My first 48 hours with a Benjamin Akela .22

[Captain Paul]

I just picked up a Benjamin Akela in .22 through the special deal on Amazon ($460 shipped) and it arrived this afternoon.  I've had a Cayden .22 for a bunch of years and it's not only the most dependable air rifle I own, but also the most accurate (50 yds or less).  So an Akela has been on my radar for some time now.

As I read in one of the reviews, the rifles sold by Amazon come with an empty tank, but they include instructions on the right way fill it (cock it first).  I filled mine to 3,000 psi, cleaned the barrel and gave it a function test.  Passed with flying colors.  Then I refilled and shot a couple magazines of Air Arms 18 gr (my Cayden's favorite) over a chrony.  With the transfer port full open, it started around 950 fps and slowly worked its way down to the 800's shot by shot.  Definitely needs a tune and probably trim the hammer spring.

Then I refilled it, mounted a scope and shot 3 magazines to 50 yds.  Seemed to be grouping OK, but it was too windy (15+ mph from my 9 o'clock) to really tell.  Then this evening, after the wind died, I filled it up again and shot another 4 magazines for accuracy.  Wasn't very good.  The first few were OK but then the groups opened up.  I pulled the shroud to look at the crown which visually looked OK but then I slid out all the baffles and noticed that one of them had a chip about the size of a match head.  Could the pellets be clipping the baffles?  I'll do more testing tomorrow.

Just some initial impressions on the Akela, there are a couple things I'm not in love with and hope to modify in the future:

- I don't like that the scope rail is so far back and unsupported in the front.  That wil need some attention.
- The picatinny rail for a bipod just isn't attached correctly.  The sling swivel stud is in the way and the rail doesn't rest on the stock.  That will also need some attention.
- The grip just doesn't fit my hand properly.  The protrusion at the bottom makes the grip too small for my hand and the space at the top for my middle finger is too small.  Some surgery is in order.
- The unsupported barrel worries me and I will 3D print a barrel band for it at some point.  I am considering swapping the barrel for one from a Cayden (which is several inches longer) and ditching the shroud entirely.
- And, as I've read in numerous other threads on the Akela, mine is over sprung.  So I may end up trimming the spring a bit.  I don't see a need to open the ports for now.  If I can get this Akela to perform like my Cayden I will be a happy camper.

[ranchibi]

CP, Congratulations on your Akela purchase! I hope you get it to shoot like your Cayden soon.

[kbstingwing]

Every gun is a project, get it dialed to what you like, good luck and have fun

[FlyFisherMan101]

Hi Captain Paul yes indeed i have trimmed my hammer spring back three times now and when i started it
Was 3+7/8" long it is now at 3.25 and i think i like it where it is now i have heard that you can cut it back
To 3" and the gun will still have plenty of power but my cayden is now a tack driver with two diff pellets and
I now have the nsa 17.5 gr .2175" slugs shooting 1/2" at 50 yards i am now happy with the cayden,
Today i shot my best five shot group at 50 yards with the h+n baracuda hunter extremes into 3/8" c to c
And the jsb jumbo heavy extremes in 18.13 gr and 5.5 or 5.52 head shoot just as good

[Hoosier Daddy]

Thanks for the honest review Paul.
 I got one of the first Kratos when the Craftsman Series came out and it is nothing short of amazing with its shrouded barrel.
I have been thinking about an Akela for my first Bull-Pup but if I got one and experienced what you did I would not be happy.
 How is the trigger with all the extra linkage?
 

[Captain Paul]

Hi Captain Paul yes indeed i have trimmed my hammer spring back three times now and when i started it
Was 3+7/8" long it is now at 3.25 and i think i like it where it is now i have heard that you can cut it back
To 3" and the gun will still have plenty of power but my cayden is now a tack driver with two diff pellets and
I now have the nsa 17.5 gr .2175" slugs shooting 1/2" at 50 yards i am now happy with the cayden,
Today i shot my best five shot group at 50 yards with the h+n baracuda hunter extremes into 3/8" c to c
And the jsb jumbo heavy extremes in 18.13 gr and 5.5 or 5.52 head shoot just as good

My Cayden is shooting 22 gr FX Hybrids at about 800 fps.  Not as fast as I'd like, but at least it's shooting slugs and the accuracy is very good.  For 50 yds or less, it really likes the Air Arms 18 gr pellets.  Sub MOA without much effort.

