Crosman’s 362 100th Anniversary Edition. This is not a stock photo: it’s the actual rifle being tested.
This report covers:
- The test
- Crosman Premiers
- JTS Dead Center 18.1
- H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme
- Benjamin High Compression pellets
- Something special
- On the level
- H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme shot level
- Benjamin pellets shot level
- Bottom line
- Summary
Today we test the accuracy of the Benjamin 362 100th Anniversary Edition again and do something a reader suggested after the last report. In fact we do two things readers suggested. Reader MMCM said, “When my 362 gets to wandering, I check the grub screw on the front barrel band. Seems all the pumping can loosen it.”
So I checked it. It was tight.
Reader Bill said, “Just put on your best dot sight and all the questions will be answered. 10 meters, 10 shot groups with the most promising pellets.”
So I mounted my UTG Micro Reflex dot sight. To do that the rear aperture sight had to come off and I show you that now.
The rear elevation slide comes out exposing the two screws on the left that hold the base on the breech.
With the rear sight off it was easy to install the UTG Micro Reflex dot.
The test
I shot five-shot groups with all pellets except in one instance I will mention. The rifle was rested directly on a sandbag 10 meters from the target. The rifle was pumped five times for every shot.
Crosman Premiers
I sighted in with Crosman Premiers and also shot the first group. I was shocked to see five pellets go into 1.67-inches at 10 meters.
The 362 Anniversary put five Premiers into 1.67-inches at 10 meters.
JTS Dead Center 18.1
Next to be tested were JTS Dead Center 18.1-grain domes. The 362 put five into a 1.194-inch group at 10 meters. It’s better but ugh!
Five JTS Dead Center domes went into 1.194-inches at 10 meters.
H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme
The next pellet I tested was the H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme. These fit the breech tighter and I recalled they did better with open sights. With the dot sight five made a 0.423-inch group at 10 meters. Now we’re talking! I’ll come back to this pellet!
The 362 Anniversary put five H&N Baracuda Hunter Extremes into a 0.423-inch group at 10 meters.
Benjamin High Compression pellets
The last pellet I tested was the vintage Benjamin High Compression pellet from about 60 years ago. Five made a 0.515-inch group. That’s another one that’s not that bad, and four are in 0.306-inches. For that reason, I decided to try something special with this pellet, as well.
The 362 put five Benjamin domes into 0.515-inches at 10 meters.
Something special
I selected the Benjamin domes for a 10-shot group. It was a tossup between them and the Hunter Extremes and that was my call. Ten Benjamin domes made a 0.85-inch group at ten meters. It’s the third-best group of the test — so far!
The 362 put 10 Benjamin domes into this 0.85-inch group at 10 meters.
During this group I felt I wasn’t keeping the 362 level the same all the time. That will open a group. You don’t have to level the dot sight on the rifle; you just have to shoot the rifle in the same orientation every time. So I shot two more groups — with a bubble level on the rifle.
A bubble level has been added.
On the level
The bubble level would keep all the shots consistent. Let’s see what happened.
H&N Baracuda Hunter Extreme shot level
This time the 362 put five H&N Baracuda Hunter Extremes into a 0.553-inch group at 10 meters. Without the level the group measured 0.423-inches. So the level didn’t help anything.
With the level on the rifle the group was no better than without it. In fact, this group is larger, at 0.553-inches between centers.
Okay, no improvement there but let’s wait to see what the Benjamin pellets do. Remember — in their first group they had one pellet that didn’t stay with the other four.
Benjamin pellets shot level
With the level mounted five Benjamin pellets went into 0.575-inches at 10 meters. Without the level five are in 0.515-inches. Another group that was larger when shooting with the level.
With the level mounted five Benjamin pellets made a 0.575-inch group at 10 meters.
Bottom line
I think we have seen all the accuracy the Crosman 362 is going to give with these pellets. It does seem that the rifle likes larger pellets best.
The dot sight did reduce the group size, but the level did nothing beneficial. Would a scope make any difference? Some of you believe it would and others think it wouldn’t. I guess I gotta try so we can all see.
Summary
The Crosman 362, 100-Year Anniversary Edition multi-pump air rifle is beautiful, but the accuracy seems to be about what we can expect from the standard 362.
We will test it one more time with a scope.