Can anyone recommend a scope for a Daisy Powerline 880 BB gun?

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

I recently just bought a Powerline 880 BB gun, since it was recommended for target practice 'plunking'. However, most of the reviews I've read also say that the included scope is pretty bad. Can anyone recommend a better scope to get for it to use for target practice with the kids? Thanks!

 

[shortylickens]

Bering Optics D-750U 4x66 Elite Night Vision Sight

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www.opticsplanet.com

 

[gill77]

Looks like you are in for a lot of fun. Don't think the great ammo shortage has hit bb's yet. No CO2 cost either.

My experience with air rifles and scopes has not been good. Come to find out that, counter intuitive as it may be, air rifles are hard on scopes. General consensus is to stick to scopes made specifically for air rifles.

A decent scope may cost as much as the setup you have now. I would stash that cash for the time being. Shoot the shite out of what you have, find out what you like and do not like about it. If you discover that this shooting thing is something you and the kids want to move forward with, upgrade on your next rifle.

Having two rifles seems better to me than one with an old scope in the closet.

Have fun.

 

[lxskllr]

I like iron sights. It's more skillful, and particularly suited to air rifle use.

 

[gill77]

I like iron sights. It's more skillful, and particularly suited to air rifle use.

100%

I have pretty much given up mentioning iron sights. People react like you are asking them to buy a car with a manual transmission.

Seeing what some guys can do with iron sights blew me away.

 

[Paratus]

I recently just bought a Powerline 880 BB gun, since it was recommended for target practice 'plunking'. However, most of the reviews I've read also say that the included scope is pretty bad. Can anyone recommend a better scope to get for it to use for target practice with the kids? Thanks!

You’ll shoot your eye out.

 

[kage69]

I wouldn't bother with a scope for anything that shoots BBs. A sphere really isn't the best projectile shape for accuracy, won't be going far either. That'd be like putting Z rated tires on a Civic. Yeah it'll work but it's really just a waste of money.

For BBs, go iron sights. It will teach your kid how to 'lob' rounds by gauging trajectory. Any scope made from plastic isn't worth your time, don't even bother is my advice. Worry about the scope when they upgrade to a real air rifle, the kind pushing a .30 pellet at rimfire speeds.

 

[gill77]

I wouldn't bother with a scope for anything that shoots BBs. A sphere really isn't the best projectile shape for accuracy, won't be going far either. That'd be like putting Z rated tires on a Civic. Yeah it'll work but it's really just a waste of money.

For BBs, go iron sights. It will teach your kid how to 'lob' rounds by gauging trajectory. Any scope made from plastic isn't worth your time, don't even bother is my advice. Worry about the scope when they upgrade to a real air rifle, the kind pushing a .30 pellet at rimfire speeds.

Those high-dollar PCP's are really nice, lots of advantages. I don't own one, but I have shot them.

I have a 25 cal that is not without it's disadvantages. It's pretty much at the limit of what you would want to shoot in the backyard, at least that's what my neighbors tell me . I believe at the time the pellets were running me about the same as what I was paying for 22LR. Hard to make sense of that.

Many air rifles that shoot bb's also shoot those 177 cal pellets. Readily available and pretty much dirt cheap. Some of them are quite accurate. Youth groups sponsor some competitive shooting, Good way for kids to develop shooting skills and safe gun handling habits without breaking the bank without the risks associated with high power competition.

 

[zinfamous]

100%

I have pretty much given up mentioning iron sights. People react like you are asking them to buy a car with a manual transmission.

Seeing what some guys can do with iron sights blew me away.

Like that Simo Haya dude that pretty much repelled the Russian army from Norway all on his own?

 

[balloonshark]

When I was a kid I had a bb gun with a .22 scope and it seemed to work fine. Tasco makes cheap scopes. https://www.opticsplanet.com/riflescopes.html?_iv_brands=bushnell,tasco&_iv_sort=lowest-price

Scopes sorted from low to high price. https://www.opticsplanet.com/riflescopes.html?_iv_sort=lowest-price

A cheap red dot would be cool on a bb gun although iron sights would be just as fun. https://www.opticsplanet.com/red-dot-scopes.html?_iv_sort=lowest-price

Pick up a 5 gallon bucket and cut out a cardboard circle that fits over the opening of the bucket and tape the cardboard in place. Now you can shoot at the cardboard and the bb's end up in the bucket and they can be reused. A quick search shows other ways of making bb or pellet traps if that sounds interesting to you.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

Thanks, I really appreciate the list of sights from low to high price. As a complete newbie to this, is there anything I need to look for to make certain that a sight that I buy would properly mount to the Daisy Powerline 880 BB gun?

I really like the idea of the 5 gallon bucket to reuse the BB's! Not only would it decrease costs of use over time, but it would also keep from leaving a bunch of the BB's lying around all over the place. Can you think of a good way to mount the bucket if we didn't have a fence handy to put it on? Thanks again.

