Benjamin Newbie Picking PCP

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kbrunk

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Nov 19, 2024
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Dallas, Texas USA
Ok - Narrowed it down to the Benjamin Marauder Weihrauch HW100 Long barrel
Picking .22 cal and need quiet for back yard shooting of mainly targets at 100 ft and squirrels.
Need to get a scope pick and want comments --
Marauder seems to have a few air leak comments on the web -- not sure if this is just a one off.
Looking forward to comments
 
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Notos. Don't consider anything else.

I use a 4-16x44 compact SWAT UTG scope on mine. Others have the BugBuster UTG. I don't like those small objective lens scopes but the bug buster would be smaller / lighter for sure.

100 feet?, my Notos is zeroed for 25 yards. Domed a squirrel at 63 yards with FX Atomics. Notos has the power and everything you need.
 
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Welcome to the forum. You have picked 2 pcps in a broad price range, both of which are fine choices. Maybe not the ones everyone is going to jump into suggesting you start with though.

Of the 2 you have narrowed down, I would suggest the Benji Mrod. The Mrod has a long history and lots of info on the web for repairs and upgrades etc. Still lots of parts out there available as well. It is low on the power side compared to what is on the market today, but will serve you well for backyard pesting.

But some other great options are the Gamo Urban or better the Coyote, as mentioned above the Notos is a good value too.
 
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Firewalker said:
Ok, SUPER old, underpowered pcp.

If the M-rod is fine for you, why not look at the Notos?
Click to expand...
Agreed, older technology and long/heavy. Also, very popular and beloved as a first-time PCP. Many upgrades but it might be tough to get any return on upgrade investment, if reselling. WM
 
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If you can afford the HW, buy that and don’t look back. It’s a tried and true design. I would call it and upper tier gun.

I purchased a Mrod a couple months ago. A 22 Walther barrel refurb from Airgun Revisions for half of what new costs.
I would rather have a refurbished from AR than a new one from Crosman. He is a factory reverb shop for them. Of course I took it all apart to promptly void my warranty.

AR put it together the way Crosman should have.

With a little adjustment it shoots around 27 fpe very accurately. It is heavy and not balanced well compared to a much more expensive gun. But it is simple and solid. Very easy the work on if you tinker.

I dont have a HW100, but it a much more expensive gun and usually you get what you pay for.
 
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The HW 100 is a great rifle. I have two, one in.177 and one in .22. They are very accurate, quiet, and well made. The magazine holds. more pellets. Depending on the wind, my 100 in .177 will shoot half inch groups at 50 yards. The Marauder is a good starter but if you have the money, buy the HW and you will not have to upgrade later. You get what you pay for. I would also be concerned about service from Crosman since it was purchased by Gamo. There may be no issues at all but that is now a concern.
 
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Began my pcp journey with a used lower cost Mrod and a hand pump. It was a good first buy for me... but left me wanting more,,, (side lever - ragged hole group accuracy - moderator,, etc) and once I stopped wanting more.... it began costing close to and over $1000 per rifle. And,, don't forget the pump, tank or compressor that's needed to enjoy your new rifle. If you have the $$$ to spend , between the two choices, knowing what I've learned along the journey, go for the HW 100.
 
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Notos or Urban would be a good first choice. Both under 300 bucks. You could get the gun, a hand pump, and a scope that's worthy of your shooting distance, all for the price of a new marauder.

The Urban will stack pellets all day no problem, and has a little smaller more hand pump friendly air tube vs the Mrod.

The Mrod is also a heavy 2x4 of a gun. For me, it's a bench only shooter.

If money isn't a super concern (hw100), then go with that, or maybe a brocock compatto or bantam. BSA R10 or R12 can be had on sale for 750ish at AoA.
 
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I prefer bullpups (caiman, p35) but my Avenger has held air fine after it was returned from warranty service (for leaking). Usually a leak is an o ring asking to be replaced.

