Semi-impulse BB gun choice: Daisy 25 or ????

[airgunaut]

With the arrival of mostly indoor shooting season, an inexpensive BB rifle for lead-free shooting with reusable ammo is tempting me.

The Daisy 25 looks like a good fit. Pros and cons from frequent users, please. Is the trigger horrible? How easy is it to maintain or service? Schematic and parts availability? I know it is cheap enough to just throw away and buy a new one, but I would prefer to learn something instead.

What accuracy can I expect at 17' to 33'?

[Frank in Fairfield]

499b.
Perfect for indoors.
The most accurate BB gun.

[caudie]

Frank's choice is a good one.  I chose a Daisy 35.  1 or 2 pumps is all I use with BB's.  A smooth bore Little brother to your Daisy 880.

With BB's:
       1 pump 275 fps
       2 pumps 375 fps

[caudie]

1 pump 255
Sorry about that.

[TorqueMaster]

If you're willing to shell out for it, the 499b seems ideal for your request.  But you did say inexpensive.

The Daisy 35 can impress -- I was getting about 1/2" groups at 10m with BBs, a custom smoothbore barrel, and 6 pumps. 
I do not recall group size with fewer pumps, only that 6 was the "sweet spot" for my setup.

I'd be remiss not to mention the most shot gun of my youth -- the Daisy 840.  Single pump pneumatic smoothbore, around 320fps with BBs.   I think it has been replaced by the 2840 "grizzly."  Different guts, same concept.

The powerplants on all of these should be very consistent.  In my opinion, the barrel and BB choice affect the group size more than anything else.  499b shooters test many barrels looking for a "really good one."  And I have at least 6 types of BBs I test with -- 3 Daisys, 2 Crosmans and a Umarex/Hornaday.  Lots of ways to have BB fun.

[avator]

Betty Lou and I enjoy sitting in lawn chairs around the fire sipping on a cold one and shooting our matching Daisy 25s. We bought a pair of the newest ones produced a couple years ago.
The 25 was my very first BB gun when I was around 7 or 8 years old. They were wood and metal back then too. Then they made them with plastic for many years. When they brought them back in wood I jumped at the chance to grab a couple.
We shoot hanging cans, green army men, hanging balloons (water and air) and all kinds of targets of opportunity.
These new ones also have the choice of notch and peep sight. Just flip to which one you prefer. I like the peep but I had to drill the spider webs out of it.

[splitbeing]

I've been tempted by the 25 many times, but the ricochet of most bbs indoors is one reason holding me back. I nearly bought another makarov and tins of copper coated lead bbs by h&n (less ricochet claimed) but stopped myself.  Love that pistol, which I left at my buddy's place where we share a gun stash. Anyhoo, curious what the OP picks and following...

[airgunaut]

The 499B looks great, but it goes down a path I don't want to pursue, namely obsessing over target shooting. If I am going to do that, I'll do it with pellet guns.

Also, I should have stated that I do not want another gun that requires loading again for each shot. I already have three of those. The 35 or several others can hold 50 BBs (as can my 880), but TBH I still don't like the flimsy feel of the plastic exterior.

The Daisy 25 uses some kind of tube that holds a few dozen BBs. It appears to check the boxes, except Walmart does not carry it, nor does Big R. IFA carries it but the one in my town is out of stock. I will call them to ask if they can get order one.

After all, impulse includes quick and easy acquisition! I like what avator and BL use theirs for. Casual plinking fun at silly objects.

Thanks for the replies to my query. I'll read any that roll in later, too.

[Frank in Fairfield]

I have a 25 also:

[bantam5s]

The 499 is the best, but the model 25 sure is a ton of fun.
Since the 25 is cheaper I'd probably suggest getting that route,  everybody should have one anyways.

[splitbeing]

What about the Winchester model 12?

That and the 25 are available from daisy.com possibly with free shipping over $50.

[airgunaut]

I cry uncle. Decided to buy the 25.

😳  I've stuck wth my vow to only have one firearm, which the person I told that thought was, well, un-American. That's an easy vow to keep with something I hope never to have to use "for real."

