Cheap vs expensive PCP's

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Sure, grab the 1st rifle to bring external adjustments, match (to most folks, maybe not the pro-tuned Styre trigger crowd but...) trigger & shroud.
The Benjamin Marauder. Hans & Ray worked out the external adjustments thing, Benjamin looked at a Theoben match trigger in a mirror, copied it then waited 10 day's past the patents expiration date and it is outstanding-do remove extra torsion spring and adjust- trigger, same with the magazine.
NO shortage at all of Marauder's shooting Field Target and with the right person shooting winning. Also, if needed, likely the very best warranty in the industry with outstanding support.
Certainly I prefer the looks of nice black black bluing and it lacks that, also the original stock not so pretty (thinking you can now get a Walnut stock tho).
Unless you somehow get the rare lemon , which all makers in all price range produce. it will likely outshoot a majority of shooters even tho everyone here shoots sub MOA every time (kidding). Also should that happen no one will take care of the problem faster. I've met a good 100 Marauder owners and not one lemon.
Grab one and be happy.

Now OT, and regarding the Marauder what is up with veryone NEEDING a regulator? Folks won (and still do) no shortage of competitions around the World w/out one. Should you "need" a regulator down the road it is a $69.00 drop in-just buy the original mass marketed one not the latest greatest which is not) and readjust setting screws and yuo have a 10fps spread across the fill.

John
 
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I think you should buy airguns like you buy other stuff. I look for the least expensive "solution" to my need. So I don't own an airgun that I paid $500 for new. I like my Prod, Avenger, and 3 P35s. But if your normal buying pattern is to get the "best" - which your view as most expensive - you can afford then you should probably do that with airguns too. I enjoy making something less expensive guns perform to my satisfaction. I don't spend a lot in the process. New sear screws, a little JB's and a brass screw for the crown, tweaks to the shroud to make them quiet, length of pull spacers. I'd be troubled to own a $1500 airgun that I had to slap a home made butt extension on so I could shoot it. I know there are more elegant ways to address this but my inexpensive rifles don't need the elegant solution, a spacer works fine.

I wonder a little about my Avenger in terms of longevity but I don't see that as an issue for my other rifles. A few O-rings every once in awhile is all I expect them to need and any airgun will need that.
 
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It's has a lot to do with expectations. It can be done but a $600 gun not the best benchrest choice . Buy the best you can afford and add a few bucks to that. Better to go with a good quality used then new at same price. My example of cheap vs quality. Both .30 cal. I expect to bla st soda cans @ 200 yds with RAW HM1000X. The aea hp max .30 is a 70 yd hand cannon @ $600. One a benchrest, the other a truch gun. Love both for there designed purpose.
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I started out with a .22 Mrod , then a Prod , then a Origin in 25 then a Maverick. The only one I've parted with is the Mrod. I would always grab the Prod to hunt with because it's so lightweight and handy , with a rifle stock. I never could get the Mrod good group well at 30-50 yards just OK. I didn't win the barrel lottery like some and it was a big heavy rifle. My cheap Origin makes way better group's at 50 than I could get with my Marauder. Not knocking the Mrod , it had a good trigger, super quiet, never had one problem with it besides the accuracy . The Maverick .22 is far more accurate than any of the lower cost pcps I have owned.
 
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The difficult thing about getting started is figuring what it is that you need and if you can find the value in your purchase.

From my perspective, the more expensive PCP market is loaded with guns that don't have the features that I want. The lower end guns that I currently shoot fit my tastes better. However they did require some work. And yes, the cheaper guns sacrifice some quality in craftsmanship.

That being said, I would gladly spend much more for a PCP if it would fit my needs. It's just that I am less willing to make compromises as the cost goes up.
 
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I recently stepped up from mauraders, umerex, and hatsans etc.. I can tell you they don't compare to my FX wildcat. The smoothness in cocking and trigger are next level. The accuracy is amazing, it's like the gun programs the pellet to hit the target. I would compare it to a Toyota vs BMW. Toyotas are great but BMW just does the driving experience so much better.
 
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beerthief said:
Benjamin marauder won’t perform accuracy wise as a fx, etc… because they will, it takes two, the rifle and the person pulling the trigger for accuracy @ lisamike

"Dead eye" won nationals with a Marauder. Fantastic starter gun .
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? Maybe you should read my post again, I said don’t let anybody tell you that a $300 used marauder won’t compete accuracy wise to a fx, etc… because they will….
 
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mil said:
I recently stepped up from mauraders, umerex, and hatsans etc.. I can tell you they don't compare to my FX wildcat. The smoothness in cocking and trigger are next level. The accuracy is amazing, it's like the gun programs the pellet to hit the target. I would compare it to a Toyota vs BMW. Toyotas are great but BMW just does the driving experience so much better.
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Actually, some Toyotas are BMWs these days!
 
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Whatever you get, invest in something other than a manual pump like an electric compressor or a large tank. I got my first PCP (Marauder) in a package with a manual pump. Yeah, it was great shooting the gun but the pumping sucked. I wouldn’t go out and shoot the gun for fun because I hated pumping it back up. It’s not like shooting powder burners and then having to reload the cases, I enjoy reloading and it’s part of the fun. Pumping on the other hand…

I wanted an FX Impact for about 5 years but could not come to grips with spending $2000+ on an air rifle. After a bout with viral meningitis this summer, spent six weeks with my eyes closed and having double vision for 3 months, I decided there is no someday. Bought a compressor and 5 tins of pellets for a gun I didn’t own. Then I told my wife I was buying the air rifle I want. She had a small fit but got over it and I ordered the Impact in 25 caliber. Best gun purchase I ever made and with the compressor I shoot the Marauder more too.