[Captain Paul]

Thanks for the honest review Paul.
 I got one of the first Kratos when the Craftsman Series came out and it is nothing short of amazing with its shrouded barrel.
I have been thinking about an Akela for my first Bull-Pup but if I got one and experienced what you did I would not be happy.
 How is the trigger with all the extra linkage?

I bought a Kral Puncher Breaker and had huge accuracy issues (2 foot wide groups at 50 yds, likely a burr someplace on the barrel).  If I were confident I'd be able to get parts or after sales support I would have kept it.  But since nobody is carrying Kral in the US I returned it.

All in all, I'm not disappointed in the Akela.  It's almost identical to my Cayden mechanically so I know I'll be able to get it running with a little bit of effort.  And I've dealt with Benjamin and they've never let me down.  As for the trigger, I would rate it a 9 out of 10.  I haven't touched it yet, but out of the box I'd say it's set to 1 lbs or less.  There's a long first stage (which can be adjusted) and then a very light second stage.  I think once I get the rifle tuned and tweaked I'm going to really like the trigger.  The trigger itself has a little bit of side wobble / play but I think I can fix that with a couple of nylon washers.

But first things first, when time allows I will adjust and tune for as smooth a shot curve as I can.  Hopefully with something heavier than 18 gr.

[Captain Paul]

After doing my farm chores, I finally had a chance to play with the Akela. 

For some reason the hammer spring adjuster wouldn't turn, so I disassembled the receiver and fixed that.  When I reassembled it, the trigger pull was way too long and I had a hard time shooting, so I fixed that. 

Then I removed the scope rail, removed the set screws holding the barrel and took a look at the barrel.  Both of the barrel o-rings were badly mangled at the top (opposite the transfer port).  So it must be the rear set screw that has a burr.  That will need attention.  Any suggestions on how to deburr it?

Then I gave the o-rings a bit of lube and reassembled.  I shot 2 magazines without the shroud or baffles and had about 1 inch groups at 50 yds.  Then I shot another magazine with just the shroud and no baffles.  The POI dropped a bit but it was acceptably quiet and it held that 1 inch group.  So the baffles were definitely causing accuracy issues.

I have a long list of things I want to do to the rifle, but I need to order some spare parts before getting started.  I think this rifle has potential.

[ranchibi]

CP, you are definitely a more patient man than me...😂👍. I wish I were as patient as you...it's a virtue I've been told 🤗. I hope you get your Akela where you want it shooting wise soon.

[Captain Paul]

CP, you are definitely a more patient man than me...😂👍. I wish I were as patient as you...it's a virtue I've been told 🤗. I hope you get your Akela where you want it shooting wise soon.

LOL  Not really, but as someone else said, "all air rifles are projects" and that's certainly been my experience.

[Back_Roads]

CP, you are definitely a more patient man than me...😂👍. I wish I were as patient as you...it's a virtue I've been told 🤗. I hope you get your Akela where you want it shooting wise soon.

LOL  Not really, but as someone else said, "all air rifles are projects" and that's certainly been my experience.

Don't matter what brand, if you want something done right do it yourself, or is that what she said

[Captain Paul]

If you ever wondered what an Akela might look like with a Cayden barrel, well here you go! 

Since the barrel o-rings were chewed up on Akela, I used some 1,000 grit sandpaper on a dowel to clean up the set screw and transfer port holes.  While I was at it (and since I -know- my Cayden is a very accurate shooter) I swapped barrels (plus I wanted to see how much more power the longer barrel gave me).  Well, turns out the o-rings on my Cayden barrel were chewed up also.  (And before you ask, yes, I completely removed the set screws.).

