with metal in them for proper mating with rifle components and rigidity? And are wood stocks glass bedded?
BB
Looks like the extra shots per fill promised by Crosman in the new Mrod is useless if the rifle is inaccurate at high fill pressure?
Ton,
I’m not B.B. but here’s my take.
The extra shots “promised” by Crosman aren’t “useless” they just need to be found.
One of the SPECIAL things about the Marauder is adjustability. The outofthebox Marauder that is being tested can’t be sold short on shot count since it hasn’t been adjusted and tested. Doubt B.B. will adjust this .22 cal since he went in depth adjusting the Marauder .177 cal in part 7 of this lengthy series (click on the part 7 link at the top of today’s article).
The same adjustments are relevant that are shown in part 7 except, IMHO, the velocity goal for .22 cal should be closer to 850-900fps for the .22 cal Marauder vs. the .177 cal goal of 955 fps shown in part 7.
Kevin
Ton,
I plan on looking into this. I doubt that it’s a mistake. I think maybe the gun needs some adjustment, so I will see what can be done. Don’t rule it out yet.
B.B.
Kevin,
You are so right 850-900 seems to be the “sweet spot”.
Bruce
Bruce,
Good to hear from you. A very Happy New Year to you and yours!
Was hoping you were around lurking.
Yes, almost without exception, 850-900fps is ideal for .22 cal. for my pcp’s.
kevin
BB, in part three of this series you mentioned a problem with the magazine jamming. Has that been resolved, new mag maybe?
Mart T,
Same old mag. It’s just working much better now. I should have mentioned that!
Thanks,
B.B.
BB, is the story of your 1962 silver dime in one of your blog entries?
Pickles,
Here it is:
/blog/2012/04/the-dimes-story/
B.B.
Hi BB!
The Marauder PCP rifle was bought as a Christmas present to myself this year. I have already put approx. 16,000 pellets through the air rifle in 4 days. I also purchased 100 cubic feet carbon fiber tank for the bargain price of over $800. I love it. I also purchased 10 extra magazines since they always break. I have my .177 cal rifle scoped with Hawkee Sidewinder 30. I always keep it on full zoom even when I’m only shooting objects 1 feet away from me. I have shot multiple times the individual molecular dust particles off the individual strands of hair on fruit flies nut sac at over 245 yards away during a category 5 hurricane at night holding the gun with my 2 toes on my left foot without looking through the scope. Keep in mind I was using full power setting and shooting JSB Heavy pellets with 3,000 psi fill.
What…. ?!?
Hahahahaha… 🙂 😉 😀 😀 😀
Are you making fun of me? Because if you think I’m stupid, you’re correct. And if you find humor in my stupidity you are in luck because I’m on a pretty rapid decline and what’s left of my wit seems to be slipping at least as fast as the rest of me. And if I’m an annoyance don’t worry. While surfing through these blog archives I read somewhere that a lot of times you’ll see someone new show up and be very vocal at first and then hear little to nothing from them in the long run. I can guarantee I fall into this category. In all probability this is my last lap around the sun and with all certainty I won’t see two. If I’m on the computer I’m probably not all there and doped up to boot. My time is short and I’ve been making the most of it. So either way I apologize for rambling messages devoid of intelligent thought.
Ben
This was not about you – or anybody else! That would be unpolite.
Incredible!
I mean incredibly funny!
I was laughing my you know what off. 🙂 Nothing like funny sarcasm. Or was that seriuos sarcasm. 😉
I just wanted to pull the legs of all the gunitis out there. 😉
We just need more humour in the blog 🙂
That sounds like what I read on a regular basis on one particular website. Almost daily, too.
twotalon
HotLead
Well from the different little scenarios you explained it sounds like you have been around the airgun world.
What kind of guns do you shoot? I think people will be interested to know. I bet they will have something good to say about what you have. Well maybe I’m speaking out of place you never know what a person could say.
Gunfun1
I am a competition shooter. I use air guns from Walther and Steyr, but I am also using FX and Weihrauch. I have been around the airgun community for many years, and visits this blog from time to time.
HotLead
I figured that you knew something about guns. But what happened is while I was reading and laughing my head off my oldest daughter that reads the blog came and asked what I was laughing about.
Now don’t get mad at me or her but this is what she said. Oh and by the way she’s 16 and my other daughter is 13 and both have been shooting since they were about 7 years old. But she asked why even post something like that. It just wasted time and space. And she said that sounded like the response she got at school when some body was trying to talk down on one of her friends.