Try to get your hands on some different guns and get the one you like the best and fits your budget. This isn’t a 300 ultraloudenboomer magnum you might shoot 20-30 times a year. This will be a gun you could shoot thousands of times a year and be able to shoot it just about anyplace or anytime, get what you like and have a way to fill it easily.

edited because of some poor syntax that didn’t make sense…
 
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Chances are if you buy one and you like it, you will spend the big bucks before you know it and then the $500 gun will sit in the safe or be in the classifieds. The $1500 bracket gets you everything you would want/ or need. But then you will look at the $2000-$2500 bracket. The best thing is stopping with one good gun and being happy with your purchase.
 
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beerthief said:
Benjamin marauder won’t perform accuracy wise as a fx, etc… because they will, it takes two, the rifle and the person pulling the trigger for accuracy @ lisamike

"Dead eye" won nationals with a Marauder. Fantastic starter gun .
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I recently bought a marauder from will Piatt’s wife for $200, it is far from a stock marauder, has a 5/8 round heavy barrel not some thin fx liner, wish will was still around so I could ask what was all done to this rifle.. I felt like I stole the rifle for $200, it’s a good shooter, nice trigger that he had to of modified because it’s right around 1lb pull, etc….

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EdinGa said:
I plink, shoot paper and pest when I get the opportunity on my wooded property. I just can't justify a $1500 gun. No hate toward those that can.
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I wouldn’t justify a $1500 gun for what you use an airgun for either.
I never wanted more than an accurate plinker/paper puncher rabbit killer until I found out about big bore weapons.
I justified a high dollar gun that could reach out efffectively to 75+ yds, because it wouldn’t require a tax stamp for legally suppressed hunting and pest control around a couple large ranchs I have access to. Soon I’ll hunt "bbq sized" hogs with it in Texas just because I can now!
 
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Mr303 said:
I wouldn’t justify a $1500 gun for what you use an airgun for either.
I never wanted more than an accurate plinker/paper puncher rabbit killer until I found out about big bore weapons.
I justified a high dollar gun that could reach out efffectively to 75+ yds, because it wouldn’t require a tax stamp for legally suppressed hunting and pest control around a couple large ranchs I have access to. Soon I’ll hunt "bbq sized" hogs with it in Texas just because I can now!
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Airguns are just part of my shooting. I cast and reload too. Airguns are a lot safer to use here at home though.
 
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Cody01 said:
I've been following the $600 and under thread and there has been some very interesting guns but it sounds like most nice one's were acquired used, on smoking sales, or have been heavily modified. So my question is for a guy looking to get started and wants something good and long lasting from the get go is it even worth getting a $500 or 600 rifle or just jump right into $1,500 range. I mean they must cost more for a reason.
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" they must cost more for a reason "
They do indeed. As in all things marketed, quality determines price point. This is NOT TO SAY that everything that is expensive will be of good quality, but the inverse, everything of good quality will be expensive, IS true. In the air rifle world there are a great many pricing levels. Virtually anyone with 100 expendable dollars can get in the game with a reasonable expectation that they'll get a functional item. But, FORM ALWAYS follows function so the basic laws of consumer ship still apply. Buy the best you can afford be it used or new from a reliable source that will/can back up the sale.
 
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Cody01 said:
I've been following the $600 and under thread and there has been some very interesting guns but it sounds like most nice one's were acquired used, on smoking sales, or have been heavily modified. So my question is for a guy looking to get started and wants something good and long lasting from the get go is it even worth getting a $500 or 600 rifle or just jump right into $1,500 range. I mean they must cost more for a reason.
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All great responses to the OP, as expected from an AGN member helping someone out.

But, to the OP, I question your words- “good and long lasting”. What do you mean by that? A forever gun that won’t break down? The word Good means different to everyone. Take a Gamo Urban- to me, and to a lot of folks based on its positive feedback, is a “good” starter gun. Will it last forever without maintenance hiccups? No way, and neither will a $2K platform. They all break down in the form of o ring leaks, poppets wearing out, springs taking a set, etc. and those items aren’t really “break down” like I know break down to be, those are just maintenance items that within 4 hours your back up and running. Break down means to me, there’s a part of the gun in the garbage and you’re making calls for a replacement.

My advice if you’re on the edge of wether you spend $1k or more, vs trying a low to mid range platform first, is to go with the latter so one, you can see if you really like this hobby, two, you can cut your teeth learning about the inner workings of a pcp more easily in the low to mid tier guns, as their designs are way less complex that the upper tier models. Then, as you gain confidence in your mechanical skill set you can buy upper tier guns with no worries about break downs, servicing for maintenance, or even a warranty for that matter. No fears of buying a used gun, cause you know you can fix what needs fixing.

Now, if you’ve got the big $$ anyway and are still itching to start top tier, my suggestion to you is to take heed of everything I just explained and take that itch of yours and spend it on a top tier compressor, instead. Too many times I see the intro into the hobby backwards- big Buck gun first, second, third, but the most important of all things, the air source, is out on the back burner list of importance. From compressors, to tanks, to valves and fill stations, all of a sudden the words “I’m on a budget” comes out. But no where was the word budget mentioned when the person shows pics of his new delta Wolf or fx maverick, all blinged out.

Anyway, that’s my advice, and “that’s all I have to say about that“
 
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