The Marauder’s Report MAGPRO
Yes. The Marauder is the new kid in the Precharged Pneumatic [PCP] Airgun block that cannot be punked. After being in the airgun world for 35 years and establishing a business in the shooting sports industry for the last 6+ years, I have developed an appetite for product quality, fair value and integrity. manufacturer.
I received my .22 Benjamin Marauder in mid-July 2009. There are as many posts as you would like to read from owners reporting a variety of personal experiences. After reading several of these posts, you will realize that the reports are so consistent that they seem redundant.
Consistent reports on the Marauder certainly support the benchmark performance you can expect if you decide to become a Marauder owner. My report will confirm many of the performance qualities you may have read about and will include original observations to add to the ongoing Marauder experience.
I agree with many of the favorable reports about the Marauder, such as:
o From the initial opening of the box until you become acquainted with the Marauder, you feel as if
received more than what he paid for. It’s not something we feel often these days.
o The finish is elegant and exudes a visible quality.
o Stealth as silent report. In fact!
o The maximum power shots per fill can be 35 to 45 and even more depending on your personal tuning settings.
o The ability to personally tune the full range of tuning components from a PCP is a feature that Marauder has and appeals to an audience with a wide range of experience levels.
o The clogged barrel makes this rifle very accurate and probably a better shot than many of its owners.
o The trigger is noticeably friendly and the match level adjustable to boot.
Here are some of my personal observations:
rotary magazine
During the “get acquainted” period with the new owner, when you are not very familiar with the Prowler’s management techniques; user error, not product malfunction, may cause accidental loading of more than one pellet into the chamber. This can happen when you don’t pull the bolt back until it cocks. Then allow the bolt to slide forward under spring pressure, resulting in a shot being pushed partially or fully into the chamber. The natural thing to do when you discover that the gun is not cocked is to try to cock it again. When you pull the bolt back a second time, you release the rotary magazine to index the next shot, which is pushed behind the existing shot when you close the bolt again.
Solution 1: Point the muzzle in a safe direction and use a suitable backstop. Now fire the rifle thus clearing the multiple pellets in the chamber. This shouldn’t be a problem if you have 800 psi (never tested less pressure) or more in your onboard reservoir.
Solution 2 – Completely depressurize your rifle using the degassing tool method (see owner’s manual). Then follow the procedure for removing a stuck pill. Remember, you will be removing more than one shot at the same time, which will cause more friction between the hole and the shot. Take your time and be careful not to use a rod that will damage the rifling.
New Marauder users may also struggle to dislodge what appears to be a “stuck” magazine. Indeed, the magazine draws smoothly when used correctly and you will not have this problem once you become familiar with the operation and relationship between the bolt and the rotary magazine. A common culprit for a “stuck” rotary magazine is that the bolt pin may be partially in the magazine. Simply pull the bolt back to the rearmost position and the magazine can be removed. (Always fire the rifle in a safe direction to clear any pellets that may have entered the chamber.)
Another culprit is a partially inserted pellet. Closing the bolt fully, thereby pushing the pellet fully into the chamber, and then pulling and holding the bolt back to the rearmost position will release the magazine for removal. (Always fire the rifle in a safe direction to clear any broken pellets.) Most owners may never experience these issues, but if you do, know that it’s not the rotary charger.
Protecting the Shroud
This precaution applies to most PCPs and is intended to be helpful in preventing the user from inadvertently damaging the cover’s matte finish. There is a possibility of surface damage to the covered cylinder area above the fill probe. The quick disconnect fitting can scratch or scratch the bottom of the covered barrel when connecting and disconnecting the fill probe. This can be fixed by installing heat shrink tubing or wrapping electrical tape or other durable tape around the quick-disconnect fitting components (note: make sure your heat-shrink tubing or tape does not interfere with the quick-disconnect moving parts). If nothing else, at least place a barrier (eg cloth, gun sock, etc.) over the section of the barrel that can be hit by the quick disconnect hardware. In time, you’ll be glad you practiced careful handling during pressurization.
One of my optimal tuning setups
One hundred Marauders can be crafted and between them there will be some level of uniqueness in performance characteristics. So using my setup may not produce the same results on your rifle. You need to take the time to experiment with your rifle to achieve the performance you want. These are the settings I use to get a satisfactory BFD: Hammer Tension 6, Hammer Stroke 4, and Velocity Adjustment 2.5. (The owner’s manual explains the tuning parameters for the various tuning components.) This configuration produces an average of 915 feet per second [FPS] with 14.3gn Crosman Premiers (CP) amounting to just over 26 ft-lbs of power [FPE]…..I get over 30 shots at full power with this setup. When using Dynamic 14.5gn PCP2 with the same settings I get 940 FPS which results in 28 FPE.
Trajectory report and long range shot
The Marauder performs exceptionally well in long range field shooting conditions. The Marauder cannot be fooled by many well-established PCPs that are priced 2-3 times as much.
Mount a quality mil-dot sight and enjoy the process of graphing retention/long-range retention data.
Once you’ve done this with the granules of your choice, the data will immediately be invaluable. You’ll shoot with absolute confidence at ranges of up to 75 yards and beyond. My longest distance string of shots was during a 15 mph left to right wind at 108 yards that produced a 4″ group. There was no question the gun was shooting at me. I’ll be shooting this distance again in better condition. Plus shooting groups at 108 yards, I also did one of my low-tech penetration tests using a soup can (soda cans are too thin.) Each shot went in and out of the can, then embedded itself in the backstop from the tree. At 108 yards the CP 14.3gn pellet is traveling at 421 FPS and retains 6 FPE. My currently chosen maximum effective field range is 70 yards. At 70 yards the CP 14.3 gn is traveling at 549 fps, delivering 9.5 FPE at POI and my crosshair [POA] a POI is between right and ¾ inch.
Crosmann Customer Service
I have had the pleasure and, on some occasions, the displeasure of working with various customer service teams in the shooting sports industry. My contact with the Crosman Customer Service staff has been one of the most satisfying, respectful and responsive customer service experiences I have had in any service industry. Crosman respectfully listened to my concerns, answered my questions, and contacted me to ensure that he was satisfied with his resolutions. I am still floored when I think back to the time I received a check-in call from a Crosman representative who knew he was home sick that day. Janet’s colleagues were very helpful during his absence. However, it was important for Janet to know that I was a satisfied customer, even though she was not in the office that day. Crosman treated me like a valued customer. Congratulations to Crosman Corporation for excellence in customer service.
I am currently putting the Marauder through additional testing (eg hunting, silhouette, different pellets, plotting more melody settings and more…). Certainly one important measure is the Marauder’s reliability over time. Unfortunately, my time machine is undergoing a five-year maintenance service. Therefore, the Marauder must be tested the old-fashioned way.
The Benjamin Marauder lives up to its claims and is quickly establishing a respected place in the quality PCP family of adult precision air rifles.
If you have found MAGPRO’s Marauder Report useful and would like me to test and review your Airgun industry products, I appreciate the opportunity to work with your business.