by TGM staff
Profile of the Pioneer Airbow by Benjamin.
In mid-April, Crosman Corporation announced that its groundbreaking Pioneer Airbow from Benjamin, which had been a hot topic among hunters when introduced at the 2016 SHOT Show in January, had begun shipping.
Customers who had placed orders for this new hunting tool through the Crosman website before Feb. 3 were among the first to receive the highly anticipated hybrid hunting product that combines the ease-of-use and safety of compressed air with the primitive weapon excitement of archery. Orders placed between Feb. 4 and Mar. 31 were to be shipped in May. Orders placed after Apr. 1 will be shipped in June.
The Airbow embodies some of the major advancements in airgun technology that have occurred in recent years. A pneumatic weapon designed, developed, and built in the USA; the Airbow is based on a technology first utilized in the 15th century. The projectile is an arrow that, other than the removal of the nock, is no different than that used by traditional bowhunters. And the platform incorporates a stock, just like a rifle or crossbow.
However, the power that propels of the arrow, or bolt, from the Airbow is different, and it is applied in a totally novel way.
The Airbow is a pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) device, powered by 3000 psi of compressed air. An integrated pressure regulator delivers eight consistent shots at 450fps.
The Pioneer Airbow is a new PCP hunting arm.
In contrast to a crossbow that pushes the projectile from the rear, the patent-pending arrow rest of the Airbow enables the energy to be transferred to the arrow directly behind the broadhead, or field tip. This results in an arrow that is stabilized immediately with none of the wobble or “archer’s paradox” that occurs with a crossbow, compound, or recurve bow. The benefit is significantly greater accuracy and less chance of an errant shot or wounded game. This equates to 168 foot pounds of energy (fpe), placing the Airbow in the same sub-200 fpe category and sub-100-yard effective range of other archery products.
The bullpup configuration of the Airbow weighs seven pounds. It is less than 34” long and 2” wide, and extremely maneuverable.
It presents a number of advantages, particularly for crossbow users:
- With no cocking rope to lose or tangle, the Airbow is easily operated by an ambidextrous cocking bolt, making it especially safe for tree stand use. Those who cannot, or are no longer able, to use a crossbow or compound bow because of physical limitations, may find the Airbow particularly beneficial.
- The arrow rest of the Airbow is enclosed in a protective shroud and there is no string to endanger the user during the firing operation.
- The Pioneer can be cocked with two fingers (and decocked just as easily, without firing an expensive arrow into the ground or potentially damaging the weapon.
- While dry firing a crossbow can destroy the weapon, dry firing an Airbow is no more consequential than reducing the shot count.
This summer consumers can expect to find the Pioneer Airbow at their favorite outdoor store including Cabela’s, Bass Pro, Field & Stream and Gander Mountain. Cabela’s will have the Airbow available for consumers to try before they buy in their indoor range. MSRP for the Airbow is $999 including custom arrows with field tips.
Professional hunter Jim Shockey, host of two award-winning outdoor programs on Outdoor Channel, “Jim Shockey’s UNCHARTED” and “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures” reportedly believes the Pioneer Airbow to be a natural progression of technological advancement and a viable option for anyone. “Today we have better hunting calibers, better bullets, better loads, better manufacturing, and better hunting optics than 100 years ago. Compound bows largely replaced longbows or recurves in the woods. Crossbows are much different than they were 100 years ago. Innovation. Progress. And each time we’ve gone through one of these revolutions, there have been improvements in performance and safety; and hunters have ended up with a better tool, an alternative tool.”
For additional information on the Benjamin Pioneer Airbow online, visit crosman.com, or phone 800–724-7486.
