PA_AirHead
HAM Sharp Shooter
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It’s Memorial Day, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. The grass sways and the leaves dance on their perch among the maples and oaks in the very light variable breeze. As I set the range up for the head to head comparison in what may seem like a waste of time and effort, I’m reminded at the amount of work that goes into comparisons and reviews. My hat’s off to all of you that do this stuff on a regular basis and even more so to those that produce videos for it.
This days contenders are seemingly worlds apart. A new kid pcp against a nearly 50 year old pumper. It should be a shut out of epic results. Don’t walk away just yet. The Reximex RPA in .177 against the American Classic Crosman 1322 (.22). PCP vs Multi Pump. No contest right?
Let me start by saying I had every intention of putting together multiple photos and/or video. Well I ended up with a lot of video (still unedited) and a few photos. I’ll post a few of the photos and do my best to put into words what the session was like.
Measuring off 33’ or 10 meters for the contest was first and foremost. Moving the large spool about 6 feet further away to get things right. 10M to the muzzle +\- a couple centimeters maybe, while rested. What ever the difference, it wouldn’t amount to any arguable separation of fairness.
The day would consist of the following;
1. Chronograph test for consistency
2. Full supported BR 10 shot group
3. Standing two handed unsupported 5 shot group
And finally,
4. 25 shots on a 50 yard Rimfire BR target at 10M BR position.
ROUND 1: The Chronograph
10.3 gr Benjamin Single Die Pellets - RPA
18.1 gr FX Pellets - Crosman
After shooting both pistols a couple days earlier I knew that going into this “dogfight” the Crosman was favored. Prior to this day the Crosman shot the 18.1 gr FX pellets across the Element Ballistics chrony at 400 fps for 5 shots. 0 SD and 0 spread. Pretty easy math. Here’s that string if you missed it.
Well, today would be no different, except that I was conducting a 10 shot string and the Crosman pulled off essentially a hat trick of 0 SD and yes 0 Spread.
Because I had trouble believing what was happening I did a 10 pump 10 shot string. And these are the results from that. I know it says 8 pumps in the profile, I wasn’t changing it to 10 just for this. The numbers did indeed change and YET, the Crosman out performs the RPA in consistency, as you will see.
Onto the Reximex. I shot 10 shots to settle the regulator if it needed to. Turns out it did settle in and below are the two strings. The first is the settling string and the second is the final string I used to compare the two pistols.
All in all, not terrible. I will say this however; I’m testing a mildly altered $80.00 multi pump pistol against an out of the box $400.00 + regulated pistol. The grips and fore-piece have no bearing on the chronograph numbers. The steel breach MIGHT contribute to the transfer port being better secured vs the factory plastic/nylon breech. I own both of these guns and am sponsored by, nor do I want to be, anyone. The numbers don’t lie. The Crosman wins this round. Could the regulator be adjusted in the RPA and make it better? Possibly. As far as power, the two are essentially the same ft/lb providers. If you need to ask which string is which gun, you haven’t been paying attention
.
ROUND 2: The Benchrest 10 Shot Group
It’s actually really close on this one. Shooting off of a travel “bean bag” neck support pillow and a Caldwell Tack Driver bag, I was quite comfortable.
First up would be the RPA. This pistol just fits very nicely. The walnut grip is really well done to fit the average hand. I mean how difficult is it to make a grip that most will be happy with? I wouldn’t wanna try that. Well done Reximex. The left sided side lever is very smooth and precise with a light pull. It does not lock to the rear however, so a muzzle down, single shot loading technique is nearly impossible. That said, the in included single shot tray is aggravating to use with such small pellets. A new SST is on the way. The 1322 loading is far superior. The side lever locks forward very smoothly and with confidence. The safety is easy to manage and has a positive feel in both directions. The fiber optic sights are much easier to align on the RPA vs the front post and rear notch or peep configuration of the 1322. A nice set of tru-glow sights would be even better. The trigger on the RPA is world class against the trigger of the 1322. There is absolutely no comparison. Again $80.00 vs $400. Anyway, here is the group from the RPA:
Now imagine what this pistol could do with a dedicated optic or with someone that is much better on open sights. Maybe if I wore my glasses it would have been even better. I have astigmatism so the sight picture isn’t as clear as it used to be.
Onto the Crosman.