 

[sdifox]

Just task an Ikon.

 

[lxskllr]

For the bucket, you can put it on the ground, or to raise it, put it on a sawbuck.

 

[balloonshark]

Thanks, I really appreciate the list of sights from low to high price. As a complete newbie to this, is there anything I need to look for to make certain that a sight that I buy would properly mount to the Daisy Powerline 880 BB gun?

I really like the idea of the 5 gallon bucket to reuse the BB's! Not only would it decrease costs of use over time, but it would also keep from leaving a bunch of the BB's lying around all over the place. Can you think of a good way to mount the bucket if we didn't have a fence handy to put it on? Thanks again.

Mounting is an entirely different animal. The mount has to work with your bb gun and has to fit the diameter of the scope. Some of them are made for airguns so I would start there. I would also search for others that have a scope mounted on the same model you have that way there is no trial and error. example:

https://www.reddit.com/r/airguns/comments/930iqd

No idea if these would mount to your rifle. https://www.outsidepursuits.com/best-air-rifle-scopes/

Not sure about mounting the bucket. I would probably sit in on the ground and tilt the front of it up with something. I guess you could always use saw horses and clamp boards in place on each side to keep it from moving. Or maybe make a frame with 2x4s.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You'll shoot your eye out kid!

 

[gill77]

Like that Simo Haya dude that pretty much repelled the Russian army from Norway all on his own?

 

[kage69]

Simo killed a lot of enemy snipers, and while his marksmanship is what sealed those deals, having no scope played a role too. That extra 2-3" of height on top of the breach matters when people with scopes are looking for you, also hoping the lens of your optics catches some sun and gives you away. Gotta keep low, low as you can go, that's why you carry your party gear on your sides and back, not the front of your torso.

Simo wasn't just a really good sniper, he knew and used infantry tactics to great effect. IIRC one of his accomplishments was basically, on at least one occasion, wiping out an entire Russian infantry unit with his SMG. If you are engaging superior enemy numbers with a 9mm while they're all packing .30 rifles? You sir, are a badass.

 

[kage69]

Those high-dollar PCP's are really nice, lots of advantages. I don't own one, but I have shot them.

I have a 25 cal that is not without it's disadvantages. It's pretty much at the limit of what you would want to shoot in the backyard, at least that's what my neighbors tell me . I believe at the time the pellets were running me about the same as what I was paying for 22LR. Hard to make sense of that.

Many air rifles that shoot bb's also shoot those 177 cal pellets. Readily available and pretty much dirt cheap. Some of them are quite accurate. Youth groups sponsor some competitive shooting, Good way for kids to develop shooting skills and safe gun handling habits without breaking the bank without the risks associated with high power competition.

I hear that. Folks down south have been killing wild hogs with modern air rifles for a couple years now I think. I saw a guy put a .22 pointed pellet straight through a big grouse once, legit survival tool there.

The .177 pellets are the way to go for sure. Far more accurate, cheap and plentiful, and with much better penetration (opposed to BBs) if you're doing pest removal.

Did you guys know that air rifles have been a thing since the 1800s? *mind blown* I thought they were 20th century designs, but I was wrong.

 

[gill77]

I hear that. Folks down south have been killing wild hogs with modern air rifles for a couple years now I think. I saw a guy put a .22 pointed pellet straight through a big grouse once, legit survival tool there.

The .177 pellets are the way to go for sure. Far more accurate, cheap and plentiful, and with much better penetration if you're doing pest removal.

Did you guys know that air rifles have been a thing since the 1800s? *mind blown* I thought they were 20th century designs, but I was wrong.

I remember hearing that high quality air rifles came into their own after WW2. Germans were not allowed to own rifles, so they went the air rifle route.

 

[Jon-T]

Lewis and Clark had an air rifle on their expedition in 1803.

They used a Girardoni air gun, introduced in 1779 and later used by the Austrian army.

Girardoni air rifle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[gill77]

Lewis and Clark had an air rifle on their expedition in 1803.

They used a Girardoni air gun, introduced in 1779 and later used by the Austrian army.

Girardoni air rifle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I guess incredible is the word.

 

[kage69]

Holy and shit apply too I think.

Wow. Thank you Jon-T, I'm a little proud we fished out a lurker as interesting as you.


From that link:

"While the detachable air reservoir was capable of around 30 shots, it took nearly 1,500 strokes of a hand pump to fill those reservoirs. Later, a wagon mounted pump was provided."

"The Lewis and Clark Expedition used the rifle in the demonstrations that they performed for nearly every Native American tribe they encountered on the expedition.[1][2] "


Also, I just discovered they make .50 air rifles. Not sure why, but still, dang.

