Daisy 880 ...winning the battle

[stonykill]

  A few weeks ago I picked up a daisy 880. Out of the box...terrible gun. Open sights at 10 yards, quarter size 3 shot group. With the terrible scope included, ....I'll put it this way, at 15 yards think shotgun pattern. That was the grouping.
   I thought about just returning it. But I didn't. Figured I could get it to shoot ok or at least learn something trying. 1st thing I did was remove the butt plate and filled the stock with silicone to add weight to balance the gun. It was so light it was far too hold sensitive. Felt better in my hands and shouldered but didn't help accuracy.

    I researched here and the net. I removed the barrel shroud and supported the floating barrel. In 2 places along the barrel and I wrapped tape around the end to make it fit the muzzle tightly. Open sights at 15 yards I was getting nice grouping. Tried the stock scope. Showed promise. My concern was I had read somewhere that the plastic flexes and tweaks the scope shot to shot. That did not appear to be happening.
    So the next time I was at Wally world I picked up a $30 Bushnel 4 x 32 scope. Finally got a chance to try it out 1st thing this am. 5 shot group one on top of another. With Crosman domed 10.5's. Repeatedly 5 shots would form 3 big holes at 15 yards. That was all the time I had this am but I am happy with the results.

    Still work to do. 1st the opvious, make sure it groups well at at least 25 yards, preferably closer to 30 yard good grouping. 2nd the bolt has a tendency to leak out the air as I pick up the gun to aim. Unless I hold the bolt forward while pumping. That is quite annoying. 3rd, the trigger. Awful trigger. SO SO stiff. But at least it breaks consistantly. Lastly I need to make a new pump arm. The small loop to pump from likes to wear skin off of my fingers. For now I just wear a glove, but that is also onthe too do list.
    So I am on my way to making a wall hanger a shooter. And enjoying and learning while doing it!

[nervoustrigger]

Having fun and learning is what it's all about.  I went through a similar exercise with my son's 880.  Got it to the point it would just barely shoot 3/4" groups at 25yds.  You might want to search for my thread on accurizing the Daisy 880.

Again, it was a good learning experience but I wasn't satisfied with it as being adequate for squirrel hunting at 25 - 35 yds so he graduated to a QB79 with a Ninja tank.

[stonykill]

Having fun and learning is what it's all about.  I went through a similar exercise with my son's 880.  Got it to the point it would just barely shoot 3/4" groups at 25yds.  You might want to search for my thread on accurizing the Daisy 880.

Again, it was a good learning experience but I wasn't satisfied with it as being adequate for squirrel hunting at 25 - 35 yds so he graduated to a QB79 with a Ninja tank.

  I think yours is one of them I read. I did get some ideas from it. As soon as I get a chance I'm going to do some longer range sighting in and see what the groups are. Then go from there. IF it ever gets good enough I'll hunt with it. I'm a 46 year old kid 

[stonykill]

  spent a few minutes shooting the 880 1st thing this morning. Tried Crosman Destroyer Ex and the 10.5 domed crosmans again. 18 yards, no rest, sitting in a chair.
     The domed shoot nice out of this gun.
   

  the penny covers the shots.

   the Ex's. Not so much

   

  then after shooting the paper plates I have a tin can in a crotch of a tree that I put fallen hickory nuts on top of the can. 25 yards, standing and leaning against a tree 1st shot I shot the hickory nut off of the can.
   Making headway.

   I need to move a couple of fallen tree's and make my range longer to test some more.


   Loading pellets in the gun is TERRIBLE! Yet is so easy in my powerline 856

[stonykill]

  just backed up to 30 yards and 5 for 5 shot a hickory nut off of the tin can. Pretty happy with the squirrel head size target at 30 yards. 5 for 5

[bubba zanetti]

Bringing back memories of me and my 760 20th aniversary addition when I was a kid and the chipmunks that fell to that gun  .

BZ

[stonykill]

Bringing back memories of me and my 760 20th aniversary addition when I was a kid and the chipmunks that fell to that gun  .

BZ

  truth be told I prefer my 760 over this Daisy. The 760 is just as accurate as I have made the 880, maybe even more so, and I did nothing to it but experiment with pellets. At 25 yards I can hit the hickory nut off of the can nearly every time with the 760. When I miss it is me, not that gun.

   But I am getting more and more pleased with the 880.

playing with these cheap pumpers is a lot of fun

[Jim_R]

With new scope and mounts, I've found my Daisy 880 to be very accurate. But as others have said, loading pellets is just awful and the cocking mechanism is annoying and somewhat painful after a while. Because of this I don't pick it up too often.

[stonykill]

  I am getting used to loading the pellets. Now 8 out of 10 times it loads correctly and quickly the 1st time. I'm also getting used to how to hold the lever to NOT remove skin from my fingers. Growing a little more fond of  the gun. Carried it with me all day as I did my chores around the farm. I'd leave it loaded for 1/2 hour at a time then stump shoot at something, then reload.....just in case. I seem to have all of the bugs worked out of it. Seems like a good weapon to carry with me and get to shoot often. I'm enjying it and honestly did not expect to

[Terry]

  truth be told I prefer my 760 over this Daisy. The 760 is just as accurate as I have made the 880, maybe even more so, and I did nothing to it but experiment with pellets. At 25 yards I can hit the hickory nut off of the can nearly every time with the 760. When I miss it is me, not that gun.

