Daisy 22SG
by B.B. Pelletier
Yesterday, we had a question posted to the September 2 post, A rifle to hunt squirrels and rabbits. Although that post was an answer to a different question from another reader, a lot of readers have posted their views and questions to it. Yesterday's question went like this:
Very interested in this discusion as I need to eliminate some pest rodents and birds. Can someone recommend an inexpensive rifle for the job? I was looking at the Daisy 22SG. Are there any other rifles I should consider?
None better?
Good question! I searched the Pyramyd website looking for a better gun, or at least one just as good. The Crosman 2260 is a candidate, but the Daisy 22SG is a pneumatic rifle, so I tried to stay in the powerplant family. The 2260 is CO2, of course. If that isn't a problem, it's a fine air rifle and great for pest elimination. The published velocity is a little faster than the Daisy, but I think you can consider both rifles to be equal. As far as accuracy goes, I don't have a Crosman to compare to, and I won't make any guesses. Maybe, some readers can give us their experiences.
Remington's AirMaster 77 kit is nice, but it's a .177 and you know how I feel about .22 as a hunting gun. If we were to go with .177s, then there are a lot of additional choices. I also searched the used guns, but at present there isn't an equivalent gun for sale. Crosman's Quest 1000 from the sale page is a nice breakbarrel for little money, but, again, it's not a pneumatic.
Daisy is alone
Crosman used to go head-to-head with Daisy on nice, inexpensive .22 pneumatics. Their 2200 was a great gun that was made until very recently. You might watch the used gun section to see if any more rebuilds become available. Crosman only makes the 2100B these days, and it's a .177/BB, which I would not recommend for pest removal unless we're talking about rats, chipmunks and sparrows.
Avoid the foreign models
Elsewhere on the Internet you'll find some cheap Chinese pneumatics, but the ones I've tested were pretty inaccurate. A few years ago, there was an Indonesian pneumatic (the Arrow) that looked pretty nice. What the maker said about it was good, but the one I tested just didn't live up to all the claims. And, as long as eight years ago, the Indonesians were making copies of the Japanese Sharp Innova and Ace pneumatic rifles. They were actually pretty good - not as nice as a real Sharp, but hard to ignore. Those rifles are now a thing of the past now.
Straight talk about the 22SG
Even though Daisy has a metal receiver, there's a lot of plastic in the gun. So much, in fact, that many traditionalists may be inclined to discount it. The biggest plastic part is the pump handle. I am an oldtimer who is used to steel pump mechanisms covered in wooden handles, but I have to admit that this pump handle works! The geometry of the pump mechanism puts very little strain on the handle and the engineering plastic looks stronger than it needs to be. I don't think there's any cause for concern there. For the power the rifle delivers (the velocity figures are slightly conservative!), the 22SG is the easiest-pumping pneumatic on the market.
The cocking bolt works stiffly for a shooter used to a Crosman 1400 or similar gun. It's lighter to cock than a Sheridan Blue Streak, but not by a lot. And, I find the loading port a little on the small size for my medium-sized fingers.
On the plus side, the stock is real wood! There is also a TruGlo front sight for rapid sight acquisition, plus the rifle comes with a 4x scope and nice mounts. So, the only thing you need to buy are pellets.
Accuracy is good for a gun this inexpensive. The late James House thought a lot of this rifle with open sights, and I'm sure he would have loved this scoped version, as well. By the way, House tested his gun with lots of pellets, and his favorites were Daisy Precision Max pointed field pellets and Gamo Match pellets.
So, dear reader, you found the best gun for your endeavor, in my opinion. The rest of you could hardly do better than the Daisy 22SG for an economical pneumatic hunting rifle.
posted by B.B. Pelletier @ 4:30 AM
131 comments
131 Comments:
I PURCHASED A CROSMAN 2260 A FEW WEEKS AGO AND WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE QUALITY IN MANUFACTURE.
