Help - 1st PCP choice - Urban, Fortitude, or P-Rod - today?

[avator]

I wouldn't be backwards about using my Urban for any of the above.
And now that I put it in the BSA Buccaneer wood stock, it's a pleasure to behold as well.

[JimD]

I have a Prod and a 25 caliber Avenger.  The Prod is quieter, lighter, less powerful and more expensive.  I found the power of the Prod to be a bit light for squirrels at 25 yards.  Head shots dropped them but body shots let them run off sometimes.  So I tuned it up to 16-17 fpe and it works great.  I just finished a Bstaley mod - adding O-rings to limit hammer opening of the valve - and get 30+ shots from the 60 cc air storage.  I can get over 20 fpe but only for a few shots.  Stock is about 13 fpe.  Simple hammer spring adjustment will get you up around 15 fpe.  Even tuned up, it is quiet - like less than 90 db.

The stock it comes with is not great but it's simple to make a better one with a bit of aluminum tubing.

I have not shot the other two but I bet they can have more power.  Question is how much you need. 

I use a Hawke Vantage 2-7 on my Prod and recommend it.  I think the objective is 32mm.  It is in medium height rings. 

I like both my guns.  My Avenger is more accurate and a lot more powerful - like 3X.  But for backyard use it really needs a moderator and I use one on it.  That makes it really long.  So normally, if a pest shows up that needs to be dealt with, I reach for the Prod.

[Marc]

#1 -  back yard shooting with daughter and target practice

#2 - small game hunting - bunnies and squirrels

[Marc]

Yes... you'll need to remove the stock to do it.

That's great, I did not know that.  How much adjustment is available, and is it just a screw turn?

[avator]

Yes... you'll need to remove the stock to do it.

That's great, I did not know that.  How much adjustment is available, and is it just a screw turn?

I know the adjustment is there but someone else will have to let you know the details. I've never messed with mine. I never felt the need. It does everything I want it to as is... and if it don't I'll just go in the house and grab something that will... 
Either way, I wouldn't be backwards about taking a shot at small game out to ... say... 45yds... maybe even a few more depending on presentation.

[Nomadic Pirate]

You hardly ever hear any complaints about the Urban

[Marc]

I can only find the Urban in stock at Sportsman's Warehouse it seems.  My biggest concern is I know PA and AoA extra box air rifles so they don't just ship in their own box.  Any info on Sportsman's?

Got a message into them but no word yet.

[mobilehomer]

Just saw this. Wesbob is a GREAT vendor!!!

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=191005.0

[Ribbonstone]

Your 3 choices in the first post would be fine for that.

Of the 3, would pass on the P-Rod….not as much fun plinking when you have to refill so often, don’t see your uses really needing a light weight carbine.  Most of the complaints about them are either (1) from early versions with rough barrels or (2) people wanting to jack up the power and not getting many shots when they do.

Urban would work.  Out the box, a bit more power than you really need for plinking.  Most of the complaints have been that they are ugly  with a big LDC (which you should have realized from the pictures) or shot count goes down if you crank them up (which is pretty much of a “Duh”).

Fortitude (.177) would also work.  More shots, will work at short/moderate range on little critters.  Have some complaints about not working right out the box (which is why you buy Crosman from dealers with a return policy) or that they don’t act right once someone goes inside and goofs around with the regulator trying to power them up.

[oldpro]

 I would get one of the DAR rifles. They have a banner above ,click on it and see their line-up.

[nervoustrigger]

I don’t own an Urban but it is the one I’d recommend for a first-time owner.  The DAR in .22 cal would be another excellent choice at the price point, and the one I would personally choose.  Being regulated is great but does mean more complexity and more places to leak so that’s a tradeoff. 

[mrbulk]

All great suggestions but I am very surprised no one besides JimD mentioned the Avenger.

