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Daisy Avanti Champion 499 reviews - page 1
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
By Tom from USA on 2008-05-23 10:10:45 Things I liked:The 499 is the world's most accurate BB gun, and has been so since it was introduced in 1976. There is no better training airgun for young children than this one.Things I would have changed:I wish the peep sight had more precision in the adjustments. Even the replacement sight lacks precision. What others should know:This is a muzzle-loading single-shot. It is not a conventional BB gun - it is for target shooting. Everyone in the vicinity must wear safety glasses because steel BBs rebound like crazy. Be sure to also buy Avanti Precision Ground Shot to use in the gun. |  |
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
By Customer from USA on 2011-02-04 06:55:00 Things I liked:?? ??Things I would have changed:?? What others should know:I purchased 4 model 499 air guns since Nov. 2010 for my triplet grandsons and granddaughter. Two of the four worked, two were sent back for repair or replacement.?????The two that work are accurate. |
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- Things I liked:Accurate, accurate, accurate! Wow! I shoot a Beeman R8 with a Rekford trigger and this Avanti 499 is a nice fun accurate rifle for shorter range. Very easy to cock less than 6 lbs, super good trigger/predictable let off for consistent shots. The Avanti 499 trigger is way better than a stock Ruger 10/22 or Savage MKII rimfire rifles. The peep sight it comes with is not an Anschutz but it works! I am shooting 5m targets at 25ft and getting all in the black with tight groups. Its a well made rifle for the price and I would buy again from PA. See my targets shots here, I'm shooting a longer (25ft) distance than the recommended (5m/16.4ft): http://s915.beta.photobucket.com/user/ejhc11/library/Misc/Daisy%20Avanti%20499
Things I would have changed:Have a rail for the front sight and 11mm rails for the receiver to mount upgraded aperture sights.
What others should know:Use the Avanti Precision BBs to get the highest accuracy out the Avanti 499 rifle, they're made for each other, I tried standard Daisy BBs and they are not as tight in groupings. This rifle is so much better than my son's Daisy Red Ryder, I could not group anything at 25ft with the darn 10 lb trigger and its so much harder to cock, I don't think a kid under 10 can do it.... - Things I liked:It fits us both naturally and comfortably. The stock fore-end is shaped perfectly for a comfortable grip, and also for cocking. The pull works for both of us (I'm 5'8" and my wife is 5'3"). I'm thinking about adding some weight to the fore-end to make the gun a little barrel-heavy so it's easier to hold steady (I have a natural shake). It's a nice feature that there is a dedicated space in the fore-end stock to add weights. The trigger is light and predictable. The sights are wonderfully adjustable and precise. The fit-and-finish is excellent. It's nice that the stock is wood and is finished so it's easy to grip. Very accurate and consistent! It really helps to build confidence in new shooters, such as us.
Things I would have changed:It has a hard time taking down big game and penetrating thick steel plates. Be warned!
What others should know:It has been 40 years since I was last actively shooting. My wife and I decided that we'd like to get back into shooting air guns. We are so glad that our first gun is a 499! Its accuracy, ease of shooting, excellent sights and consistency really help build confidence and to have fun... shooting IS fun when you can hit what you're aiming at. And, right off the bat, we're hitting targets regularly with this gun. When we ordered it, we also bought 4 containers of the special BBs designed for this gun. They do cost more than normal BBs, but why buy such an accurate gun and use less accurate and consistent BBs? This gun is tremendous fun... I can't see how anyone could outgrow its accuracy. Did I mention that it is accurate? - Things I liked:Accuracy, easy cocking, light weight, decent sights (not top of the line) but they work well and hold their settings. Adjustable sights are nice because I have two 499's and when friends come over to shoot, we can adjust the sights of the second gun dead-on for their eyes. Oh, did I mention ACCURACY, ACCURACY or ACCURACY?! With a little practice you can hit BB sized targets every time from a rest at 5 meters!
