BenjaminArmada BTAP17SX .177- Caliber Pellet PCP Hunting/ Target Air Rifle And Scope

Final Update 11/3/2021:Wanted to give one final update after a few months. After putting around 1200 rounds through this rifle, I still maintain the 5+ star rating. I attached a picture of a dime-sized group I shot just today 4 months after I got this rifle.The only adjustments to the scope have been 1-2 clicks here and there to correct for some very minor drift which is to be expected.All I've really done is put 2 drops of PWS silicone chamber oil in the pump port every 600 shots or so and I'll put a little gun oil on the bolt. Other than that it is pretty maintenance free.Use the right ammo and pressure and you won't be disappointed.UPDATE 7/15/2021:I would give this air rifle 6 stars if I could. I've put several hundred rounds through it now and it is very consistent and accurate. I have not had to adjust my scope once I dialed in the zero at 20 yds. I come from a firearms background and recently got back into air rifles, and where accuracy is concerned, the ammo matters just as much (sometimes more) than the rifle.For those that have grouping problems, try different pellets and pressure levels. TLDR:- This rifle groups very well. I've attached grouping shots with ranges, pellet brand/weights, and pressure levels- Light pellets seem to like lower pressure, ~1900-2000 PSI. I got the H&N 7.25 gr Terminators to group well at those pressures.- Heavier pellets do well at higher pressure, ~2500 PSI.- Faster is not necessarily better. While the rifle can go up to 3000 PSI, I have read that the grouping might not be as consistent at those higher pressures.- Use pellets that fit snugly in the chamber so that the skirts engage the rifling well. I had some cheaper pellets that were somewhat loose fitting and they wouldn't group consistently at any pressure.Details:I initially ran a test of several different pellets at 20 yds and 2500 PSI and found that the lighter 7.25 gr pellets would not group well.I then lowered the pressure to 2000 PSI for the lighter pellets and they started grouping pretty nicely. I then tried Beeman Crow Magnum 9gr and H&N 9.57 gr pellets at 2500 PSI and you can see the results in the 2nd photo.I have had good results with H&N pellets so far and will stick with those.------------------------I am new to PCP rifles and previously shot a spring piston air rifle. After shooting this, I am going to give away my spring piston rifle because the Armada beats it in every way possible. Attached is a 5 shot group at ~12 yds with the rifle pumped up to 2500 PSI. I shot those using the included bipod. All 5 are within the outline of a dime. I have never been able to get that kind of consistency with my spring piston rifle. So far, after shooting several different times, the point of impact has not changed substantially so it is pretty consistent from what I can tell so far.The trigger is nice. Two stage with a 1.5 lb second stage. Very easy to shoot, no recoil at all.On top of that, it is quiet. The sound of the pellet hitting the back of my steel bullet trap is louder than the report of the rifle, by a lot. When I fired my spring piston rifle, I could barely hear the pellet hit the trap over the SPRIONG of the rifle spring.Some have mentioned that the rifle is heavy, but I guess it's all relative. I'm used to carrying a .308 so to me, the Armada actually feels light by comparison even with the scope and bipod. I'd say it is about 8.5 pounds if you take the bipod off. If you have the bipod on, you're most likely shooting off a bench or other support and the weight doesn't really matter.The scope is reasonably good. It is 2nd FP, but is totally fine for backyard shooting. It has a side focus/parallax adjustment knob, elevation and windage knobs with distinct clicks, 4-16x mag and keeps its zero as far as I can tell so far after shooting it for a week. For the range that I'm shooting (~20 yds), I just keep it at 8x.I like that the grip and buttstock are milspec. I happen to have an extra AR-15 grip and Magpul buttstock and put those on for better comfort. That said, the included buttstock isn't horrible. I shot the attached 5 shot group with the included buttstock before I switched it out. Also, the handguard is MLOK compliant so if you want to attach any rails or other accessories, that is also easy to do.This rifle is a bit more expensive, but to me was totally worth it and is a good value. With the current prices of ammo, this gives me an opportunity to target shoot for cheap and I don't even have to drive to the range. I just shoot out my back window into my target holder/bullet trap and no one even knows. :-D

Overall fit and finish looked correct. The barrel is inline with the rail. This rifle is a beast with the included scope and bipod. I replaced the butt stock right away with a milspec adjustable stock which eliminated much of the looseness that came with the original piece. The magazine is a real tight fit and proved a bit problematic during loading. I'm still just getting to know this rifle and its capabilities with a variety of ammo. Overall I'm very pleased. I chose the Armada over the Marauder specifically for its adjustable butt stock for my younger son.

The past two years I have been inundated by squirrels. Destructive little critters and I had had enough. I thought this rifle would be a fun solution to my rodent problem.I was so excited when the rifle arrived. My excitement quickly turned to irritation. Right out of the box I noticed that the built in gauge on the rifle itself had the arrow misaligned. It was pointing completely outside the pressure range scale. When I went to charge the rifle with my compressor, the needle on the rifle pressure gauge just spun around 360+ degrees. My compressor maxed out and when I went to test the rifle by taking a shot, the pellet didn’t even go 20 yards before arching into the ground.Also, the optics on the gun must have been damaged as I could not get a clear sight picture no matter how I adjusted the scope or the eye relief.My guess is that the box must have taken a pretty hard jolt in transit or I just got a lemon. I have requested a return and a refund so the seller at least has an opportunity to redeem themselves.

Really nice rifle and scope. Accuracy is very good. I found the magazine a little difficult to use (pay special attention to loading and inserting it). Extra magazines will reduce wear on the springs.

Literally every time my 18y.o. picks this up, he has to re-sight the scope that came with this kit. He uses it to keep some local wildlife from invading at night... so it actually DOES serve a function in this instance and isn't just for "fun" (although he's had plenty of that as well). I would suggest buying the rifle and then having a local shop set you up with a sight if you're really using it.

I LOVE this thing. Im a firearms enthusiast and have some amazing rifles and pistols (300 blk, 12 gauge, 5.56, 9mm). I raise chickens and rats started living under the coops and running around my backyard at night. I don’t do poison, and they stopped getting caught by the live traps. So I bought the Benjamin Armada in .177, an inexpensive pcp rifle compressor with auto shutoff, H&N baracuda hunter extreme pellets, and an infrared night vision scope.This thing is ridiculously accurate. 10 round, dime sized groupings at 60 feet. Every night Id take out 2-3 rats till they were all gone. Now I just shoot targets on a pellet trap for fun. But if the rats come back, Im ready…

very accurate rifle, very heavy tho.

youtube said it was accurate out of the box, Bull, had to zero it in and then change pellets until one brand shot was ok in it