Suggestions for first PCP rifle

[tcshooter52]

Hi all. I am new to this site and so far I like what I am seeing. I would like to purchase a PCP rifle but, need help in figurering out which one. Any suggestions? My primary use will be for small game, i.e crows and such and maybe some informal target shooting. I am leaning toward a .25 cal but, if anybody has a suggestions I would be glad to hear it.

Thanks, John

[sawtoothscream]

price range? 

i think the discovery is a awsome pcp and great for squirrels and crows. get a disco w/ pump, a secondbarrel band, nice scope and go hunting.   can also mod it for more power by adding a .040 hammer spring and even more if you add a power adjuster and pumping to the end of the yellow (2400psi)

great gun and very very very accurate. love shooting it at 100 + yds

[Snaab9-2]

If you are looking to not break the bank but still want a great gun, a Benjamin Discovery in 22 would be a great start.  I will let others chime in if you are going more hard more/want a 25 cal.

[newguyontheblock (Nathan)]

also depends on your budget and how your going to fill it.

My first airgun also happened to be my first PCP rifle, i bought a benjamin discovery from pyramid air.  I already had a yoke for scuba tanks so we could fill out paintball tanks and my dad and I are certified so we had tanks already.  The disco is easy to make backyard friendly with a quick trip to tko22.com

a .177 will give you a straighter trajectory and more shots than a .25 cal, a .177 can still reach out and get your game at good ranges.

If you use a hand pump then 3k psi (2800 seems to be the sweetspot for the marauder) i hear kinda not worthy to pump to but 2k is easy.  


If you list a bit more criteria then maybe we can help recommend more airguns and help you out, Good luck!


Also, as i was typing this 2 more people chimed in the with disco, it is popular
Also 2: watch for lloyd-ss and rsterne, they seem to be doing some pretty wicked things with the disco platform over in the big bore gate

[0351_Vet]

Go big...or Go Home....
I would go for a M-Rod .25

[Tpatner412]

In .25 the Mrod is the most cost effective option.  If you want more power then that and sound isnt an issue look into the Sumatra.  It really depends on your budget, if you have a couple thousand dollars to spend the options open up a lot.

[lastedtiger]

Go big...or Go Home....
I would go for a M-Rod .25

+1 ,couldn't agree more:
evanix rainstorm /air force condor or talon/ Marauder..
It all depends on your budget....

[Nomadic Pirate]

I wish I got a Sumatra .25 a long time ago,...I would have gone thrugh a lot less PCP rifles

[fxAirGunner]

I got a FX Royale 500 for my first PCP.  It is quieter than my friends Marauder.  I have had it two months and put 3000 pellets throught it so far.  I really like it.

[jonnnyboy]

Welcome to the GTA John.  This is a great place to do research on your future purchase and there will be any number of folks who would share information on almost any gun you might be interested in.  The .25 is a great caliber but for most small game, it is considered overkill.  If there is the chance that you will be going after slightly larger game then the .25 may be the best choice for you.  The next question is how much do you want to spend?  The Mrod is slightly less than $500 glassed and delivered.  With more money, more options become available to you.  

The .22 caliber will take crows and other small game and there are more pellet options than the .25.  If you plan on target shooting, then you may want to look at a more inexpensive option in the .22 ammo.  Also, you will have more options in airgun models as well.  We look forward to hearing what you decide.  

joe

[tcshooter52]

Thanks to all for the quick response and good info. Now for a decision.

John

[MustangMike]

A .25 mrod is going to cost around $200 - $250 at the cheapest if the benjamin pump is bought with it. If he goes with tanks it might cost slightly more, not sure on tank setup's.

.22 disco w/pump and mod the &^^& out of it, once its done being built move up to a mrod .25

[redone1992]

Benjamin Discovery great rifle in 22 cal easy to work on.

[newguyontheblock (Nathan)]

A .25 mrod is going to cost around $200 - $250 at the cheapest if the benjamin pump is bought with it.

WHERE??   


     

[RayK]

I  ... need help in figurering out which [PCP rifle]. Any suggestions? My primary use will be for small game, i.e crows and such and maybe some informal target shooting. I am leaning toward a .25 cal

The 25 Caliber Marauder is one of the best values out there in PCP rifles.  It is quiet (shrouded barrel with baffles), accurate (quality choked barrel), and powerful (stock settings shoot 24 grain pellets around 850 fps) plus it is a repeater with 8 shot inexpensive magazines (some European PCP mags are very expensive).  A 22 or 177 just do not dispatch those tough squirrels as well as a 25 caliber pellet from a powerful PCP.  Plus the Marauder does it quietly enough that you can shoot in your backyard without alarming the neighbors.

The only disadvantages are the 25 pellets are not cheap (about 5 cents each) and you need lots of air.  A 4500 psi great white tank from Joe Brancato along with his fill hose is the way to go, but not cheap either.  You need access to a shop (or a compressor) that can fill a tank to 4500 psi.

The 22 Marauder would be a good second choice, but there seems to be a higher chance of getting one that is not nearly as accurate as the 25 caliber Marauder.

If you must go with a hand pump, the Discovery in 22 caliber seems like a good value.

Ray

[tcshooter52]

I think I have boiled this down to an M-rod, cal undecieded as of yet. I really like the Idea of  reaching out there and touching something and the .25 sounds like the way to go. As far as .25 pellet availability I have not researched that yet nor I have not considered the best route to recharge. I Guess I had better find out how much a scube tank and adapter will cost me. Any suggestions on the tank and adapter?

Thanks in advance, John

[newguyontheblock (Nathan)]

for an m-rod your going to want a SCBA tank, its what firefighters use.

they are 4500 psi, but you need to make sure you have a place to fill it back up.
If you plan on shooting a lot at home, you can get a 6000 psi tank of nitrogen from a welding supply shop, some are 50$ per year leases but you would need a pretty expensive regulator to bring that down to workable pressures. 

Joe brancato seems to be the recommended place but if you research and piece it together yourself you can probably save some money

Good luck

[tcgoetz]

for an m-rod your going to want a SCBA tank, its what firefighters use.

While a tank is probably nice, I don't think it's even close to to required.I pump my .22 Marauder and it hasn't been an issue. There have been days where I pumped it up 6 times or so and it didn't bother me.

For the record, I'm 42, weigh 160 and pump it up to 2900 and get 30 real accurate shots and another 10 ok shots if I want.

I guess if your shooting 500+ hots a day it might be more of an issue.

[tcshooter52]

Thanks for the support. I guess my next question is what scope to mount. Since the PCP dosen't have the spring recoil will any good rifle scope work, or is there scopes just made for air rifles? I'm also thinking I don't need an air tank if a hand pump will work.

John

[Tpatner412]

Any scope you prefer will work just fine. I prefer higher magnification scopes with a hold over estimating reticle because you can shoot more accurately at further distances with PCP's and mil dot reticles are the way to go IMO