Benjamin Trail NP Reviews

I like the design, the nitro piston, and the overall feel of it.

I'd find a way to stop barrel droop. There should be a latching mechanism that stabilizes the damn barrel in the correct position and keeps it there. You would just release the latch when you want to cock the gun.

Don't bother paying $20 extra for the "20 shots for $20" scope sighting in service Pyramid offers. I paid for it and my rifle arrived nicely protected in the expensive gun case I bought but with the barrel sitting at a 10 degree angle below straight. You would think for $20 they would at least line the barrel up and put a couple drops of Loc-Tite on it to maintain the accuracy you paid for. It arrived just as useless as it would have been if I hadn't paid the $20. I had to redo everything I paid them to do. So, don't bother.

Price

Nothing for me, but I'm new to air guns so I don't know much about them.

I sighted this gun in at 50 yards, then handed it to my wife and her first time ever shooting a gun hit 3 out of 4 bulls eyes from this distance. This gun is a lot of fun.

I like this Trail NP2 just fine now, but I didn't when I initially purchased it. I couldn't get any accuracy or consistent grouping. Shots were all over. I ignored it and shot 500 pellets to break it in. Didn't help. Eventually the included scope went bad and I had to send it in for repair. Decided it was a bad purchase. Then I noticed there was some side play in the hinge where the barrel breaks open. I took the stock off and tightened the screw. Put on a new scope. Amazing difference. Under one inch shots at 25 yards. There is a small set screw that tightens against the hinge scew to keep it from turning loose. My set screw was not tightened down properly. My Trail NP likes H&N target trophy pellets. It groups best when I bench shoot with my hand resting on a bean bag and holding the rife with a light grip. I adjusted the trigger and love it now.

Needs a better scope. I use a Hammers 3-9x40 that is doing well so far.

Pellet pens are great. Get accustomed to the kick. Check the srews often. You can print targets for free from several Internet sites.

Looks very tough , feels comfortable when shouldered , is pretty accurate . this one likes Crosman Premier hp pellets. Is also back yard ,and neighbor friendly.

Should come with better scope , is a little on the heavy side.

Should be takin apart and cleaned of the oils used from factory, and replaced with pelgun oil.

like the look, very dependable gun and with right ammo incredibly accurate

make it lighter

love this gun foer small game and target . reccommend rws and h and n ammo with it

After one year of ownership, and many tins of pellets through the gun, I know I got a lot of gun for my money even though two upgrades (scope and trigger) were needed to make my 177 truly enjoyable. Very quiet (backyard friendly!), not very fussy about pellets but really likes RWS SD, H&N FTT and JSB MDE. With these I get close to 1" groups at 30 yards which I consider good for a gun at this price point. Sighted in at 20 yards there is a flat trajectory out to almost 40 yards. ThCocking effort is ok for a couple of hours of target shooting but definitely not kid friendly. Power is outstanding. Do not think for a second that you need a 22 for humane hunting of rabbit or squirrel at a distance that allows accurate head shots-about 30 yards for me. Very dependable, doesn't recoil much so I have no trouble with bolts or scope screws coming loose or scope moving in the rings or reticle splitting or rotating.

Needs better trigger. The trigger blade is a bit too close to the pistol grip for my hand. An unscoped version at a lower price would be nice. The Centerpoint scope isn't bad, it is actually pretty good considering the entire package is about $200, but it is a budget scope and you know it once you've looked through a nice scope.

Don't expect this $200 gun to perform like a $1500 PCP. But it is fun to shoot and I am very happy with its performance and perfect reliability. Medium weight pellets in the 8-9 gr range provide flat trajectory and more than enough power. Maybe this will go on a closeout sale soon as the NP2 is an updated replacement. I would still choose the NP if you're planning on using the bundled scope at all because only the NP has an AO scope.

Full disclosure, I'm a new air gunner. But like a lot of newbies, I did my homework before I bought my first one. And I have to say, I love this Trail in .22 caliber! The all-weather stock is not "plasticky." It's more like a heavy rubber that feels great. It's not hollow, and it has a nice texture. The bull barrel is very good at silencing the gun. It cocks smooth and light. The weaver rail is really nice, and the included scope works very well for me. Sure, it's not top of the line, but the picture is clear at all magnification levels. And the mil dots are nice for range estimation. The gun is plenty powerful, with minimal recoil. Mine likes to be held right in front of the trigger guard. I have found that it doesn't mind a firm grip on the stock or solid pressure at the shoulder. But it does require a light touch on the pistol grip. As long as I don't grip it hard around the trigger, it shoots straight. Of course, your gun might be different.

You know what I'm going to say. The trigger is miserable! I went with a DIY modification that makes it perfect for me. Other than that, there's nothing I would change about this gun.

