Benjamin Discovery Rifle Reviews

This is my first PCP rifle. I love the accuracy! I am a fan of trigger update mods so I immediately ordered the $49 upgrade from Alliance Hobby. With the brass trigger and adjustment screw it is now a smooth and easy release. The hand pump works well and seems to fill to 2000lbs with about 80 compressions. I think its an excellent rifle for the money.

Nothing yet.

It has a pressure guage. Its lite weight. It is accurate. It is not difficult to pump up. It shoots hard and straight. It has a wood stock.

I would carve the stock a bit more. It is pretty blocky through the pistol grip and forearm. I would not put the dark stain on the stock which is almost like paint. Cant see the wood grain, I like wood grain. I will likely sand it down later. Its a good gun, can't really knock it too much. It is kinda loud but some of the reviews make it sound worse than it is. Its not an indoor gun but out in the country where it live doesn't seem too much at all.

This is my first PCP. Shot pellet guns for years and some pretty good quality ones too, BUT this one is a pleasure too shoot. It is fun and accurate, Basic gun, No frills. I shoot it (pressure) in the mid-green section of air guage and get 10-15 shots that are practically same whole. Highest green into high yellow doesnt do much good, those 5-6 shots do not group good. If you get down to low green into top of lower yellow and want to shoot another shot just hold an inch high, but its time to air up at that point. The sound changes and starts to squeek a little at low air, you will know it is time to pump up. If you have varmits as we do the gun really knocks them down. I have mostly shot Crossman Premier 14.3 gr. so far. I have mostly shot 25 to 40yards and it does it well. Loading is a little tight with a scope but you will get use to rolling the pellet into the bolt face. Wife likes it too. It is not a toy, requires adult supervision.

For somebody that didn't really want to get into PCPs, it's a great intro rifle for the price. Lightweight and pretty balanced, love the enhanced sights, very accurate right out of the box shooting Premiers

Again being my first PCP, some of these may just be part of owning a PCP. Biggest would be the charging via the hand pump. A longer charging line would be nice so you don't have to lay the rifle on the ground while pumping, less strokes for a charge or easier strokes. Possibly a larger breech for people with fat fingers and a better quality rear site. There is an elevation screw but mine didn't even touch the barrel until the screw almost fell out so I loosened the mounting screw and shimmed it. Not very professional but works for now.

I've owned plenty of gas charge, springers, CO2 and pumps but this is my First PCP. If It wasn't for the limited shots between charges, this would jump to the front of my favorites.

Nice quality and lightweight. Fairly accurate for a low end rifle. Easy to use.

Add and extra barrel band from the factory. Larger air reservoir for more shots per fill.

The hand pump takes some work. You only get 16-18 useable shots per fill.

This is in regard to the .22 caliber model. Great value, consistent accuracy, very consistent velocity for a non-regulated valve, ease of re-filling air, size-weight and balance is great. It has ample power for small game, target shooting at longer range and inter-active target shooting where some "oomph" is required to make the target do it's thing. The included pump has been easy to use and trouble free for over 2 years of regular use.

The loading port is small and requires careful loading. It becomes somewhat more difficult with a scope mounted.

We ran our .22 over a chronograph with Crosman Premier HP pellets (the most accurate of all the pellets we tried). The first 4 shots at 2000 psi are averaging 798 fps. After that the velocity jumps to 812 fps (1850 psi) and hangs in there for about 5 shots. Shot 10 or 11 will always show a slight dip in velocity to the mid 700's, but the accuracy and point of impact on the 25 yard target remains consistent until about shot 16 where the POI starts to drop. We have a Leupold Vari X-III 3.5-10X scope on this rifle. The scope may be over-kill for this set-up but we had it lying around with no other use. Accuracy is phenomenal. 25 yard 10-shot groups are less than a Dime in size. With no wind (or indoors) we've squeezed out 6 shot 1-hole groups. This is also with the scope on 10X. The trigger is a little mushy and takes some getting used to, but at this pricepoint it's hard to complain. We shot 44 red squirrels last season. Shots were from 20 -45 yards, mostly head shots.

The discovery was my first pcp and still is my favorite. I will start off by saying I really enjoy the more traditional look of a wood stock. The fit and finish is very nice for the price point. I love that the rifle has a smaller resovoir so that it is pump friendly, but also I get a crazy amount of fills off my small carbon fiber bottle!! The discovery is also very light even with a scope mounted. I have found it a pleasure carrying it in the woods. The bolt action is very smooth and placing a pellet is no problem. I have other airguns but is the one I will never part with. It has taken many squirrels rabbits and even raccoons. The gun is very accurate. Mine seems to like many .22 pellets, but my go to have been the H&N Barracuda hunters.

The things I would have changed I did. They include a tko muzzle brake. This takes the loud report to a whisper. I added a brass aftermarket trigger from baker airguns. I good upgrade for trigger feel. An extra barrel band to really hold the barrel still. I think this made an accurate rifle into a really accurate one. One could hope for a multi-shot, but I find the single shot causes me to slow down and enjoy my rifle more.

