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Education / Training Daisy 22SG

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 discussion 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.

140 thoughts on “Daisy 22SG”

  1. 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.

  2. 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?

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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

  6. 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!

  7. 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.

  8. 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

  9. 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.

  10. 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

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. 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.

  16. 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

  17. 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.

  18. 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

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. 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

  22. 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. 🙂

  23. I recieved the 22SG about 2 hours ago. I took it out and sighted it at 10 yards out with a leapers 3-9×32 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.

  24. 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 3-9×32 scope is amazing. It focuses down to 6 yards.

  25. 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.

  26. 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.

  27. 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.

  28. 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

  29. 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….

  30. 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.

  31. 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

  32. 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

  33. 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

  34. 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.

  35. 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.

  36. 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.

  37. 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

  38. 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?

  39. 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.

  40. 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!!!

  41. 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.

  42. 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.

  43. 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.

  44. 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

  45. 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

  46. 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

  47. 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?

  48. 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

  49. 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

  50. 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.

  51. 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.

    https://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

  52. 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.

  53. 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

  54. 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?

  55. 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!

  56. Hello,

    I am trying to decide on a new airgun for control of European starlings in/around farm buildings.

    Starlings are not hard to kill, but they are hard to get close to. I need good accuracy to 30 yds, and a scope for shooting indoors in low light.

    I’ve worn out 2 Daisy 880’s over the last 20 yrs, and have been pretty happy with them. I would like a little longer range, however.

    I’m trying to decide between these three set-ups:

    Benjamin 397 (scoped)
    Benjamin 392 (scoped)
    Daisy 22 SG

    Again, my primary need is good accuracy out to 30 yds. I have no personal experience with any of these three rifles.

    Thanks –

  57. Greetings B.B.!

    Thank you for your wonderful blog. I am a future air rifle owner and I’m just curious if after all these years you still would suggest Daisy 22 SG as a first air rifle.

    I’d love a quiet gun, how do you think it would perform with 1-3 pumps?

    Also, do you think that storing this gun with one pump of air is a good idea? What maintenance would you recommend?

    Thanks B.B., keep up the good work!

  58. Cookie,

    The Daisy 22SG is a great first airgun. It has been designed to not allow you to store it with a pump of air in the gun. It must be cocked to pump the gun and you never store a gun that’s cocked.

    So store this one empty.

    In 3 pumps the gun isn’t very noisy. Don’t try to shoot it will 1 or 2 pumps – that’s not enough to ensure the pellet will leave the barrel every time.

    B.B.

  59. Hey yo B.B.! What’s up?
    uhh, I wanna know if this gun is really quiet..I mean to say, when you pump this rifle up to its maximum of 10 pumps, and you shoot it, would it still have the number “2” range of quietness in the quiet-meter, or would it go up higher?
    And also, do you think that this gun would have the same penetration and ft.lb. energy as the crosman 2260?
    Ok man, thanks again for setting up all these blogs! Ur ah-sim!

  60. Hi bb and to every1 else
    For cleaning this gun, what do i use? I read that you don’t really have to clean the gun hardcore, just oil it and wipe it, but i was wondering, would the beeman cleaning PELLET work with this gun? I kinda doubt it a little, because i dunno how it would go through the bolt mechanism. and if you have any other cleaning tips please let me know! thank you guys!

  61. The 22SG is a pneumatic. It is quieter than most because it isn’t as powerful, but on full power it will be noisier than average. It will sound like a Blue Streak on five pumps – about a loud hand clap.

    Never clean the barrel of a pellet gun unless accuracy suffers. The cleaning pellets work fine in the 22SG, but since they do nothing, why bother?

    I think the 2260, which is slightly faster than the 22SG, will also have slightly more penetration. And, since speed equals power, slightly more muzzle energy.

    B.B.

  62. Nice review! Just picked up a couple for $69. Looks like the model is being discontinued. Any idea why? This is a great rifle. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read a single negative review. Sure it has some shortcomings, but it’s probably the best bang for the buck. Do you know if Daisy has any replacement/comparable .22 rifle in the works. I really like the easy pumping and low noise factors. Plus, I get to decide how much power I want to use – one reason I dislike break barrels – which is ideal for backyard plinking. Looks like quality/budget .22 pumpers are few and far between.

  63. Just bought a Daisy 22SG from Pyramid air. A few dozen shots so far. I want to take down some squirrels that are causing problems.