Well, I gave it a try and WOW the power increase!  The point of impact at 50 yds was a full foot and a half higher!  Higher than I could adjust with the scope!  I had to turn the power down to 3/4 closed to get the POI 6 inches too high.  Needless to say, I liked the power increase!

But when I played with the power knob I noticed that air came out with each shot.  So I removed the power adjuster and, no surprise, the o-ring was chewed up.  I'm putting in a call later today to Benjamin to get some replacement o-rings...  and a Cayden barrel if they have one.

And by the way, the Akela, like the Cayden, is very simple to disassemble and repair.  So long as I can get replacement parts for cheap I really don't mind.

[PasadenaMike]

Why do manufacturers build project guns? Why can’t guns just be ready to shoot from
The factory. Trigger adjustment and not so good ok but why would someone have to tear it apart to fix a hammer spring adjuster? When you buy a car you don’t have to fix leaks and replace wheel bearings they just work so why can’t manufacturers just make a good product ?

[Captain Paul]

Why do manufacturers build project guns? Why can’t guns just be ready to shoot from
The factory. Trigger adjustment and not so good ok but why would someone have to tear it apart to fix a hammer spring adjuster? When you buy a car you don’t have to fix leaks and replace wheel bearings they just work so why can’t manufacturers just make a good product ?

You are exactly right.  Of the dozen or more air rifles I have owned, only one performed flawlessly from the moment I bought it.  I've often been tempted to write a long rant about all the misrepresentations, lousy customer service, and horrible quality control that is so rampant in the air gun industry.  I've even sworn that I was going to give up air rifles entirely and just shoot powder burners.  But there's something about being able to order a rifle, mount a moderator and not have to deal with government red tape that keeps me coming back.

[PasadenaMike]

Why do manufacturers build project guns? Why can’t guns just be ready to shoot from
The factory. Trigger adjustment and not so good ok but why would someone have to tear it apart to fix a hammer spring adjuster? When you buy a car you don’t have to fix leaks and replace wheel bearings they just work so why can’t manufacturers just make a good product ?

You are exactly right.  Of the dozen or more air rifles I have owned, only one performed flawlessly from the moment I bought it.  I've often been tempted to write a long rant about all the misrepresentations, lousy customer service, and horrible quality control that is so rampant in the air gun industry.  I've even sworn that I was going to give up air rifles entirely and just shoot powder burners.  But there's something about being able to order a rifle, mount a moderator and not have to deal with government red tape that keeps me coming back.

Aman on the non regulated silenced part:) I have given up on certain brands altogether and mainly focus on certain brands that work for me out of the box. I’m not saying they’re immune to problems but usually the manufacturer stands behind them. don’t want to tinker

[ranchibi]

If you ever wondered what an Akela might look like with a Cayden barrel, well here you go! 

Since the barrel o-rings were chewed up on Akela, I used some 1,000 grit sandpaper on a dowel to clean up the set screw and transfer port holes.  While I was at it (and since I -know- my Cayden is a very accurate shooter) I swapped barrels (plus I wanted to see how much more power the longer barrel gave me).  Well, turns out the o-rings on my Cayden barrel were chewed up also.  (And before you ask, yes, I completely removed the set screws.).

Well, I gave it a try and WOW the power increase!  The point of impact at 50 yds was a full foot and a half higher!  Higher than I could adjust with the scope!  I had to turn the power down to 3/4 closed to get the POI 6 inches too high.  Needless to say, I liked the power increase!

But when I played with the power knob I noticed that air came out with each shot.  So I removed the power adjuster and, no surprise, the o-ring was chewed up.  I'm putting in a call later today to Benjamin to get some replacement o-rings...  and a Cayden barrel if they have one.

And by the way, the Akela, like the Cayden, is very simple to disassemble and repair.  So long as I can get replacement parts for cheap I really don't mind.