THE CLAMP THAT HOLDES THE BARREL TO THE CO2 CHAMBER IS PLASTIC AND THE BARREL CAN EASILY MOVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. ALSO THE REAR SIGHT IS TO FAR BACK, THIS MAKES IT HARD TO KEEP IT IN FOCUS, AT LEAST FOR MY AGING EYES. IF THE SIGHT WAS IN FRONT OF THE CHAMBER IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER. I DO THINK THIS GUN WOULD REALY BENEFIT WITH A GOOD 4X SCOPE AND IT DOES HIT HARD IN THAT .22 CAL.
Dave,
Thanks for your feedback.
B.B.
How quiet is the 22SG? I am shooting the Crosman 2240 CO2 pistol and it is aas loud as a rimfire. I practice in my garage and need a .22 rifle that is quiet so as not to alert the neighbors. Or do you have any other suggestions?
bigvic,
The 22SG is a pneumatic and all pneumatics are loud, as are all CO2 guns. Pistols are usually louder than rifles because of their shorter barrels.
For you I recommend the IZH 61 spring rifle. It is accurate and very quiet. It's easy to cock and it's a five-shot repeater.
If you want to spend more money, buy another gun but stay with spring guns for quiet.
B.B.
I was looking for an inexpensive .22 air rifle, so I followed your recommendation and ordered one from Pyramydair & received it today. Took it out earlier today and was quite impressed with it. It's a fun little airgun, with quite acceptable accuracy using RWS Hobby pellets. Thank you for the info on a gun I would have normally overlooked.
Tony,
Glad you like your rifle.
Would you recommend the 22SG to others?
B.B.
B.B.,
Yes, I would definitely recommend the 22SG. I have been shooting it quite a bit for the last two days blasting all sorts of things with it. It's nice and light, and requires very little effort to pump. I was a little leery of the plastic pump handle at first, but seems to be very durable. A great value for the money in my opinion.
Tony
Hello, I just got my 22SG from pyramyd air, it is a great gun, accurate, and not too loud (hitting the target is louder than the gun!) Im wondering about maintaining it though, and have quite A few questions I cant find answered anywhere. First off, should I store it with a pump of air? I am currently using the beeman MP-5 oil on the pump arm hinges (but not in the compression chamber), im wondering if I can use that for the trigger and breech slide to make them bolth work smoother, and how to apply it to them, and last, Im worried about using the wrong oil in the compression chamber, any suggestions? Thanks for any info!
Doc,
Don't store the 22SG with a pump of air. It is not designed to allow that.
I would use a petroleum oil for the gun's joints. 3-in-1 might be very good. MP-5 shouldn't hurt, however.
Use Crosman Pellgunoil for the pump head (compression chamber).
Don't oil the trigger. It won't make a difference.
Enjoy a gun that I think is one of the best values on the market today!
B.B.
Thanks B.B., ill get some pellgun oil ASAP. Another problem I encountered was that the beeman zip cleaning kit's cleaning snake has metal tips, the problem is that they are too long to fit into the loading port! What do you use to clean the 22SG? Thanks
Dok,
I don't clean mine at all! I use lead pellets only and it's mild enough that it never gets fouled, so you never have to clean.
If I were to clean mine, I would cheat and do it from the muzzle for the reason you mentioned.
B.B.
Thanks B.B., im new to the world of airgunning and the pyramydair blog has been a GREAT help! Happy trails
hi, I would like to know if the scope on the 22sg can be replaced with another scope.
Was browsing through and saw your comment, yes, the 22SG has a dovetail accesory base...so any scope with some 3/8 inch dovetail mounts can be fitted to this rifle!
Dok,
That's true.
B.B.
Hello...I've had a Power Line 22 Cal. Daisy for maybe 20 years (Looks the same as the 22sg) and have taken uncounted pest without any problems, just keeps going...I tested it, and found it's a 500 fps rifle, with a crossman premiers. I hunt Daisy pellets...Tom
Tom,
Thanks for your report. I know this rifle can do the job. I think someone just got a bad one.
B.B.