 

[Lanyap]

I recently just bought a Powerline 880 BB gun, since it was recommended for target practice 'plunking'. However, most of the reviews I've read also say that the included scope is pretty bad. Can anyone recommend a better scope to get for it to use for target practice with the kids? Thanks!

Have you actually shot with the included scope yet? If not, you might want to try first before spending more money. It might be a good experience for the kids to learn how to shoot with iron sights first then the included scope. This review on WM sums it up pretty well about the included scope.

I had this zeroed in with the scope with 10 shots at 30 ft. More than what i expected for $38. A lot of people complained about the scope. What do you expect? The package is $38. As long as it does the job and im certain it will. For those out there that complained, did you think you were buying a .308 with a vortex scope? I would highly recommend this and will buy them for my children too.

This was my first BB gun.

Model 25 Pump BB Gun with Target System .177 Cal BB gun.

This kit includes the Daisy Model 25 Pump Gun and the Daisy Target System. The perfect combo to have fun at the backyard!

www.daisy.com

 

[Netopia]

Wow, great thread! And I have little to add. I wouldn't spend more than $20-30 AT MOST on a scope for that rifle. I LOVED my Powerline 880 and Pumpmaster 760 pumps. But after I left the military (Infantry) becoming expert on several weapons (from M16A1 to anti-tank (dragon) missiles) that when I got back out of the military, I realized how bad my old pumps were for anything more than plinking. The accuracy just wasn't there... and I was getting interested in hunting squirrel so I wanted something that could guarantee me a kill without the animal suffering or needing multiple shots.

I ended up not shooting for many years. In the beginning of Covid I decided to go with a 'relatively' low priced break barrel with good reviews. I think it ran about $300. It's a pellet repeater with a 'magazine' of 10 .22 pellets. I do wish I would have done just a little more research though, as this rifle has NO iron sites do to the positioning of the magazine. This was corrected in the VERY NEXT version of the rifle.

The scope that accompanied it was pretty bad though. After a few shooting sessions the thing got bumped just a little when my daughter was laying it down and that was it.... scope was suddenly WAY off and I could never get it zeroed again.

This scope quality was mentioned in reviews of the rifle, but the rifle itself was so highly rated that I didn't chafe too much knowing that the scope was junk and likely didn't add a ton to the original price.

I'd be willing to spend maybe ~$150-$200 at MOST. I don't want to buy a scope that costs anything beyond 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of the rifle.

Here are a couple places that I've made purchases from, and which might carry a suitable scope for you. They may sell the 880 and may even carry some scopes they recommend for the Powerline 880. Wouldn't surprise me at all!

Sorry for the long wind... it is my wont.

Pyramyd Air Rifles

Airgun Depot

And though I'm personally not an NRA member, they do have an entire program for air rifles:

NRA Air Rifle Program

~Netopia

 

[gill77]

Wow, great thread! And I have little to add. I wouldn't spend more than $20-30 AT MOST on a scope for that rifle. I LOVED my Powerline 880 and Pumpmaster 760 pumps. But after I left the military (Infantry) becoming expert on several weapons (from M16A1 to anti-tank (dragon) missiles) that when I got back out of the military, I realized how bad my old pumps were for anything more than plinking. The accuracy just wasn't there... and I was getting interested in hunting squirrel so I wanted something that could guarantee me a kill without the animal suffering or needing multiple shots.

I ended up not shooting for many years. In the beginning of Covid I decided to go with a 'relatively' low priced break barrel with good reviews. I think it ran about $300. It's a pellet repeater with a 'magazine' of 10 .22 pellets. I do wish I would have done just a little more research though, as this rifle has NO iron sites do to the positioning of the magazine. This was corrected in the VERY NEXT version of the rifle.

The scope that accompanied it was pretty bad though. After a few shooting sessions the thing got bumped just a little when my daughter was laying it down and that was it.... scope was suddenly WAY off and I could never get it zeroed again.

This scope quality was mentioned in reviews of the rifle, but the rifle itself was so highly rated that I didn't chafe too much knowing that the scope was junk and likely didn't add a ton to the original price.

I'd be willing to spend maybe ~$150-$200 at MOST. I don't want to buy a scope that costs anything beyond 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of the rifle.

Here are a couple places that I've made purchases from, and which might carry a suitable scope for you. They may sell the 880 and may even carry some scopes they recommend for the Powerline 880. Wouldn't surprise me at all!

Sorry for the long wind... it is my wont.

Pyramyd Air Rifles

Airgun Depot

And though I'm personally not an NRA member, they do have an entire program for air rifles:

NRA Air Rifle Program

~Netopia

My experience with purchasing air rifles pretty much parallels yours. I wish the money spent on a break barrel and replacement scope had gone towards a PCP with iron sights.

Not sure if it is related at all to the NRA program, but the CMP offers air rifles for sale:

Sporter Air Rifles