Marauder .25

[clodhopper]

Called pyramid on Friday and ordered a rifle, four tins of jsb match diablo exact king 25 grain pellets, and an air venturi 4500psi hand pump.

Lurking around the reloading room is a nice leupold 3x9 airgun scope with adjustable objective, marked down to 10 meters. And several sets of 3/8" rail scope rings.

Come on fed-ex! Wednesday is the projected day.

[35 shooter]

That's going to be one seriously nice hunting and target air gun. Please report back on how many pumps,or how long it takes to hand pump it to full capacity, and of course, how it shoots.

I'm still researching all possibilities of what to get lol.

[John Allen]

Called pyramid on Friday and ordered a rifle, four tins of jsb match diablo exact king 25 grain pellets, and an air venturi 4500psi hand pump.

Lurking around the reloading room is a nice leupold 3x9 airgun scope with adjustable objective, marked down to 10 meters. And several sets of 3/8" rail scope rings.

Come on fed-ex! Wednesday is the projected day.


Let us know how you like it I have been debating on this exact one.

[prsman23]

Let us know how you like it I have been debating on this exact one.

Imagine that. Me too lol.


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[clodhopper]

My reasons for choosing the .25 despite the 4.4 cents cot of pellets?
I have an Anschutz .177 side leaver, it's awesome to about 20 yards. My backfence is 70 yards from the house. So close in I had it covered.
For the past several years I have been using a .17hm2, despite having plenty of ammo for it, the sharp crack is un-neighborly.

800+ Fps is usually a velocity with few leading problems.

There are a few ranches around here that have serious ground squirrel problems and close neighbors, irrigation lines and livestock.
So, (with a slight show of buck teeth) hyuk, hyuk, Yes sir Mr. rancher, I got's me a pellet rifle!

[Dryball]

Great buy. My neighbors have loved me ever since I got my customized CondorSS. They all come to me with erradication requests. Experimenting is really fun. Try a tin of the JSB heavy 25's. I was worried about fps but when I started using heavies I've had no problems shooting squirrels and chucks out to about 125yds.

[clodhopper]

The jsb "heavies" are what I ordered.

All the experts online claim they are great, price is right up there. I get a lot more entertainment experimenting with hold overs and wind corrections than from trying every possible load.

If the jsbs shoot well, probably would only experiment with home cast.

[John Allen]

Did you order the wood stock version or the synthetic? I like the wood stock but a pound lighter is nice on the synthetic.

[clodhopper]

I like walnut and blued steel.

The day before the order went in my walnut stocked 10-22 broke at the wrist, yes it was abused.

So I ordered the plastic.

The broken stock is repaired now, took a drill and sank two 31/64 holes through the wrist and drove a couple tightbond soaked 1/2" wooden dowel pins.
Finished sanding last night and put a coat of oil on it. It's functional...but it's ugly.

[35 shooter]

4 to 5 cents a shot is not a bad deal at all, considering no brass cases, or primers, or powder to buy, and the air is free except for the pumping effort.

[Dryball]

Clodhopper, these are the ones I meant...not the 25gr ones: http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/JSB_Diabolo_Exact_King_25_Cal_33_95_Grains_Domed_3 00ct/1269
Its addicting. If I shot any more I'd probably get a Shoebox compressor and some swage dies. Mr Hollowpoint makes some slugs that are even heavier.

[Dryball]

This is another great site. He did my custom work and is very helpful. Also, check out their forum...http://talontunes.com/

[clodhopper]

Clodhopper, these are the ones I meant...not the 25gr ones: http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/JSB_Diabolo_Exact_King_25_Cal_33_95_Grains_Domed_3 00ct/1269
Its addicting. If I shot any more I'd probably get a Shoebox compressor and some swage dies. Mr Hollowpoint makes some slugs that are even heavier.
Drat! I thought I got the heavy ones!

[clodhopper]

The rifle arrived today, Got the scope mounted.

