Cheap Air Rifles for Merit Badges

[ac12]

. . . I'd go with lead BB's. Man......15 feet is CLOSE.

What scares me is that a BB will bounce or ricochet even MORE than a pellet.
So I do NOT like shooting with the standard BBs.

Once you get a bounce back or ricochet hit you, you want the target as FAR away as you can get it.

I had pellet fragments hit me in the face from a bounce back at about 10 feet.  The pellet hit the flat side edge of the trap and splattered.  A few the splatter pieces hit me in the face, VERY CLOSE to my eye.  Which made me think that some of the fragments may have hit my glasses.  This is why we wear safety glasses.  $hit happens.

Now the only time that i shoot at less than 10 meters is when I am trying to do the initial sight-in of a new sight/scope, where I have no idea where it is aimed to. 
I do a few shots at about 2-3 meters, just to get the sight "in the ball park," so that it will hit the paper at 10 meters.
I had a couple rifle/sight/scope combinations where I did not do this, and the pellet completely missed the target paper at 10m.  And I had no idea where it hit the backstop.  That is another reason for a GOOD back stop.  So I had to shoot close, just to hit the paper, to figure out where the sight was aimed at, then adjust the sight to hit closer to point of aim.  Then I could go out to 10m for final adjustment.

[Earl]

No doubt about it, the Daisy 853 CMP is ACCURATE.
It comes with very good peep sights which are best for teaching new shooters.
It is easy to cock.
I don't think you should shoot steel BBs in it, because they may harm the rifling in the EXCELLENT and expensive barrel.

[Marc In Iowa]

880 or 853?

I've owned both.

Bought the 880 years ago (20? 30?) to plink tin cans. I don't remember it being especially accurate. Then I didn't shoot any air rifles again much until last year when I bought a refurbished 853 from the CMP.

853. Wow!

My first experience with a peep sight. I shot this indoors at 30 feet using inexpensive Crosman wad-cutters, seated, using a camera tripod for a front rest; very accurate!

Then, for fun, I shot standing, no rest of any kind; didn't expect much. To my great surprise, my groups standing using the peep sight were almost as tight.

I'll give you the air gun enthusiasts typical advice; buy one of each! As has already been suggested. You owe it to yourself to try the 853. The 880 is so inexpensive it shouldn't be much heartache to buy just one.

The 853 launched my whole interest in quality air guns. The 880 basically got used some and sat in a corner for years before being discarded.

If your BSA troop uses a highly accurate, quality air gun they will get much more than checking off just another merit badge. They will remember the thrill of a rifle that shoots better than they can ... arousing the self-competitive motivation to see "just how well can I do if I learn and keep practicing?" That sense, will last a lifetime.

Just my humble opinion. 🙂

[Marc In Iowa]

One more thing, read up on the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program). Why do we have it? What is it for? This is a good program that deserves our support. Unfortunately, until human nature changes, we will want Americans who understand accuracy and how to shoot. The CMP supports that and does it without a lot of politicking that sets us against one another.

[the fuse]

One more thing, read up on the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program). Why do we have it? What is it for? This is a good program that deserves our support. Unfortunately, until human nature changes, we will want Americans who understand accuracy and how to shoot. The CMP supports that and does it without a lot of politicking that sets us against one another.

I could not agree more.

[the fuse]

880 or 853?

I've owned both.

Bought the 880 years ago (20? 30?) to plink tin cans. I don't remember it being especially accurate. Then I didn't shoot any air rifles again much until last year when I bought a refurbished 853 from the CMP.

853. Wow!

My first experience with a peep sight. I shot this indoors at 30 feet using inexpensive Crosman wad-cutters, seated, using a camera tripod for a front rest; very accurate!

Then, for fun, I shot standing, no rest of any kind; didn't expect much. To my great surprise, my groups standing using the peep sight were almost as tight.

I'll give you the air gun enthusiasts typical advice; buy one of each! As has already been suggested. You owe it to yourself to try the 853. The 880 is so inexpensive it shouldn't be much heartache to buy just one.

The 853 launched my whole interest in quality air guns. The 880 basically got used some and sat in a corner for years before being discarded.

If your BSA troop uses a highly accurate, quality air gun they will get much more than checking off just another merit badge. They will remember the thrill of a rifle that shoots better than they can ... arousing the self-competitive motivation to see "just how well can I do if I learn and keep practicing?" That sense, will last a lifetime.

Just my humble opinion. 🙂

Today's 880 has a rifled barrel. The one you had back in the day likely didn't. That makes an enormous difference in accuracy. BTW PA is selling Cr 760's for $32 right now. Another good choice, if expense is a major issue.

[Marc In Iowa]

Today's 880 has a rifled barrel. The one you had back in the day likely didn't. That makes an enormous difference in accuracy.

When I bought my 880, it had a smoothbore barrel. So ... I ordered the rifled barrel from the 881 and installed it on my 880.