It beats all other mentioned guns in power, adjustability, light weight, accuracy (in my humble opinion from having one in .22) and will do anything the other guns can (except help you fit when you're inside a tight blind or similar) and out of the box without any moderator is already quite quiet. And then it gets on down to an even quieter "peep" when you spin on a silencer. My neighbors don't even know I'm shooting in my backyard:

[avator]

I would have suggested an Avenger but, it's not very hand pump friendly. Yes, you can pump it less for less shots and it is regulated. But again... regulated is not for everyone.
BTW... I do own the Avenger in .25 and I enjoy shooting it. Accurate as all get out to 50yds. I haven't tested beyond that yet but I will in the coming months.
Also, if you do the research here you'll find several complaints on QC. I got lucky with mine, as did others, no QC issues.
And you will find the same scenario with the DAR... I also had one of those and it went down the road with another member in a trade for the Air Speed.

[Ribbonstone]

Only two of your original 3 that I can give a detailed/long term look at are the P-Rod and the Urban...both .22’s.


BUT...will have to consider a few things.

1. I like a non-modded air gun.
2. Do not consider turning provided screws as a mod...if they didn’t want you to turn them, they shouldn’t have used screws.
3. Do not tend towards power-seeking.  I’ll trade some power for shot count, so long as it does n;t seriously change what I can use it for.
4. Consider “good shots” to be those within 4% of max. recorded velocity (so you’d need to spend the $30-$33 for an “el-cheapo” chronograph to find out).  You wouldn’t notice a velocity change at 6 pot 7% if plinking at short range.
5. 4% is a reasonably strict velocity variation limit for a non-regulated PCP.

A lot of goofing around with the P-Rod.  Cranked up in power, down in power, and all points in between.  As issued, something like 14-16 foot pound and 24 shots inside of 4% seems “it” with what they gave you.  Filling 65cc's of volume from 1800 to 2900psi is really easy.

Urban out the box was more like 27 shots at 24 foot pounds.  Cranked up..more power per shot, cranked down..less power per shot. The best balance  for an unmounted one turned out to be 37 shots at 20.7 foot pounds.  Wasn’t too hard to give up 3.3 foot pounds for another 10 shots per fill up.  As a pump filler, filling 105cc's of volume from 1700 to 2900psi isn't stressful.



Fortitude is a mystery to me. Lets assume it holds air and functions as it is suppose to. Like any PCP, if they gave you screws to turn, so long as you keep track of the direction and number of turns, can always un-do what you did and not leave any potentially warrantee voiding track.

[PG in San Diego]

I have had all 3 mentioned rifles in the last 2 months, I would most definitely recommend the Urban especially if target shooting, deadly accurate. Very light and ergonomic for younger shooters. Also, the Urban BSA Magazines are better quality then the others with less jamming.

[Xraycer]

Just saw this. Wesbob is a GREAT vendor!!!

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=191005.0

You obviously didn't ready thru this thread 

[Xraycer]

#1 -  back yard shooting with daughter and target practice

#2 - small game hunting - bunnies and squirrels

Since your daughter will also be using this , something to consider is grip. I will assume your daughter has average sized hands, which would be on the much smaller size, compared to mens'. So, in regards to this, the pistol grips of the Urban and PRod would be the much better choice. Especially, the PRod.

[mobilehomer]

Just saw this. Wesbob is a GREAT vendor!!!

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=191005.0

You obviously didn't ready thru this thread 

Yep, missed that. BUT reinforcement is never a bad thing!

[Ribbonstone]

Considering the cost the the Urban/BSA mags....they better be better.
they are....are they like 2  times better than more common mags?...pretty close.

Am a kind of picky guy...lots of airguns, most of them have been modded one way or the other.

Also have specific uses....if one matches a use I have in mind without needing to do anything but turn provided screws....I'm fine with that.

Counting...are only 3 PCP's that fit that "not screwed with" description that I've kept....just turning provided adjustment screws...Urban is one of them.  Everyting else PCp has been DIY goofed around/modded/changed to get where I was going.

EDIT:

Also do not know what the outcome of a .22 Avenger adjusted down to about the same (20ish) foot pound level would be....hardily anyone goes that direction, but seems a logical power level for what you outline doing.

[johnbrown]

I have the Prod and the Urban.

I definitely do NOT recommend the Prod.
Tuning the Prod to shoot decently will take many hours of your time.

The Gamo Urban is very easy to tune, only adjust the hammer spring and start and end pressures of the shot string.
Mine shoots 40 shots from 700 FPS to 730 FPS to 700 FPS.

But I also have 2 Avengers and 2 Nova Liberty which are regulated and I like more than the Urban, for about the same price.