Benjamin Silly newb question

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tegridy

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Jul 14, 2024
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hi folks,

I hope you all are doing well. Just ordered my first ever air gun. Excited to say the least! I grabbed the regulated version of the Benjamin Marauder.

Now I am shopping around for ammo.

A tin of slugs sounds like something fun I'd like to mess around with. On PyramidAir website, when I filter to .22 cal slugs, it shows me options like .218.

I know this is a dumb question probably, but can I use .218 slugs in a .22 rifle? it's such a negligible difference that I'd like to think it doesn't matter, but another part of my brain is scratching saying I should ask the pros first to make sure.

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

EDIT:

Thank you all for your replies! I'm glad I came here to ask. I'll take your collective advice and avoid slogs for the foreseeable future, at least until I feel like gun is basically an extension of myself, and I feel like I can experiment with other playful ideas like slugs without messing up any first impressions.

I may post back here on this forum maybe later today or tomorrow, with a potential first "cart" of pellets from Pyramid, and see what you guys think.

Thanks again!

//
 
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I’m no expert, but I’d say go with pellets over slugs (rifling of the barrel, strength of hammer, vibration of barrel, inability to tune, etc…) With Pyramyd buy 3 get 4th free promo that they run, I would grab 4 different kinds and see what shoots best in your rifle. Slightly smaller diameter may shoot better or may not.
 
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Slugs are very, very fussy in my experience (which, admittedly, is 2 PCPs) in that most slug varieties will have poor accuracy. I tried about twenty different slugs in a couple of my rifles in varying diameter. Never got them to shoot consistently well. It can be done, and maybe you'll be more fortunate and find a great shooting slug in your first couple of purchases. Maybe I needed to crank the power way, way, up on my guns to stabilize the slugs, I don't know.

.218 is a correct diameter for .22 caliber, as are .216, .217. Nielsen even makes slugs sized to the nearest .0005".

Definitely grab a variety of pellets. They're cheaper and much more forgiving and their short range accuracy is very hard to beat.
 
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Stick with the pellets. Will be much less frustrating and you will not sour on the gun prematurely. Live it, learn it, love it! Once you put in a few thousand rounds through. Come back with this question, and much more understanding. This strategy will serve you well. Resist the urge to try "all at once".

BTW- Welcome to the forum!
 
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tegridy said:
hi folks,

I hope you all are doing well. Just ordered my first ever air gun. Excited to say the least! I grabbed the regulated version of the Benjamin Marauder.

Now I am shopping around for ammo.

A tin of slugs sounds like something fun I'd like to mess around with. On PyramidAir website, when I filter to .22 cal slugs, it shows me options like .218.

I know this is a dumb question probably, but can I use .218 slugs in a .22 rifle? it's such a negligible difference that I'd like to think it doesn't matter, but another part of my brain is scratching saying I should ask the pros first to make sure.

What do you guys think?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The Benjamin Marauder is an excellent PCP for starting or ending. However, it is a pellet rifle, not a slug rifle. The barrel is choked in the last few inches to improve accuracy with pellets. It will not likely shoot slugs very well at all. I do not have a Marauder in .22 but I have four in .25 and one thing they all four have in common, despite many custom differences and mods, they simply will not shoot slugs of any sorts (and I have tried a bunch) with any useful accuracy.

Try the Crosman Premier Hollow Point from Walmart for $7 for plinking. For best accuracy and energy the JSB 18 grain. The JSB Hades should shoot very well also.

In other words, do not waste your money or time with slugs.
 
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Welcome! No stupid questions here but DON'T get ahead of yourself by thinking about slugs. Find out what a pellet rifle is designed to do first! Pellets are enough of a "rabbit hole" themselves, let alone the deeper hole of slugs! Explore your gun's pellet capabilities, and your own in the beginning. There IS a learning curve involved. Be patient & follow the curve, don't try to jump ahead 20 steps, you'll miss so much! Good luck.
 
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tegridy said:
hi folks,

I hope you all are doing well. Just ordered my first ever air gun. Excited to say the least! I grabbed the regulated version of the Benjamin Marauder.

Now I am shopping around for ammo.

A tin of slugs sounds like something fun I'd like to mess around with. On PyramidAir website, when I filter to .22 cal slugs, it shows me options like .218.

I know this is a dumb question probably, but can I use .218 slugs in a .22 rifle? it's such a negligible difference that I'd like to think it doesn't matter, but another part of my brain is scratching saying I should ask the pros first to make sure.

What do you guys think?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
A few questions, do you drink, do you want to drink more? TRY to get a gun to shoot slugs. Get use to the gun find the pellet it loves, kiss off about $180 on this exercise and A LOT of AIR but....you'll gain experience with the gun.
 
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dgeesaman said:
Slugs are very, very fussy in my experience (which, admittedly, is 2 PCPs) in that most slug varieties will have poor accuracy. I tried about twenty different slugs in a couple of my rifles in varying diameter. Never got them to shoot consistently well. It can be done, and maybe you'll be more fortunate and find a great shooting slug in your first couple of purchases. Maybe I needed to crank the power way, way, up on my guns to stabilize the slugs, I don't know.

.218 is a correct diameter for .22 caliber, as are .216, .217. Nielsen even makes slugs sized to the nearest .0005".

Definitely grab a variety of pellets. They're cheaper and much more forgiving and their short range accuracy is very hard to beat.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Everybody was helpful, but this actually answered my initial question ;) can see my post edit for my conclusion if you like
 
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I will echo what most people have said here. The Mrod is a great first or maybe even last, PCP air rifle. It was my first and it's a good quality rifle. I've bought a lot of PCP rifles since, most high end. They all shot pellets very well, but slugs? That's a big no! Only a couple of my rifles will shoot slugs only because they have the ability to produce the power necessary to make slugs work. Slugs seem to be accurate at velocities above 950 fps. You won't get that from your Mrod. In all my .22s, JSB 18.1 gr pellets are most accurate. That's a good starting place and you won't be discouraged.
 
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