    My barrel doesn’t seem to be loose as a few others have reported. The scope that comes with seems to be close to useless for me. I also over estimated how well my old eyes could use the blade sights.

    I am very happy about how quiet the gun is. The thwack of the pellet hit seems as loud as the discharge even with 10 pumps. Now for the questions.

    First, is there a good 20mm scope for the gun? I bought a BSA 3-7×20 and the scope is ok, but I’d like a closer focus range, and the scope sits high. The whole point in a small scope is that I’m shooting at less than 100 feet, and I wanted a scope line as close to the bore line as possible. I’m shooting close, but at varying distances. The scope is now about 1.25 inches above the bore line, but with the lower scope mounts (and 3/4″ rings are scarce), the scope could be lowered about another 1/2 inch.

    Precision “close in” shooting is something the scope makers seem to ignore. This isn’t a 50 caliber rifle where I’m going to be shooting a mile. I want a scope that focuses close, and which is very close to the bore line.

    Second question is that I am using hollow point pellets. Their square edge catches on a lip on the barrel where it seems to join the chamber, and they are hard to load. Is there some way to “fill” the lip, or take the gun apart and ream a slight bevel on the barrel edge? Just need to remove an eyelash. (Or should I be using pointed pellets for squirrels anyway? Those would probably load more easily.)

  64. I noticed the loading issue also. Usually I have to forcefully insert the pellet. I’ve read about the same issue-solution on several reviews. Though the plastic bolt is a shortcoming, it works perfectly well in this regard, so don’t worry about damaging it. If you are trying to slowly guide the pellet in, it does seem to catch, but a good, strong push loads it in easily just about everytime unless the pellet is deformed, maybe a couple in over 300 daisy wadcutters and pointed pellets I’ve been using. It seems to be easier as the gun breaks in and I get used to it. Funny thing though, my scope works well (it did take quite a bit of trial and error to sight it in). I also agree that it’s a quiet rifle which is perfect for the backyard (I’ve heard the Benjamin 392 is much louder and much harder to pump). For about $50 less I have a less powerful rifle (about 80-100 fps) but it’s also quieter and easier to pump (higher fun factor IMHO).

  65. Quick question: Is it normal to hear a little air escaping when the rifle is pumped very slowly? I don’t hear any air escape when I’m done pumping nor when I leave it fully pumped for a while (30-60 minutes – shoots strong as freshly pumped). But when pumped very slowly, I can hear a little hiss near the end of each pump action. Solution seems to be to pump quickly, but I was wondering if the slight, faint hiss when done slowly is normal.

  66. I’ll ask another couple of questions. What does a Shooting chronograph show in terms of number of pumps? I know the limit is supposed to be 10, but like everyone else I did 15 once just to see if the gun would do it.

    If pumpimg 15 times does give more power, would it be worth it to kill squirrels using hollow points? What does “over pumping” damage? What sort of repair/expense is involved to fix problem created?

    I’m also curious if anyone measures speed as the pellet leaves the rifle, and then as it the shot nears the target say 50 feet away. Does speed for all the various types of pellets drop off the same?

  67. Herb,

    I haven’t done a chronograph test of the 22SG, but I would assume the valve will start locking up after 11 or 12 pump strokes. An easy test for this is to cock the gun a second time after firing and shoot it without as pellet. If air escapes on the second shot, the valve was partially locked and you shouldn’t pump it that many times.

    B.B.

  68. Herb,

    In rereading your question I see I missed a few things. Over-pumping strains the pump linkage, which is partly plastic on the 22SG. Eventually, the linkage will be shot and then the gun isn’t worth rebuilding.

    If a pellet leaves the muzzle at 590 f.p.s., it will be going about 500 f.p.s. at 50 feet and 475 at 25 yards.

    B.B.

  69. B.B. Thanks for the info.

    I got Beeman Silver Bear Hollowpoints figuring that the lighter weight, but hollow point would kill better with the 22SG. I’m shooting at short distances so accuracy is me not the gun.

    Dare I take a toothpick and a tiny amount of epoxy to fill the sharp edge in the chamber at the barrel?

    Or are the domed pellets both easier to load and better for killing squirrels too?

  70. B.B.,

    Couldn’t resist – I had to try out my new Chrony!

