So I've heard it all before, airguns are just little toys that little boys play with until
they get real guns. It's a line I've heard some so-called grown up shotgun and fore bore
shooters use to pour scorn on air gunning and the community that surrounds it.
Some of these guys truly believe that airguns are weak, ineffective and positioned firmly
at the bottom of the hunting scale. Well, that myth may have been well and truly blown
out of the water.
So let me introduce you to this, the Benjamin Rogue .357, the world's most powerful production
air rifle.
This devastatingly powerful .357 multi-shot pre-charged pneumatic ultra-quiet hunting
air rifle from Crosman will surely redefine the boundaries of modern airgun hunting.
The Benjamin .357 Rogue was designed for the US market where more is always considered
better. But it's also being imported into the UK by ASI limited. I've managed to get
my hands on the very first Rogue to hit the UK shores and I promptly whisked it away to
put it to the test.
And what better place to test this gas powered behemoth than the global home of big game
hunting, South Africa.
So I took the Rogue to Nduna Hunting Safaris in South Africa's East Cape.
Nduna is Team Wild's official South Africa Hunting destination and home to a wide variety
of game. Surely there is something here to test the Rogues mettle?
But the Rogue is not only a powerful rifle; it's also pretty sophisticated and contains
a number of cool air gunning innovations.
The Benjamin Rogue has a variety of new technological gizmos squeezed into it. Crosman says it's
providing a new category of hunting air rifle, boasting might and versatility. And who am
I to disagree with them.
The new e-VALVE technology provides the Rogue with a precise regulation of pressure in the
air reservoir and thus provides more shots per fill.
Crosman's thinking is more shots equals more hunting, this all sounds great but we're pretty
spoilt here in the UK when it comes to efficient regulator design. After all, we are the home
of international air gunning, right?
Or perhaps not any more.
But the Rogue also has some highly practical features, this include a Picatinny Rail built
into the fore end which can fit a bipod and other accessories. An adjustable stock and
a unique safety system that completely disables the bolt, preventing accidental discharge.
The overall styling is a little contempory but it's absolutely bomb proof.
The marketing speak says the Rogue has a surprising amount of accuracy and stealth, I'm not sure
about the latter as muzzle report is quite pronounced when compared to a sub foot 12
pound air rifle. But I can't argue with the pint about accuracy.
The shrouded barrel makes the Rogue quieter than most other fire-arms and because it has
virtually no recoil its accuracy is pretty impressive.
The recoil is similar to my .22 Rimfire rifles but the Rogue is kicking out at least double
the muzzle energy.
The Rogue produces muzzle velocities of between 700-1000 feet per second depending on your
choice of ammunition.
I'll be carrying out a full group test for each ammo type and power setting in an upcoming
episode of Team Wild Gear. However the ammo I chose for this trip was the awesome
Nosler 145 grain ballistic tipped bullets.
On the high power setting these monstrous pellets produce up to 300 foot pounds of muzzle
energy and a tonal performance beyond any airgun ammunition I've ever see.
If you connect with the Rogue, your quarry is going down, period.
Although the Rogue is brimming with technological advances, it is a little unwieldy, weighing
in at a slightly lardy 9.5 pounds un-scoped and a whopping 48 inches in length.
It's a little bit like carrying a scaffolding pole around in the bush. But boy does it feel
good knowing its capabilities.
For the technophiles amongst us the Rogue also has a LCD screen on the side, this lets
you choose between the power or pressure used with each shot and also select the different
types of ammunition.
Crosman say that two AA batteries should last you for at least 10,000 shots, so regular
recharging is not necessary.
Although the gun is not water proof it is weather resistant so be careful on the conditions
you use it in.
The Rogue has a classic bolt action mechanism with a six shot auto indexing rotary magazine.
The Rogue will only take soft lead bullet without lubrication. Crosman have worked closely
with Nosler to create their own specially built ammunition with ballistic tip.
The 145 grain Benjamin Extreme Bullet has a red polymer tip designed to resist defamation
and increase downrange terminal velocity.
The trauma caused by these bullets really is something to behold, and you need to place
you shots carefully to avoid unnecessary meat damage.
So the Rogue promises much, both for traditional airgun quarry species and for bigger game.
But I've been keen to put it to the test, so be sure to keep watching Team Wild TV and
see exactly which animals I've managed to harvest with this.
The world's most powerful production air rifle. You might just be surprised
For more information about the awesome Benjamin Rogue .357 Air Rifle visit crosman.com