I would suggest a tko muzzle brake as a must. It just makes the rifle so quiet. I would not hesitate on purchasing this one. If something ever happened to mine I would purchase another in a heartbeat. Who knows it might become your favorite too!!!

The Benjamin Discovery is a solid, accurate, air rifle at a good price. This pump does a good job filling the rifle and is simple to use. Most people will have no problem pumping the rifle from the lower end of the cylinder capacity to the maximum recommended pressure. That means that one can have a good PCP air rifle without buying an expensive compressor or having access to a compressor. With a suppressor, one can very comfortably shoot the rifle indoors without ear protection. Shooting outdoors without a suppressor or ear protection may be okay, but most will prefer having one or the other. Many other accessories are available for these rifles from various aftermarket dealers. Benjamin may not always approve, but these accessories can be nice options. For someone wanting to get into PCP shooting on a budget, the Discovery remains a great choice.

One company makes an excellent aftermarket suppressor, but the valve cover doesn't fit with the compressor installed. Benjamin should accept that many people want a suppressor and change the design of the valve cover to accommodate the suppressor. I can imagine a cover with three semi-circular depressions at 120 degrees from one another looking good without the suppressor and both looking good and functioning well with the suppressor. A slightly longer hose on the pump might be nice. Getting the rifle in a good position for pumping can be awkward at times.

The bolt will be stiff for the first dozen or so shots, but the bolt will be pretty smooth within a short time. I've heard that someone makes a "stripper clip" loading system. This device doesn't turn the rifle completely into a bolt-action repeater, but the device does help position pellets for faster feeding from shot to shot. I haven't taken the time and money to get one of these, but many people will enjoy their rifle more with this addition.

Price, accuracy, the looks of the gun (its simple)

Maybe a better trigger. I realize this would affect the low price so Im kind of on the fence.

The stock gun comes with only one barrel band so the end of the barrel can be moved if you hit it on something. Supposedly this doesnt affect the accuracy but I knew it would bug me so I ordered a second barrel band and now its secure. Not mandatory by any means but I like the barrel to have a secure feeling.

It feels great and is nice to handle. Pumps up and loads easy. I really like shooting it when I have time to shoot.

Really there isn't anything I would change.

Mine has no power like I thank it should, shot a squirrel at 15ft and he flipped around a time or two then run off. I haven't found any one in my area that works on air rifles.

Very accurate easy to fill with hand pump

Trigger, finish on blueing and would include a scope at no extra charge

The power of air rifle is great.

Not one thing I would Chang.

Buy one.

I have only shot 100 rounds so this review is initial opinion. Looks great and appears to be well made although out of light materials. I do not think it will take much throwing around. Power is awesome. First shots went right out the sloped back of my 14 gauge metal pellet trap. I had to install a 3/16 plate to correct that. Also, I had constructed a swinger target with 3" square 16 gauge metal swingers. First shot from 15 yds, went right through the metal without hardly making it move creating a 3/8" hole. The accuracy is great, however I had to raise the rear sight to the max to get zeroed at 15 yards. No further adjustment left for longer distance. I plan to install a scope so that is not to important. Altogether, I am very pleased with the purchase. I also got the pump with the rifle, 40-50 strokes from 1000-2000 psi. Pumping is not difficult until the last few strokes which you have to put some weight into. The gun is a little loud but not objectionable.

The sights are good but the front sight appears to be too high limiting distance adjustment.

light weight

longer stock

need to get high/tall scope rings to help in loading

Powerful when fully charged. Multiple shot feature an asset when hunting

That said,I'm afraid it goes downhill from there. It is what it is but in my opinion, not what its said to be. I am a competition shooter in other disciplines and there is no way to get good groups with a cheap harsh plastic trigger like the one on this rifle. I have ordered an upgraded one from Alliance Hobby, but haven't received it yet. The bolt tries to open when you fire and you get a small blast of air in your face. I put a rubber band around it which helps but do I need to tell you what that looks like. The stock is completely functional but somewhat crude by my standards. I can see sanding marks where it wasn't properly finish sanded. An airgun in this class I test out to 50 yards. Contrary to what I had read before purchasing, (inch and sub inch groups at 50 yards) I haven't come close. I have tried JBS, H and N, RWS, Beeman, and Crosman. Groups at 50 yards are well over 2 inches. I have springers that can shoot close to an inch.

The number of shots from a charge is misleading. You may get 15 or 20 at close range but only 7 or 8 at 50 yards before your pellet begins to drop. From a full charge, fire 10 shots it takes about 35 pumps to recharge. 20 shots takes about 75. The Benjamin pump is not overly hard to use however as one well known writer said, he could pump it up one hand while sitting (I don't think so) another exaggeration. I know this is supposed to be an entry level PCP. So far I have invested over $600 to outfit this airgun and don't see it. Maybe I should have invested it in another nice springer. I have a sizeable airgun collection however, this is my first PCP and perhaps my last. What I have told you are the FACTS, not some writers B.S.

one hole at 26 yards using 14.3 jsb and air arms 16 gr ..... chronograph results are crosman 14.3 902 fps jsb 14.3 890 fps air arms 16 gr 862 fps

not a thing

pump works well and gets better with use !! it brakes in not out i get 15 very accurate shots going from 2000 down to 1500 psi

I love the fact that this gun has a pressure gauge on it. That way i know before shooting as mine will sit from time to time before using.

