AEA Challenger Bullpup - Add a regulator or something better?

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SkeeterHawk

SkeeterHawk

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Oct 23, 2021
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Florissant, Colorado, United States
I have a question. My son fell in love with the look/feel of the AEA Challenger Bullpup that he saw at the raffle at RMAC. I must admit that the wood thumb-hole stock with built-in bag-rider is pretty sexy, but I really don't like the rear cocking lever and the fact that it isn't regulated. I would like to get him a gun that he likes and can be competitive with. I'm thinking that it is a bad idea to try to upgrade the Challenger to compete because I will probably have to start with a new barrel and go back from there, so I will basically just be keeping the stock and maybe the trigger and I am still stuck with the cocking lever unless I do something really drastic. I would prefer to start with a better platform that has the forward cocking lever, at least. I would prefer not to have to replace the barrel, and valve, etc. Sure I can re-port the system if I have to, but is there a platform that is more "bullet-proof" and ready for competition that has a nice wooden thumb-hole stock? Thanks so much for the insight!! (y)
 
Sqwirlfugger57 said:
How about a Taipan Veteran?
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Great suggestion! I have definitely heard good things about them. It looks like the cocking lever is in the rear on that one too, but perhaps I am looking at the wrong one, or there is an aftermarket mod to change it. Basically, we will need something with a magazine and forward cocking so that he will stand a chance in the Speed as well as Precision because even Precision is timed as well.

Thanks again for the input!!!
 
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I would just get a Challenger Pro in whatever caliber he wants. No bag rider, but I'm sure everything else makes up for it.
Otherwise, a regulated Challenger doesn't suck. It just doesn't have the greatest trigger for competitive shooting. Even regulated, its more of a hunting gun, or perhaps an entry level target gun for someone who isn't obsessed with the most high end gear.

But if he likes it and you don't want to triple your budget, there are preconfigured options with the regulator preinstalled here.... https://www.bintacllc.com/shop

Personally I'd buy from BinTac over Utah (for AEA) because I've only had good experiences with Bin and he probably knows these products better than anyone (and with the most spare parts available too).

If we are talking smaller calibers like .22 and .25 maybe consider an Air Venturi Avenger Bullpup. You'll be saving money in this case, and probably more accurate than a Challenger at reasonable distances.
 
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d3vnull said:
HW100 Bullpup is worth a look
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That was a really good suggestion! I didn't know about the HW100 Bullpup. Looking at the specifications this gun would be a little under-powered. It can only get up to about 20FPE, which is pretty low. There may be a way to increase this, but it certainly checks all of the other boxes.
silvershooter589 said:
I would just get a Challenger Pro in whatever caliber he wants. No bag rider, but I'm sure everything else makes up for it.
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You are probably right, Silver Shooter. We can definitely work with 80FPE in 22cal, but he would be better off with the 30cal in Utah with 120FPE. He can get used to a stiffer trigger, so that should be fine, and the price sure is right. On the Bin Tac site, I selected to filter by regulated, but it only gave me these two choices. Is this the gun you are referring to?

There are a lot of really awesome airgun manufacturers out there and my knowledge base is limited. I really appreciate your input!!
 
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How about a KalibrGun Cricket? That one also seems to check all of the boxes. The Vulcan 3 and the Cricket are in the same price-point and the AEA is significantly cheaper. Does anyone know about the barrels between the three? Reliability and ease of repairing? I want my son to be able to work on his own gun.

Thanks so much again for the insight! Comparing the offerings from different manufacturers is pretty difficult to do, so again, I really appreciate the experience!

Cheers!

Jonathan
 
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