Benjamin Marauder .177 being delivered today!

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ironlion269

ironlion269

Member
Mar 10, 2017
773
78
North Central Indiana, United States
I am taking my biggest step into the airgunning world by adding a .177 Marauder to my small, beloved collection of airguns. I chose the Gen 2 model in wood stock without a regulator and plan to use a 3-stage Benjamin pump (also expected today) to provide HPA. I plan to put my Hawke Vantage 3-12x40 scope on it though that's just a stop-gap; I'll be buying another optic in a couple of months to be the dedicated partner for this gun.

I've kept up with the PCP discussions here on AGN for the last 8 months, especially the "spirited discussions" that lay out the arguments for-and-against when choosing between high end, mid range, and low end (price point) models. As with my thoughts on springers, I believe that beginning with a low-to-moderate priced gun is a really good strategy for someone just entering the sport. While not a universal opinion at all, I stand by my conviction that encouraging noobs to spend less and discover a love for the sport is better than advising them to save up more, skip the low-end stuff, and buy a pricier gun that may become a legacy for generations to come. Your mileage may vary on that question.

None of that had anything to do with my choice of a Marauder! I have loved the look of this gun since I first discovered the world of PCPs. I fell deeper in love when I found out how quiet and accurate has proven to be; I pledged my dog, my car, and my firstborn to it when I saw how versatile and adaptable it is as a shooting platform. Don't fret, my firstborn is expendable... I will miss that dog, however.

I blame my purchase of a Daisy 853 last Fall for my fall from grace, straight into the fires of pressure tubes, O-rings, and 1/2" groups at 50 yards. That SSP Daisy with its superb recoilless accuracy put the bug in my ear regarding PCPs. Imagine, my inner airgun geek said, having a gun that shot nearly as accurately as the 853, but at 50 or 75 yards? A multi-shot rifle well suited to true pesting due to follow-up capabilities? A mind-bogglingly popular rifle with so many mods and so much aftermarket support that you can quadruple your investment in the gun with just a few mouse clicks? OK, so my inner geek tried to gloss over that last one but let's be honest here.

So here's to taking the plunge and joining all the cool kids in the air gun community. May our O-rings stay lubed, our barrels well-crowned, and our pellets low cost. See you on the range.
 
UPS says at least 1 of the 2 packages has arrived. Of course I've no way of knowing which package or what parts of my order are in the house. Text to My Treasure at home has gone unanswered. I think she's glamming up for a shindig tonight. My airgun addiction is just so much white noise in her world. I feel like it's Christmas Eve and the clock has stopped at a quarter to nine.
 
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Great! Sounds like you thought enough to get it right the first time ( so naturally it is the last you will "need").

Also noted your very realistic accuracy impressions, the 853 if in good shape is hard to out shoot indeed and has ensnared many others.

You seem the type to have already researched all mods you may desire but just in case here's the trigger ( gen1 but that's okay):

"lightening the trigger" is about 3/4 way down the page

https://avveduti.wordpress.com/category/airguns/marauder/page/3/

lot's of other good marauder info there.



Hope your other package arrives.



John
 
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My .177 Marauder is my most accurate air rifle. I have two gen 2's, a wood .22 and a synthetic .177. The .22 needed some tuning but shoots awesome now, the .177 was nails right out of the box. Itwill shoot any JSB pellet well but 10.3s and 8.4's are usually a very small ragged hole at 25 yards......like 1/4 inch. It isn't fussy about psi either, it shoots well from 2,800-2,000 with pretty much no POI change. It is super quiet, it came shooting JSB 10.3's at 810fps so it isn't maxed out but it is perfect for 25 yards in the backyard and pesting. 
 
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UPS lied, both packages were delivered yesterday. My Treasure, who was home to take delivery and provide the signature required (21 or older per UPS rules) kindly sent this text along to me: "I couldn't sign for it because I looked underage. They said they would try again next month, when I was older!" She has her birthday next month, the funny wretch. To make the day perfect I got home only to have to turn around immediately and take My Treasure, Her Mini-me (daughter), and my Little Buddy (grandson) down to Indy for a family thing. What should have been a 50 minute drive became a 1 hour and 40 minute haul due to road work, evening commute traffic, and general lunacy among the sheeple behind the wheels. All I got done Marauder-wise was to open the box, unpack the rifle, and admire myself in the bedroom mirror as I shouldered the crown jewel of my arsenal. This weekend is going to be chock full of airgun exploration, and not on YouTube! Hot diggity!
 
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Welcome to the money sucking blackhole we call pcp shooting. In one month i bought my entry into the wold in the form of a benjamin wildfide, a hand pump, a Hatsan at 44 (a sale so good I couldnt refuse), a new scope, and a Chinese air compressor plus a couple tins of pellets. Thank goodness my boss put me on a 2 week layoff so the supreme ruler of the house put a permenate freeze on my allowance, other wise who knows what else would have ended up in my house. Great choice on the marauder. That one is on my short list as they are just rock solid shooters and a modders delight.
 