Things I would have changed:I have an older 499 and where the for-end wood fits into the front of the receiver, the receiver metal comes together perfectly. On the new ones, the fore-end wood is not turned down enough (too big)and this causes the receiver metal Y's open. No negative effect on performance, just unsightly. Daisy needs to adjust their stock turning tool.
What others should know:1. Trigger has a lot of creep but the overall pull weight is light, and when you get used to it, you can tell just when it's going to break. 2. The barrel worked loose on one of mine from vibration and accuracy suffered until I noticed and tightened it (the tube screws out the end of the gun). I put a bit of releasable lock tite on the threads of both guns tubes and it hasn't happened since! I'm 62, have been all over the world hunting, and this gun is more fun to shoot than any other gun I've shot. Indoors or out! No noise-no kick-almost no expense. Just a hole in the paper exactly where you wanted it to appear. YOU WILL LOVE IT TOO! - Things I liked:The sights were cheaply made but worked well. I loved the trigger. The stock was finished well. Cocking effort was very light and easy. Loading through the muzzle was easy.
Things I would have changed:Daisy's claim that this is the world's most accurate BB gun might very well be true but I found accuracy to be inadequate and was the only reason I returned the gun to Pyramyd. - Things I liked:I already had one AND LOVED IT. So I ordered two more, one more for me so I could lend it out to neighbors when we have informal target shoots (so both of us can shoot at same time)-- one for my grand boys. I LIKE the sights (a bit finicky but once on--they're good), the easy cocking effort, the low power for indoor shooting, the trigger (after it breaks in a bit), and THE ACCURACY, ACCURACY, ACCURACY! Oh and one more thing...the ACCURACY. THESE ARE A MUST HAVE FOR AIR GUNNERS AND FIREARMS RIFLEMEN. They are an any time / anywhere FUN to shoot "toy!". Inside or outside, if you have around 15 feet (5 meters is 16-feet 4-inches) you can shoot and shoot and shoot--ACCURATELY---for just a few cent's. All three of the ones I've tested shoot groups inside the size of the guys head on a dime. THAT'S FUN!
Things I would have changed:On the two new ones, the forearm wood where it fits into the receiver is milled to large in diameter, causing the lower seam of the receiver to be split open slightly where they join. Although it doesn't affect operation, it sure looks unsightly. Come on Daisy! Also...better instruction manual. Especially for novice shooters
What others should know:For testing the two new guns, I labeled one "A" and one "B" written on a piece of masking tape. "A" shot beautifully. "B" would throw a wild shot periodically. I noticed the BBL tube was loose so tightened it "really tight" and tried again. It went wild, shots all over the target...no grouping whatsoever. I was about to send it back! Just before I did, I tried loosening the BBL tube then tightening to "secure" but not too tight! Wow! Now gun "B" shoots better groups than the other two. Right at one hole. I put a dab of white paint on the BBL tube and BBL where they join so I can tell the exact "sweet spot!" If the BBL loosens I can put it right back. So, if you get one and it's not shooting to your satisfaction, you might try varying the BBL tightness a bit. It sure cured mine. - Things I liked:Simple. Nostalgic. Accurate. I am a double distinguished marksman, and a long range high master, yet still cannot escape this guns allure. My dad retrieved one from his brothers estate after his passing in February, having heard allll about how well it shot. Dad and I concur, and now I have one too. Dad and I live 1300 miles apart, and are now engaged in "postal match" type competition between our 499's. He and I own well over 100 pellet rifles, some of which are world class machines, yet these little Daisy BB guns make paper punching FUN!!!! AGAIN!!!! Try one and you'll be hooked. It's like having a chihuahua that hunts. Benched 12 out of 15 shots at 10 meters can be covered by a nickel... and dad's shoots BETTER than that! (BTW I'm 48, he's 77)
Things I would have changed:No complaints. Others mentioned plastic cocking handle, mine (received Dec 2012) is metal, and the oft maligned medallion was in a baggie, letting the user decide if he/she wants it on the stock. The price is very fair for a specialty low volume item. Ordered the Ground Avanti BB's which to my suprise, contained 1050 BB's instead of the stated 500ct.
