New BB or Pellet Rifle

E

Europe

Handloader
Jun 18, 2014
1,115
85
It has been nearly 50 years since I last bought a Red Ryder

So, hopefully some of you younger members can enlighten me as to what is the best thing since sliced bread on the market today in reference to a BB or Pellet rifle

proposed use; outdoors and indoors ( basement, garage, barn ) target shooting and small animals for a 8 year old female. Her mother has been looking at the new gas operated pellet rifle but though I would ask here and see if anyone has any suggestions
 
Kinda think you might be looking for two different things...

IMHO little kids NEED a Red Ryder for practice- they can shoot it for hours and get good enough to knock over cans and punch pie plates, in the barn, backyard, etc. They are fun-but I haven't seen one yet that would really work well for small critters.

Most of the pellet rifles that are sufficient to kill small game cleanly are far too heavy for little folks to use efficiently. My .22 Gamo pellet gun is heavier than my .300 and 8" longer as well.

One of the new single shot youth .22s loaded with CBs or shorts would be far more efficient at smacking small game. My friend's 7 year old is a crack shot at grouse with his- it's light, short and very easy to handle.
 
My kids grew up with a Daisy BB/pellet rifle. 2- pumps and a BB, you can hit squirrels on the bird feeder all day and not kill them....or you can give it up to 10 pumps and it can pass through s squirrel from tailbone to shoulder...
Pellets where reserved for hunting small game (squirrels). I'm sure it take a rabbit too. The single pump jobs take some strength to operate.
power line 880 was the model. I think it's been around since the 70s. Comes with a small working fix power scope too


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thanks guys appreciate the suggestions. I like the two different rifle idea, since I am hell bent on getting the Red Ryder, a single shot 22 sounds perfect as the number two
 
The Red Ryder will be nice and I think they make one with adjustable target sights. There is a company that makes a .22 just for kids called a Cricket and you can get it with a Pink stock (y)
 
Cricket, and its competitors the Rascal(I think a raccoon is their mascot)


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thanks again guys

Rodger, there will be no rifles in my family that has a pink stock as long as I am above ground.

You have to draw the line somewhere
 
Europe":19m4f4xd said:
thanks again guys

Rodger, there will be no rifles in my family that has a pink stock as long as I am above ground.

You have to draw the line somewhere
Click to expand...
:lol: They come in various colors and since it was for an 8 year old I just thought it would be appealing to her. I think I saw one painted Red-White & Blue also. :grin:
 
Europe":2213suow said:
thanks guys appreciate the suggestions. I like the two different rifle idea, since I am hell bent on getting the Red Ryder, a single shot 22 sounds perfect as the number two
Click to expand...

I got a daisy pump action model (single pump, stroked like a shotgun) for the kiddos at my hunting camp. The Red Ryder is a fine piece, but the large, easily reloaded magazine encourages poor fire discipline.

The model I got, model 25, has a small spring loaded magazine that is a bit of a pain to reload. This encourages shot discipline. It also teaches familiarity with a more complicated mechanism, which is a good general trait to teach the youngsters. The kids have an easier time running the pump than the lever action style. A potential hazard with the Daisy levers, short stroking the lever and releasing under tension will fire a BB and snap the lever violently backwards pinching fingers. The loading mechanism on the 25 prevents this, resulting in a dry fire. My model comes with windage and elevation adjustable sights, and a dual style flip up rear sight with both a notched U and a ghost ring style peep sight. I've found it to shoot reliably minute of pop can to 25 yards, and within a quarter at 10, which is quite good for a steel BB smooth bore rifle, and far enough out there to practice some Kentucky elevation and windage.

http://www.airgundepot.com/daisy-model-25.html
 
Polaris":rydfwscd said:
Europe":rydfwscd said:
thanks guys appreciate the suggestions. I like the two different rifle idea, since I am hell bent on getting the Red Ryder, a single shot 22 sounds perfect as the number two
Click to expand...

I got a daisy pump action model (single pump, stroked like a shotgun) for the kiddos at my hunting camp. The Red Ryder is a fine piece, but the large, easily reloaded magazine encourages poor fire discipline.

The model I got, model 25, has a small spring loaded magazine that is a bit of a pain to reload. This encourages shot discipline. It also teaches familiarity with a more complicated mechanism, which is a good general trait to teach the youngsters. The kids have an easier time running the pump than the lever action style. A potential hazard with the Daisy levers, short stroking the lever and releasing under tension will fire a BB and snap the lever violently backwards pinching fingers. The loading mechanism on the 25 prevents this, resulting in a dry fire. My model comes with windage and elevation adjustable sights, and a dual style flip up rear sight with both a notched U and a ghost ring style peep sight. I've found it to shoot reliably minute of pop can to 25 yards, and within a quarter at 10, which is quite good for a steel BB smooth bore rifle, and far enough out there to practice some Kentucky elevation and windage.

http://www.airgundepot.com/daisy-model-25.html
Click to expand...

