Benjamin Marauder BP2264S .22-Caliber Pellet PCP Hunting Air Rifle

I'm 62 and have been target shooting high powered rifles for 40 years. I have owned several break barrel air guns including the NP2 Trail. And after reading so many reviews it was hard to make a decision on trying this gun. I called several companies including Crosman to discuss the barrel issues and was assured they had been fixed for several years now. Still I read many blogs about tuning and mods to fix accuracy problems. Most all of the blogs complaining of accuracy problems are 3 or more years old. Still I come from the world of high power firearms and target shooting and it was my goal to purchase an accurate rifle to plink and hunt with. Had to be at least equal to my NP2 Trail in power. I like my NP2 Trail, but it's hard on scopes and is a little touchy about holding when fired. Mine hates a front rest, even if the back is supported. The NP2 is very powerful, but as stated, a little finicky about shooting hold. The Marauder is not picky about hold, just like a high powered rifle except you don't have to worry about recoil, there is non. And the specs on the Marauder indicated all I wanted in an air rifle. I choose 22 because its easy to find pellets and all my other guns are of that caliber. True the 25 has almost double the power, but since hunting is not my primary use the 22 once again was the better choice for me. And 22's have been used for hunting for more than 100 years and are known in almost every country in the world.. And I would imagine that this gun in 22 would drop anything you could with a 25 caliber if you can place your shot right.Being a target shooter first, and hunter second, accuracy was a big issue for me. The marauder I received was extremely accurate for what it is. (You must note that shooting pellets of any kind is like shooting a flat nose bullet in high power because they are not very efficient in flight due to their shape) Right out of the box it placed less than 1/2 inch groups at 20 yrds all day long. This is the distance I sighted it in for to test accuracy. And this was using cheap pellets. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AU6EICA/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0?th=1&psc=1Anyone with high powered target shooting experience will appreciate the adjustable comb stock, the 2 stage target trigger, which is adjustable, and the floating barrel with a good crown finish. A fully encased barrel for sound reduction is added plus and one of the reasons I bought this gun. It is very quiet, with the target making as much noise when hit as the shot did from the gun...Some things you should know: 1st a floated barrel is a little delicate. They are not designed to be bumped or moved and I suspect that some peoples accuracy problems were from the barrel moving on them. BTW, floating a barrel is one of the first things you do to accurize a high powered rifle. So take care not to bump it into things, and if you do, make sure it is centered in the barrel ring and not touching. 2nd pumping this thing up with a hand pump is a real workout for someone my age but it is fun and like most people say, about 60 pumps will take you from 2000 psi back up to 3000 psi which is a full recharge as long as you don't go much below 2000 psi. And if you don't touch the factory adjustments for power and such, you can get 40 usable shots or more depending on what you call usable. For me and a friend, we moved out to 50 yards or so and used soda pop cans for targets, and with a good scope, it was boringly accurate. If you missed, it was because of you, not the rifle. I ran 50 shots on a single fill and it was still shooting that distance but the last 3 or 4 shots started to loose accuracy, still that's not bad for 50 yard shooting. That 50 shots took the gun from 3000 psi to 1900 psi based on the built in gauge on the rifle. A squirrel wouldn't have much of a chance at 50 yards with this gun. So if you''re looking for a fun gun, with an excellent trigger and accuracy I don't think you can beat the marauder. Handling and weight are also very good, not too heavy and the stock just fits your grip. A lot of thought has gone into this gun and its design. And honestly, I cannot think of anything I would change except to maybe support the floated barrel a little for carrying. Time will tell if that is an issue. But I am happy as a clam, all smiles.... even if it is a workout to recharge. Coming from high power target, this is a keeper for me. And I don't think you will be disappointed with it either as long as you respect the design and handle it appropriately.

The Benjamin Marauder .25 is my second PCP air rifle, the other is an Airforce Condor in .22. I try to buy "Made in America" as much as I can!!!I have been into airguns for many many years. I still have and use a 30+ year old Benjamin 342 multi pump. PCPs are a whole new level.The Marauder is relatively powerful, quiet...and can be made quieter with some legal aftermarket products. Accuracy is excellent, with no need to develop special holds like the "artillery hold" that is popular with spring or nitro guns. Just shoot them like any other "real" rifle you have experience with. Aim small, miss small. With ammo scarce and expensive, this rifle is good to keep your skills up. Fundamentals are the same. Breath control, squeeze, bang...or pop as these things go.8 round magazine is nice, as my Condor is single shot. Having a quick follow up shot is nice if you use it for hunting...and this rifle can be used for hunting. Game as large as coyotes have been taken. Personally I would not be comfortable taking a coyote, but if my skills were better and I could be assured of a humane kill I would if I was hunting coyote. Some folks have the skills and have done so.Now I haven't shot anything but paper with my rifle. This is just to inform about the power level of this rifle. It is not a toy, but an adult air rifle. Make sure you have a good backstop and be aware of what is behind whatever you are shooting at. I have read on the forums of guys taking ground squirrels and birds at 100+ yards.The barrel is a high quality American product. I have heard the .177 and .22 barrels are a bit of a hit and miss. Some are great others not so good. There are folks making aftermarket barrels for those rifles though if you buy one of those and get a lemon.I recommend a Hill or FX pump if you are going to hand pump. It is not hard, just use your legs like doing shallow squats. I pump mine up during commercial breaks LOL. Heat is the enemy of pumps, so just take it slow, pause at the top of the stroke as well as the bottom. With all the valving, you want to make sure each chamber has a chance to fill before pumping.You can use any rifle scope you have as well. Springers or nitro guns need airgun rated scopes as the double recoil will kill even the most expensive rifle scope. These guns are safe for any scope you have laying around.I recommend this rifle if you are doing pest control or small game hunting. It uses more air than a .177 or .22 so if you are just punching holes in paper you might consider another caliber. You will get more shots per fill on a smaller caliber.