AEA Varmint .25 Caliber Bolt Action Airgun Review - Hawke Optics - DonnyFL - Two Vets Tripods

[@compressed_precision]

Great Review PJ! Looks like a great pesting option! Thanks for including the tripod segment!

[@WiscAirGunners]

I've been on the hunt for a top tier tripod for about a year and a half and I'm glad I waited to try this one out.

[@texasranchadventures]

I’ve had my .25 for 9 months now and I love it. I shoot daily and it has about 6k shots through it (mostly 33.5 nsa). I use it for pesting on our horse ranch. Mostly hogs (head shots) and skunks. It’s put down about 15-20 hogs and about the same number of skunks since I’ve had it. The only issue I’ve had really is a small slow air leak that just started two months ago. Haven’t had time to figure it out but it works just fine. Long story short is that the rifle is super dependable, low maintenance, tough, deadly accurate even out to 200+ yards on small game. I have a few videos on it on my page and some hunting videos too if anyone wants to dig through and find them. 👍 oh and I got mine from the pelletshop too after hearing you talk about them like a year ago. Had never heard of them so I’m glad that you did. Bin is awesome and I’m super glad that I took the chance on AEA. My last few rifles had left me seriously disappointed. (Just remembered my only complaint) **no way these guns are doing 80ft lbs. I’ve shot two others and they are all doing about 60ft lbs. max. 😂 🎯

[@texasranchadventures]

You can add a couple of washers and get a couple more lbs but nothing close to 80lbs

[@texasranchadventures]

Wish vendors would make sure those specs from manufacturers were accurate and honest.

[@WiscAirGunners]

Strong endorsement!

[@WiscAirGunners]

@@texasranchadventures I am also in favor of accurate and straightforward portrayals of what the rifle’s capabilities are from the manufacture.

[@back2backjack1]

Thanx for the review. I am happy to know that it can be quieted down. I have only shot a mag through my HP SS .22 carbine and i is WAY,WAY too loud.

[@WiscAirGunners]

You’ll still get some action noise, but downrange is a different story.

[@mrdee423]

Great video, another most important item to remember on All the AEA rifles is never leave them cocked!!! The springs and hammer pins don't appreciate it. "Ask me how I know". 🤣

[@WiscAirGunners]

I think I might know the answer already...This sounds like solid advice!

[@bertbccfu9564]

The varmint really likes the jsb 34 grain domes

[@WiscAirGunners]

Yes it does.

[@bertbccfu9564]

Awesome gun I've had mine almost 2 years, upgraded to a cf bottle and huma reg so now it's 300 bar fills, about 70 shots till it falls off reg, I have polished trigger and sear , installed light weight springs,shimmed the hammer spring , I've also polished barrel internals , now has a magpull buffer tube and stock,one of the 1st things i did was eliminated the folding stock , i didnt care for the little bit of wiggle in it ,saber tactical bottle clamp with pic rail to use my accutech br4 bipod , for a scope i run a vector optics 10x40x50 benchrest, if I do my part it will keep inside 1/2 dollar @100 yards,

[@WiscAirGunners]

Nice!

[@gmsantafeairgunner2169]

I did the same thing to mine I put a 700cc carbon fiber bottle Also huma regulator I tried to shim my hammer Spring as well but it was Harder to pull the bolt back So instead what I did I found the same diameter Valve Spring the coils were closer together And a little bit longer So I cut at the Is same length I shot it without the regulator and I was shooting 38 gr nsa at 998 fps I got that The bolt action would stay the same But I put the regulator on to get more shots I get probably Is a 100 shots on the reg With palettes About 56 fpe

[@lostinmo9644]

Great review bro. I own an AEA HP SS Plus in .25 (semi auto). AEA surprisingly makes some good guns for being from China. I can get quarter groups or smaller with a red dot at 40yds. Good enough for me. Wish they'd regulate them tho. Keep up the good work.

[@WiscAirGunners]

Thank you. I agree. With products in our industry it’s not just where it’s made so much as how the specs are written.

[@bertbccfu9564]

Go with a huma you won't be disappointed

[@airriflehunter87]

Great vid as always ! Nice

[@WiscAirGunners]

Thanks Lee!

[@eddiemoit3633]

My varmint love's 33.6 grain nsa polished trigger helped it alot

[@WiscAirGunners]

Something I may look at down the line. At least it's predictable.

[@customcutter100]

I was looking at the Varmint last year. I found a used HP Carbine with a CF bottle and DonnyFl for the same money. It's a blast to shoot. I would buy a .22 Varmint in a heartbeat if it came with a side lever action. You mention arthritis in your trigger finger, wait until you are 20 years older and trying to cock a bolt action with a stiff HS. BTW it's simple to change out the springs on the trigger on the bolt actions. I did on my carbine and it started double firing so I had to put the OEM springs back in. The trigger mechanism wouldn't catch the hammer reliably with the lighter springs.