Hello B.B. I wrote a review on the 22SG at www.reviewcenter.com if you are interested in what I had to say about this rifle, be sure to check my comments on it for the additional info I added!
Dok,
Will do and thanks.
B.B.
BB,
U said not to store the 22SG with a pump of air. Why is that?
Don’t all pump pneumatic needs a pump of air to keep the valve intact?
That brings me to my question. You see, I own an Indonesian made Sharp Innova, it’s quite good really, but it didn’t come with a manual. So do you think I should store my sharp with a pump of air or not? I am quite confused because tha sharp air guns doesn’t work the same way as benjamin sheridan. With sharp airgun, after the pumping , you can shoot right away without cocking the bolt.
Haque.
p.s. I love your blogs, keep up the good work man.
what is the accuracy of this gun at 30 yards??
will it be able to humanley take down a possum with a well placed headshot?
Im sorry about those comments lol.But i have a PowerLine 1000Fps and .177 cal.I like to hunt and i feel that the cal is to little i want a cheaper .22 cal is a 22SG a good accurate hunting gun?
PS.I hunt like birds around my house.
Bird Hunter,
I answered this question at the other posting where you asked it. Please ask a question just one time. I see every comment that gets posted, so it doesn't matter where you ask your question.
B.B.
to the possum dude,
to take down a possum humanley, i would use a .22 rimfire. You can buy them at wally world for 100 bucks and they are pretty good. I have taken down a possum with a 880 from 10 yards, but i had to sneak up on the sucker and pump my .177 880 20 times, but it worked.
B.B.,
I'm a long time firearm shooter, but I am very new to airguns. I have a model 22X, and would like to ask a couple newbie questions.
1. The instructions recommend lubricating the hinges and the foam wiper every 1000 rounds using a 10, 20, or 30 weight motor oil. Do you think that Crosmans pelgun oil is good enough?
2. There's a "oil here" at the bottom of the gun at the by piston. Does that mean to oil the piston directly as well?
3. I heard that airguns start to bleed air when they get old. When that happens, what can you do to fix that?
You have a great blog!
Thanks,
Carl
Carl,
Welcome to the blog!
Yes, I find Crosman Pellgunoil to be good for the Daisy 22X. I have a 22SG and that is what I use.
The foam wiper just distributes the oil along the wall of the pump tube so it will rub off on the pump piston head. By oiling at the "oil here" spot, you are doing it right.
Daisy has long recommended non-detergent 20-weight oil for this purpose (I see the viscosity has expanded) because they don't have a Pellginoil of their own. They did have one decades ago, but they dropped it and they can't very well recommend Pellgunoil.
As far as airguns bleeding air when they get old, that is the result of a seal becoming hard or dry or probably both. Keep your seals oiled and it won't happen for a long time. We recommend storing other guns with a pump of air in them, but Daisy's 22-series guns force you to cock them to do that, and there is no way to uncock them except by shooting.
B.B.
B.B.,
Thanks for the quick response and the answers:) You mention that you should keep your seals oiled. Where are these seals located? Is there a complete disassembly guide for this gun? Such guides are common for firearms.
Thanks,
Carl
Carl,
I think your question about seal location will become a posting.
And schematics are not common for modern airguns any more than they are for modern electronics. It's a liability issue.
B.B.
B.B.,
I'll be looking out for your new post:)
Thanks again,
Carl
In reading your review on the Daisy .22 SG, you refered to the author of the book "American Air Rifles", James House as the "late" James House. I didn't know that he had passed? Excellent review of the .22 SG by the way. Wish Crossman would make more of a variety of .20 and .22 cal air rifles. The American pump pneumatics are very good values for the money spent.You don't need a $500 airgun to whack pests around your backyard. I say that even though I have some very nice German spring air rifles that I like to use and enjoy very much. My 1980's Blue Streak though is still my favorite, and a new Daisy 880 came home with me last nite. Only $38.00 and I got 5 shot 3/8" groups with Beeman Silver Jets at 10 meters.