25 fpe or so will work great for squirrels at reasonable ranges or targets. I'm using a 18 fpe 177 at the moment and getting clean drt kills at as much as 37 yards. I have more powerful pcps and have used them but the little 177 is safer for shots up in trees.

Depends on the gun and your budget but Arken scopes have good glass and tracking for what they cost. I also like Athlon. I like 6-24 for pesting/hunting in a SFP (which Arken doesn't offer. I have an Athlon Talos SFP 6-24 on my P35-177. It's a bot long for this short bullpup but works great. I have a Vector Veyron SFP 6-24 on my P35-22. My Arken EPL 4 6-24 has better glass than both but the reticle is not visible at 6x so I just use it for target shooting.
 
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Unless I’m mistaken your budget is between $600-$1,500 for only the rifle? Is your shooting distance 100 ft (30 yards) or 100 yards? If it was me, I would take a hard look at the Daystate Huntsman Revere that’s on sale at AoA for $899 currently. There’s a .25 or .177 version available for that price. If you want backyard friendly and more shot count go with the .177. The money you saved with the Revere over the HW100 gives you budget to purchase a GX air compressor to directly fill your rifle. I have a CS3-I ($350) and it’s day vs night using a hand pump. You’ll have more air available for shooting and your arms will thank you. Scope wise in the $400 range I would take a hard look at a Vortex Venom 3-15x44. Again if it was my money, this would be my Xmas list.
 
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Thank you for the comments

I definitely will by a compressor and a good scope.
In summary from above I hear the HW100 or a Noto? is what some say.

For clarity - Even though I am a newbie, I do not want to change and want to go with the best - but Quiet for close neighbors. I see myself doing paper for longer shots for fun. I have a good budget. After some pest control in the back yard. I also seem to be leaning on the .22 cal I guess it is just because I am not concerned about speed but want a good hit on a squirrel. or maybe something else later.

Question - should I try to buy all the components individually or get a ? dealer to sell the compressor, guy and scope and soft case in one package?
Or just go piecemeal.

Finally - I am now leaning back to the HW 100 -- I want a long barrel wood stock - traditional gun. ? .22 call
PS You guys are great.
 
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The HW100 is a ten pounds rifle when fitted with a scope and likely less powerful and no more accurate than the M-Rod. As to leaks, the M-Rod is as simple as they come, a very few seals, all common hardware store items and the best parts support in the business. And the M-Rod is likely quieter and has a better trigger I bet and certainly no worse. At 41 inches it is just as long as the M-Rod. It does have a SL, removable tank and anti-double feed. The HW100 claims up to 27 fpe, a M-Rod in .22 can easily get into the 40s and in .25 the 50s for fpe.
 
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kbrunk said:
Do folks with the M-rod feel the .25 cal is more accurate than the .22 cal?
Click to expand...

I do. But I have not owned the .22. The .22 is available with the Lothar barrel. The .25s just generally shoot good with the Crosman barrel. Go figure. If you get a .22 try and grab the one with the LW barrel for best accuracy. I can call Crosman on the phone and order parts, have for years anyways. Not sure if HW is a phone call away for parts order and support.

The HW rifle is a nice rifle, but I am not sure other than the three things I mentioned earlier (SL, anti-double feed, removable reservoir) that it is some sort of technological marvel. It is big, heavy, long and lacking power and expensive IMO. There are parts out there to mod the M-Rod down below 7 pounds and considerably greater power at the expense of some shot count. There are no freebies no matter what rifle you purchase.
 
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kbrunk said:
Pyramyd is selling the M-rod with the Crossman barrel or the Lothar barrel
and has the CenterPoint LR416AORG2-16x40 with illuminated parallax $792
Is this scope ok? Is the Lothar better?
Click to expand...
In my opinion the Mrod deserves a better scope than anything Centerpoint sells. Athlon make some decent budget scopes in the same price range. Whatever you choose make sure you get something with a low parallax setting of 10yds or closer.
 
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