What others should know:The actual barrel is firmly mated to a plastic BB-funnel at the muzzle, which fit the barrel shroud loosely allowing the barrel to wobble inside the gun when assembled for use, hindering accuracy. I cleaned the hidden corner where the plastic muzzle/funnel meets the forward edge of the outer barrel shroud, and built up that hidden area of the plastic muzzle piece with a few drops of super-glue, allowing it to fully cure before re-assembly. This eliminated the gap between the funnel and the shroud and now the barrel assembly (still removable) does not wobble, and great grouping became routine. The safety spring's short leg arrived too short to remain against the sear lever, so the trigger pull and re-set were erratic. This spring also holds the safety in either position, so the out of spec spring failed to keep the safety from flopping to and fro on its own. Managed to tweak the spring's geometry until all systems were a "go", and spring stayed where it belonged. Minor details. I have more than a few $1500 plus air guns, none of which could ever be as enjoyable on the same level. Less truly is more! The Daisy Avanti Champion 499 is a hoot. - Things I liked:I am tickled with it.
Things I would have changed:Vary the sizes of the front sight inserts and mark them somehow. Add more detailed instructions about the care and maintenance.
What others should know:From a former civilian master high power shooter, it is a swell gun to learn and practice with in my opinion. It is very accurate out of the box without match grade bbs. - Things I liked:This gun is very accurate as advertised. I bought it for my grandchildren but I have much fun shooting this as my 317 and QB78 ( a Chinese copy of the Crosman 160 CO2 rifle). At 25 ft I can consistently hit #8 and 9 of the Crosman qualification target paper.
Things I would have changed:There is a small paper insert which says "Attention : When the muzzle cap and the inner barrel assembly are removed, Do not dry fire the gun!". This warning should be in the manual and printed in big bold letters.
What others should know:The rifle does not come with the standard rear sight but with the Daisy 5899 precision sight. The manual says cock first then load but author B.B. Pelletier says it is safer to load first then cock. I agree with him. If you are planning to buy your kid a Red Ryder or a Model 25 I think a better investment is to buy this rifle. Although its price is more than twice that of a Red Ryder your kid will enjoy it more and he will grow with it through adulthood. The more he shoots accurately the more he will enjoy shooting. If you have an inaccurate rifle shooting just becomes a chore. - Things I liked:If you want to go through the NRA 4 Position Rifle Qualification using a BB Gun, this is the gun you must have and the only one I'm aware of that complies with the NRA regs and has the needed accuracy in this category. Without question, the most accurate smooth bore BB Gun available. Very good Sights, even if a few plastic pieces. Cocking and Trigger smooth as silk. Good robust stock, added weight for added stability and better ergonomics.
Things I would have changed:It's a little pricy at $125 for a spring smooth bore bb gun, but then again, the accuracy improvement over the Red Ryder is dramatic...the Red Ryder does not have the accuracy to Qualify Distinguished Expert (or even Expert)on NRA 4 Position but the Daisy Avanti 499 absolutely does. Out the box I'm hitting all black all the time on NRA reg 5 meter targets. Daisy should include instructions on mounting sling (sling is included).
What others should know:The First 499 arrived with a severly bent barrel. No fault of Pyramid, gun was inside factory box with no impact marks...must have left factory that way. Called Pyramid, they immediately stood behind the product and quickly sent me a replacement, and they tested the replacement prior to sending to insure was not a lemon. I WAS NOT AWARE BUT PYRAMID WILL TEST GUN PRIOR TO SHIPPING FOR A VERY REASONABLE FEE OF $10...I WILL USE THIS FEATURE EVERYTIME GOING FORWARD. Excellent customer service and selection, I will return to Pyramid for my next purchase (coming soon as soon as I complete Distinguished Expert!...will move on to Air Pistol). - Things I liked:Nice craftmanship, Wood is clean and finished well. Accuracy is very good once you get the sights adjusted. This is a fun gun to shoot even for an adult. Included sling is a great bonus.
Things I would have changed:I wish the included medallions were pre-installed.