The factory grips and fore-piece have been replaced with teak wood pieces. They do have a better feel and more likely contribute to a better shooting experience. The sights, well they’re old school. The rear is selectable notch/peep style while the front is a plastic post. The rear peep is very small which should contribute to better accuracy. But it’s VERY small at full arm length distance from the eye. The front sight fills the peep a lot and therefore target acquisition is tough. Once you get it though, consistency is pretty decent. Black on black can make it challenging also. The trigger?
This feels like it spent a night on the beach while the tides worked it over in the sand. It is nothing like the RPA. It needs work (future endeavor maybe). The safety works much like the RPA’s and is almost as smooth, but not quite. The bolt work pretty smooth with a little more heft than the RPA. That side lever vs bolt action for you. New and improved over “ol reliable”. The single shot loading is very easy. Here is the group from the Crosman.
Why is this group not on a bullseye you ask? Because it shot about 3” high while aiming at the bullseye. My rear sight is all the way down already so I simply aimed at the bullseye and took the group it printed. And that group isn’t too shabby.
The RPA wins this round. A win is a win, but I think we can agree it was hard fought. The feel of the gun and its group combined however, does put it further ahead in this round.
ROUND 3: Standing Unsupported
Standing unsupported two handed! Are you kidding me? This is not going to go well at all for either of them 
. Well here goes something….
I already know how each gun feels, and the triggers are going to be the deciding factors. But wait…. Maybe I do better with a crappy trigger
. Certainly it would appear that is in fact the case. Here we go….
I absolutely shot the beach landing triggered 1322 better in the off hand portion. I don’t know why to be honest. Maybe it is the tiny rear peep? It definitely was not the wind, as there was really none to contend with. Is the BC on the 18 gr just enough better? What ever the case, cut and dry the Crosman pulls out round 3 and by a measurable difference.
Yup, me too.
ROUND 4 FINAL: Benchrest
In the end, the RPA wraps up the Benchrest with a commanding win. But let me explain how this all went down. With the RPA it’s simple. Put the front sight post on the bullseye and squeeze the trigger. Pellet pretty much goes where you held.
In the case of the 1322, remember, this thing is shooting about 3” high!!! I shot my first row of targets from the bottom and held low and right to compensate. My sight picture was me barely seeing the bottom ring of the intended target in my peep sight. No small feet of, IMO, my ability to shoot well. I owe it to the ARMY marksmanship training. It’s a very natural instinct for me. So yes, I am patting myself on the back for 25 shots of very well placed pellets. At first I wasn’t going to even attempt to do this part. Then I thought
, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll just omit it. I’m quite happy with the results.
Also something to explain. The RPA target has a double punch target. I failed to shoot the bottom right target so I took a mulligan. I’m testing the pistol, not shooting a competition. In taking a mulligan lol I shot the wrong target and said screw it, I’m done. I scored the targets with a .22 pellet skirt to make it kind of competition related. I was going to go off the center of each hole and score it that way. I chose to keep it more traditional plug style scoring. In the end, on paper I did NOT count that mulligan into my score. If I had, the RPA and I would have scored and impressive 230/250 followed up by the 1322 with a 190 2X count. Again I held 3”+\- off on every shot with the Crosman.
Do I have a recommendation? Sure I do, buy what ever you want. BUT….. If you’re completely new and on a tight budget, the Crosman can scratch that itch for not much investment. You don’t need the grips or the breech. You also don’t need a compressor or a tank or even a hand pump. Pistol and pellets… that’s it!
If your budget is a bit more expanded, the Reximex is way more refined. Does it shoot better overall? I think only gun vice can answer that. It certainly has the potential to be better, but at what cost? One main advantage to the RPA is the ability to easily quiet it down with a moderator if you have PITA neighbors. I don’t suffer from that ailment fortunately. The RPA can also be very easily topped off with a hand pump.
Have a youngster you wanna introduce to air power? The Crosman hands down. Why? Teach em to work for their shots a little bit before spoiling em with easy to fill PCP’s. Is that a viable reason, not really it’s 100% my opinion in this soft world. Let em pinch their fingers occasionally lol. Toughen up buttercup.
In the beginning I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this comparison. In the end however I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I probably won’t finish editing the video rendition of this day but it’s pretty much all here in photos and print. I hope you’ve enjoyed this lengthy write up. Happy and safe shooting
.
Where did I acquire these fine shooting utensils?