So how does it shoot? Well, I can tell you that my gun doesn't like Crosman ammo. I tried the hollow points, domes, and pointed. Then I found a seller on ebay that sells 25-pellet samples for a couple of bucks. If you buy more than one, he combines shipping. So I was able to test a dozen different pellets for under $30. That's way better than buying a tin of each one. So what did I try? JSB wasn't any good. H&N FTT? Nope. Barracuda? Nope. The Beeman Crow Magnums shoot OK. But my gun's favorite pellet is the RWS Super H-Point. With that, I get dime sized groups at 10 yards consistently. As an air gun noob, I'm pretty happy with that. My goal is to keep practicing and eventually get the same size groups at 20 and 30 yards. I am quite confident that the Benji can handle it. If you're on the fence about this one, I say go for it. You're getting a lot of gun for the money here. And Pyramyd Air is awesome!

The weight is really nice the Bull barrel is cool and it is helpful because if you want you can grab the very end of the barrel to cock it.

Nothing...

Remember that there is a break in period it took me about 40 rounds to break it in..happy airgunning and buy this rifle..

I like the 8lb. weight of this rifle which gives me a more realistic practice of a large bore Deer rifle. The fundamentals of good markmanship are exactly the same. The only difference is this rifle is really cheap to shoot. After break-in this Trail NP becomes very accurate. I'm shooting 10.5 gr. ultra magnum pellets. At 40 ft. on the rest pencil size groups are common, with the center shot out. The Center-Point Scope has quality far beyond whats needed for this rifle. I like it a lot.

I did have to make one change for myself. I have small hands and my trigger finger kept sliding down to the bottom of the trigger. Early on this hirt my accuracy. I corrected things by installing a trigger shoe. Now my finger stays in the same spot everytime. No trigger show is made to fit the wider width. I used a Crosman 1377 (for pistols) trigger shoe and milled it to the width necessary for a perfect fit. It can be removed by allen wrench to take the stock off. Makes a really very nice trigger pull.

If you are on a limited budget, but want a pellet rifle that shoots like a higher end model, then give this Trail NP a try.

This rifle is very good quality. It is a good value for the cost. The scope seems to work well. The stock is very comfortable and it points well.

The trigger is definitely horrible. There is a lengthy gap from start to let off. Adjustment doesn't seem to work.

Accuracy is not the best. The owners manual states that there is a break-in period of 100+ shots. I hope that is so.

I can't see why this rifle is getting such bad reviews. Right out of the box I was shooting 1/2" groups at 30 yds and zeroed the scope with 10 rounds. It's a little heavier than it needs to be but contributes to stability. Squirrels are very troublesome in my neighborhood and since I have a small pine grove in my yard, every morning is target practice. I just open my window,load a Gamo Rocket, and the little turds quickly meet a much deserved end. I just bought this little firestick about a week ago and the body count is up to seventeen(17).

I do agree that the trigger could have been better (I would have paid more money for that), but I've adjusted to it.

The solid stock has nicely Knurled hand holds. It is so totally quiet. I can shoot between the neighbors house and mine and they don't notice. The built in Weaver rail makes it easier* to mount a scope. The cocking effort feels like it is about 30 lbs.

I'm not sure I like the balance. It seems to be heavier towards the butt stock. There is a significant [Barrel Droop] on mine so that I had to shim up the rear of the scope to get in the ballpark. Also, I don't like that I am addicted to shooting it. I'm not getting any work done. I'll have to loan it to my kid brother. He's much more responsible than I am.

If I needed to hit something hard over fifty yards away, I'd be grabbing my GAMO .177 Bull Whisper Extreme, not this. Closer ranges? Sure. I like throwing the .22 caliber lead around.

I like the accuracy of this air rifle. Just shoot 1 000 or so in it and wala you have a nice accurate hunting air rifle. This one likes JSB Exact Diabolo 8.44 gr in .177. I get grouping which are a size of a 10 cent in South African currency.

Things to change 1. Trigger, put in a GRT III trigger. 2. Gas Ram, put in a Air Venturi gas ram. 3. Scope place a nice decent scope.

By replacing the gas ram you will reduce the fps to 900/850 and get well over 12 fpe which means you will have a better chance of killing a rabbit better than the English man who go under the 12 fpe. You can make this rifle your project puppy by even changing the stock into something fancy like a laminated stock with raising cheek piece and adjustable butt pads. JOIN US AT www.airrifle.co.za to see why we love PYRAMID AIR and why we buy from them.

Quality gun. Hits hard in 22cal. Super accurate after only 100 shots. 10 shots in 1 in circle at 20 yds. Is really quiet. Gun is not too heavy, feels good.

Pistol grip is a little too close. Trigger is horrible right now. Hope it gets lighter after complete breakin. Will probably upgrade the scope to a Leapers later.