Unfortunately, the pump and pellets are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

[prsman23]

That's the worst!


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[dverna]

I came so close a number of times to ordering one. The deal killer for me had been the air supply issue. At 66, the manual pump is unattractive. Buying and filling scuba tanks adds another factor.

[clodhopper]

I came so close a number of times to ordering one. The deal killer for me had been the air supply issue. At 66, the manual pump is unattractive. Buying and filling scuba tanks adds another factor.
I'm 61, but hope the exercise will be good for me.
Already scheming on simple stilt to set the pump on so I don' need to bend over to pump.

A scuba tank is pretty unwieldy, I have one, it's out of date.

Vendors sell smaller tanks, but I stretched the finances enough buying the rifle and pump. If the pumping is not to horrible, a 9mm PCP may be in my future.

[Dryball]

Dverna,
Once you get the tank filled it's not much of a problem. I usually get 20-25 accurate shots before I have to pump. After about 20 it's down to about 2000psi and doesn't take long to refill. I can't remember for sure but believe it's about 10-15 pumps per 100psi (after the connector tube is filled). No matter though...especially if retired. Ya have all the time in the world. And, it's not a workout at all. If you don't like pumping all you have to do is get a "shoebox" bumper for your compressor. http://www.shoeboxcompressor.com/

[GhostHawk]

My opinion, give it another year. Makers are learning fast how to get more power from less air. Making PCP air rifles more efficient.

Like you I have no desire to be tied to buying tanks full of air, or lugging tanks around, or be tied by the hose to the tank.

But things are changing fast in that world.

I don't think I would jump for just another .22 or even a .25.

9mm, .357, something that I can buy a mold for and cast my own ammo for. Something with enough energy to in theory take down a deer. That would cleanly and quietly head shot a Yote, a Coon, or a badger.

Something that would give me 30 or more shots for a half hours pumping.

That might be worth spending 500$ on.

[prsman23]

Different strokes for different folks. I use my air rifles for starlings mostly. The .25 while overkill lets me stretch the legs of an air rifle and give a good margin of error for wind etc. 30 shots are plenty for my use and a bit of pumping is worth it for the difference between a springer and the advantages of pcp.


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[clodhopper]

My thoughts are very similar to yours GhostHawk.
You can buy .25 caliber boatail air rifle molds from NOE right now.
I already own molds very much like the premium Air Venturi brand 9mm projectiles that sell for 25 cents each.

I have read that there is a technique in pumping these high pressure pumps. They need some dwell time at the end of each stroke, so the air can get through small passages. Both on the up and down stroke. Should get some first hand experience on that today.

I could see my self without that information, grabbing the pump and going to town like I was pumping up a bicycle tire 50 year ago.

Fed-Ex delivered the rifle about 9:30 yesterday, Hope the pump and pellets arrive early too.

[clodhopper]

The pump an pellets arrived about 11.

The rifle had about 600 psi in the tank when it arrived.

It took over 300 pumps to bring the pressure up to 2900.
I fired two clips, 16 rounds and the pressure was about 2100.

120 pumps later it is back at 2900.

[35 shooter]

What's the pumping effort like, now that you've actually tried it ?

[clodhopper]

The bottom of the stroke requires some pushing.
I'm 6'2" 245 lbs, pot belly, but always worked physical jobs when employed.
I could push it down ok but the last time I filled it up. wore gloves because my candy a** hand was gonna get a blister. I could see where smaller folks might not be heavy enough to push the handle down.
The next time I filled it after 17 shots, from 2100 to 2900 it took 105 strokes. Better technique, maybe.
I was sighting in first by adjusting the set screws on the millet scope rings, After 24 rounds I was confident of my zero. So with a full magazine, 8 rounds, stepped over the fence to the neighbors gopher patch. Yeah, they are ground squirrels, but gophers in local lingo.