The Reximex RPA came from Pyramid Air.
The DonnyFl moderator on the RPA came from The Pellet Shop.
The Crosman and its accessories came from Airgun Revisions. There’s no one that knows Crosman or Benjamin any better.
This days contenders are seemingly worlds apart. A new kid pcp against a nearly 50 year old pumper. It should be a shut out of epic results. Don’t walk away just yet. The Reximex RPA in .177 against the American Classic Crosman 1322 (.22). PCP vs Multi Pump. No contest right?
Let me start by saying I had every intention of putting together multiple photos and/or video. Well I ended up with a lot of video (still unedited) and a few photos. I’ll post a few of the photos and do my best to put into words what the session was like.
Measuring off 33’ or 10 meters for the contest was first and foremost. Moving the large spool about 6 feet further away to get things right. 10M to the muzzle +\- a couple centimeters maybe, while rested. What ever the difference, it wouldn’t amount to any arguable separation of fairness.
The day would consist of the following;
1. Chronograph test for consistency
2. Full supported BR 10 shot group
3. Standing two handed unsupported 5 shot group
And finally,
4. 25 shots on a 50 yard Rimfire BR target at 10M BR position.
ROUND 1: The Chronograph
10.3 gr Benjamin Single Die Pellets - RPA
18.1 gr FX Pellets - Crosman
After shooting both pistols a couple days earlier I knew that going into this “dogfight” the Crosman was favored. Prior to this day the Crosman shot the 18.1 gr FX pellets across the Element Ballistics chrony at 400 fps for 5 shots. 0 SD and 0 spread. Pretty easy math. Here’s that string if you missed it.
Well, today would be no different, except that I was conducting a 10 shot string and the Crosman pulled off essentially a hat trick of 0 SD and yes 0 Spread.
Because I had trouble believing what was happening I did a 10 pump 10 shot string. And these are the results from that. I know it says 8 pumps in the profile, I wasn’t changing it to 10 just for this. The numbers did indeed change and YET, the Crosman out performs the RPA in consistency, as you will see.
Onto the Reximex. I shot 10 shots to settle the regulator if it needed to. Turns out it did settle in and below are the two strings. The first is the settling string and the second is the final string I used to compare the two pistols.
All in all, not terrible. I will say this however; I’m testing a mildly altered $80.00 multi pump pistol against an out of the box $400.00 + regulated pistol. The grips and fore-piece have no bearing on the chronograph numbers. The steel breach MIGHT contribute to the transfer port being better secured vs the factory plastic/nylon breech. I own both of these guns and am sponsored by, nor do I want to be, anyone. The numbers don’t lie. The Crosman wins this round. Could the regulator be adjusted in the RPA and make it better? Possibly. As far as power, the two are essentially the same ft/lb providers. If you need to ask which string is which gun, you haven’t been paying attention
.ROUND 2: The Benchrest 10 Shot Group
It’s actually really close on this one. Shooting off of a travel “bean bag” neck support pillow and a Caldwell Tack Driver bag, I was quite comfortable.
First up would be the RPA. This pistol just fits very nicely. The walnut grip is really well done to fit the average hand. I mean how difficult is it to make a grip that most will be happy with? I wouldn’t wanna try that. Well done Reximex. The left sided side lever is very smooth and precise with a light pull. It does not lock to the rear however, so a muzzle down, single shot loading technique is nearly impossible. That said, the in included single shot tray is aggravating to use with such small pellets. A new SST is on the way. The 1322 loading is far superior. The side lever locks forward very smoothly and with confidence. The safety is easy to manage and has a positive feel in both directions. The fiber optic sights are much easier to align on the RPA vs the front post and rear notch or peep configuration of the 1322. A nice set of tru-glow sights would be even better. The trigger on the RPA is world class against the trigger of the 1322. There is absolutely no comparison. Again $80.00 vs $400. Anyway, here is the group from the RPA:
Now imagine what this pistol could do with a dedicated optic or with someone that is much better on open sights. Maybe if I wore my glasses it would have been even better. I have astigmatism so the sight picture isn’t as clear as it used to be.
Onto the Crosman.
The factory grips and fore-piece have been replaced with teak wood pieces. They do have a better feel and more likely contribute to a better shooting experience. The sights, well they’re old school. The rear is selectable notch/peep style while the front is a plastic post. The rear peep is very small which should contribute to better accuracy. But it’s VERY small at full arm length distance from the eye. The front sight fills the peep a lot and therefore target acquisition is tough. Once you get it though, consistency is pretty decent. Black on black can make it challenging also. The trigger?