BB,
wich one would be more affective. The 2260 or the daisy 22sg? If i put a scope on the 2260 would it be just as accurate as the 22sg or better?
Cesar
Wich one of these would be more reliable?
If you saw a cute little bunny tugging away at a veg in your backyard about 25 yards out, wich rifle would you choose. The 22SG or a crosman 2260 with a 4 x 32 scope mounted on it?
Also, to key into your experience and confidence in these guns.
These guns have never been fired. they were sighted with a laserbore sighter. You dont know how well they will perform.
Cesar,
Please don't put me in situations I would not get into voluntarily.
There is NO WAY to sight in a rifle with a laser or a collimator. The best you can hope for is to get on paper, so you can finish the job by hand - the only responsible way to sight in.
I'd never shoot at an animal unless I knew exactly where the pellet was going to hit.
That said, either rifle you mention will dispatch a cottontail rabbit. I have taken rabbits at 35 yards with an open-sighted Sheridan Blue Streak, and it was very humane.
B.B.
sorry :)
Im just trying to make a decision.
I put together 2 orders.
One of the orders is the daisy, accessories, and ammo.
The other is the 2260, the mounting system, a daisy 3-7 x 20 scope, other acessories, and ammo.
I want to follow through with just one of these. I dont want to be dissapointed. So, Im asking all the questions I can b4 I buy.
Sorry about having you shoot the cute little imaginary rabbit. LOL
I placed an order from pyramid air that included a daisy 22sg. Im hoping i get one of the good rifles.
I also ordered a leapers 3-9x 32 RE TS scope, some gamo match pel's and gamo hunters.
I bought a 760b last night. It really shocked me right out of the box. its easier to group with the 5 pel clip. I got a .68 group of 5 at 10 yards. $30 and some copperhead hypervelocity WADCUTTERS. :)
I recieved the 22SG about 2 hours ago. I took it out and sighted it at 10 yards out with a leapers 3-9x32 RE TS scope. It looks really nice. Fells great, but the trigger pull is heavier then any other air rifle i have tried. It has great accuracy. It gave me a group only big enough to put a pencil through. It could have been better. I need to get used to the trigger.
I used Gamo Match pellets. I have to pop them in the breech becuase they are to wide. I will push crow magnums, beeman kodiaks, predators, diasy flat nosed, gamo hunters, and more gamo match pellets.
The pump is CANDY. My AM77, and my 760 pump master are harder to pump.
The barrel shakes a tiny bit though. Is that a problem??
BB, The barrel has a tiny wiggle. It is a little loose. All the screws are tight. If I tap the front of the barrel from a vertical and horizontal position, you can hear it shake and clit clat. :)
If i tightened it, would it increase the accuracy?
How would i tighten it? The screws on the forearm are already real tight.
Cesar,
I will look into the loose barrel. Daisy may have to be contacted. My barrel is tight and I haven't heard of this being a problem, so right now I don't know what to say.
B.B.
thank you for the fast response.
It is giving me great a shots. Good accuracy already. I will contact daisy.
Oh and the leapers scope is fantastic. Im sticking to leapers for now on. The 3-9x32 scope is amazing. It focuses down to 6 yards.
BB,
Do the same principals apply to this rifle when sighting the scope???
The daisy 22SG.
I've been shooting it all night. The groups are opening up and the barrel is getting more shakey. I shot a tin of daisy flat nosed, and the ghunters through it. It getting worse. I thought it might have been the scope so I decided to switch it onto the shadow. I zeroed it on the shadow and its shooting fantastic.
I just got it. It really ticks me off that I have to send it to daisy, or possibly send it back to pyramid. It performed great when i got it out of the package. I dide notice the barrel being a little bit shakey when Took it out. now, the barrel shakes with a flick of a wrist.
GRRRRRRR!!!
Cesar,
I haven't had a chance to talk to Daisy, but they usually don't let owners do any maintenance.
I'd say send it back to Pyramyd Air. This is not the norm, as far as I know, so you just got a bad one.
Tell Pyramyd what happened and I'm sure they will take care of you.