What others should know:Using Avanti precision BB's will greatly improve the accuracy of this gun. - Things I liked:Accurate, good sights
Things I would have changed:Pre-install the good sights. Offer the ability to install the larger (shipped) aperture in the better sights. Offer plastic inserts for the front sight. Add a butt pad or round the edges.
What others should know:The butt edges are pretty sharp. I added a pad to make it more comfortable. Targets are difficult to score -- I have not tried all paper types but even really old commercial target paper will not have very good holes for hits. 60# paper is not better for BBs. For good scoring, limit hits to one-per-bullseye. Otherwise, lots of fun to shoot! - Things I liked:I purchased this smooth-bore long-arm to teach my son and daughter the finer points of rifle marksmanship and I believe it is well suited for the task. From field positions, accuracy is tremendous. One hole groupings at 10 yards; about 1-1.5 inches at 25 yards shooting prone w/sling and match BBs. Its probably a 4MOA gun under the best of conditions. I mounted a 6-24x scope on mine via a RWS one piece mount available here at Pyramyd. Mount clamps firmly to rear sight base plate. A Dremel tool or round file can be used to create clearance for the rear sight plate screw, further increasing stability. My trigger breaks at 3.5 lbs on my timney scale. The basic red-ryder BB gun triggers break around 5.5 lbs. Other than that, they feel identical. Its a long, heavy, poor feeling pull in comparison to other match triggers. Forearm is broad and well shaped for my adult male hands offering tremendous stability. I mounted the included sling and sling studs further increasing this gun's stability. I added a grind to fit recoil pad to increase the length of pull by an inch. The rubber pad also prevents the stock from slipping off the shoulder. A leather cheek pad laced to the stock provides me with consistent cheek weld using the raised scope mount. With all the bells and whistles Ive increased my guns weight to a balanced 5lbs 11oz. It feels like a .22 and shoots a whole lot better than most .22s at close range.
Things I would have changed:Trigger pull weight. Add a nonslip but-plate.
What others should know:Can be mounted with a scope using rim-fire/airgun 11mm or 3/8" rings and mounts. - Things I liked:Bought this for my son's 8th B-day. He is an experienced shooter with his custom Beeman R9, and a highly custom Ruger 1022 built with Tactical Solutions and Volquartsen components. We have a precision rifle range at our home and he typically shoots 200 - 400 rnds per day. He also shoots bows competitively. However, this birthday, he asked for this gun specifically because it is simple like his favorite old red ryder, but more accurate. I was skeptical of the accuracy potential of a smooth bore BB slinger. But, I must admit, it has exceeded my expectations. We set up 5m and 10m targets and shot around 400 times between to two of us. This rifle is very accurate and a lot of fun to shoot. Don't expect a world class trigger or handmade quality craftsmanship, but for what it is, it is exceptional. We set up a printed dart board target at 10 meters and had a great time playing cricket. I may have to get another for myself now. If you are on the fence, go for it...you won't regret the purchase.
Things I would have changed:I would like to see a better trigger with less creep. Also, the trigger and cocking lever should be made of metal. The only other suggestion I have would be sizing spacers for L.O.P. adjustment. I believe for the price, these are reasonable features to request.
What others should know:If you are looking at getting your kid his/her first BB gun, this would be perfect. Don't be put off by the price. It may be expensive compared to a Red Ryder, but you are getting a much better built rifle that will help your young shooter develop better skills. Nothing is more frustrating or embarrassing to a kid than missing a target because your rifle will not shoot consistently. The result can mean the difference between a youngster who learns to love shooting, or one who despises it because he/she "can't shoot well".CommentsBy James from USA on 2011-07-27 1 
I like that, "his custom R9...10/22 w/ T.S. and Volq. components." Yeah, they belong to him. I run that scam with the wife all the time when I want cool stuff too. That's how I get most of my stuff here. It's Junior's. B^D - Things I liked:The sights are excellent. Cocking effort is low enough for younger shooters.
