Backyard Air Rifle?

[Justsomedude]

Looking at the Daisy 853 from CMP.
Should I even consider anything else?

I want Peeps but would prefer a repeater.
I wouldn't mind the ability to shoot BBs with Single Shot Pellets.

Trying to stay 'on the cheap' without regretting my choice.

Thanks

[Mark Davis]

They are good trainers, the single shot feature realy makes you find natural point of aim for each shot, the low velocity makes follow through vital.
853s sights can fail due to wear and being plastic, the trigger components also can fail due to being made of cheap castings. a new 853 is a good shooter but after a while they just wear out.
You can plan on replacing it every once in a while, or spend more on an air rifle made with quality components.

[dronning]

If you only want it for target shooting/ AQT practice it's a great deal.  It's rated @ 510fps and geared for 10 meter target shooting. 

Varmint control - NO! - a .177 pellet @ 510fps does not have enough energy and would only wound anything but small birds. 

If you buy a used one and it doesn't work out you should be able to get what you spent back if you sell it.

[grunt soldier]

they aren't bad if you don't plan to spend all day shooting it.  like mentioned above they don't hold up the best but they will work for a couple aqt's here and there in the back yards.  definitely don't use them on varmints. 

[Charles McKinley]

I will let you know more when I get them shot in.  I picked up 4 on my trip to CMP.  One for each monster.  You can get the strip clip for them.  You pump it then push the strip over to load the next pellet. The ones at CMP have been rebuilt. 

The only bb repeater/ single shot pellet I know of is the 760 crossman and you have to pump it up between shots sort of defeating the purpose and not the most accurate.

Repeater air rifles are EXPENSIVE! The CPC system requires either a pump or an adapter for a scuba tank to refill it.
$569 and currently out of stock but expected in 2 weeks.

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Webley_Raider_PCP_Repeater_Air_Rifle/2583

$469 and back in stock in 2 weeks also
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Benjamin_Marauder_Air_Rifle/1774

If you can get to the NRA convention has a ton of stuff to shoot at the airgun range.  My daughters had me there for about 2 hours and had to go back before we left.  Don't want to know what I spent on pellets.  It totally changed my thoughts on airguns.  Torn between the Nitro powered and the CPC systems. 

I really like the AirForce guns. Here is a good article showing the accuracy possible:

http://airgun-academy.pyramydair.com/blog/2011/07/what-would-b-b-do-part-3/

This may work for you it is a Hammerli $359, In stock, repeater http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Hammerli_Pneuma_Elite_10_Air_Rifle/2442

HTH

Stand

[Justsomedude]

I originally hadn't considered getting a 'real rifle' for this use but I guess I should think about it.
Single Shot Pump isn't the best for shooting Prone

I put a sling on my 7 year old's Red Ryder and have him shooting with a Hasty and shooting Prone.  Had to cut the stock down a few inches for him and now he can actually hit what he is aiming at!

[Charles McKinley]

I fashioned a forearm and Peep for a Daisy "Buck" with the fiber optic front site.

It is amazingly accurate for a then $20 now $25 gun.  It is rated for 5 meters.

[Charles McKinley]

Feed back on the CMP Daisy rifles.

Warning form MrHappy: WATCH YOUR FINGERS!  There are two pinch points on these rifles.  The cocking lever can snap shut if you do not have control of the handle and rifle biting finger if they are in the way.

Stand's input:  The other one is the top of the forearm when lifting the cocking lever will bite your finger if it is in there. DAMHIKT

TO AVOID SMASHED FINGERS:  hold the barrel up by the muzzle and use the D-grip on the cocking handle.   Thank you Mr. Happy

Very happy with the accuracy at 10 m. I played with it at 25m and it seemed to drop about 2 inches or about 8 MOA.  I will play more with it later.

Sight Adjustment:  at ~10m  it was about 6 clicks to move 1/4 inch.

To fire in prone without totally ruining you position every time: I had the hands reversed when I first posted this, below is the CORRECT hand position. (Sorry)

1 Put the rifle butt by your trigger knee. DO NOT move support ELBOW
2 SUPPORT hand holds the muzzle
3 TRIGGER hand in the D-handle and cock the riffle
4 Remember to put in the pellet
5 Pull rifle back up, sandwiching your hand between sling and stock
6 Check NPOA

With a little practice the rifle come up very close to NPOA.  If you are using the blue foam sleeping pads the butt stock tears into it a little. Keeping the Support Elbow is the key to the gun coming back very close to NPOA

Now to cut to the monsters length of pull! and obligatory Hot Pink, Green, Blue came painted and Pastel Purple Paint jobs.

[nyrasgt]

Folks,
    CMP used to GIVE  affiliated clubs the 853Cs (the ones that included both the single-shot adaptor as wel las the 5 round rubber "clip") free for the asking.  We had about 14 when school disestablished team/club in 2000.  The Daisys were used for all school gym classes from 6th through 12th grade - and if those folks couldn't kill them, no one could. 
   Previous posters are correct - have to watch plastic rear sights and, esp. pot metal rear sight mounting to pot metal receiver...as well as front sight inserts and mediocre, but usable, 1" nylon sling. 
   Typically, like "M1 thumb," one only pinches finger on cocking once...
  Believe Daisy still sells seal kits, as must be done fairly regularly.  They used to sell VHS 853 maintenance tape that walked anyone through nearly every maintenance and repair evolution that can be done to the 853 - check Daisy web site to see if same tape has been converted to DVD... rifles will run nearly forever if not abused, and .177 pellets - even the Meisterkugelns my Varsity team used to use in the Feinwerkbau 300s and Anschutz air rifles, are way cheaper than the cheapest .22 rounds.
Used to buy 3k Daisy pellets for about $12...
   Great, serviceable, inexpensive practice rifle; allows shooters to get them fundamentals down anywhere 10 meters and a backstop for the 545 fps pellets are available.
Hope the above useful, and
Excelsior,
madMark

[Charles McKinley]

I went back and fixed the hand positions I had reversed in the earlier post.

After some time with this rifle I highly recommed it to improve your skills; especially, building position, 6 steps of firing the shot and using peep sights.

[Sly223]

I picked up a Crosman Storm XT (1250fps).WOW!
600 rounds no problems.Single pump,Single shot,Pellet only,
But for pulling it all together for a single shot, It's great!
Accuracy is about 2Mao at 25m.I use 30' 50' and 82' targets to scale.
Added the sling with cable ties, for loop only improved about 20%.
After a lot of paper targets I hit Wal-mart and picked up 150 Army Men.Lil' reactive Targets, My dad and I had a blast!
I am able to use this as a learning tool.