This feels like it spent a night on the beach while the tides worked it over in the sand. It is nothing like the RPA. It needs work (future endeavor maybe). The safety works much like the RPA’s and is almost as smooth, but not quite. The bolt work pretty smooth with a little more heft than the RPA. That side lever vs bolt action for you. New and improved over “ol reliable”. The single shot loading is very easy. Here is the group from the Crosman.Why is this group not on a bullseye you ask? Because it shot about 3” high while aiming at the bullseye. My rear sight is all the way down already so I simply aimed at the bullseye and took the group it printed. And that group isn’t too shabby.
The RPA wins this round. A win is a win, but I think we can agree it was hard fought. The feel of the gun and its group combined however, does put it further ahead in this round.
ROUND 3: Standing Unsupported
Standing unsupported two handed! Are you kidding me? This is not going to go well at all for either of them . Well here goes something….I already know how each gun feels, and the triggers are going to be the deciding factors. But wait…. Maybe I do better with a crappy trigger
. Certainly it would appear that is in fact the case. Here we go….I absolutely shot the beach landing triggered 1322 better in the off hand portion. I don’t know why to be honest. Maybe it is the tiny rear peep? It definitely was not the wind, as there was really none to contend with. Is the BC on the 18 gr just enough better? What ever the case, cut and dry the Crosman pulls out round 3 and by a measurable difference.
Yup, me too.ROUND 4 FINAL: Benchrest
In the end, the RPA wraps up the Benchrest with a commanding win. But let me explain how this all went down. With the RPA it’s simple. Put the front sight post on the bullseye and squeeze the trigger. Pellet pretty much goes where you held.
In the case of the 1322, remember, this thing is shooting about 3” high!!! I shot my first row of targets from the bottom and held low and right to compensate. My sight picture was me barely seeing the bottom ring of the intended target in my peep sight. No small feet of, IMO, my ability to shoot well. I owe it to the ARMY marksmanship training. It’s a very natural instinct for me. So yes, I am patting myself on the back for 25 shots of very well placed pellets. At first I wasn’t going to even attempt to do this part. Then I thought
, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll just omit it. I’m quite happy with the results.Also something to explain. The RPA target has a double punch target. I failed to shoot the bottom right target so I took a mulligan. I’m testing the pistol, not shooting a competition. In taking a mulligan lol I shot the wrong target and said screw it, I’m done. I scored the targets with a .22 pellet skirt to make it kind of competition related. I was going to go off the center of each hole and score it that way. I chose to keep it more traditional plug style scoring. In the end, on paper I did NOT count that mulligan into my score. If I had, the RPA and I would have scored and impressive 230/250 followed up by the 1322 with a 190 2X count. Again I held 3”+\- off on every shot with the Crosman.
Do I have a recommendation? Sure I do, buy what ever you want. BUT….. If you’re completely new and on a tight budget, the Crosman can scratch that itch for not much investment. You don’t need the grips or the breech. You also don’t need a compressor or a tank or even a hand pump. Pistol and pellets… that’s it!
If your budget is a bit more expanded, the Reximex is way more refined. Does it shoot better overall? I think only gun vice can answer that. It certainly has the potential to be better, but at what cost? One main advantage to the RPA is the ability to easily quiet it down with a moderator if you have PITA neighbors. I don’t suffer from that ailment fortunately. The RPA can also be very easily topped off with a hand pump.
Have a youngster you wanna introduce to air power? The Crosman hands down. Why? Teach em to work for their shots a little bit before spoiling em with easy to fill PCP’s. Is that a viable reason, not really it’s 100% my opinion in this soft world. Let em pinch their fingers occasionally lol. Toughen up buttercup.
In the beginning I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this comparison. In the end however I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I probably won’t finish editing the video rendition of this day but it’s pretty much all here in photos and print. I hope you’ve enjoyed this lengthy write up. Happy and safe shooting
.Where did I acquire these fine shooting utensils?
The Reximex RPA came from Pyramid Air.
The DonnyFl moderator on the RPA came from The Pellet Shop.
The Crosman and its accessories came from Airgun Revisions. There’s no one that knows Crosman or Benjamin any better.
