Hello, anyone have a good amount of aea challenger experience? what are your thoughts on it bad or good id like to here it . im just getting back into the hobby and im very interested in the challenger in .25 or .30
AEA aea challenger
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The Challenger Bullpup is the best thing AEA makes in my opinion. In todays market I dont think its worth the money though, as there are much better options out there. The Challenger has decent accuracy and a ton of power, but the mags are total garbage and the trigger is pretty crummy. I have two Challengers with the factory regulator option and they are both super consistent for fps and good for hunting at closer distances; but I never use them anymore. Very heavy, not as accurate as my FX or even Gamos, and my 22Cal mags dont even feed.
Some alternatives I would suggest are the Air Venturi Avenge-X, the Stoeger XM1 series, and if you save up a bit more the FX DRS.
If you can get away with a 22Cal the Gamo Coyote is a great value for dollar, but a little lower on the power side ~20fpe.
Some alternatives I would suggest are the Air Venturi Avenge-X, the Stoeger XM1 series, and if you save up a bit more the FX DRS.
If you can get away with a 22Cal the Gamo Coyote is a great value for dollar, but a little lower on the power side ~20fpe.
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Hey first Thanks a bunch for replying, man that's a bummer watching vids and advertising I thought they are well rounded guns with the power adjust and all. so they're accurate to what distance for you? I have a bull boss i don't know if you've ever held one but it pretty heavy are they that heavy? bad mags that's a problem. what cal challengers do you have? so in your experience you don't use yours because too heavy for hunting, long range accuracy isn't so good, Bad mags and trigger man when you add it up that's a lot of issues and some great information which i really appreciate. my second choice is the air avenger 2 bullpup. hey thanks i have something's to think about
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No problem. I have a regular Challenger in 22Cal, and Bullpup Challenger in 25Cal. Both of them will smoke a CA ground squirrel out to about 60yds no sweat with heavy pellets and light slugs. Accuracy goals can be very subjective, but I need to be able to hit a golfball sized target every time. So for me and the testing I have done with my AEA that limits the effective range to 50-60yds. In the pcp pellet world they are not considered accurate, you can expect 2-4moa with one. Maybe even better if you get a good barrel and find the right projectile and tune. To compare there are lots of pcps that can hold 1/2moa at 50yds and 1 moa at 1yds.
The trigger on the Bullpup version is sort of adjustable and I have mine set to be ok considering its a budget pcp. As for the weight my Bullpup with a red-dot, Saber Tac moderator adapter and the hollow FX LDC it weights 9.85lbs. The Bullpup really needs a moderator in my opinion, however the regular Challenger is very quiet in 22Cal bone stock.
But all that said Id grab any of my Gamo/BSA rifles to take hunting or even paper plinking everytime over the AEA. I also have a built Avenger 1st gen that hasnt left the house in like a year lol, as most of my pcp adventures are done FX/Gamo.
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o ok, I'm getting its ok for what it is. that makes sense. in the whole scheme of things your shooting standards are much higher lol so I can understand your point of view. yea I'm a budget pcp guy at the moment lol I've always heard very good things about thee fx lines which would be the pentacle for me but i haven found a way to justify to my wife in getting one yet. lol but I'm working on it. by the way I've noticed the list of scammers on this site is quite large so I'm not sure what to make of that. I see some pretty nice items but very skeptical actually down rite leery. what's been your experience?
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Yeah they are ok for the money, and a year or two ago I would be more inclined to steer a new pcp owner towards a Challenger. But with the addition of several solid budget pcps, and some price drops on old favorites it kinda left AEA behind.
You can get a brand new Gamo Coyote in either 22 or 177 Cal for a lot less than a Challenger Bullpup and they will last you for many years with stellar accuracy. Easier to fill as well, you can even start out with a cheap FourUncles bike style hand pump.
These new Stoeger rifles are getting a lot of positive feedback. They have a Bullpup version too called the Bullshark for about the same price as a Challenger.
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And as far as scammers, wherever there are humans you will find scammers. I dont think there are as many here as most other forums I have traded on. Just take your time, get to know a few of the regular members and its pretty easy to figure out who you can trust. And when you decide to make a deal, just be sure to do it as securely as you can. Paypal g&s will protect the buyer, but fewer people will be using it as a seller in the near future. You can always try to meet up in person or swing by your local air match and talk to some of the locals to see if they have anything for sale.
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yes, I have but not as much a the challenger do you have one? what's the difference between the two?
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I have a Challenger Bullpup .30 and a Bullboss .25. Two very different guns. The Challenger by far the more powerful gun. Although the Challenger can shoot pellets if the power is turned way down, it is slug gun. Even with my DonnyFL Shogun, the Challenger is not backyard friendly. Now ask me which gun I would buy if I could only pick one, the Challenger all day long. Its raw, its simplistic but with the right slugs, it is accurate enough and a hell of a lot of fun to shoot. I also have an Avenger bullpup .22 gen 1. Fantastic, accurate budget gun. I understand the Avenger x is even better.