B.B.
Cesar,
I relayed your problem to Daisy and the Customer Service person said it could be due to a loose front sight in the outer barrel shroud. She says you are welcome to return it to them and they will take care of it for you.
B.B.
BB,
Thanks for your help on this matter.
I purchased a 22SG and am having problems with sighting the scope. I was hoping one of you could help me out. I put the scope that came with it on the dovetails, tightened everything, and went to zero it with a distance of 15 yards. The crosshairs of the scope are about 2 feet to the right, and 2 feet higher than the target. I thought perhaps I'd just had to *really* adjust the two dials with a TON of turns but after so many turns, it seems to be harder to turn so I don't want to force it.
Why is the sight picture so far off after initially putting it on, and how can I make a large movement before using the small changes the dials bring? Thanks for the help
Is the 822, 22x and the 22sg the same basic gun? Do you know the differences, if any?
I have a 822 and when I ordered a manual from daisy, they sent me the manual for the 22x....
Jim,
I'm researching it. Please be patient.
B.B.
Jim,
The 822 was made from 1976 to 1978. It isn't made today.
The 22X is the 22SG without the scope, only it isn't sold that way any longer.
That's all I have been able to find.
B.B.
Thanks for the info....according to the manual for the 22x it looks like the same general gun. The 22x may have more plastic components. Other than that it appears to be the same.
BB,
I thought that you might like to hear some experience with this gun. I took my 22X out to the range today. I put a Daisy 3x-7x scope on it. I loaded it Crosman Copperhead pointed pellets and got 1 1/4" groups at 25 yards.
I didn't think that was bad for using a cheap pellet. Certainly good enough for squirrels. I have some Crosman Copperhead wadcutters that I'll try next time.
Carl
Carl,
I'd like to see you use pure lead pellets in the 22X. That means something other than Crosman. Try Daisy and Gamo, if you can't mail-order JSB Exact domed pellets.
B.B.
i would like to purchase a gun that shoots bbs and pellets i would like it to shot .177 cal. or .22 cal. but i would like it to hold more than one pellet and bbs and shoot at at least 700 fps
Good luck with that. There is no such airgun.
B.B.
I Picked up a 22SG last night and I am not getting the results I as hoping for. With Daisy pointed pellets, it really sprayed them around. I then tried some Benjamin rounded pellets. They were an improvement. These grouped in the 1.5 inch range at 20yds. I too notice that the sleeved barrel seems to be a little loose. I am going to try and really shoot some good groups with it this weekend. I'm going to remount the scope, chronograph it, and shoot some with open sights. I felt like i could see the pellets flying off through the scope. My guess is that I'm in trouble and will be returning it. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Steve
Steve,
A 22SG should do a lot better than 1.5 inches at 20 yards. You should get about one inch at 25 yards. Try the real Crosman Premiers, JSB heavies (15.9 grain) and Beeman Kodiaks.
If the accuracy doesn't improve with any of these pellets then, yes, send it back!
B.B.
I want to offer the observation that motor oil is not bad stuff for pneumatics as it is fortified with seal conditioners and is great for preventing wear. Maybe not as good as pellgunoil but surely not equivalent to using just anything.
Some manufacturers of CO2 guns warn against using petroleum oils, because their seals are made from materials that are not compatible with them. The oil doesn't dissolve the seals. It coats them and allows air or CO2 to slip around them, where pure silicone does not.
However, there are some pneumatics that work at relatively low air pressure, such as dsingle-stroke pneumatics, that do recommend non-detergent oil as a seal lube. All of Daisy's single-strokes use 20-weight oil.
The oil isn't really for lubrication; it is to provide a tough airtight seal that resists tiny molecules from slipping past.
B.B.
B.B.,
The Beeman H&N Match Wadcutters seem to shoot really well at 20 yds in my 22SG. The Daisy pointeds, Benjamin round nose, Copperhead wadcutter, and (very dissappointingly...) the Beeman Crow Magnums, all performed horribly at 25 yds. The Beeman Match were shot in a different locale and I couldn't get a full 25 yds but I was impressed.