Good information , thank you, Seriously this is why I ask as I have not bought, or used one for a long time

However, my first thought was--no no no, nothing is better than a Red Ryder---I am only somewhat joking, as nostalgia is a real problem for me sometimes. Earle keeps telling me that several new calibers have been invented since the 30-06--not that Guy and I are listening to him.

Hodgeman, I definitely like the 22 single shot idea as one of the rifles for her, thanks

o.k. guys I am off again---thanks!
 
I had a Red Ryder way back when. Technology has advanced. The Xisico XS-12 from Mike at Flying Dragon Air Rifles is great for a smaller and younger shooter. I say Mike specifically because he offers an actual tune, polish and smoothing for not much more and my service experience there has been great. This will fling a .177 pellet (7 gr.) at 600 fps, and shoot bug holes at 10 meters. If you want to shoot at things like squirrels up close, I'd recommend it over any BB gun.
EE2
 
I think Gamo used to make a kids model of their spring piston air rifle. My son has one before he could cock an adult sized rifle. When I was a kid I had a Daisy lever action and a Crossman 2100. They both served there purpose. As I got older I upgraded to a Gamo first then to a RWS second. My son and I both shoot RWS now and I have to say they are impressive. They are both on the pricey side. For a kid to shoot tin cans or pie plates I would stick to a lower end model and then upgrade as they get older and can handle a larger gun.
 
Europe":1qbesr47 said:
Polaris":1qbesr47 said:
Europe":1qbesr47 said:
thanks guys appreciate the suggestions. I like the two different rifle idea, since I am hell bent on getting the Red Ryder, a single shot 22 sounds perfect as the number two
Click to expand...

I got a daisy pump action model (single pump, stroked like a shotgun) for the kiddos at my hunting camp. The Red Ryder is a fine piece, but the large, easily reloaded magazine encourages poor fire discipline.

The model I got, model 25, has a small spring loaded magazine that is a bit of a pain to reload. This encourages shot discipline. It also teaches familiarity with a more complicated mechanism, which is a good general trait to teach the youngsters. The kids have an easier time running the pump than the lever action style. A potential hazard with the Daisy levers, short stroking the lever and releasing under tension will fire a BB and snap the lever violently backwards pinching fingers. The loading mechanism on the 25 prevents this, resulting in a dry fire. My model comes with windage and elevation adjustable sights, and a dual style flip up rear sight with both a notched U and a ghost ring style peep sight. I've found it to shoot reliably minute of pop can to 25 yards, and within a quarter at 10, which is quite good for a steel BB smooth bore rifle, and far enough out there to practice some Kentucky elevation and windage.

http://www.airgundepot.com/daisy-model-25.html
Click to expand...

Good information , thank you, Seriously this is why I ask as I have not bought, or used one for a long time

However, my first thought was--no no no, nothing is better than a Red Ryder---I am only somewhat joking, as nostalgia is a real problem for me sometimes. Earle keeps telling me that several new calibers have been invented since the 30-06--not that Guy and I are listening to him.

Hodgeman, I definitely like the 22 single shot idea as one of the rifles for her, thanks

o.k. guys I am off again---thanks!
Click to expand...

Well the M25 was originally introduced in 1916, well before the Red Ryder. The new M25 is a fairly faithful reproduction, albeit with a few modern manufacturing shortcuts. It is a pretty solid metal and wood piece. I grew up on a Daisy lever BB gun before I graduated to a Powerline pellet rifle, and I must say, the accuracy and handling are far better than I remember. I can reliably slick mice off the woodpile with it at 5-10 yards. I find carefully feeding BBs into the detachable spring loaded magazine charger more "real gun" like than dumping them into the hopper on a Red Ryder.
 
I was at a GS today looking for powder and saw where Savage also makes a youth model 22 and you can pick your color.
 
I have one of the Ruger Magnum .22 caliber air rifles. Pretty good shooting rifle but very heavy. I experimented with some different pellets and it was amazing to see the difference in them.

I have a Benjamin .22 cal pump air rifle as a kid and shot all kinds of squirrels and birds with it. That would probably be a better rifle for a kid since it weighs quite alot less.
 
I would not buy a Red Ryder lever action as the lever is plastic and it broke after only a couple hundred shots, made in China. The only thing better about it than the ones I had in the 1950s is it feeds a lot more reliably.
 
My grandkids were having difficulty cocking and loading the break barrel type of pellet gun I have so I ordered one of these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmxL2KS_gyU

shoots BB's or pellets about 700 fps and CO2 cartridges are cheap

Plus when they aren't here I might like it too. I went through basic with the M14 so brings back memories. Don't have it yet but should get it in a week or so.
 
That is a pretty neat looking setup, Woods. I wouldn't mind picking up something like that for myself.
 
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