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Air Venturi Avenger Review/Hunt

We made a visit to the 2020 Shot Show in Las Vegas Nevada to check out some new offerings from many different manufacturers. Through our rounds we stopped at the Air Venturi booth where we first spotted the Avenger. This was to be a $300 entry level PCP that would be fully adjustable to the user. Several weeks ago Pyramydair sent us one of the first guns out of the factory to field use and test under heavy conditions.

Air Venturi Avenger, Regulated PCP Air Rifle 

  • Pre-Charged Pneumatic
  • Sidelever Cocking
  • Synthetic Stock
  • Externally Adjustable Regulator (Up to 3,000 PSI / 210 BAR)
  • Easily accessible Hammer Spring Adjustment Screw
  • Two-Stage Adjustable Trigger
  • Max Fill Pressure: 4,351 PSI (300 BAR)
  • Fully Shrouded Barrel
  • Picatinny Rail on Fore-end of stock
  • Holes in front and rear of stock for mounting swivel studs for a sling
  • Dual Gauges – Reg Pressure (RH Side) and Fill Pressure (LH Side)
  • Male Quick Disconnect Fill Fitting
  • Easy Access Degassing Screw
  • Manual Safety
  • 11mm dovetail/weaver combination scope rail
  • Magazine Capacity: 10 rds. (.177 & .22), 8 rds. (.25)
  • Includes two magazines and single shot tray

Not to be left out of the battle for supremacy in the entry level PCP market, Air Venturi brings us the Avenger!  The Avenger comes prepared to answer the wide variety of requirements that shooters demand at an affordable price point.  Filling a void in the market for a lightweight, highly adjustable and extremely capable rifle without spending an arm and a leg. Weighing in at just 6 lbs without a scope, the Avenger is maneuverable for a walk in the woods and thanks to two well positioned mounting points for swivel studs, can be carried with ease! The stock is two pieces and is made from very lightweight plastic bringing the total weight of the gun to just 6.0lbs. The stock does feel very thin and somewhat flexible, some added weight to the rear of the gun might bring a more even balance. If this was mine to keep I think I would probably fill the buttstock with something to make it a bit more solid.

Mounting a scope to the rifle is easy thanks to a unique 11mm dovetail/weaver combo rail, meaning most mounts will fit.  You’ll also find a picatinny rail section on the fore-end of the stock for mounting accessories like bipods, lights and lasers.

The Avenger’s 22.75″ barrel is fully shrouded with a barrel band to stiffen it up and offers some sound moderation. The end-cap is threaded to accept an aftermarket moderator device.

Just under the muzzle end is the 180cc air reservoir with a threaded cap that houses the standard male foster fill.

The heart of the Avenger can be found in the externally adjustable regulator located just under the for-end of the stock. The Avenger can be degassed very easily as well with the provided Allen key.

Working in tandem with the adjustable hammer spring, the user can fine tune the performance of their rifle to best suit their needs. The rifle comes set to a working pressure between 4300 down to just 2900psi. This is a high fill pressure and may be near impossible to reach with a hand pump. The rifle can be adjusted down to a lower working pressure that would make it more fill friendly but the .17 and .22 calibers may be better suited to this adjustment. Just behind the breech is a conveniently located hole where the hammer can be adjusted for fine tuning. These adjustments can work together to adjust the power and performance of the gun over a wide spectrum.

Never before has this kind of tuning potential been available at such a budget friendly price of just $300! The regulator can be adjusted as high as 3000 PSI, and you can track your adjustments via the reg pressure gauge on the right hand side of the action.

Right side regulator pressure gauge

Left side fill pressure gauge

Increasing the reg pressure can be done at any time, though decreasing the pressure requires the gun to be degassed first.  This is easily done thanks to an easy access degassing screw found just behind the reg adjustment. Beyond the adjustments, the Avenger features a smooth side-lever action that seamlessly cycles the auto indexing magazines. *NOTE* The side-lever cocking pin does have a small screw that may need to be checked for snugness periodically. This may be a weak link that can fatigue over time. 

The breech on the Avenger is plastic with a metal insert for the hammer and probe system to ride on. This is part of how the gun was able to be kept at such a low cost. The picatinny/11mm rail on top is metal and attached to the breech via 4 set screws. The Avenger comes with two magazines and a single shot tray for range applications that we think is an excellent extra feature.

The trigger is two stage and fully adjustable to your liking, was very surprised how smooth and predictable it is for the price.

Filling the rifle is also a breeze, thanks to the male quick disconnect fitting on the end of the air cylinder.  This is covered by a threaded dust cap, which not only keeps dust and debris out of your fittings, but also gives the rifle a unique appearance. So long are the days of having to spend top dollar to get a PCP rifle that you can easily adjust and tune as you please.  Whether you’re a tuner, tinkerer, or just looking for a budget-friendly PCP to do some shooting with, the Air Venturi Avenger should be at the top of your list!

Caliber .25″ (6.35mm)
Max Velocity 900 fps
Muzzle Energy 45 ft/lbs
Loudness 3-Medium
Barrel Length 22.75″
Overall Length 42.75″
Shot Capacity 8
Barrel Rifled
Front Sight none
Rear Sight none
Scopeable Picatinny & 11mm dovetails
Trigger Two-stage adjustable
Buttplate Rubber
Suggested for Small game hunting/target practice
Action Sidelever
Safety Manual
Powerplant Pre-charged pneumatic
Function Repeater
Max Shots per Fill 24
Body Type Rifle
Fixed/adj. power Multiple settings
Weight 6.0 lbs
Cylinder Size 180 cc
Shrouded Yes
Operating Pressure 4351 PSI / 300 BAR

*NOTE* The Avenger can be tuned for lower fill pressures.

