Crosman Valiant SBD, NP Elite

average scope

Pros
quiet, powerful

Cons
difficult to cock

I put a UTG OP3 3-12x33 on it and it shoots fantastic. The rifle seemed to large for a bug buster but that scope is awesome too. I read a couple people talking about the plastic shroud but IMO the rifle is pretty well done for the price point. Not really very loud except for the pellet that smacks hard whatever you point it at. All in all I would buy this rifle again and recommend it to friends.

Pros
The rifle is pretty solidly built. It is my first piston rifle but I have shot quite a few. Mine is 22 and i Shoot JSB heavies on it. The factory sights were dead on out of the box and the scope that came with it is not great but totally serviceable. Prolly a 4x center point dice crosman owns them. The wood is not fancy but nice for 200 dollar rifle. Cocking effort is not too bad and i Get a consisten 800fps with the 18 grain JSBs for right around 25lb/ft. It hits pretty hard. Easily shouts dimes at 25 yards with a consistent hold but I have not had a chance to stretch it.

Cons
Air gun rails are stupid. Especially on a springer or piston. It should all be weaver or picatinny to allow more mounting options. That being said, it at least has a locator to pin rings or conversion bases somewhat solidly.The rifle is heavy but not any more so than the rest of the genre. Give us an option without the scope! The scope is ok but we are all going to put something else on it and who wants more 4x center points in their garage? There are only so many poor Boy Scouts to give them away to.

Lost interest in the rifle because of these issues and purchased another (Uramex) with much better results. In time I'll pull the Crosman out and go through it again....

Pros
fit & finish and aesthetics are good, nice wood stock.

Cons
Found it extremely hard to maintain a consistent group after more than 500 rounds with the .22 rifle. Replaced stock scope with a Hammer scope, sighted in with little effort to consistently hit a 3"plate at 50 yds. Put the rifle away for a few weeks pull the rifle out and had to start all over in sighting in again - shots 3+ feet off target. Scope mounts fine, can't explain why...?

This gun has a very heavy trigger. Just replace the sear spring with a lighter one and you'll be good to go. This what you get when you remove that ugly chinese paint.

Pros
I like the accuracy out of the box. It's hard hitting with the right ammo. I use H and N ftt 5.53mm. they work well

Cons
Loose the scope and front sight

Pros
tbh this is a really fun rifle It is very accurate and quiet enough to shoot residential.

Cons
I dont know if the power is actually 1000 fps but it might me not sure tho.

I figure I started plinking maybe 60 years ago - (I'm 72 yrs old)
It all started with a well used break barrel Sheridan

I've mostly had firearms (actual firearms) since - My venture recently turned back to "air rifles"(we'll pretend I've recently developed a skunk problem)
I bought a Crosman vantage 177 (excellent entry level airgun) - quite accurate @10-20yrds but a little louder than I wanted
I then stepped up to this Valiant - not as quiet as I hoped, but a different "pop"
The good part, I've installed the "Cv life 2.5 - 10 x40 with laser" (gimmicky, I know) - And this rifle will consistently put 7.9gr pellets thru a 1" spot @ 15yards
(often thru the previous hole)
I sighted it in with maybe 50 pellets at my benchrest and it stays dead on (hypothetically, 10yards -1 heart/lung shot dead in 5sec - no spray)

"It's on now"
Greg

Pros
This air rifle is NOT my old sheridan break barrel

Cons
The scope

Not really for kids. If letting a kid shoot it, make sure an adult is supervising

Pros
Ye Gods! I've been shooting H&N 5.1g pellets. I'm surprised the cops haven't come. At 11 meters it has the report of a .22 'real' rifle. With 4.3 Winchester pellets even more so. With 7.4 pellets it makes a "plink" sound, very quiet. Still too soon to tell, and with the lighter pellets and bad eyesight I'm all over the place. I set up a stand and shot st the same place with 5 pellets, and as near as I saw, 2 went into the same hole 1/4" right of the bull's eye! The other three were in a nice group, in fact touching each other, 1/2" above the bull's eye. I have not attached a scope yet. It's heavier and a bit harder to cock than my Express Hunter, but it feels solid, for sure. No fiber optics on the sights, and the windage setting doesn't step with clicks.

Cons
Fiber optics on the sights, and better sights period.

I’m 400 rounds in now, still can’t get a grouping smaller than 3” at 15 yards. Got a cleaning kit for .177, cleaned the barrel out, didn’t see any improvement. I’ve tried different pellets, different holds, scope, irons, just abysmal performance. I’ve got a ticket in for a return now, hopefully I just got a lemon. Will update when/if I get a replacement.
As for the noise level, this one is doing right at 110db, which is louder than my old b9 clone which comes in at 102db.

Pros
The stock is nice

Pros
I love this rifle to death. It's accurate, quite and very fun for backyard plinking just make sure you have a solid back stop this thing hits hard. The wood stock feels great in the hand and looks good too. The included scope isn't half bad which is surprising considering the price. This is my first step into more powerful air guns and I'd say it's a welcome one.

Cons
If I have to voice some negatives it'd be the gun is a little unwieldy before you know what you're doing. It's not very light and the first couple of times you try to cock the rifle will probably be more difficult that you think it should be. Also even though I appreciate the suppressor I wish the plastic shroud looked a little nicer.

OVERALL- I like it and recommend it. It replaces an older Diana .177. This makes some noise but is definitely quieter than the Diana. The power with this gun is harder hitting but I can only compare it to .177. I can illustrate the difference with my target. I use a 5 gallon metal can as a backdrop for strays, 38 yards away. This is for plinking and rodent patrol. A .177 stays contained within the can, denting the back until the same spot has been hit several times. This .22 allows maybe 3 punches tops before penetration.
PRO- The pump action is not for the young. I like that safety feature over the 1-10 pump guns for the kids.
- accuracy is good. I haven’t mounted the scope and probably won’t. I can hit my 1”” to 2-1/2” target consistently freehand in a standing position once dialed in. It needed to be adjusted but the groupings were good. Good enough that when I thought I was way off because the resonant “thwack” from the Can was barely a “pink”, and I said to myself I REALLY need to warm up, and then walked up to analyze the target I saw I sometimes hit the same hole and had punched through the back of the can.
- The grip of the stock is nice. I thought it was dumb looking but it feels pretty good. I am tempted to sand it and shape it to my personal feel but I like the idea.
-noise is less than the Diana
-weight is comfortable for a grown man
CONS - the color, grain of the wood and semi gloss finish make the stock look synthetic. Yuck. I wanted the other model for this reason, and the bumped up velocity, but it is discontinued.
- safety. The auto safety on the Diana was great: 1-auto and 2- effortless to disengage. I like safety! The safety on this gun is a downgrade.
-Made in CHINA! It says it right on the gun. I checked the add online and it says made in America. I understand the business reasons but the two cannot both be true and I wince at misrepresentation.
OVERALL- I am happy with the gun and enjoy preparing for the first raccoon I catch attacking my chickens. I just hope it performs long enough to fulfill its destiny.