[@WiscAirGunners]

I’ve shot and enjoyed shooting the Carbine HP too! Thanks for the info on the springs.

[@chentequilichini7182]

great job on the video!, I love the varmint too got a couple of them, like them that much! don t shoot them much, for the reason of the loudness and neighbors, also, don t have much range at my place, only about 30 or 40 yards, in a coastal area where, boats transit.. my concern, so my next project with them is to add bottle regulators, altaros, to tone down the power a bit , and get greater shot counts ,as I use them mostly for target practice , because of the great accuracy, we will see how that goes! ,agree with you is a great gun, especially for ar platform and lovers users.

[@WiscAirGunners]

I’d love to hear about a regulated version and what kind of performance you get from it.

[@chentequilichini7182]

@@WiscAirGunners sure thing! you will be the first to know!, this will potentially make this gun an affordable jewel!

[@bertbccfu9564]

@@WiscAirGunners on my hp varmint. 25 with a huma reg and set at 170 bar using 34 grain jsb domes it's doing 915 fps for a total of 63 ft lbs , and with a 500cc cf bottle at 300 bar I get 70 shots till I fall off the reg

[@chentequilichini7182]

Really good, I get 100 plus shoots, altaros regulator set at 110, about, 750fps, in .22, ssme thing haveto keep it quiet cause, neighbors...

[@kluper1157]

Thank you Good Review!

[@WiscAirGunners]

@@kluper1157 I’m glad you liked it.

[@martimadi3285]

Nice tripod could even use it for a tent frame

[@WiscAirGunners]

You could.

[@steveburlingame1935]

Awesome video wats the fpe and overall length

[@WiscAirGunners]

Thanks. 45 inches without the moderator. Long by most people’s standards. It depends on pellet weight, transfer port adjustment and fill pressure, but it’s capable of over 60 fpe.

[@back2backjack1]

Thanx for commenting on my comment. I have a question about Bin-Tac and The pellet shop, are one and the same or did Bin branch out on his own?? I have the feeling he did. I have watched almost every vid. he has put out.

[@WiscAirGunners]

They are separate and unrelated businesses. I have done work with The Pellet Shop but have no connection to Bin-Tac.

[@back2backjack1]

Oh! for all out there wanting a reg, check out, Southern Gunner, AEA THE BRAND.

[@spamento]

Correction: The air tank is Aluminum and not steel.

[@WiscAirGunners]

You are absolutely correct and thanks for pointing that out.

[@shawnkozlowski9313]

Have you shoot slugs though it?

[@WiscAirGunners]

I did not.

[@fabiosantos8591]

AEA doesn't have accuracy, looks good but it's stupid to have this heavy and ugly bolt. They will have a lot to modify to improve the sale.

[@WiscAirGunners]

The rifle is reasonably accurate. Maybe not as accurate as other, more expensive options, but there are lots of people who are comfortable at this price point and want this feature set. I’d pick a lighter trigger design over a redesigned bolt as it would make the airgun easier to shoot accurately.

[@jean-claudelaboy9679]

I've never had accuracy issues with any of the AEA's I've had. I've also taken down brown basilisks at 140yrd with the gun and taken iguanas past 100yd. So the accuracy is definitely there, but the triggers definitely need work.

[@WiscAirGunners]

@@jean-claudelaboy9679 that’s awesome!

[@bertbccfu9564]

If you know what you're doing it does not have any accuracy problems I can keep it Within a inch at 100 yards, to me that's the test of a rifle

[@bertbccfu9564]

My record shot with my HP varmit 25 is a rangefinder verified 108 yd headshot on a European starling

[@jamescooper8556]

Out in the field gun. You're doing a review. Why don't you bunch rest it. Like you do your FX airguns. That would only be fair to show how good this gun shoots bench rest . You're standing up how steady are you , this is the worst review I've ever seen.

[@WiscAirGunners]

I don’t do reviews that are meant to be compared directly from one to another. I think of this is a field gun. It doesn’t have the kind of trigger that I would expect on a bench gun and I think the people who would be interested in this air rifle are probably going to shoot it resting on posts, trees or shooting sticks, rather than on a bench. AEA positions the Challenger Pro as the bench gun in their lineup. I’m terribly sorry that I wasted your time.

[@ErebosOnTwoWheels]

@@WiscAirGunners I agree with you. It's not the bench gun in the AEA lineup, it's a varmint gun and most people will be shooting it exactly as you described.

[@arnoldcadiente5102]

Can you put huma reg on it? Tks

[@jameshunter3037]

I'm considering this one with 25 caliber, would you say that its better suited for windy days over the 22 cal? I need one for around 100-150 yards

[@WiscAirGunners]

The .25 will buck the wind better at those distances. If that’s the range you need to hit it might be worth trying to see how it does with FX Hybrids.