Marauder; .22 or .25?

[ChaoSS]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on buying a marauder. I had planned on buying a .22, but now I keep reading that the .22s have accuracy issues compared to the .25.

I want the marauder for 2 reasons, pest control (feral control) and for target practice. I live a good ways away from the range and don't get to go very often, so I'd like to set up in the back yard.

So the.25 is supposed to be more accurate, the .22 is easier to pump (less pumps per shot) and quieter. I guess what I need to know about the .25 is how loud is it? How backyard friendly is it, really, especially if I can turn the power down for target practice? My neighborhood has houses fairly close, nearest house is probably 40 yards away, with people that spend a lot of time outside. Shooting it will be legal but I'd rather avoid having to test that with grumpy neighbors and police that don't understand the law.

So, for those who own a .25, how loud is it, really? Am I likely to find a pellet that will shoot accurately with the power turned way down for quieter shooting? How many shots should I expect on a fill doing that?

 

[gspn]

What type of pests?

 

[ChaoSS]

Around here it's mostly ferals/strays that try to get into the rabbits/chickens.

I kind of wanted something that could handle up to coyotes and coyote sized stray dogs but that doesn't have to be this gun. I can get something else in the future, for now I have a rimfire that can handle that duty.


Honestly, pest control is lower on the list. I'm more interested in an alternative to taking the guns to the range, since I never really have time to do that. I'm mostly interested in the accuracy issue of the .22 vs .25, vs the noise level.

I hear some bad things about the .22, but I don't know if that's people who are better shots than me complaining over an extra .5 moa or something, or if it's a serious problem with some of the barrels.

I also know that .22s have a better selection of good pellets available, and they are cheaper....

 

[Louca]

From what I know of the M-rod, they are so quiet you almost can't hear them fire. I think the barrel has a shroud that essentially forms a suppressor - a very nice one. A friend has one in .22 and another in .25 and they are both very precise, although I think he might have had some barrel work done.

How backyard friendly is it, really, especially if I can turn the power down for target practice?

I would not turn the power down for practice to try and save pumping or lessen the sound level. It will change the point of impact and it's not a good thing to practice with one POI and shoot to score with another POI. PCP guns usually have sort of a sweet pressure spot they are most accurate at for a given pellet.

I think you will find a greater variety of .22 cal pellets than .25 cal. If I was to get an M-rod, I would get it in .22. Just my preference.

I haven't been there in a while, but I would look over on the GTA forum for very experienced M-rod owner/users. It's a great place to find information like you are looking for.

Lou

 

[gspn]

I have Marauders in .177 and .22. My .177 is a rifle, and the .22 is the pistol/carbine.

The .177 is very quiet. The best way I can describe it is that it sounds like the noise you get when you open a can of coke...it's "psst". Usually when a new person shoots it they think it misfired...it's that quiet.

The .22 pistol/carbine is even quieter...but it's a lower velocity than the rifle.

I can't comment on the .25 caliber because I've never shot one.

My .22 pistol/carbine has a smaller tank than the rifle...I can get 24 shots out of it before it's point of impact shifts from the lower pressure in the tank.

My .177 I can get over 50 shots before I have to refill. I could shoot longer but due to lower pressure my POI starts to drop after about 55 shots.

As with all things pellets...you're just going to have to try several types to see what works best. When I first got my .22 I thought I was in trouble because it wouldn't group worth a flip. I tried all kinds of pellets...18 different types and nothing would group. UNTIL I tried a different head size. When I stepped up from 5.50mm to 5.51 mm the groups tightened right up. I love the gun now.

 

[Crawfish1]

I have the .22 and love it! Super accurate out to 50 yards. At 60 yards I can hit paintballs. I love to watch them explode. .22 pellets are inexpensive compared to .25. I fill mine with a 4,000 psi bulk compressed air tank. Thousands of shots per fill. Mine shoots Crosman pointed pellets the best. Life with a .22 Marauder is a good thing. I want to get the pistol next.

 

[ChaoSS]

Yeah, one of these days I'd like to get a tank, but that'll be more like in a few years when I start looking seriously at big bores.

 

[vietnam vet]

I have the 25,its very powerful and quiet.You will be very happy with it.It is also very accurate out to 100 yds.

 

[ChaoSS]

Can you tell me more about how quiet it is? I get it, it's hard to have a good objective scale, decibel readings depend on distance and other issues, but something to compare it against?


Or do you think the neighbors can hear it, 40 yards away? 100 yards away? Is it recognizable as something that might cause issues?


Also, vietnam vet, can you shoot it at lower power settings accurately? Have you found a pellet that will work well at the lower setting? Or have you not tried, for lack of need?

 

[Pete D.]

I have a Marauder pistol. Very happy with it. I use mine, though, as a carbine with the detachable shoulder stock. It makes for a handy little item.
Mine in a .22. There is a better selection of pellets in .22 than .25.
Yes, about 24 shots between pump ups. Pumping that little reservoir from 1500 to 3000 psi is no big deal.
Quiet. Yes. I suspect that neighbors 40 yards away would not be surprised by the sound...pellet impact sound might be more of an issue.
Accurate to 100 yards...?? Maybe....if there is no wind. BCs on 14 grain pellets are not very good and they are just not going very fast at 100 yards ( a 14.5 grain pellet with a MV of 870fps is down to 385fps at 100 yds) Doesn't mean that it can't be accurate but ya need perfect conditions .

