$1600 budget for a 25 caliber PCP

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TheCarFather said:
Will mostly be doing lots of target shooting and plinking, but I also have a serious groundhog problem which is why I want the extra energy from the 25 caliber. At my house the farthest I can shoot is 50yds, but I have access to 100yds plus whenever I'd like.

My Origin in 25 caliber was serving it's purpose just fine until I got my Benjamin Cayden. The Cayden shoots circles around the Origin, so I'm looking for a 25 caliber on par with the Cayden. Since I need to take out the occasional large groundhog, I'd like the rifle to be capable of at least 50ftlbs to give me the best chance. If I can find a 25 caliber that meets my criteria for less than so be it, I don't need to spend that much if I don't have to.

I've also looked at the Kral BigHorn from thebestairgun.com. The gun comes tuned for a smoother shot count, and Kral had it's hand in making the Cayden so I assume I'd like it. Much cheaper than the FX but I assume the FX is worth the extra cost. Buy once, cry once.
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I have a Taipan Compact in 25 and I have it dialed in for about 42/ft lbs. I dropped a ground hog at 35 yds, no problem. But a "fyi", Taipans are heavy, even if you put a light weight scope on it. So, if you plan on walking around with your gun, there probably are lighter options.
 
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I'm pretty excited for my first FX rifle, have always dreamed of having one. For some reason I was really stuck on 25 caliber, but I'm sure the Maverick in 22 should meet my expectations. Farthest I can routinely shoot at my house is just shy of 50yds. I was looking for a 25 caliber mostly for the extra knock down power they can provide. The only troublesome critters I'm after is large groundhogs. I assume the Maverick cranked up with Hybrid slugs should get the job done with a well placed head shot.

One nice thing with the FX guns is all of the upgrades out there. If I ever feel the need for more, I can always add a heavy slug liner and tune for a heavier slug. But I doubt I'll need the extra energy.
 
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Just wanted to update everyone on the Maverick. Quick recap, Maverick in 22 caliber with 600mm barrel, Huma Mod40 moderator, sekhmet mini digital gauges, 480cc carbon bottle, and carbon fiber barrel sleeve. I added a UTG 4-16X44mm scope I had laying around, and picked up a Saber Tactical bag rider.

Last couple of weeks have been a learning experience as I've familiarized myself with the gun. It came to me perfectly tuned to shoot jsb 18's around 925fps, but as expected I eventually wanted more power. I've been tweaking and tuning constantly, trying different pellets/slugs along the way. Thanks to this forum I was able to get plenty of tuning tips by searching, and now seem to have found my sweet spot.

Regs are at 160/125, internal hammer screw 4.5 turns clockwise from maximum. On pw7 I'm at 945fps with FX 25.4g pellets and the accuracy is amazing, even pushed out to 100yds with 1.5" repeatable groups in favorable conditions. FX Hybrids also group fantastic and have been my go-to round for the medium size critters. PW7 has them around 975fps. I can also dial the power wheel down in the 3-5 range and shoot both jsb hades and H&N barracuda extreme hunters very well. I like using the lighter weights for birds and squirrels inside of 35yds.

Overall I'm extremely happy with the Maverick. I haven't done a full shot count yet as I typically just top off once I get down to my first reg pressure of 160bar. That's good for around 60-65 shots at full power so I'm guessing I'd get at least 80 shots before dropping under the second reg. I noticed a measurable difference in air consumption once I started to really get a grasp on the tuning, all thanks to tips learned on this forum.
 
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TheCarFather said:
I picked up a used FX Maverick in 22 caliber, which I've now changed to a 600mm 25 caliber 👍
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I'm almost surprised that you eventually changed your Mav out to a .25 cal after how you had it shooting the .22 cal 25.4 grain pellets. Unless you wanted the extra hitting power of the 34 grain pellet or heavier slugs?

If shooting pellets the 25.4 gr .22 should have a better BC as compared to the 25.4 gr .25 due to its smaller cross-sectional area. I have a Mav Sniper in .22 and love its performance out to 100 with the 25.4 pellets (I shoot 99+% pellets).

At any rate, the Mav with its big plenum is a great gun for you to have chosen, especially in any of the longer barrel configurations where that plenum volume can be so well used. Congrats.
 
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TMH said:
I'm almost surprised that you eventually changed your Mav out to a .25 cal after how you had it shooting the .22 cal 25.4 grain pellets. Unless you wanted the extra hitting power of the 34 grain pellet or heavier slugs?

If shooting pellets the 25.4 gr .22 should have a better BC as compared to the 25.4 gr .25 due to its smaller cross-sectional area. I have a Mav Sniper in .22 and love its performance out to 100 with the 25.4 pellets (I shoot 99+% pellets).

At any rate, the Mav with its big plenum is a great gun for you to have chosen, especially in any of the longer barrel configurations where that plenum volume can be so well used. Congrats.
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I switched to the 25 caliber for the extra knock down power. It's now generating 71 FPE with the diabolo 33.95 heavies. I rarely shoot out past 50yds, so less BC isn't much of an issue. I do miss the higher shot count of the 22 though. Even when I back the power down to shoot the lighter hades pellet, it's still hitting around 52 FPE.

The best part of the Maverick is the fact that I can always move back down to the 22 caliber in the future, I'm keeping the 22 set-up in case I get the urge. But I doubt I ever will as I have a couple of other 22 caliber PCP's that are also tack drivers. That was another reason I went to the 25 caliber since I already had a couple of 22's. They are in the 32 FPE range with JSB 18's. All in all I've VERY happy with the Maverick. I really love the fact that it's not very ammo picky either, at least with pellets.
 
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