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Thanks to all for the kind welcome to my next phase of addiction! I put together my Benji pump, installed a Hawke Vantage on the dovetail rail, aired up the Mrod, filled my two magazines (I bought an extra with the rifle), and finally began shooting at 8 yards in my garage. First round of shots went from 2700 psi down to 2000 psi and gave me 40 consistent shots at no particular target. I might have been able to get more but decided to refill the air and see if I could go further. Pumped to 2900 psi and began casual aimed shooting at 8 yards. 60 shots from 2900 down to 1750 psi, with lots of tantalizing signs of how good this rifle can be. On the down side, my Hawke keeps wandering with it's POI; it got to where I decided to take it off the gun in favor of a 3-9x32 Barska I have on hand. Now that is a disturbing development, but an addict's gotta do what an addict's gotta do. I intend to take the action out of the stock and adjust the transfer port limiting screw to come closer to minimum release than factory preset. My goal is to maximize my shot count at lower velocity without going so far as to compromise pellet stability in moderate wind. In short, I want the Golden Goose and "I want it NOW!" Saturday is going to be a hot, muggy day here in Central Indiana so I'm actually very glad the cheek riser on the Marauder stock is synthetic - I won't have to worry about water damage to the butt as I work to understand the hammer preload and stroke length adjustments. See y'all on the range.
 
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Paper and plinker for the moment. I'd like to get into pesting at local farms and other commercial sites but don't have the time or funds to get the insurance coverage most commercial operators require. Currently I also lack the personal contacts that might lead to permissions on private properties, but I hope that changes as I get to know more people in this area. Meanwhile, I have options for plinking and setting up paper targets that keep me happy. Best of all are 2-liter bottle caps and other small lids from grandkids' yogurt pouches; put those out at 25 or 50 yards and surprise the powder-burner crowd with the accuracy and power that l'il ol' airguns have these days.
 
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Be careful of these guys.....



They will have you sucked in deeper than you would ever believe!

I was looking and they made me buy the same one you got! It is as fantastic as they say! 

Then they made me buy a pump. Then a tank. Next they will make me buy a compressor. Then ya gotta get the .22 version to make it a pair. The list go on!......

So beware! You can't have just one!

Also... They know what they are talking about. They will give you good advice and you should listen and ask questions. 



Happy plinking.....
 
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Congrats on the new Marauder. They are great guns and my first was a Marauder .25. I can offer a little tip to increase your shooting pleasure. The .177 usually comes shooting pretty hot. Like maybe 945-950 (with the 10 gr pellets). You will see that you get maybe 50 shots per fill. Get your chrono set up and back off the hammer spring just a bit and slow it down to about 900-905 fps. It will be very accurate and your shot count will go up to about 90 shots per fill.



Enjoy!



Crusher


 
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Let me add my welcomes to the club. I too have a Marauder (25 cal.) that is only about 3 months old. This is actually my second Benjamin product. My first is a 22 cal pump of which I purchased when I was about 14 tender years of age. I'm not even sure what model it is but it is definitely still functional as I am into my 7th decade now. Having reached this point in my life I decided that I deserved a new air rifle and that is how I came to own the new Marauder. Like you, I love the gun and shooting it. I mostly shoot targets in my backyard at about 25 yards but once in awhile a woodchuck critter will wander into my sights and then, shame on him. Sometimes them little red squirrels also pay the ultimate at the bird feeder. Anyways I get your excitement and share the feelings. There's nothing like holding a stock in your arms and sighting down a set of cross hairs. Enjoy your new gun.

Let me just mention one more thing: I have real good luck with those PolyMag pellets They are killer in my Marauder.
 
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Thank you all for the encouragement and congratulations! I've been taking it slow, getting a feel for the gun: its weight, balance, and feel at my shoulder; its trigger (really nice out of the box); its sound, or lack thereof; and of course its accuracy.

@airslave, you are right - it takes a heapin' helpin' of self control to keep the peace at home and the funds in the communal checking account when the airgun bug bites. I'm thinking of selling a kidney to finance the next steps. Maybe My Treasure won't notice any more scars among the ones I already sport on my dorsal side.

@crusher, a great and timely bit of advice! I have been getting about 60 shots per fill in the short time I've been testing and was wondering what adjustment(s) to try in order to up my shot count. I am not into power, per se, so dialing it back to get milder performance and more shots is just what I'm looking to do. Thanks for sharing your experience.

@snapshot46, I too have 25 yards to play with so this rifle is, for me, perfect. I have seen so many shooters having great success with the Polymags but they seem to have a premium price tag for a non-hunter like me. I am going to keep your advice in mind going forward, though, as it would be wise to have a proven hunting/pesting pellet on hand for the "you never know" moments.
 
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Good choice in rifles. I have one on the way to me as well. Can't wait to try it out. I did set up a buddies 22 marauder quite a few years ago. It is one sweet shooting rifle. Hope you enjoy yours. I notice you are from Indiana. Me too. West side of state near I-70. Looking to start some Field Target once I get my rifle. If it isn't too far, maybe you could come join us.

May you always be blessed with Good Shooting!
 
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