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Just a comment on the Coyote. They are prone to leak. I purchased a BSA Buccaneer in 25 cal years ago when they were going for cheap. Mine has the threaded barrel with the removable muzzle break. The fill devise is an issue and now I have a leak out the barrel that must be the valve. Accuracy wise they are second to none. English barrels are superb. The triggers are easily tuned to somewhat less than 2 lbs. I gave $234. for mine shipped to my door. The barrels are worth that. If you can work on airguns they are a good buy if not I couldn't recommend one.
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I’m considering an upgrade from my Guantlet V2 SL to a Challenger Pro LB. Strictly bench shooting for now.
What do you think of your purchase? would you do it again?
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I have the Challenger Standard 24 in barrel in .30 cal and have been pretty happy with the performance. Shooting both pellets and slugs with mine I would have no issues hitting golf ball sized targets at 60+ yards with either. The slugs are Nielsen 47.2 gn in .303. (The AEA Challenger series .30 cals seem to prefer .303 over .30 for best accuracy). Pellets are Apolo Air Boss Domed 49 gn or Vortex Strike 48.6 gn. Tuned for best power, I get 8 shots averaging slightly over 90 ft lbs for hunting, from 3200 psi down to 2400 psi. The rifle is shrouded and while not exactly back yard friendly, it is not bad at all in the field.
That's the good stuff, but all is not perfect. The magazines, while perfectly functional, tend to jump out of position upon firing the first couple of shots which is annoying. You get used to it and can learn to reposition them quickly, but I have not found a good fix for the issue yet. My only other real complaint is the weight of the rifle is up there (about 8.5 lbs) so a scoped rifle with sling will hit about 10 lbs. Fine for lugging out to a stand, but tough for a long woods walk.
The rifle can be detuned for a few more shots , or cranked up to 100 ft lbs, with a few less shots. Trigger on my .30 cal was quite good right out of the box, so I have not had to make any adjustments. Wood and metal, fit and finish are quite good on my rifle.
My Challenger Standard, while not perfect, still seems a good value for the $350.00 I spent.
That's the good stuff, but all is not perfect. The magazines, while perfectly functional, tend to jump out of position upon firing the first couple of shots which is annoying. You get used to it and can learn to reposition them quickly, but I have not found a good fix for the issue yet. My only other real complaint is the weight of the rifle is up there (about 8.5 lbs) so a scoped rifle with sling will hit about 10 lbs. Fine for lugging out to a stand, but tough for a long woods walk.
The rifle can be detuned for a few more shots , or cranked up to 100 ft lbs, with a few less shots. Trigger on my .30 cal was quite good right out of the box, so I have not had to make any adjustments. Wood and metal, fit and finish are quite good on my rifle.
My Challenger Standard, while not perfect, still seems a good value for the $350.00 I spent.
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If I saw a cheap Challenger "SL" 24 inch barrel, non bullpup on the marketplace, I would be tempted to buy it in any caliber.
I had one in .357 and it was actually pretty sweet for what it could do. From what I was told is was one of the first sold in the USA several years ago. Loud, yeah. I would kind of like the same in .22 or .25 because those were pushing upwards of 80 ft lbs in those smaller calibers, which is obviously pretty sweet if you can dial in the right ammo.
And from what I hear the trigger was lighter on the smaller calibers as well. Nice wood stock for under $350. I hope someone sells me one.
I had one in .357 and it was actually pretty sweet for what it could do. From what I was told is was one of the first sold in the USA several years ago. Loud, yeah. I would kind of like the same in .22 or .25 because those were pushing upwards of 80 ft lbs in those smaller calibers, which is obviously pretty sweet if you can dial in the right ammo.
And from what I hear the trigger was lighter on the smaller calibers as well. Nice wood stock for under $350. I hope someone sells me one.
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Thank you for the information! that gives me a lot to consider. $350 was be a great price considering current prices.
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I have t fully stretched it out. Just got my scope for Christmas but I’ve been tuning it for proper speed. I got the 61 grain NSA 303 slugs and the AEA 50.5 pellets.
This rifle is a power house. At 160 BAR on the reg which is default and 1/4 turn in on hammer I’m well over 1000 on pellets and 940 on the slugs. 115FPE without even trying. I ca. probably hit 1050+ on the slugs no problem.
She’s a heavy rifle but very solid. Pretty happy so far. Once I get sighted in and tested I can give more feedback. But from what I’ve seen posted these are very accurate out to 100.
Mike
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I have an update. The QD Fox mags found here, and on EBay do in fact fit the regular Challenger models. The scope will need to be very high to clear, but they are hilariously superior to the factory trash AEA mags. I ordered another set of Leapers rings for my Standard Challenger in hopes the mags will be useable for me. I might actually go out and use my AEA pcps again. Havent shot them in 2 years I think, and I will probably get some QD Fox mags for my 25Cal Bullpup Challenger too. I think it needs a diet though Im going to try making a ghetto custom stock to lose a pound or two. The stock weighs over 3lbs which is ridonkulous.
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Happy to hear that the AEA Challenger magazine is working great. Always here to help if you need anything else
!Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year folks!!!
QDFOX, do you have a magazine that will fit the Challenger Standard.30 cal rifle? I do not see a listing on your site for the Challenger Standard series?
QDFOX, do you have a magazine that will fit the Challenger Standard.30 cal rifle? I do not see a listing on your site for the Challenger Standard series?
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