Author Topic: Daisy Avanti 853  (Read 32291 times)

Offline riflejunkie

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Daisy Avanti 853
« on: January 26, 2009, 03:30:27 PM »
I  have one of these.  It is a weak shooter, but accurate.  For marksmanship training I think it is super.  Right now the rifle sells for $299 at Pyramid, BUT if you qualify you can get the rifle for $212 through the CMP.  
Single pump pneumatic = no recoil and no such thing as hold sensitivity issues.  
Aperture sights ------ for paper punching they are incredibly close to the accuracy of shooting with a scope but you don't have to worry about eye relief.
The trigger is awful but it gets better with use.  It is plastic just like the sights.  
The thing I like best about this gun is that it is sling friendly unlike a breakbarrel with that long slot in the stock.
The skill you develop with this rifle is transferable to your powderburners.  I know people who shoot high power and service rifle who practice with the 853.
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline TCups

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2009, 04:09:07 PM »
I have an 853 with apertures that has has a custom trigger job - very light, very crisp!  It shoots Vogel match pellets at a fairly steady 455 fps.  It is  one of my serious 10-Meter air rifles, along with the Walther LGR-U (another single pump) and the MM AR2078a (CO2) with the custom stock.  Mike tuned the AR2078 down for targets, shooting 7 gr RWS Hobby at about 630.  But the Walther is a 568 fps robot with never more than a couple of fps variation, whereas both the Daisy and the AR2078 will go up and down 10 fps, and the AR sometimes more when the temp changes or the CO2 runs low.

I think the accuracy of the 853, especially in my hands, is almost as good as the Walther.  But I must admit that I have come to prefer the size and weight of the Walther LGR-U as well as the LH adjustable walnut stock over the lighter air rifles when seriously shooting paper targets.  But then I am comparing the Daisy to an Olympic class single pumper at about three or four times the cost, used.

I have never put a sling on the Daisy 853 and know nothing about shooting with a sling.  I guess it is laziness on my part, but I only shoot 10-meter from a standing, off-hand position.  I suppose I could shoot from the kneeling or prone position, but the trouble is that my joints don't like it very well, especially when I try to get back up.  During the cold weather, I can easily shoot the Daisy or the Walther indoors at very short range (10-15 ft).  I don't readjust the target zero, but just shoot for consistency in groups.  It is great practice.

Offline riflejunkie

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2009, 04:20:31 PM »
I love those pictures and your Walther is gorgeous.  You can't help yourself with the tinkering can you?  I like what you did to the 853.  Very nice on the buttplate.  I'm considering upgrading my 853 with the 753 sights.
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline TCups

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2009, 04:30:01 PM »
I am 6'4" and the little guns don't fit very well unless I "tinker".  Not so critical with the sporters, but when it comes to shooting at 10-meters, if everything doesn't fit when you shoulder the rifle, you probably are never going to improve.  I consider the relatively rare occasion of getting 10 out of 10 shots completely in the 30 mm bull at 10 meters a great success.  I also find that proper lighting of the target is essential for me (I have found almost every known excuse for suboptimal shooting performance, you see).  I haven't been shooting at 10 meters since the weather turned cold and the daylight hours short, so I am way out of practice.  When I first got the Walther, I would shoot a 60-round match every evening after work, but when you get home and it is already dark and cold, well, you get out of practice.  I don't have 10-meters indoors without shooting in the living room-dining room area where even the thought of a miss would put some of my very sensitive private parts at serious risk (and not from a wayward pellet).

Offline riflejunkie

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2009, 05:07:42 PM »
Do you check your NPA when you shoot offhand? And how frequently?  How about a thread on shooting offhand?   Shooting is a check list endeavor.  
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline nmmike

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2009, 05:07:46 PM »
I have an 853 that I have installed a 753 rear diopter & the smaller 753 front barrel weight & globe with an annular insert. It is probably the most accurate rifle I have. I'm looking at a target that I shot semi-rested, it is 5 shots (@10meters) and it probably is no larger than .20 edge to edge, not CTC. This roughly shows what the rifle is capable of. A good shooter could probably go quite a bit smaller.

Mike

Offline TCups

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2009, 05:31:54 PM »
Is NPA "natural point of aim"?  Yes.  I have read and need to re-read "The Ways of the Rifle"  and I do try to go through a checklist.  In that sense, it is much like golf, lining up with your feet first, making sure all the posture is right, relaxing all the muscle groups and trying to "melt down" just a bit, breathing doing my airrrrr gunzzzzzzz mantra, etc.  But this I know:  tall shooters are at a disadvantage compared to short shooters when it comes to standing, off-hand shooting.  And I am making myself learn to shoot lefty.  I am a natural right hander, but my left eye is dominant, and my visual acuity is much better on the left, so I can only shoot diopter sights lefty.  Matter of fact, the Walther LGR-U is the first LH rifle I have ever owned, and it took a bit of courage to actually invest in a quality LH target rifle.  All my air rifles are new since last April.  I am a relative air gun rookie, and I have been sticking to models with ambi or semi-ambi stocks for the most part.  I can shoot RH with a scope if I close my left eye, but I have pretty much committed myself to becoming a LH rifle shooter at this point.  Good exercise for the brain, I hear.