Barrels have a HUGE impact on power! Friend has a FX crown with a 380mm and 700mm barrel in .22....100fps difference between the 2! Simple platforms are an engineering marvel to me, smart engineers knowing someone will have to SERVICE it!
I have owned 3 PCP's that came tuned from the factory and shot lights out from the get go...Daystate Regal, Brocock Compatto and RAW....no 4....my Prod came shooting great...😂👍

[Captain Paul]

I have owned 3 PCP's that came tuned from the factory and shot lights out from the get go...Daystate Regal, Brocock Compatto and RAW....no 4....my Prod came shooting great...😂👍

You just named 4 that I haven't even seen much less owned.

I wasn't able to get a spare Cayden barrel or hammer spring, Benjamin doesn't have them in stock.  But I'll keep looking.

[Rick67]

I have owned 3 PCP's that came tuned from the factory and shot lights out from the get go...Daystate Regal, Brocock Compatto and RAW....no 4....my Prod came shooting great...😂👍

You just named 4 that I haven't even seen much less owned.

I wasn't able to get a spare Cayden barrel or hammer spring, Benjamin doesn't have them in stock.  But I'll keep looking.

Airgun Revisions sells custom(?) springs for the Turkish Benjamins, but they're not cheap.

[longislandhunter]

Yesterday  I finally had the time to spend a few hours in the backyard range with the .22 Akela I purchased from Amazon the same time you did. 

Installed a 4 x 12 x 40 Bushnell scope on it using high mounts and a picatinny riser, same setup I had on the .177 that I returned to PA. 

Rifle functioned perfectly and performed well.  The only issue I encountered is that for some reason the tiny little screw that attaches the cocking arm to the cocking mechanism tends to unseat itself as I use the cocking arm.  When the screw backs out to a certain point the cocking arm lever will not fully engage..... as soon as I tighten the screw down into it's proper position the cocking arm lever functions normally again.  Not a huge issue and I'll address it.

I left the rifle on Full Power for all the testing as I wanted to see how many magazines I'd get out of that setting.  The first 3 magazines were all the same POI and the 4th magazine POI dropped about and inch. 

I didn't set up my chrony as all morning it appeared as though it would rain any minute so I wanted to be able to retreat quickly into the basement if the rain showed up, but the next session I'll set up the chrony and get some numbers. 

Long story short..... the rifle liked several pellets........ JSB Jumbo Monster 25.38 gr, H & N Rabbit Magnum, H & N Sniper Magnum 18 gr, Kodiaks, JSB Exact , JSB 18.1 grain,  CPHP, CPL, Benjamin discovery Hollow Point.     It shot all these pellets into nice tight groups.

I wanted to try the Predator pellets but I could not get them to function in the magazine so I gave up on them.

I have more pellets to test but that must wait for another day.

I broke down and ordered 1 tin of the H & N Hornets to give them a try.  I've read they work well in the magazine and have some outstanding reviews for accuracy and hunting so even though they are a bit pricey for me I broke down and ordered a tin to give em a try.  They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

I wound up doing the final sight in with the 25.38 JSB Jumbo Monsters at 30 yard.  I use that pellet in my Air Force Condor for hunting and they work very well on game for me so I went with those.  Interestingly though is that even though the CPHP's and CPL's are much lighter they have the same POI so it's sighted in for them as well.

I have a barrel band, scope rail support and muzzle device for the gun from BuckRail that I had ordered for the .177 but I haven't installed any of them yet and may not considering how well the rifle is performing. 

All in all I'm very happy with the rifle and may just leave it the way it's setup now as I'll only be using it for hunting.   Once I fix that issue with the cocking handle screw getting loose it'll be all set to hunt once the seasons open here.   

If I do anymore testing I'll post the results.  Looking forward to seeing how the Hornets perform. 

Jeff

[Captain Paul]

Darn Jeff, you got the rifle I was supposed to get!  LOL  (Just kidding )