The struggle for almost anyone that’s considering the purchase of a PCP airgun is how to fill it. There are a lot of misconceptions on this topic which is why I addressed this question early on with some “How to fill your PCP” articles on this blog. What’s interesting to consider however, is that it always takes energy to make energy. The only difference between a PCP airgun and say a spring airgun, is that with a PCP airgun you do all your pumping at once where a spring gun requires you to cock it before each shot. That may be a little overly simplistic, but it’s an interesting perspective to consider nonetheless. Now as a guy that started with springers, I understand this issue very well and I made some pretty good arguments about why PCPs were just “too hard” to deal with. That was until I got my hands on the Benjamin Discovery.
Benjamin Discovery Rifle with Pump AttachedA little work, a lot of shooting…
When it comes to PCPs that require 3000 psi, pumping them up is a miserable endeavor. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Yes it can be done, and depending on what shape you are in (I’m typically “round”), it will seem less or more miserable. For me, it’s really miserable. But, the genius of the Benjamin Discovery is that it only needs 2000 PSI for optimal operation. Pumping to 2000 PSI is a completely different. It’s much, much easier and something that I would not mind having to do again if required.
Some assembly required…
So what do you get in the box? As you see here, it’s everything you need minus the Philips head screwdriver to put it all together. There are 4 screws, 2 for the base, and 2 for the handle. Once they are attached, you are ready to start pumping. Please read the manual as it is important for you to know how to use the pump. If you use it improperly, you’ll damage the o-rings and have to start looking for someone to rebuild it. Take the time, read the book.
Benjamin Pump – Some (very little) Assembly RequiredSlow and steady wins the race…
The point of having a bundled pump is so that you can be self-sufficient, not relying on a scuba tank or having to run down to the local scuba shop or paintball shop just to be able to squeeze the trigger a few times. If you want to maintain that level of independence, then you’re going to listen to this next part. Filling your gun is not a race. When you fill your gun, the pump will begin to heat up. If you go too fast, you’ll ruin the o-rings in the pump and be out of business. Take your time! I take 3 to 5 seconds per stroke and go as smoothly as possible. This keeps the heat to a minimum and will help your pump last a whole lot longer. The real work will come when you fill your airgun for the first time. It will take well over 120 strokes of the pump to get it to 2000 PSI. Take a couple breaks on the way and check the pump. If it’s hot, let it rest and cool down. I’ve had a Benjamin Hand Pump for almost 5 years and it’s still working. Why, I don’t ever let it overheat.
Benjamin Discovery Pressure Gauge showing 2000 PSITopping off the Discovery from 1000 PSI back up to 2000 PSI is much easier. It takes me about 50 to 55 pumps with this brand new pump, which equates to about 4.6 minutes of pumping if I take a full 5 seconds per stroke. I’ll get about 30 shots for that work. Frankly I think that’s a very fair trade for sure.
Benjamin Hand Pump at 2000 PSITaking that first shot…
Once you’ve got your Discovery all topped off, it’s time to take that first shot. I like to shoot the Benjamin Discovery Hollow Points for the most part. I’ve never really found the Discovery all that pellet picky, so try what you have on hand and see what works. We’ll get to looking at some of the “best” pellet options in our upcoming articles.
Benjamin .22 Discovery Hollowpoint (500)In my initial testing, my rifle is sending the Discovery hollow points down range at an average of 821.5 FPS across 20 shots. In our next article we’ll dive in and look at how all this plays out in our 10 yard shop tests. Then we’ll move on to some longer range field tests. So, definitely keep your eye on the blog over the next couple weeks as we continue looking at the Benjamin Discovery .22 cal airgun.