Airguns, on the other hand...if mine don't get used to kill vermin (haven't felt the need with our wild predators around), they're still tons o' fun to use on objects of all kinds.

Guess I'd better get ready to make a rifle rack that doesn't take a lot of space. 🤷‍♀️

[airgunaut]

I have a 25 also:

Pretty! What year was that made?

The sheer longevity of some models is part of the appeal.

[avator]

I cry uncle. Decided to buy the 25.

😳  I've stuck wth my vow to only have one firearm, which the person I told that thought was, well, un-American. That's an easy vow to keep with something I hope never to have to use "for real."

Airguns, on the other hand...if mine don't get used to kill vermin (haven't felt the need with our wild predators around), they're still tons o' fun to use on objects of all kinds.

Guess I'd better get ready to make a rifle rack that doesn't take a lot of space. 🤷‍♀️

Does your husband ever shoot with you?

[Frank in Fairfield]

I have a 25 also:

Pretty! What year was that made?

The sheer longevity of some models is part of the appeal.

I think it was August of 1980:

H800164

[airgunaut]

I cry uncle. Decided to buy the 25.

😳  I've stuck wth my vow to only have one firearm, which the person I told that thought was, well, un-American. That's an easy vow to keep with something I hope never to have to use "for real."

Airguns, on the other hand...if mine don't get used to kill vermin (haven't felt the need with our wild predators around), they're still tons o' fun to use on objects of all kinds.

Guess I'd better get ready to make a rifle rack that doesn't take a lot of space. 🤷‍♀️

Does your husband ever shoot with you?

Only when shooting PBs. He views it as for defense, and it was I who got him to do that, after strong urging. I started for that reason but upon discovering airguns, I went a-wandering down tangents in a sustained, immersive way.

That's just the way we are:  he has interests but I would not say they are passions. He often says I am "in the zone" when doing these things, forgetting time. I can't remember ever seeing him lose himself that way, but maybe he has. Possibly when fly fishing.

Different strokes!

[bantam5s]

What about the Winchester model 12?

That and the 25 are available from daisy.com possibly with free shipping over $50.

They look very similar to the marksman BB gun, and those are complete garbage.
Absolutely terrible toy quality plastic, I had one that broke the day I got it.
I returned it and the 2nd one did the same.
If the Winchester model 12 bb gun was all metal and based on the original marksman from the 70's-90's I'd be interested.

[splitbeing]

Thanks, David. I'd been curious about that one and now know to avoid.

[airgunaut]

What about the Winchester model 12?

That and the 25 are available from daisy.com possibly with free shipping over $50.

They look very similar to the marksman BB gun, and those are complete garbage.
Absolutely terrible toy quality plastic, I had one that broke the day I got it.
I returned it and the 2nd one did the same.
If the Winchester model 12 bb gun was all metal and based on the original marksman from the 70's-90's I'd be interested.

I did consider the 12 before ordering. It is 2" shorter than either of my smallish rifles and I didn't feel like experimenting. If you look at Daisy's ad in their BF e-mail link, the 12 has been updated with wood stock and wood forearm. So it might be worth looking at.

I'm anxiously awaiting notification that my new plinker has been shipped. Have fresh aluminum cans ready. Eager to try those Shatterblast disks. In the meantime, Walmart and one or two other local stores might sell BBs to try, other than the included standard ones. Scratch the itch a little bit, know what I mean?

[TorqueMaster]

For locally sourced BBs, You should easily find Daisy Zinc plated and Crosman Copperheads.  You may also find Hornaday/Umarex silvers, as well as Crosman Black Widows and Hornaday/Umarex black plated.  Those last two, the two black plated ones, from my BB measurements were statistically indistinguishable, so probably came from the same source factory.  All of these have about the same consistency of size/weight, so take your pick, see what your barrel likes.

Dasiy also has a couple high end BBs -- the Avanti Match, intended for the 499b (sized larger than most BBs, just under 0.175") and Daisy Match Grade 0.1720" which are sized more like store-boughts, but are by far the most consistently sized/weighted BB I've measured. 

Scratch away.