Through an Oehler Chronograph, the Daisy's, Benjamin's, and Copperheads all shot just over 500 fps with 10 pumps. About 508 avg. I was expecting more speed and shot some other guns through the Chronograph to make sure it was reading properly and it was.
Does this speed seem acceptable? Is it enough for hunting? I was expecting quite a bit more. I will try some other pellets including Crosman Premiers and some RWS when I can find them. The Beeman Match were accurate enough to keep me happy and I don't mind stocking up on them if they are all the gun will shoot. Please let me know your thoughts on the speed and hunting applications.
Thanks,
Steve
Steve,
The speed is enough for hunting because you are shooting a .22. Just keep your distance to 25 yards or less and you should have great results.
B.B.
I am with Cesar and Steve, the barrel is shaking inside the sleeve. My accuracy with Gamo Match and Daisy Match is about 1" at 10 yards, with scope, from a fairly steady rest! This is very disappointing. You can clearly hear the barrel rattling away inside the gun. I am very disappointed to already have to be packing and sending it back after maybe 35-45 shots.
Looking in the bore with a flashlight and q-tip cotton swab for a probe, I clearly made the barrel move at least 0.050! I could understand if they wanted the muzzle recessed but in my gun the muzzle is about 0.1" behind where the small, supporting part of the plastic muzzle cap is. It seems to just be rattling around loose in there. Why oh why didn't I get a Benjamin?
BB,
Looking into my 22SG's muzzle, it seems to be throated! There is quite a taper, extending out wider than the lands. It looks like the end of a revolver barrel which faces the cylinder. Also, the barrel seems too short to even enter the muzzle cap and is simply moving around loose inside the shroud. Should I send this thing to Pyramyd or Daisy? The accuracy is quite poor even with the scope from a steady rest.
I suggest Daisy. They're the ones who have the knowledge with this model. Pyramyd will make an exchange; Daisy will fix the gun.
B.B.
Well Daisy said to try Pyramyd first so I did and got a prompt exchange, but WITH THE SAME FLAW. Barrel rattles around, muzzle cap is loose, (muzzle cap supports end of barrel inside hollow liner and also the FRONT SIGHT!!!!!) The rest of the gun looks OK so I think I may either try sending it to Daisy or finding a way secure the muzzle cap myself. How disappointing.
Maybe the muzzle cap machine was running oversize last month at Daisy but that's 2 in a row!!!
Mine is loose to. I did take some electric tape around the front end of the barrel, and put it in the sleeve. It works fine.I think some bad produktion. Tommy Sweden.
Two in a row here. These guns are too popular for this to be a regular thing but if we all got bad ones, maybe Daisy sourced a batch of lousy front sights!
I wonder if there is a replacement pumparm in aluminium or something?. The plastic feels a little wobbly.
To make the 22 SG to shot realy god,you have to cut a recrown the barrel. Then you have to make a bushing to hold the muzzle tight in the sleeve. I did that, and now the rifle shoots super. You see,stock the barrel is to short to go in to the front sight barrel bushing. Thats wy the barrel feels loose.
The pump arm is flexible, but unless you really abuse it, it won't break. There are no replacements that I am aware of.
B.B.
Dear Recrown,
Do you know of a book or website or magazine article about recrowning the 22SG? I know what it's about but wonder how BIG a difference it makes on a 22SG.
I think the barrel is supposed to be a bit short because it quiets the gun a bit. I think mine rattled because the front sight/barrel plug was a bit small on the outside, or the barrel shroud spread out a bit.
If you take the sleeve off, and look down the barrel. There is no crown at all, you can take a pellet, and realy dropp it in. There is no riffles att the last 1/4 of an inch. So i cut 1/4 off in a straight angle. Than i made a bushing to secure the barrel in the sleeve.It is a simple job, that anyone could do. Sorry for my spelling, i am from Sweden. As i said earlyer, now the gun shoots super.