First four shots connected, the pellet seems to hit with pretty good authority. all these shots were 40 yards or less. Then fired a couple to show the neighbor how it worked. A couple misses at 70 or more yards. First shot held with the top of the post dual x crosshair, saw the impact and corrected, next one whizzed by very close to his head due to lack of wind correction. Might have hit his whisker but he got busy and headed down the hole.
Then one was asking for it at about 55 yards, first one missed, corrected elevation second one, solid hit.

[35 shooter]

Sounds like just too much fun!:-) Also sounds like worth the pumping effort.
Now i want one lol.

[clodhopper]

Smaller calibers get more shots per fill, but I wanted a bit more thump kinda like a guy who shoots 35.
I've been hunting big game with 35 whelen since 1979.
Edit, got my Whelen in 89.

[groundpounder]

I love my 25 marauder. Been shooting and hand pumping it for three years now. Pump it up to red line 2900 and shoot till about 2600..pumps back to resistance in ten pumps and back to full in another 30 or so..I'm 67 yrs young and hand pumping is easy... ground squirrels down and out at 80 yes frequently and occasionally to 100 yds. Enjoy your new gun.

[TCLouis]

I am 68 and pump up my Disco and Hastan 44 2,000 and 3,000 psi guns.
I will say I shoot the 44 less because of the pumping issue.
If you are talking 3,000 psi guns, you are talking SCBA, not SCUBA tanks for air supply too.
SCBA tank or Nitrogen keep bouncing around in my head, but the cheapskate part of me prevents just biting the bullet and ordering up.

[35 shooter]

Clodhopper,

we seem to think a lot alike. I've had my whelen for about 6 years now,and it is a thumper. I think you made a real good choice in getting the 25 cal.

[clodhopper]

You are right TCLouis, you do not get many 3000 PSI fills from a 3000 PSI tank. The scba hold to 4500.
Groundpounder, I may need to get a scope with some hash marks on the reticule to have much luck at 100 yards.

[jmorris]

The hand pump wasn't that bad for the disco but I think I pumped the m-rod up twice by hand. I then made a booster pump and made this to convert the hand pump to a more user friendly configuration.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJVoZzBGBhs

[clodhopper]

That's really nice, I was giving some though to a similar device, but want to make it portable and possibly powered with a cordless drill.

[jmorris]

That would be one serious cordless drill, be sure to start a new thread on your build.

[clodhopper]

That would be one serious cordless drill, be sure to start a new thread on your build.
Yeah, that is a stumbling point. I'm guessing the right cordless drill will come with wheels and trailer hitch.

[PerpetualStudent]

dangit gentlemen, now you've got me thinking about the .25

Even the expensive molds on NOE break even at 3k shots, a cheap one in just under 2k. That is damn tempting.

[TCLouis]

Remember to pump slowly, too fast and the heat builds up quickly.
Yes mil-dot scopes are important . . . much more so than with powder guns.
There are some pretty chap ones that work well, though Hawke seems to be a very good scope for much more money.

For the first time I have had to learn hold-under.

[jmorris]

Remember to pump slowly, too fast and the heat builds up quickly.

That is why I built my autodrive with adjustable speed, to find the sweet spot. Where I had it running in the video above it will pump the mrod from 2000-3000 psi in 2:08 while raising the pump temperature only 17 degrees F.

[wordsmith]

I have a Gen 1 .25 Wood Stock with a few mods and a Gen 2 .22 Synthetic with a few mods, including a new Marmot Militia barrel, which took the gun from disappointing to stellar. They are a blast to shoot, although I just have a Hill hand pump, which can be a beatdown for high volume plinking. For those on the fence, the .25 has substantially more knockdown power than the .22 (at least stock anyway). I took out about 15 tree rats with the .25, and every hit was DRT. The .22 is solid, but outside of head shots, they typically will run a little bit. The .25 on grackels, starlings and sparrows is brutal, particularly when using the Predator Polymags. The JSB's are no slouch, but the Polymags make even a glancing blow...entertaining.