My Grandson lives next door. We live on a farm, so shooting around here is quite common. When we have a party it is standard practice to have a shooting range set up in the back yard. 22s at pop cans and steel swingers.
When the kids have a party, we set up a range for them, too. They shoot the Aguila 22 ammo that has no powder in the case. Sounds like an air gun. Cooey rifles at pop cans. The parents shoot too, and seem to have as much fun as the kids.
At the last party one of the parents brought a new little Daisy BB gun, to be left here, so his kids can shoot when they visit. This is one I have never seen before. It is called the Buck model, and is about 4” shorter in the butt and 3” shorter in the barrel. Perfect for 5 year olds. But they can’t quite #### it themselves, which is a Good Thing. Keeps the parents on the job.
Yesterday I happened to try it. I found I could hit anything I aimed at. About 1” high at 15’ and bang on at 25’. The sights were perfectly zeroed. This is a good thing, because they are not adjustable. The front sight is a bright red fibre optic.
I was so impressed I went out today and bought the regular-sized daisy, the Red Ryder that many of us older farts grew up with. I bet a lot of our offhand shooting ability relates to the half million BBs we each shot, as kids.
Range Report
Buck (junior sized)
OAL 30”
Pull 10.5”
Barrel 16” (rear sight to muzzle)
Wt. about 2 pounds
Velocity 299 fps (6 fps ES for 5 shots)
Sights: Fixed notch rear and fixed red fibre optic front)
Magazine 450 steel .177 BBs
Red Ryder (full-sized)
OAL 36”
Pull 13.5”
Barrel 18” (rear sight to muzzle)
Wt. about 2.2 pounds
Velocity 300 fps (7 fps ES for 5 shots)
Sights: Adjustable notch rear and fixed blade front)
Magazine 650 BBs
The Red Ryder has a wood forend (Buck does not) and it has a saddle ring with a leather thing. The thong gets tangled with the lever sometimes. It is going to come off.
I stapled a target onto a cardboard box and shot at a 1" black patch at 20', 30' and 40'. My idea of BB gun accuracy is Minute of Pop Can. If a well-aimed shot hits a pop can 100% of the time, the gun is accurate to that distance.
Kids shoot at a standing can. Adults shoot at the bottom of a can laying on its side.
Results - I was standing, leaning my forehand against a post.
20' group was about 1"
30' group was 2.5" extreme, but most were much closer.
40' group was 3", with 8 shots very close to aiming mark.
Conclusion: Both guns a re plenty accurate for the purpose of plinking and will teach the principles of marksmanship. I would say 40' is about the limit of accuracy. At longer distances I can see some of the BBs curving off like curve balls.
Note; All BBs went through both sides of the box. BB's are Crossman Copperhead. a bottle of 6000 cost me $17 on Ebay - now that is cheap shooting!
When the kids have a party, we set up a range for them, too. They shoot the Aguila 22 ammo that has no powder in the case. Sounds like an air gun. Cooey rifles at pop cans. The parents shoot too, and seem to have as much fun as the kids.
At the last party one of the parents brought a new little Daisy BB gun, to be left here, so his kids can shoot when they visit. This is one I have never seen before. It is called the Buck model, and is about 4” shorter in the butt and 3” shorter in the barrel. Perfect for 5 year olds. But they can’t quite #### it themselves, which is a Good Thing. Keeps the parents on the job.
Yesterday I happened to try it. I found I could hit anything I aimed at. About 1” high at 15’ and bang on at 25’. The sights were perfectly zeroed. This is a good thing, because they are not adjustable. The front sight is a bright red fibre optic.
I was so impressed I went out today and bought the regular-sized daisy, the Red Ryder that many of us older farts grew up with. I bet a lot of our offhand shooting ability relates to the half million BBs we each shot, as kids.
Range Report
Buck (junior sized)
OAL 30”
Pull 10.5”
Barrel 16” (rear sight to muzzle)
Wt. about 2 pounds
Velocity 299 fps (6 fps ES for 5 shots)
Sights: Fixed notch rear and fixed red fibre optic front)
Magazine 450 steel .177 BBs
Red Ryder (full-sized)
OAL 36”
Pull 13.5”
Barrel 18” (rear sight to muzzle)
Wt. about 2.2 pounds
Velocity 300 fps (7 fps ES for 5 shots)
Sights: Adjustable notch rear and fixed blade front)
Magazine 650 BBs
The Red Ryder has a wood forend (Buck does not) and it has a saddle ring with a leather thing. The thong gets tangled with the lever sometimes. It is going to come off.
I stapled a target onto a cardboard box and shot at a 1" black patch at 20', 30' and 40'. My idea of BB gun accuracy is Minute of Pop Can. If a well-aimed shot hits a pop can 100% of the time, the gun is accurate to that distance.
Kids shoot at a standing can. Adults shoot at the bottom of a can laying on its side.
Results - I was standing, leaning my forehand against a post.
20' group was about 1"
30' group was 2.5" extreme, but most were much closer.
40' group was 3", with 8 shots very close to aiming mark.
Conclusion: Both guns a re plenty accurate for the purpose of plinking and will teach the principles of marksmanship. I would say 40' is about the limit of accuracy. At longer distances I can see some of the BBs curving off like curve balls.
Note; All BBs went through both sides of the box. BB's are Crossman Copperhead. a bottle of 6000 cost me $17 on Ebay - now that is cheap shooting!