I forgot to say, in stock the barrel is not going inside the front sight(barrel suport), it is just touching it. Very poor solution.
About recrowning. Crosman have a site about that. www. airguninfo.com.
Than you go to airgunmod for crosman
BB,
Can you tell me what muzzle velocity I can expect from my Crosman Quest 1000 with 7.9 grain Crosman Competition wadcutters? The advertising crows about "up to 1000fps" but I assume they mean with a lighter pellet.
Also, what accuracy have you found possible with this rifle? In initial testing, I fired a 3/4" C-T-C group at 10 meters with the above pellet off a rest, using the iron sights. But I'm kinda shakey to begin with.
Thanks for your time,
Joe
Joe,
I imagine Premier 7.9 pellets will be in the low 900 f.p.s. region. And accuracy should be about 3/4" at 20 yards with the best pellets. Be sure to clean the barrel with JB Bore Paste first, though.
B.BV.
Thank you, BB. Are you saying the bores on the Quest 1000s are rough? I remember reading here somewhere about 'lapping' new barrels by running something with the paste on it back and forth through the barrel. Could you point me to that post again, please?
Joe
Joe,
It's here
http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2005/11/is-your-airgun-barrel-really-clean.html
B.B.
About the Powerline 822 for squirrels; You must take headshots in my experience. You will not get humane kills if you go for a double lung shot as the pellet, .22 Daisy Max Speed pointed pellets in my case, will not penetrate the skin on the other side of the animal. If you want to see miserable, lethargic squirrels dying over a matter of days, go ahead and go for the lung shot. If you drop a squirrel with what you think is a lung shot with this rifle, you probably nicked the heart. Always shoot them in the head. A pointed pellet from this rifle will drop a squirrel like a set of car keys if you hit it in the brain. However, the pellet does not have the shock of even a 22 short and head shots that do not connect with the brain may have similar results to the lung shot. Your shooting range is whatever distance you can reliably keep your shots within a nickel sized group. This is based on about 5 years of shooting squirrels in my parent's backyard at a range of about 20 - 40 feet using an 822 with open sights with Daisy .22 Max Speed pointed pellets. At ten pumps this rifle is loud enough to be quite noticeable by nieghbors, but it is nowhere near as loud as a 22 short and the lighter projectile of the airgun probably reduces danger from shoot-through or ricochet to virtually nothing. If for some reason you need to take body shots on squirrels, then contrary to what others have written, you may want to go with a .177 with pointed pellets since the powerline in .177 MAY have enough velocity to penetrate both sides of the rib cage. My old powerline was able to do this with BBs. Just make sure its the .177 Powerline with the rifled barrel and not a smoothbore model.
Good Shooting
-WR
WR,
Thanks for sharing your experience. A hunter with years of experience is always worth listening to, and I hope you will comment more on other posts.
B.B.
WR,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope you will comment on some of the other posts, too.
B.B.
i bought a daisy powerline 822 and i was dissapointed because it couldent reach the top of the trees so i couldent kill any squirls only birds
The 822 is far too weak to hunt game. mI recomment a more powerful rifle in the 14-16 foot-pound class.
B.B.
I just got my 22sg and have been sighting it in. It seemed to shoot low if I took longer to shoot. So I did a test by pumping it up and let it sit for 60 sec. the pellet landed 10 ft away!!! I lubed it up w/ pelgun oil and shot a dozen times w/ no change. Any help?
Your gun has a fast leak. Take it back.
B.B.
Right now i just have a crossman pumpmaster 720. I want something with a little more range with good accuracy. Would the 22sg be a good choice for me. How far does the scope zoom in. What kind of pellet would you suggest for a quick humane kill and will I really notice a difference in the quality of the two guns. Sorry so many questions. I really found this site useful though. Thanks
The scope on the 22SG does not parallax adjust (zoom in). It will be in focus at most ranges.
Use a good pointed pellet or domed pellet - Gamo, Crosman, Beeman, etc.
B.B.