   But I am getting more and more pleased with the 880.

playing with these cheap pumpers is a lot of fun

I considered the 760 when I bought my 880. My older brother had one when we were kids, and I remembered it to be a very accurate rifle. However, some time between the early 80's and now Crosman chose to stop rifling the barrel on the 760. Probably when they changed the name from Powermaster to Pumpmaster?? It now comes with a smooth bore. Cannot possibly be as accurate as the 880 now with a rifled bore. (at least that is my theory, and why I chose the 880s)

Edit: Well I would swear the thing had a rifled barrel, but I cant find anything to support that supposition and well I was pretty young (12 years old)

Glad I got the daisy

[stonykill]

 as far as I can tell the 760 always had a smooth bore.

   This morning I did a side by side test, the 760 and the 880. The 760 is good, but the 880 after the tweaking is much more accurate. If I do my part at 15 yards I can stack the pellets and at 30 it groups dime size with the 880. Again, if I do my part. I do not shoot off of a rest as I do not hunt that way. Unless nature provides one.

    Tomorrow morning I hope to find the time to shoot the 880 at 40 yards to see how it performs. I will find a rest even if it is natures rest. As in a hunting situation I would never shoot at a squirrels head without one. Not that I would even hunt a squirrel with the 880 at 40 yards..... but good practice.

    I'll put up a pic of it shortly.

[stonykill]

[boomer92266]

i wonder why daisy doesn't put a barrel support in the 880 like the 901? my 901 has a support  bushing the 880 should too.

[limbshaker]

The 25th anniversary edition (1991) 760's had rifled barrels. You can spot em easy because they had real wood stocks. They turn up every now and then and not very expensive 

Crosman may sell you a rifled barrel, just call and ask for this part number: 761-024

[stonykill]

i wonder why daisy doesn't put a barrel support in the 880 like the 901? my 901 has a support  bushing the 880 should too.

   I don't know, so that was one of my mods. Barrel supports. Simple but seemed effective. How do you like the 901?

[stonykill]

The 25th anniversary edition (1991) 760's had rifled barrels. You can spot em easy because they had real wood stocks. They turn up every now and then and not very expensive 

Crosman may sell you a rifled barrel, just call and ask for this part number: 761-024

 thanks!

[boomer92266]

i wonder why daisy doesn't put a barrel support in the 880 like the 901? my 901 has a support  bushing the 880 should too.

   I don't know, so that was one of my mods. Barrel supports. Simple but seemed effective. How do you like the 901?

love it, i found it to be much better built. of course its more expensive too, about $20 more but i believe its worth it. the 901 and 880 use the same power plant, but the outer shell is so much better on the 901. i get great accuracy from mine, could be the barrel support.

[jmdavis984]

  truth be told I prefer my 760 over this Daisy. The 760 is just as accurate as I have made the 880, maybe even more so, and I did nothing to it but experiment with pellets. At 25 yards I can hit the hickory nut off of the can nearly every time with the 760. When I miss it is me, not that gun.

   But I am getting more and more pleased with the 880.

playing with these cheap pumpers is a lot of fun

I must have gotten a bum 760.  I bought a 760 and an 880 at the same time, and LOVED the 880 right away.  The 760 on the other hand was a scatter gun.  3" groups at 10 yards, regardless of pellets or BB's.  I tried optics and got the same results.  It was harder to pump than the 880, and had no redeeming qualities that I could find.  I may have to try another one some day, but as of now, that experience has me scared of the 760 platform altogether (including the MK-177 and the M4-177).  Right now I really enjoy shooting the 880, the best I've gotten it to do is .8" group at 25 yd with open sights.  Maybe I should try that barrel bushing mod.

[stonykill]

  truth be told I prefer my 760 over this Daisy. The 760 is just as accurate as I have made the 880, maybe even more so, and I did nothing to it but experiment with pellets. At 25 yards I can hit the hickory nut off of the can nearly every time with the 760. When I miss it is me, not that gun.

   But I am getting more and more pleased with the 880.

playing with these cheap pumpers is a lot of fun

I must have gotten a bum 760.  I bought a 760 and an 880 at the same time, and LOVED the 880 right away.  The 760 on the other hand was a scatter gun.  3" groups at 10 yards, regardless of pellets or BB's.  I tried optics and got the same results.  It was harder to pump than the 880, and had no redeeming qualities that I could find.  I may have to try another one some day, but as of now, that experience has me scared of the 760 platform altogether (including the MK-177 and the M4-177).

   My 760 is a pre 2002.I have not tried a new one....yet. I will some day spend the $30 and try a new one.  The 2 guns you bring up are not the same as a 760. 1st of all they have rifled barrels. The 760 is smooth bore. The M4-177 has a tack driving reputation.
   The 760 and all Crosmans I have tried pump harder than any Daisy I have tried.

[jmdavis984]

   The 760 and all Crosmans I have tried pump harder than any Daisy I have tried.

That's the main reason I haven't gravitated to the crosmans.  They cost more than the 880, and are harder to pump, so why bother.  I DO like the 5-shot clip that they use though.  way easier than the trough loading of the 880.