Now that we have taken a look at the rifle it was time to put out a target and check out the performance and get some practice in. First off I really like the fact the gun comes with a built in picatinny rail on the forend for the use of a bipod. I put out my chronograph and filled the gun up to the maximum 300bar mark to test the power and usable shot count. I had been using the rifle for about a week before really doing any testing so had expected things settled in from it’s initial factory power. My first shot through the chronograph was 860 and then settled down to an average of 846 over 25 shots putting out about 40 fpe. I spent some time shooting the gun at several targets and found it to be very accurate out to 75 yards with the 25.39gr JSB’s. The wind was kicking up pretty well so was not easy to shoot for groups at extended ranges but was able to keep most all my groups at just over 1″, not bad in such poor conditions. With no doubt this rifle is capable of some great accuracy at extended ranges.
After spending most of the morning with the Avenger and trying to get it dialed in as best I could I felt that it was ready for some extreme pest control.
The plan was to head over to a large cattle ranch that has a serious problem with the California Ground Squirrels. These squirrels cause an unbelievable amount of damage to the property as well as making it extremely dangerous for the cattle. The Ground Squirrels burrow in the fields that the cattle graze making it dangerous as they can step into the holes breaking legs. Beyond this they cause erosion issues and kill many of the trees. Our job is to eliminate as many as we can in the most safe and ethical way possible!
Marley and I arrived around 11:00am and planned to spend most of the day hunting this large property. Thankfully the area did have some places to set up out of the sun as it was now up into the high 80’s. After setting up the Hawke Frontier 2.5-15×50 with the Tactacam 5.0 with FTS mount I was ready to capture some of the action through the camera. We ventured towards the back part of the ranch that had several piles of debris such as wood, pipes and old farm equipment.
Most all the shots were between 65 and 80 yards, not easy to get in close due to fencing or the fact the Ground Squirrels will spot you. Thankfully most all the cattle were moved out of the area so the danger of shooting close to them was off the table. I always am very critical with not shooting near or around livestock for the liability of hitting one on accident. I have seen many videos of people shooting up into the air, near livestock and just plain being unsafe. These ranchers trust me so it’s very important to shoot as safely as possible!!
After taking down several that had burrowed under a water trough Marley and I moved down the fence-line where we spotted a ton of them moving about on a bunch of old pipe.
The Avenger was an accurate hard hitter with a very predictable trigger for making precision shots at extended ranges. Some of the Ground Squirrels I hit were real acrobats as they got blown off their feet. THWAAACK!!!
We took down around 12 of them just in this small area but they just kept coming out in the most random places. Ground Squirrels are fairly predictable animals and if you hunt many of them you begin to learn exactly where to look. These animals blend in very well and are extremely hard to spot depending on the environment. In most cases you can spot them in and around debris and the small 2″ kill-zones are sometimes all that’s visible.
The temperature got up to 90+ degrees so standing in the open sun was taking it’s toll on Marley and I. We took frequent breaks heading back to the motorhome for water and snacks. The Avenger is easy to fill and is thankfully equipped with a standard foster fitting, probes are not my favorites as they can get lost.
After taking a lunch break Marley and I headed back out and continued along the fence-line taking down as many Ground Squirrels as we could.
The Avenger was doing it’s job with authority with the body count now up over 65+/- After awhile you start to lose count. Several weeks prior we came to the ranch where the Alfalfa had grown to about 3 feet. The rancher had just mowed the fields and now we had clear view of the hundreds of Ground Squirrels moving about throughout these vast fields.
We set up under a tree and were able to spot many mounds throughout this large field between 110 and 130 yards. Most of these shots were a far reach for many Airguns so it felt impressive to do it wish such a budget friendly gun.
We took down a ton of these squirrels and was able to capture most all of the action on the Tactacam. Check out the video at the bottom for a good look at all the action we encountered. Marley and I spent all afternoon hunting until it finally slowed down enough to start packing up for home.
Our time spent with the Avenger was lots of fun and am truly impressed with its performance right out of the box. I see a ton of potential for this rifle and can say it will have a huge following as soon as it’s released to the public. I really want to thank Pyramydair for sponsoring Marley and I to get out and bring you this review. We both really appreciate all the support and will enclose our final honest thoughts on this rifle along with the video documentation.
     PROS
  • Lightweight
  • Externally Adjustable
  • Great Trigger
  • Regulated
  • Foster Fill
  • Price
  • Shrouded
  • Picatinny Rails
  • Single Shot Tray
  • Side-Lever

     CONS

  • Thin Plastic Stock
  • Small Cocking Pin
  • High Fill Pressure (can be tuned down)

 

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/2 Comments/by
2 replies
  2. Francisco J. Briseno
    Francisco J. Briseno says:

    Great review. Can’t find the like and subscribe button hyperlinks. What was the regulator pressure you used for the 25 shot, 40 fpe? Where can I buy this gun’s hammer and hammer spring to do some calculated tuning first? I estimate that out of the box, you can get the most fpe at 3,000 psi; thereafter, you will start getting less fpe, but better accuracy and efficiency. Thank you for the review and thank you Pyramid for helping out to make better informed air gun consumers from the audience of this review.

    Reply

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