Marauder Benjamin Gen3 - It Just Works and Works Well

[rayroz]

Always want to learn more on the g3
Ray

 

[BBGunn]

Seeing as I didn’t make it to EBR, I thought I’d try and get some shooting in today. It’s a little tough because of hurricane cleanup etc.. I decided to mess with the Marauder Gen 3 and try the CCI High Bar 30gr slugs. I bought one box to try. I only did it because I haven’t seen any reports on them. I decided to let a couple fly with the current reg setting of 1800psi. At these setting I was getting 900fps with AEA 21.9 gr pellets. It was dismal 687fps and maxed out in the low 700s with max hammer. I increased the reg to 2200psi and averaged 807fps with max hammer. Switched to H&N 25gr and got a measly 823fps. Tried the AEA 21.9gr pellets at just over 2000psi and left it at 920fps. It seemed like it could use more hammer weight. I never saw a drop in velocity before reaching max hammer. I’ll have to experiment more. I had to stop due to rain and helping my neighbor with his fence (it’s sitting in my yard). I could not feel any resistance when chambering the CCI slugs. The single shot pellet tray worked like a charm.View attachment 23690View attachment 23691View attachment 23692

Billm, or any of you guys with the G3..., did anyone ever tell whether the G3 has a choked barrel, or not?

 

[Billm]

Pumacarl & Billm, keep in mind that the G3s assisted valve is not going to respond to spring and hammer changes the same way a conventional valve will.

On the Uragan 2 the balanced/assisted valve showed almost no change at all with spring adjustments. In fact, it says right in the U2 manual 'not to adjust' the hammer spring at all. Of course, us airgunners being who we are, many tried all sorts of changes to the U2s valve function and were all met with a broken poppet, poppet o-ring or both.

Admittedly, the U2 balanced valve may not be a good comparison to the G3 as the U2 was pretty quickly replaced with the U3 because AGT soon realized (by all the broken U2s) that the U2s valve design was poorly engineered.

Perhaps BenjeneerJohn might add some comments regarding the G3s assisted valve???

I would like to learn more about the valve system. Knowledge is power, or in my case a license to mess things up LOL.

 

[Billm]

Billm, or any of you guys with the G3..., did anyone ever tell whether the G3 has a choked barrel, or not?

I’m pretty sure it’s unchoked.

 

[Pumacarl]

Pumacarl & Billm, keep in mind that the G3s assisted valve is not going to respond to spring and hammer changes the same way a conventional valve will.

On the Uragan 2 the balanced/assisted valve showed almost no change at all with spring adjustments. In fact, it says right in the U2 manual 'not to adjust' the hammer spring at all. Of course, us airgunners being who we are, many tried all sorts of changes to the U2s valve function and were all met with a broken poppet, poppet o-ring or both.

Admittedly, the U2 balanced valve may not be a good comparison to the G3 as the U2 was pretty quickly replaced with the U3 because AGT soon realized (by all the broken U2s) that the U2s valve design was poorly engineered.

Perhaps BenjeneerJohn might add some comments regarding the G3s assisted valve???

Honestly, I did forget to take that into account. Good catch @BBGunn! I'm still going to eventually try stuff but I will be far more tolerant of failures and just keep plugging along.

 

[BenjeneerJohn]

I would go with a heavier hammer spring if you want more power.

John

 

[rayroz]

The barrel is choked not sure on the twist
Ray

 

[Billm]

The Marauder Gen 3 twist rate is 1:19.

 

[BenjeneerJohn]

The barrels all have a light choke.

John

 

[Pumacarl]

It is very lightly choked because I didn't even really feel it when I pushed some 34gr JSB pellets down it. That, and the fact that mine doesn't like .249" slugs either. Of course, everyone's gun will be slightly different.

 

[passenger]

Always want to learn more on the g3
Ray

Is the gen 3 advertise as a slug gun? It does so many things well but I don't think slugs are in it's balliwak. Air guns are so fun at what they do so well but slugs are made for powder guns, Two different worlds.

 

[Billm]

I finally got to do some extended shooting for the first time in weeks. I just played around with the Marauder Gen 3 .22 at 75yds. I shot AEA 21.9gr pellets, H&N 27gr slugs, CCI 30gr segmented slugs, NSA 20.2gr slugs and even launched a 40gr slug. I had wind that was 5-12mph and constantly changing direction. I did not correct for wind and had some horizontal stringing. I varied the reg pressure from 2000psi to 2400psi. I learned quite a bit about my gen 3. The difference between where it drops off from 900fps to 500-600fps is about 1/16 of a turn of the hammer spring and falls near the min hammer setting. In the area inside that little band of adjustment there is a lot of adjustment, it takes minute changes. In other words if I make 1/8-1/4 turn adjustments, it’s easy for me to miss the area where the velocity can really be finessed. Once above that band, it takes large adjustments to make any difference in the velocity. The highest velocity that I got was 999fps. It shot everything well. Except 40gr - wasn’t worth wasting them. Maybe I’ll try 2700 psi sometime. It’s a slug gun at least to 75yds. I had some slug groups that were less than 1/2 MOA at 75yds.

 

[Pumacarl]

Is the gen 3 advertise as a slug gun? It does so many things well but I don't think slugs are in it's balliwak. Air guns are so fun at what they do so well but slugs are made for powder guns, Two different worlds.

Not any more. Things have changed, quickly, in a big way. Go check out what's going on in NRL22.

The Gen 3 is advertised as a do-it-all kind of gun, and it is.

 

[wolfmangreg]

It shit everything well. Except 40gr

40 grain have been known to constipate a rifle. A lot to push through.

Not a balanced valve expert but any stretch of the imagination... but it's always been my impression that with them, tuning is primarily done with the regulator.

 

[Billm]

40 grain have been known to constipate a rifle. A lot to push through.

Not a balanced valve expert but any stretch of the imagination... but it's always been my impression that with them, tuning is primarily done with the regulator.

Yes. The 40gr came out at 749fps. I guess I need a different rifle so that I don’t waste a tin of slugs lol.

 

[wolfmangreg]

Yes. The 40gr came out at 749fps. I guess I need a different rifle so that I don’t waste a tin of slugs lol.

Has to be done. Waste not want not & all that

 

[Billm]

Is the gen 3 advertise as a slug gun? It does so many things well but I don't think slugs are in its balliwak. Air guns are so fun at what they do so well but slugs are made for powder guns, Two different worlds.

Just in the short time that I’ve been shooting PCPs the accuracy and performance of slugs in airguns has come a long way. I have two .30 caliber rifles that can both shoot sub-MOA to at least 100yds. The Marauder Gen 3, proved at least MOA accurate to at least 75yds today.

 

[passenger]

But what is the goal? The Marauder Gen3 will never compete with a match 22 rimfire, let alone a 222 Remington or 22 Hornet at distance. But at 50 yards or less the Gen3 wins hands down for shootability.

 

[Billm]

But what is the goal? The Marauder Gen3 will never compete with a match 22 rimfire, let alone a 222 Remington or 22 Hornet at distance. But at 50 yards or less the Gen3 wins hands down for shootability.

My AR15s couldn’t compete with my .300 Winmag, but they still had their place. There’s lots of opportunities to use a PCP airgun in semi-urban areas, where a ,22LR would not be legal. As slugs are now approaching the accuracy of pellets at 100yds, but with more retained energy, why wouldn’t you use one with slugs.