So I guess the thing is you really don’t know how a person is going to determine something when you write or say it. I thought it was funny but my daughter asked what if he’s talking about you or somebody here on the blog.
But I say no big deal. But that is something I try (like I say Try) to do when I say or write something is hopefully say things that wont offend somebody. But also I would like to know what FX gun you have. I got the Monsoon and love it.
Gunfun1
You impress me that you have made both your daughters enjoy shooting. Take well care of them and keep on shooting 🙂
The joke was just a joke and nothing else. I never intend to talk down on anyone. That is rude, especially since something written on the net will be there forever. It is always difficult to know how something you write is determined by other readers.
I guess we all have read comments from new born air gun shooters who writes expert reviews about their 60-100 dollar pellet guns as they were surgical instruments intended for super duper long range sniping and with the same power as a hunting rifle 🙂
I got the Monsoon too. It is very accurate 🙂
HotLead
Thanks for replying back. And thanks for the words about my daughters. They both love to shoot or I should say they love plinking. We have spent the whole day shooting from morning to evening a couple different times.
And you just said it best. I can only agree with what you just said. But I would like to add; that maybe if more people would read BB’s airgun blog they would get a better idea about how we air gunners look at guns. And if kids would read they could get a different perspective of what guns could be used for instead of the negative things that they hear about or see out on the street. Hopefully BB’s blog can be a place for kids to come to to learn about guns the right way. Just another way to point the kids in the right direction I hope.
And cool sounds like you like the Monsoon. Their to darn expensive but I totally like mine. Wish I would of got it sooner than I did. Anyway have fun shooting. 🙂
Shot my old edition MRod for the first time in a while the other day and noticed a wobble in the barrel when I picked it up. Is there a recommends torque for the stock screw? Right now, it’s not a whole lot more than hand tight. (Searched Crosman and the manual, but saw nothing.)
BTW, this rifle never ceases to amaze me… Shot six rounds into a .291 group (apparently, I can’t count), which was a bit disappointing, but followed it up with a .047 group! I do wish I could translate this accurate, short-range (50′ at home) shooting out at 50 yards. Haven’t been able to shrink those much below two inches.
Richard,
No torque spec. Just hand tight. Remember the wood fibers will crush and compress if you get the screw too tight. But the action shouldn’t wobble in the stock, either.
Keep on trying for those good groups. People will tell you to triple the size of a 50-foot group to get 50 yards, but you know different, don’t you? Things aren’t always linear.
B.B.
Epicyclic Swerve
Not!
I’ve been reading some of the Litz literature lately…
I think I’d get the 50 yards group to shrink if I’d spend some time reading about your pellets used out at that range. I’ve got some of the CPH pellets, but never seem to have them with me when the MRod ends up at the range. The CPLs are pretty frustrating to watch as they approach the target (as I twitch to try and get them to move in the right direction).
Appreciate the quick response in regard to the stock screw. Thank you.
Richard,
Picking the right pellets is definitely a key factor in reducing the group size. As you have discovered, the wrong pellet will announce its presence right now!
Good luck with your rifle. My advice would be to try Crosman Premiers (not the hollowpoints, just the domes in the cardboard box), and also several of the JSB Exact domes. I usually find that one of these pellets will group well for me.
B.B.
As I catch up on reading about the MRod .177 50 yards test, I see you got the better result with the CPLs.
I definitely feel a better about my 50 yard shooting now as it would be pure luck for me to out-shoot you.
A perfectly calm, warm day would be nice, but on a day like that you’d be hard-pressed to get me off of the Long Range because it’s just too much fun dinging steel way out there.
O.K., I’m late to the party here, but have a theory to present. Tom said the CP’s (14.3 grain) went all over the place at 3,000 PSI in the gen 2 Marauder. Might this have something to do with the weight of the pellet as well as the fill level? Mightn’t a heavier pellet (18+ grains, i.e. JSB Exact jumbo heavy diabolo at 18.1 grains) respond better to the higher fill level? I just bought my Marauder in December, 2015, and I’m still experimenting, but it seems like it does fine with the heavier pellets at max fill level. Can anyone else duplicate (confirm) my results?
Motorman,
Welcome to the blog.
It doesn’t sound like you have read the latest reports on the .25 Marauder, as I did get better groups with a heavier pellet.
Biut it could be pellet head size, as well. I don’t have that .22 Marauder any more, so it’s impossible for me to test.
Good thinking though,
B.B.