[Earl]

The CMP is selling reconditioned Daisy 853 Sporter Air Rifles to promote the development of more new junior shooters. This program can be especially important to new junior programs and summer camps that are seeking to acquire target air rifles suitable for marksmanship at an affordable price. For more information, or to find out if your program is eligible to purchase rifles through this promotional program, please contact Tommy Whitten, twhitten@thecmp.org or 419-635-2141 ext. 713.

[ac12]

Having failed to get my marksmanship merit badge, because I could not score high enough, IMHO, it is important to make sure that the rifle does not hold back the shooter, and is EASY to shoot well.

One of my pet peeves is the fit of a rifle.  I have seen MANY so called "junior rifles" which were simply a full size adult rifle with a lower power.  The LoP is about 14 inches on these rifles.  While some juniors are TALL, most are not tall enough to have a 14 inch LoP.  So we need to make sure that the rifle fits most of the kids.
One good thing about the 853 is that it is made for this.  Daisy sells spacers to put between the stock and butt pad, to lengthen the LoP from the base 12 inches.  Granted spacers is not as easy to adjust as a purpose designed adjustable stock, but it works.

The easiest rifle to shoot accurately will allow the scout shooter to be able to get his highest score.
Kids are not like us, they won't spend weeks trying to learn the artillery hold, or to shoot a particular type of rifle, or master a tricky trigger, or funky sights.

Example1, I shoot my AP with a sub-6 hold.  It can be hard to teach an adult.  I would not even try to teach that to a kid.  It was hard enough for me to get it. 

Example2, I have an IZH-60.  It is a REALLY NICE junior rifle, with an easy to adjust stock, a FANTASTIC trigger, and a nice pistol grip.  But because it is a spring rifle, it recoils/jumps when it is shot.  Try as much as I can, the recoil makes it harder to shoot accurately than the 853, which has ZERO recoil.

[JoeShmoe]

The CMP is selling reconditioned Daisy 853 Sporter Air Rifles to promote the development of more new junior shooters. This program can be especially important to new junior programs and summer camps that are seeking to acquire target air rifles suitable for marksmanship at an affordable price. For more information, or to find out if your program is eligible to purchase rifles through this promotional program, please contact Tommy Whitten, twhitten@thecmp.org or 419-635-2141 ext. 713.

When I get approval from the club, I think I'm going to "spring" for six of the Daisy M853s. Those are really nice rifles and certainly worth the price.

[Earl]

The CMP is selling reconditioned Daisy 853 Sporter Air Rifles to promote the development of more new junior shooters. This program can be especially important to new junior programs and summer camps that are seeking to acquire target air rifles suitable for marksmanship at an affordable price. For more information, or to find out if your program is eligible to purchase rifles through this promotional program, please contact Tommy Whitten, twhitten@thecmp.org or 419-635-2141 ext. 713.

When I get approval from the club, I think I'm going to "spring" for six of the Daisy M853s. Those are really nice rifles and certainly worth the price.

My offer to pay for 1 rifle at $105 plus $14.95 shipping = $119.95 is still good.
Just tell me the name to put on the check and the address to mail the check to.
Thanks to your club for giving their time and facilities to teach people to enjoy shooting.
Please teach everyone that wants to learn, boys, girls, men and women.
Please let them shoot a lot.

[JoeShmoe]

The CMP is selling reconditioned Daisy 853 Sporter Air Rifles to promote the development of more new junior shooters. This program can be especially important to new junior programs and summer camps that are seeking to acquire target air rifles suitable for marksmanship at an affordable price. For more information, or to find out if your program is eligible to purchase rifles through this promotional program, please contact Tommy Whitten, twhitten@thecmp.org or 419-635-2141 ext. 713.

When I get approval from the club, I think I'm going to "spring" for six of the Daisy M853s. Those are really nice rifles and certainly worth the price.

My offer to pay for 1 rifle at $105 plus $14.95 shipping = $119.95 is still good.
Just tell me the name to put on the check and the address to mail the check to.
Thanks to your club for giving their time and facilities to teach people to enjoy shooting.
Please teach everyone that wants to learn, boys, girls, men and women.
Please let them shoot a lot.

I appreciate it. I'll forward the information to the club. The primary hurdle is going to be convincing them that the liability of actually owning the rifles and allowing others to use them is minimal. I'll most likely be getting a small bore coaching certification as a part of this program. I'll let you all know how it goes!

[Tater]

Here's Joe and the shooting range.

[JoeShmoe]

Check out the new rifle! I'm going to use this one to convince the club to invest!

https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=140330.new#new

[JoeShmoe]

Also related, have any of you seen this short series? A very informative blast from the past!

[ac12]

Pretty cool.

[Bob H.]

Joe,

Would your 853 per chance happen to have a hole in the rear of the triggerguard?

BobH.

[Marc In Iowa]

Also related, have any of you seen this short series?

Yes! After I got my CMP 853, I watched every episode. Teaching young people about gun safety and accurate shooting is such a good thing!

Thank you for what you are doing!

[Booger]

Years ago I donated a Disco to a BS troop and the tuner I used at the time donated a filling system. It made me feel good that someone got the use out of a rifle I didn't really like.