I put blue locktite on screws on barrel, stock, trigger housing and all mounting screws on scope before taking the first shot. Ran bore snake through the barrel a few times also. 1st shot 8 in high n wide at 15 yds. Took 5 shots for 1 in group. After 100 shots shooting 1 1/2 in groups at 25 yds with 10 shot groups even with the horrible trigger. Using the crossman hollow point 14.3 gr that came free with the gun. I am really impressed with this gun. Don't believe you can get a better gun for the price. The trigger has to get better with breakin, right now the gun is still incredibly accurate even with the trigger pull that will wear you out. If it doesn't come around there are trigger upgrades most notably with Charlie da tuna! the centerpoint scope is ok for the price. Seems to be holding good right now. after the first few shots the gun really became quiet. Definitely a good buy on quality, accuracy n price.

accurate

wait for an np 2 and see if it is better

well worth the money

I am still working on breaking the gun in but when I find out the best pellet, look out pests.

Better quality control and inspection. The stock bolts were all loose.

It is a good air riffle and I wanted to try a NP gun in 22. I don't think it will measure up to my 1986 Beeman R1 but we will see.

Nothing!

I wanted a break barrel pellet gun for plinking and small game hunting. The Benjamin seemed to be a good choice. My father has an old Sheridan /Silver Streak that is a dream to shoot. Nice trigger pull and very accurate. He even put an expensive redfield scope on the gun. I was expecting a similar experience. Not to be. This gun is heavy, slow and the trigger pull is absolutely horrible!! You can't hold the gun off hand to hit the broad side of a barn with that trigger. I shoot centerfire rifles competitively and my trigger is smooth and makes accuracy more obtainable. There is no way with this trigger that you can shoot this air rifle off hand with any accuracy at all. You just can't depend on the gun firing with such a lag and inconsistent trigger travel.

I really like the scope on this rifle. It has a very clear image and the Adjustable Objective makes it very easy to get a very clear picture of what you're shooting at. Another thing I liked was how solid the stock felt. It is a little bulky, but I believe this is actually a good thing. More mass means more stable rifle and less recoil.

I'd revise the trigger. Performing the roller bearing / bushing mod does wanders to the factory trigger which is extremely logn, rough and heavy. While you're at it, also remove the spring that makes the trigger heavy. My rifle had extreme barrel droop. I'd max out the scope and could still not getting to hit point of aim. The problem was due to the Alive Jam wedging the Detent between itself and the breech block and at that point the barrel was sloping down. I fixed this by grindin the underside of the breech-block which alowed the barrel to rotate further up before the alive jam locked it. Now when my barel is locked, the breech face is actually resting against the compression tube which makes the barrel point visibly up. This is fine, but those components should have been manufactured to much better tolerances. Breech-block washers.... these are a joke. Made out of plastic that gets squished when you install the barrel, the plastic actually galls and gets damaged.

My gun took a looooong time to brake in. It literally required 500 shots, so if you're buying, order at least one tin of Crosman Premieres and go through them pretty quick. Overall, I think I need to wrap that gun around a tree. I knew it was not going to be perfect but there is pretty much nothing that is done right. Accuracy is still mediocre, the guns appears to be pretty hold-sensitive and I ever ran out of space in the "Things I would change" section of the comments. The inside of the compression tube is rough and the piston was rough and was scratching against the compr. tube inside. Don't even want to start about the gunk that I found inside. Even after brake-in the gun is still doing 600fps with 14gr pellets. That's plenty of power for squirels, but is far from what's advertised. Oh, btw... when you run a pellet down the bore, the pellet takes more effort to pass through certain parts of the barrel. Gust like with other Crosmans that I have - the barrel is of terrible quality.

Just received the gun,have shoot it about a hundred times so far and it keeps getting more accurate. Getting a good 1 inch pattern at 25 yard now? I feel it will only get better as it gets broke in.if you are thinking of getting a pellet gun at a good value this is the one to buy.

Nothing

Weaver Mount are great as when I order a leapers scope most of the time I have to order a set of 11mm dovetail rings but instead im fine. The Quietness of the gun

Quality control needs to get better. I took mine apart and ordered all new parts from crosmans and installed them myself. It brought the gun up to 18 fpe with 18.1 grn JSBs. The trigger is the standard Crosman Trigger. I opt and purchased a grt III trigger. For me the stock is also hard to do the artillery hold as i like to put my hand right in front of the trigger guard but with this gun I can never get the exact same spot. So I switched the stock for a synthetic stock I have at home. The scope isnt all that great...it will get you started. I purchased a Hawke Varmint 3-12x44 and it was a great combo.

Try the H&N pellets...JSB's are also working very well.