Offline ac12basis

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Trigger fix
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2009, 07:13:17 AM »
There are 3 things to fix on the x83 trigger1 - smoothen the trigger pull2 - lighten the trigger weight3 - shorten the trigger pullOf the 3, IMHO #1 will get you the biggest bang for the buck...and its fairly easy.  The "problem" is that the sear was simply stamped out of plate metal and never finished.  So you have a bunch of burrs on the sear, and these burrs hang up the sear as it is moving.  Your 2 options are #1 shoot it a LOT and wear the burrs down, or #2 remove the burrs.  Removing the burrs is simple, you just use #600 sand paper to CAREFULLY sand down the burrs.  Don't try to polish the sear surface, you could change the angle of the sear. Check out this fix on the Pilkingtons web site for #2 and 3.http://www.pilkguns.com/daisy853tm.shtmlYou can get the booklet on how to work on the x83 from the CMP.  I think it is only $1.50.

Offline ronbeaux

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2009, 12:38:42 PM »
Your gonna hate to here this but women shooters have an advantage when it comes to off hand stand up shooting. Their center of gravity is lower. When you support the rifle you want to make sure your elbow is resting at or near your hip and the rifle is balanced so you really shouldn't even need your other hand except to reach up and pull the trigger. Lock your feet, relax, see where your pointing, shuffle your feet a little if it is off, look again, take a full breath and let half out, then either pull the trigger or start over if it goes more than 6 seconds before you can get a zero. Do it the exact same way everytime.

Man I like this section of the forum.

Offline TCups

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2009, 01:04:23 PM »
Yes, all of that, and also, subtle changes in how far back the rear foot is positioned to bring the natural point of aim up or down a bit as needed instead of using the arm muscles to raise the rifle.  Losing all the muscle tension and letting the bones support the rifle.  But there is still something "intangible" there that I can never quite master -- some sort of rhythm I occasionally fall into where the shots start coming naturally almost effortlessly on target, and I can put 4 or maybe even 5 shots in a single hole.  But the instant I am conscious of that and allow myself to "Ah ha! I've finally got it" or "this is going to be a great group!" then, here comes the flyer.  It is a mental thing, very hard to do consistently, and the more you struggle thinking about it, the more it slips away.  I guess you almost have to be brain dead to shoot 10-meter competitively -- or chug a few beers  to calm the nerves, huh?

Offline daveshoot

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2009, 01:35:23 AM »


I just snagged the Avanti that was on Gunbroker. Sounds like the trigger is not a DIY job? Any tips or contacts for this?



(Is that the x83 trigger referenced?)

Steroid Sheridan rocker, Daisy 990, SS1000, B26-2, QB-57, Crosman 150 (TW), Crosman 1377 x 2,  RWS5G, MP513, IZH53, RWS9N/Cometa, MP661k Drozd, Walther Falcon Hunter, RWS 34 Panther, XS-B3-1, Cummins B3s, RWS94 Cometa x 2, RWS48, Beeman R7, Daisy Avanti 853, RWS92 Cometa 220, Beeman P3, IZH-46M x 2, Daisy Avanti 747, Diana 24, B5-10, BSA Lightning .22, Crosman Marauder #39 .22, Crosman 1322 Phase 1, Diana Model 20, HW70, Shin Sung Dragon Slayer .50, Haenel Model 26, Slavia 620, HW45/.177

Offline riflejunkie

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2009, 10:42:22 AM »
Go to pilkington air guns for a tutorial on how to do it.
Daisy 853 with apertures; FWB 300S with apertures; Mike Melick tuned B-26 and B-40.
Dog - George, RIP

Offline daveshoot

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2009, 11:00:15 AM »
Thanks, also to ac12basis. Upon a closer (awake) reading he had already answered me. I am kind've excited about this one, but I guess it will be a week or so to delivery.
Steroid Sheridan rocker, Daisy 990, SS1000, B26-2, QB-57, Crosman 150 (TW), Crosman 1377 x 2,  RWS5G, MP513, IZH53, RWS9N/Cometa, MP661k Drozd, Walther Falcon Hunter, RWS 34 Panther, XS-B3-1, Cummins B3s, RWS94 Cometa x 2, RWS48, Beeman R7, Daisy Avanti 853, RWS92 Cometa 220, Beeman P3, IZH-46M x 2, Daisy Avanti 747, Diana 24, B5-10, BSA Lightning .22, Crosman Marauder #39 .22, Crosman 1322 Phase 1, Diana Model 20, HW70, Shin Sung Dragon Slayer .50, Haenel Model 26, Slavia 620, HW45/.177

Offline Gene_SC

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2009, 01:14:52 PM »
Tommy, is that 853 for sale...:)
THE ONES I SLEEP WITH: BSA Lightning XL, AA TX-200, AA ProSport, BSA Ultra, HW-97K, Crosman NPSS .177, FX Cyclone, HW-30 Nicle Plated, AA-S200, Crosman Marauder, CZ-634, R-9 DG, Webley/Scott UK Tomahawk, Benji Kantana, Benji Marauder, Benji Discovery.....
....

Gene\'s Tunz n Toyz
Springer Tunin

Offline TCups

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RE: Daisy Avanti 853
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2009, 01:30:37 PM »
No, but when next I see you, I would be happy to drop her off for a long visit with you.  By the way, her twin sister belongs to J 3n003 (who by the way did the re-finishing of the wood on this one).  When last I spoke with J, he was looking to sell some of his collection.  You might see if he would sell you his.