Air rifle for deer?
Hey guys/gals,
I bought my 8yr old son a ruger impact in .22 and now I have revived the air gun craze I had as a child:)
I had never heard about PCP air rifles til now and It’s a must have. OK, here goes my extended question. I like to prep and have most everything I need ready to go. I also have a number of firearms and plenty of ammo but their all a bit too loud. I’ve decided for stealth I would like a PCP. It would need to be quiet, accurate and have the power to take a deer if need be. Between the rifle and the pump I would like to stay below 8-900.00.
I have been looking at the marauder in .25 and the condor ss in .25. What say you guys? School me…please.
Thanks, Dan
All Replies
I run a stock hammer spring in my rig and it spits out the “mamba’s” just fine!
Wildfire :5:
You don’t need a 13lb hammer spring. That is the spring I use on my .257 and .308 valves.
With the stock valve you don’t need a heavier spring unless it won’t open the valve all the way with a 3000 psi fill.
The next spring up from stock is just over 6 lbs
That sounds like good advice. I’ve only shot two rounds of 10 since I got it and I’m hooked.I know my wife is going to love my new shoulders from the pump.
Staying in .25 sounds smart. I have 1200+ rds in .25 so I need to shoot them anyway. Ok so here’s what it sounds like I will need for black mambas in my 24″ x.25 barrel;
Black mambas 70gr in .25
TT one piece tophat w/ inserts
extended shroud 6″?
TT brass hammer with slap mod
Heavier hammer spring 13lb?
Does that sound right and anything else?
Thanks again,
Dan
You should shoot some .25 slugs through that rig before you decide to go .257! Don’t get me wrong, .257 is a great way to go but you will need more than just a .257 barrel to make it work properly. Your stock valve will push them but really will need upgrading to get the optimal velocities for that round. Your factory breech will also become a weak point.
Also, slugs cost more than pellets and are not available everywhere. If you do decide to go .257, it’s gonna bark with the biggest of dogs so shroud that bad boy!
Wildfire :5:
if it is your intention to set this Condor SS up for hunting critters larger than groundhogs and such, I would advise getting the TT tophat and the Mambas as suggested above. I would also install the 24″ .25 barrel as the longer barrel will give you more FPE. It is also the recommended barrel length for the Mambas so the air has time to get those big honkers up to speed. Of course with the longer barrel you will likely want to extend the shroud to help this thing to remain somewhat stealthy.
Now, after you have played with this thing for awhile you will come to the conclusion that it just does not have enough umph to suit you, then you start thinking of a .257 barrel and a custom valve and a MadDog stock…
Thanks for the info…
Yes, that’s what I intend to do.I already have the 24″ barrel and am getting ready to install it soon. I’ve been looking at the R&L shroud for 118 which includes the bushing.
Will I need to get the 6″ shroud or longer?
Also, will I need those vented barrel bushings that I’ve seen to help silence it?
I can see this is a slippery slope:) I know it can get expensive as it already is…If I will want a .257 barrel eventually would I be better off financially to go ahead now and sell the .20 -24″ I have with co2 adapter, .25 -18″ and get a .257-24″?
Thanks,Dan
NCMAN,
If it is your intention to set this Condor SS up for hunting critters larger than groundhogs and such, I would advise getting the TT tophat and the Mambas as suggested above. I would also install the 24″ .25 barrel as the longer barrel will give you more FPE. It is also the recommended barrel length for the Mambas so the air has time to get those big honkers up to speed. Of course with the longer barrel you will likely want to extend the shroud to help this thing to remain somewhat stealthy.
Now, after you have played with this thing for awhile you will come to the conclusion that it just does not have enough umph to suit you, then you start thinking of a .257 barrel and a custom valve and a MadDog stock…
Welcome to the Dark Side.
The one piece top hat with inserts is one of the best modifications you can do to your gun. It offers complete tunability and will not come loose on you like the stock one will. As far as the slugs go. Only one word, devastating!
Wildfire (Mike) :5:
It is just a stock condor ss with stock tophat.I’ll contact Tony for the slugs and top hat. I’m sure I’ll play around a bit with lighter grain pellets and different settings here at home but if I need it for larger game(bug out situation) that sounds like the way to go. Thanks for the continued advice and help Wildfire.
Dan
Does it have a one piece top hat? If not, get one from Tony also and run it wide open for the slugs!
Wildfire :5:
Contact Tony at Talon Tunes and order up some 70+ grain “black mamba’s”! They fly great out of my .25 Talon-Dor. You will get way more kinetic energy with those over the Baracuda’s.
My rig will group them quarter size out to 80 yards. Beyond that, they open up a little but still tight enough for larger game like small deer and small to medium sized hogs.
Wildfire :5:
Well things have changed from my last reply. I got the Marauder in .25 from pyramid and it was broken. I opened it up Christmas morning (early). I carefully took it out of the box and immediately heard something hit my laminate floor. It was a set screw. I knew that the trigger had a set screw for adjustment so I looked…and that’s where it came from. Turned out that the trigger is made of pot metal and it was snapped in half right where the set screw goes in. I was pretty bummed for Christmas but called pyramid and they were friendly and helpful. I mailed it back and they reimbursed me immediately. I don’t believe it was their fault as the Benjamin factory staples were still in the side of the box.
After that disappointment with Benjamin I found a .25 Condor SS here in the sale forum. It came with the tri-rail, hill pump, AF pump, laser, AF scope, Bipod, 2-pump rebuild kits, co2 adapter and plate, .20 cal barrel 24″, .25 barrel 24″, .25 original 18″ barrel (INSTALLED), 11 tins of quality pellets and some extras. Many thanks to (Jetcutter). He gave me a great deal along with much appreciated info regarding the gun and it’s capabilities.
I’m truly happy the Marauder was busted:)
This will mainly be my SHTF gun. I plan to figure out how to set it up for hogs and deer. Yes,I would only shoot an animal that size if it was crucial for my family to survive.
I would not care about shot count but would be concerned only with shock and accuracy to 40-50yds max distance and 1-2 shots. Right now I plan to try;
Condor SS 18″ .25cal
2800PSI fill
H&N Barracuda hunter extreme(28.40gr)
PW #8
As a newbie, I’d appreciate and be glad to try any settings that might better suit my needs.
Thanks, Daniel
Thanks for the info. and trying to help with the link. I decided if I was going to spend 1K that I would want more than just 1 air rifle.I decided on the wood Gen 2 marauder package in .25 with the scope, rings, pellets, sling, pump, mag… and a benjamin XL 1100 in .22.
The marauder will be for hunting medium and medium large game. The XL1100 will be for plinking and small game. The xl also matches the look of the titan 177 I got my 8yr old for Christmas. Can’t wait til they get here.
Thanks again and Merry Christmas,
Dan
sorry didnt see the spf (sold pending funds) at the bottom
did you see this post i am sure you could take to the guy about price
http://talonairgun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=31198
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
OK, thanks again. I’ll order what I need soon as my wallet gets over the initial shock of the condor:)