Bolt action is pretty loose and slips open pretty easily.

When i first received this gun i tried to pump it up and just heard air leaking from the barrel. I was originally disappointed and thought i would have to send it in for repair, but after reading some blogs, I found when it has no pressure in it you need to cock it for it to pressurize. The instructions state to make sure gun is not cocked or loaded before pressurizing.

Light weight PCP. Accuracy is good enough for a hunter/ plinker, probably not going to win bench rest competitions with it though. It has open sights and a wood stock. Add a pump and some pellets a few minutes sighting in and it's ready to hunt. Easy to add optics. Mine shoots 14.3 grain well and likes CP (inexpensive and common) better than most that I have tried.

I would like a power adjuster. Better quality control....seems barrel band is often misaligned from factory? A bit tricky to get pellet loaded with scope....not sure how to improve. Some way to keep the bolt handle down so blow back doesn't occur....I use a rubber band or my thumb.

Accuracy is better than I can shoot with open sights so I added a scope. This rifle needs a challenge, plinking at normal targets at 25 yards can get tedious. My son and I hit a 6 oz tin can (smaller) dangling on a fence at 65 yards with a decent crosswind fairly consistently with this rifle. The rifle deserves much of credit since we are average at best marksmen. This isn't a fancy gun but it sure is fun. It's light weight and accuracy make it my go to for sparrow and starling pest control.

This gun is very accurate, I tried out 16 different types of pellets and they all shot very well, only about 4 of them had a group larger than a quarter at 15 yards, and there were a few with groups inside a dime. If you are used to a regular firearm then this gun won't seem loud, every one says it is really loud but I didn't really notice. If you get this gun I would really recommend finding a lot of pellets to try out, I thought the JSB jumbo rs were the best with a group a little smaller than a dime, then I shot the copper coated H&N barracuda pellets and the group was less then the size of a dime.

Make the trigger adjustable

The gun seems hard the cock but I figured out that the easiest way to cock it is to put your thumb on the part that sticks up to hold the scope and pull back with your thumb and other fingers to load it a lot easier, also, there are no instructions on how to connect the includ d air pump to the gun, so what you do is you pull the ring on the tip of the nozzle of the pump back and slide it on the gun then push it forward to lock it in place, hope this helps.

THE BENJAMIN DISCOVERY IS A LIGHT RIFFLE I GIVE IT A PLUS IN THIS CATAGORY IT;S VERY POWERFUL IT IS ACCURATE FOR WHAT I AM GOING TO USE IT FOR IS HUNTING I LIKE THE 22 CAL.YOU DON;T HAVE TO PUMP THE RIFFLE TO HIGH IN PRESSURE WITH THE HAND PUMP I WISH I HAD THIS RIFFLE 30 YEARS AGO.

THE CROSSMAN CORPORATION IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE NOTHING ON THIS GUN THAT WHAT I HEARD FROM THEM THE ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IS BOLT ACTION SHOULD GO BACK A QUARTER OF AN INCH SO I CAN PUT THE PELLET IN EASERY

THE BENJAMIN DISCOVERY IS VERY LOUD THE TRIGGER NEEDS WORK ON BUT THE REST IS UP TO YOU YOU ARE NOT SPENDING A LOT HARD EARNED CASH AND IF THIS IS YOUR VERY FIRST RIFFLE BUY IT YOU WOUN;T BE SORY I LIKE IT WITH A FEW MODIFCATIONS IT;S JOY TO SHOOT

Look, this rifle is probably one of the most customizable, personalizable, modifiable air rifles in existence. If you can find more fun for $200.00 get it. I don't count the pump which you must have as part of the purchase price, just like I don't count the cost of batteries in the price of electronics. This little gem has changed my shooting world. Prior to buying it after much reading and investigating what to get I cant say one bad thing about it. I have recently discovered that it loves JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy 18.13 Gr. pellets. Before I found this out the rifle was fun, now it's a freaking blast to pull out. I'm not able to shoot at great distances yet but the dime sized groupings at 15 yd's is great fun. When I can place a target or object I feel like punching holes into, inside my pellet trap and go to town on it knowing all pellets will end up in the trap because of the accuracy of this rifle that makes for hours of worry free fun in the back yard.

Nothin'

Some will review this as sounding like a .22 rifle going off. That simply isn't even close to the case. Although it may be kind of noisy ( like a hammer hitting wood) it is nothing like a real fire arm going off. I can fire it in the back yard and my wife says from the front yard it sounds very reasonable, barely audible at times. That would not be the case with a .22 rifle being fired in a neighborhood. Make no mistake this thing has power, it is not a toy. Don't put this in the hands of kids used to playing with their Daisy and think that they are safe to handle it alone.