    Shooting RWS Superdome 14.5 grains (average for 5 shots)

    PUMPS….FPS
    3….312
    6….419
    9….475
    12….502
    15….516
    20….529
    30(1).540

    (1) – One shot…

    Since going over 10 doesn’t get much more power, it seems prudent to stick to the 10 pump limit. No sense destroying a gun I like to shoot.

    My interpretation is that the gun has a one stage pump which can only generate so much pressure in the pump chamber. If the pump chamber is under more pressure than the reservoir chamber, then air flows from pump chamber to reservoir chamber. As you pump more, then the reservoir chamber approaches the maximum pressure that the pump chamber can produce. This stresses the pump which is no doubt a bad thing. There doesn’t seem to be any valve factor, just the pump.

    Herb

  71. Herb,

    Your 22SG is telling you that the pump mechanism is wearing out. That is the only way you could get 30 pumps into the gun. The pivot linkages are getting loose.

    On a fresh powerplant you would see the power diminish after about 12 pumps. I’ve tested similar guns.

    B.B.

  72. B.B.,

    It was a new gun. I didn’t actually get 30 pumps into reservoir of course. I’m guessing that the air in the pump chamber blew out past the pump cup seal. FPS is OK at lower pumps, so I don’t think that the test destroyed the gun. But as I said, enough pushing the limit. I like shooting the gun and won’t overdo it anymore.

    Herb

  73. BB,
    about multi pump pneumatic: with 8-10 stroke how much pressure we can get from a multi pump? I’ve been trying to get the info from the web, but zero result.

    Thanks in advance,
    Jim

  74. B.B. and others,
    I picked up one of these based on the reputation that it has garnered as as and easy pumping, accurate little shooter. I wanted a cheap pump pneumatic to add to my collection of springers.

    Unfortunately, mine had a loose stock that was obvious as soon as I opened the packaging. I might have returned it, but it was the last one in the store on a clearance sale for $50.

    A little poking around let me to discover a hidden bolt inside the stock that can be accessed by removing the butt plate. The bolt size seems to be 13mm. You will need the correct socket and a long (10″) extension to reach the bolt. It only took a few turns to get mine tight as can be. I must say, this is a fine little rifle kit, especially for the price that can be had in some closeout sales. Very easy pumping and quiet shooting. I suggest every one grab one of these before they are gone. It may just be a collector item some day. I plan to keep mine for a long time.

    -Bill

  75. Hello BB and everyone,
    I’m a big fan of the budget air rifle (anything under 100 dollars) and I’ve found that the 22SG is the best for the money. It’s very lightweight, very accurate, and is a great rifle for pest elimination. The best thing about the 22SG is that it is QUIET. I’ve always read that multipump pneumatics were loud but not so with the SG. I tried out an 880 just to compare and it was much louder (although they are basically the same). Pyramydair’s loudness rating is pretty accurate in my opinion.

    MY MAIN REASON FOR POSTING:

    Are there ANY modifications that can be made to the 22SG to make it even better? I can never seem to find any information on modifications on Daisy products. It would be great if there was a way to increase the fps, lighten the trigger or improve the barrel (like with the Crosman 13xx) It’s a great rifle as is, but it could be so much better with some aftermarket help.

  76. Hi B.B.

    Sorry for the delay in the answer, but i dont have much time right now.
    Thanks for the tip. I emailed daisy and they send me the schematics, when i have time i will try to open it and see if can be repaired.

    Also im considering buying another airgun, i want it to be very quiet.
    In a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being quiet and 3 more noisy. in what order will you put the crossman nitro, the talon ss and the daisy 22sg.

    Thanks.

  77. BB, could you please re/post why this gun should NOT be stored with a pump of air in the chamber? I thought ALL pneumatics benefited from this type of care. Thanks.

  78. BB,

    Thus I assume, you *shouldn't* leave the gun cocked and stored. But let's say that I'm an adult and I live alone and my firearms and airguns are locked in a rifle safe (all those assumptions are true).

    Safety concerns completely aside, is it better to keep the gun stored uncocked and unpumped, or cocked and pumped?

    I'm more worried about the longevity of the gun than any safety concerns as those are already handled.

    Thanks.
    -Nick.

  79. Nick,

    No, don't leave it cocked and pumped. I wondered the same thing as you, so I have monitored my uncocked and unpumped 22SG over the years. After many years of storage in a gun closet, it still holds air. It isn't as good as leaving it pumped, but it seems to work for this gun.

    That is my recommendation.

    B.B.

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