I own a Daisy 22SG, of which I like a lot. Using "iron sights", I can plink away with great accuracy, but using the 4X32 scope included, I can pinpoint a shot, then a random number of shots later it will be 3 inches off in a couple of directions. Is my scope being troubled, or perhaps ammo not up to par? (I primarily use flat head "wadcutters" by Daisy due to their easy attainability). I've considered switching ammo to test when I can get to a range though. Any help would be appreciated. JP
JP,
This sounds like a classic case of the scope being loose in the mounts. It's either that or you have one of the scope knobs adjusted all the way as far as it will go. If it's that, it's probably the elevation knob that's adjusted all the way up. The erector tube has no spring resistance and it's floating around from shot to shot.
B.B.
B.B.
I hunt pigeons & this 22SG looks like a pretty nice gun, but I noticed that it's a 'multi-pump pneumatic'. Does anybody make a pneumatic single-pump like the Daisy TargetPro 953 - only in .22 instead of .177 ? Single pump just makes more sense to me if the choice is between a pump pneumatic and a spring gun.
http://www.daisy.com/shopping/customer/product.php?productid=16145
Is it possible for Daisy to make a .22 pneumatic single-pump rifle @ 600-800 fps? It seems like this could be accurate, economical and better for hunting.
I wouldn't mind a much harder pump action to achieve this - as it wouldn't require buying CO2 cylinders, PCP pump or scuba gear & can really compete with the spring actions for power - with better accuracy.
Nitr0_Fish
Nitr0_Fish,
Parker-Hale used to make a single-stroke rifle that got 600 f.p.s. in .22. It sold for about $1,200 and weighed 11 pounds.
If you can find one of those it will work for you, but most of the few they made will be in the UK.
B.B.
B.B.,
11 pounds and $1,200 won't work for me! (lol) - but thanks for the info. After rereading this blog & the Crosman 2240 & hunting blogs I had a change in thought.
The Crosman 2260 looked like it'd fit my requirements - but then I realized the 2250 would let me hunt some urban grain elevators the 2260 wouldn't be allowed in - because the 2250 (with an after market paintball tank mount) looks like an ordinary paint ball gun.
I ordered a 2250 and pellgunoil from Pyramyd Air yesterday. Thanks for your info & assistance.
Nitr0_Fish
I am trying to decide between the Benjamin 392 and the daisy 22sg for squirell hunting. I hunt at around 35 yards with a leapers 3-9X50 illuminated-reticle scope. Can you help me?
35 yards is a bit of a stretch for squirrels with the limited power of the 22SG. I vote for the 392.
B.B.
I will buy this rifle in the next month for starting out with rabbits. I would like to have a scope on it and I see that there is a combo with a scope and mounts. Is this any good? The mounts look a little high. Would I need a cheekpiece? If so, does anyone know of one that would work? If this is not a good option for scope and mounts, what is another scope/mount combination that would get the scope lower, so that I don't have to use a cheekpiece? I read the blog entry about mounting a scope low or high. I don't want low mounts because of accuracy, but because of fitting: I am used to having my cheek up against the stock. Thanks!
George,
The 22SG only comes with a scope. That's what SG means - scoped gun.
You don't need a cheekpiece. I shoot mine as it comes and do fine.
B.B.
I was wondering if the 22sg shot bbs too. I read that it did on a website but i was wondering if it was true thanks.
The 22SG is rifled and shoots .22-caliber pellets - not .173-caliber steel BBs. It will shoot .22 caliber round balls, though, and they look something like BBs, only three times as heavy.
B.B.
Actually for the 22SG by Daisy. The Daisy website states that the SG means "Small Game"
Here is article on daisy 22SG
http://www.daisy.com/breeze_archives.html?breeze_article=powerline22sg
Back in 2003, when I was going to put the 22SG on the front cover of Airgun Illustrated magazine, Joe Murfin, Daisy's VP of marketing told me SG stood for "scoped gun."
B.B.
The wood on the 22sg is rough and the stain color could be better. Anyone refinish one of these? Any tips if you did?