Things I would have changed:Trigger is creepy and spongy. Accuracy is not what I would expect from "the most accurate BB gun in the world". My standard for comparison of accuracy is my Beeman R7, and the Avanti 499B is not even close at 5m or 10m ranges.CommentsBy Customer from USA on 2011-07-20 2 Your comparison point is to a gun costing 3 times as much? Hardly seems fair...By ReginaPhalange from USA on 2011-07-11 2 Is this review for real??? - Things I liked:?? ??
Things I would have changed:??
What others should know:I purchased 4 model 499 air guns since Nov. 2010 for my triplet grandsons and granddaughter. Two of the four worked, two were sent back for repair or replacement.?????The two that work are accurate. - Things I liked:As accurate as others have described. Easy to cock. Fun and comfortable to shoot. Trigger is great.
Things I would have changed:I think this could sell for $70 and still allow for plenty of profit for the manufacturer and retailer. It probably sells for a premium because it's the only super accurate BB gun made, as far as I know.
What others should know:I was one of a handful of customers who didn't receive a rear sight with my gun. Neither the standard rear sight, nor the upgraded 5899. Pyramyd Air worked hard to get me a rear sight from Daisy, even though they were out of stock at the time. I am very impressed with Pyramyd's customer service, and appreciate their help. 10 stars to Pyramyd Air. I don't want to disparage Daisy here. Mistakes happen, I did have to wait a while, but Daisy would have resolved my problem. However Pyramyd helped resolve it quicker. - Things I liked:Accuracy, price point, low noise levels, ease and comfort of use, and again accuracy!
Things I would have changed:A little on the light side for my taste, and i wish the lever was in the style of "The Rifleman." Also i wish it didn't have that emblem on the side.
What others should know:This is a highly satisfying gun to shoot, especially around 5 meters. Get the good targets or you wont be able to identify individual shots. Awesome gun. - Things I liked:ACCURACY ACCURACY ACCURACY If Your an accuracy nut like Me You will be happy with what this smoothbore muzzleloading BB gun can do. After seeing the artillary hold video here on Pyramyd Air I shoot a 5 shot one hole group about the size of My little fingernail. Yes I was useing a rest But thats what the Gun is capeable of If that trips Your trigger like Me It will do what they say. After about 250 shots I measured the trigger pull at a hair over two pounds. Which was better than I expected. My 10 shot chronograph ave. was 288.1 FPS And it is far quieter than My Red Ryder is. I'M 57 years old and guess I have come full circle from BB guns back to BB guns. And am happy I did. With the cost of powder burning ammo these days I can't afford to shoot them like I want. But I can afford to do all the close range Accuracy shooting I desire with this and a IZH Biakal 46M, Izzy mp532, and Gamo GTX. Pellets and BBs are dirt cheep in comparison. And being able to shoot center is still the same feeling for Me.
Things I would have changed: Affix the Medallion to the stock from the factory. But super glue jell fixes that minor problem. - Things I liked:Very accurate and quite quiet. A far better trigger than I had expected. Not a match quality 10m rifle trigger, but way beyond a Daisy Red Ryder trigger.
Things I would have changed:It would be nice if the buttstock came pre-setup for length adjustment. A series of spacers would be an excellent add-on so it could be sized for adults as well as children without tools and carpentry.
What others should know:It's designed specifically for the 5 meter BB gun competition, but it's a fine plinker or youth trainer as well. I was impressed by the accuracy. I ordered the Daisy 5899 reciever mounted sight as an upgrade, and then found out that the 499 CAME WITH that reciever sight in the factory 499 package. The image shows a cheaper rear sight and the 5899 is shown as an "upgrade" accessory (which is why I bought it). I wouldn't have bought the extra sight if I'd known that the gun came with it! Goodie for me. I have a few extra airguns where I can use the extra sight. - 12
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Overall rating:5 5.0
Value for money:5 5.0
Accuracy:5 5.0
See all my reviews
Things I would have changed:Daisy should apply the Avanti 499 trigger and cocking effort to its other guns, like the Red Ryder its like over 12 lbs or more so younger kids can self cock them.
What others should know:It is true that the Avanti BBs do group tighter than the regular BBs