 

[fpgt72]

I have both, and they both are pretty quiet....you really only hear the ting of the gun and you can get mods to reduce that if it bothers you....it really does not bother me.

As to how accurate they are, mine are pretty much on par with each other. My 22 is more pellet picky....well that is not real fair, there are some pretty low end 22 pellets, but there is no such thing as a cheap 25 pellet. So I would say if you feed it good quality pellets I would doubt you will have an issue. My 22 hates as in HATES cheap pellets, but will do a nickel sized group all day long without me trying at 30yards no problem at all.

As to the size of your pests, Coyote as well as dogs and feral cats are pretty tough critters, the key to this is shot placement. No animal deserves to die in a hole somewhere coughing up blood....ANY air gun does not have the shock to really destroy tissue and disrupt the body on pretty much any sized animal, even rats. You have to get a head or know the animal well enough to get a good vital shot in the body. Please keep that in mind....sorry if I got preachy but so many want to do this but then leave wounded animals to crawl off and die a slow painful death. And I do understand you, I have lost about 6 chickens and one full grown turkey this year already....so I do hear ya.

Practice with it and you can do it, learn it and your pellets, and take a good kill shot....you are not hunting, but killing pests big difference...and good night vision is a must if you have real problems....these pests come out at night mostly.

 

[tallpaul]

I have a marauder pistol and a .22 and .177 rifles. eventually I will likely get a .25 too. I use my .22 marauder rifle for everything and harvested 34 or so groundhogs from 15-55 yards with it last summer.

I have a couple places that noise is a concern and the one property the lady LOVES the marauder and the fact that her neighbors will never hear it etc.

If I only owned one it would be the 22- lower pellet costs for target/plinking.
and capable of decent pesting.

 

[Chevota]

I'd base it on pellet price/choice, trajectory, shots per fill, shots per magazine, and gun cost. The 22 wins in all categories. The only advantage to 25 (imo) is power, but the price is high. I think I'd rather switch to heavier 22 pellets than go to 25. The JSB 18.1gr pellet is probably the best one for the gun, and they're excellent all-around, but you also have the heavier H&N Barracuda Match and Hunter Extreme hollow point too.
I can't say for sure about the barrel, but rumor has it that at one time a guy making them was screwing them up, but it was short lived and corrected so the have good barrels now. Mine was super accurate. I also heard the 22 barrels were made by Crosman, the 25 were made by someone else in the US, which is probably why they're more $. They also sell extended suppressors so you can reduce noise even further. I had one for a bit with the extended suppressor and tank extension, plus a debounce device and a thingie to minimize the tank ping. It was set to shoot the 18.1 JSB at 900fps for best accuracy and all around performance, and was amazingly quiet. Bump the power and accuracy drops, and air consumption, and noise go up.
If you're hard core about accuracy there's also the possibility of getting a Lothar barrel blank which are ~ $115. It would need to be machined to fit, but a nice choked top of the line barrel at your choice in length is very cool.
So if I get another I'd get 22 again. If shooting Coyote's I suppose I'd consider 25, but probably consider a different brand gun or one of the higher powered Benjamin guns like the .357 whatever it is.
Then there's always 22LR, which can be ~ as quiet as the Mrod but only enough power for Crows and smaller stuff. I'm taking about shooting Aguila Colibri ammo. I suppose you could use those for rats, gophers, rabbit etc so you don't bother anyone, then a maybe a sub sonic 60gr for Coyote's? Just some thoughts...

 

[zeek96]

The 25 is great on accuracy. Last time out I was able to get 8 shots in the size of a dime at 50 yards in light wind repeatedly. Pellets still had enough power to go through 1/2 in marine plywood with ease. Head shots should be no problem just watch your wind. You should order a few weights of pellets to see which it likes best and which work best for the range you will shoot. Last thing you want is to have a pest be shot and run to the neighbors. Quick and painless is what you want. Just make sure what your background is since the 25 will go through more than you think. As for sound it is not an issue. Loudest sound is the ping of firing pin and the impact noise.

 

[fpgt72]

And head sizes....don't forget head size can also make a difference, as well as how hard the skirt is. PA lists the head size in their spec section.

 

[Crawfish1]

Did you decide which caliber you want?

 

[ChaoSS]

Did you decide which caliber you want?

Lol, no. I'll probably do the .22 though, and later on get something in a bigger caliber.


I have the money now, just wishing I had had it back when they pyramyd air was running their sale. I just noticed that the marauder prices have gone up as well. Now I just wait until they have the next 10% off plus free shipping sale.

 

[Crawfish1]

Great!

Have fun. Get the foster fitting to scuba adapter so you can go thru the rotary magazines like they are going out of style.

 

[ChaoSS]

Well, they are having their sale. Guess I now have 2 days to make my choice.

And I'm not getting a scuba tank right now, but I am getting the hill pump rather than the crosman one because I'm told that it's way better, plus the lifetime warranty.