Red Ryder Accuracy Expectations?

[P7M13]

I grew up with a Crossman 10 pump bb gun and got a lot of mileage out of that and was soda can accurate. Be sure to get one with a rifled barrel but you can fill the reservoir with 100s of bbs and plink all day.

I had one of these in college. IIRC, it's a rifled bore. Anyway, if you shoot with the sun behind you, you can see the characteristic of the BB flight path and aim accorrdingly. Mine flew kind of like a curve ball, but always the same way. I was able to consistently hit the 2" green plastic soldiers with mine at 60'.

 

[TTSX]

You're an adult expecting gnats butt precision from a $20 children's toy? And you think because it's not gnats butt accurate, you should "take it back"?

Yeah, take it back. Buy another one. Take that one back, too. Rinse repeat.

 

[toonerfrank]

You're an adult expecting gnats butt precision from a $20 children's toy? And you think because it's not gnats butt accurate, you should "take it back"?

dunno where you've been, but i've never seen a 10" gnat, let alone it's butt.

something's not right if one can't hit a paper plate at 10Y with any pewpewpew.

 

[E4mafia]

I have a red rider adult version. Put over 6k and going bbs thru it. I can pretty consistently plink things out to 15-20 yards fairly easy.

Also helps with getting reps in from all the constant lever action cranking.

Seems as accurate as I recall my childhood RR. You could probably try different BBs to see if you get better results. Fist size groups is fine for me ive also bulls eyed plenty of paper wasps.

Not wild about the sights but I can use them decent most the time. Practice your trigger control and fundamentals.

 

[Boyandhisdogs]

Well, well, well, look who's not crazy!
Ok, maybe I am crazy, but I'm right!

I put about 800 rounds through the bb gun over the weekend, had some fun, shredded some cans, but still got a lot of near misses. I ordered one of the new adult sized Red Ryders just out of curiosity. The only difference is that the stock is longer and thicker, and it comes with a metal lever. You can buy the metal lever separately for just a few dollars from Daisy but the adult stock is not available on its own, at least not currently. The adult stock is very chunky and makes the gun feel weirdly back heavy, like a bullpup rifle almost, but I can't argue with the results!

I shot both in my garage side by side, and while both had some fliers, the Adult RR (ARR) was consistently punching a big ragged hole nearly dead center, where the first gun (CWRR) was very loose and inconsistent. The left/blue target was free standing in the garage, lights on, door closed (no wind) at 15 feet. The right/black target was the same setup but rested on a sandbag on a ladder. This was fresh out of the box for the ARR too, where the CWRR was significantly worse before I broke it in. And yes, I know this isn't a perfectly scientific test, but this sort of quick and dirty shooting is more realistic for a BB gun anyway, and the results are drastically different enough to tell me what I need to know. And yes, I also know that this whole thing is silly, but this is just how I am, I can't stop tinkering.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Well, well, well, look who's not crazy!
Ok, maybe I am crazy, but I'm right!

I put about 800 rounds through the bb gun over the weekend, had some fun, shredded some cans, but still got a lot of near misses. I ordered one of the new adult sized Red Ryders just out of curiosity. The only difference is that the stock is longer and thicker, and it comes with a metal lever. You can buy the metal lever separately for just a few dollars from Daisy but the adult stock is not available on its own, at least not currently. The adult stock is very chunky and makes the gun feel weirdly back heavy, like a bullpup rifle almost, but I can't argue with the results!

I shot both in my garage side by side, and while both had some fliers, the Adult RR (ARR) was consistently punching a big ragged hole nearly dead center, where the first gun (CWRR) was very loose and inconsistent. The left/blue target was free standing in the garage, lights on, door closed (no wind) at 15 feet. The right/black target was the same setup but rested on a sandbag on a ladder. This was fresh out of the box for the ARR too, where the CWRR was significantly worse before I broke it in. And yes, I know this isn't a perfectly scientific test, but this sort of quick and dirty shooting is more realistic for a BB gun anyway, and the results are drastically different enough to tell me what I need to know. And yes, I also know that this whole thing is silly, but this is just how I am, I can't stop tinkering.

View attachment 2144250

Have you thought about getting a pcp airgun? They aren't crazy expensive and can be very accurate. Someone on here had a hatsan bullpup for around $200 as I recall.

 

[Boyandhisdogs]

Have you thought about getting a pcp airgun? They aren't crazy expensive and can be very accurate. Someone on here had a hatsan bullpup for around $200 as I recall.

I have but honestly I don't want to deal with the hassle. I have a nice pellet rifle, I just wanted something for casual plinking. A single pump BB gun fits the bill perfectly. I'm not super concerned with on-paper accuracy, I just had a hunch that the first one I bought was abnormally bad.

 

[newthings]

The Red Ryder isn't really built for pinpoint accuracy, it's more of a fun backyard plinker. At around 15–25 feet you can usually hit cans pretty reliably, but don't expect tight groups. You'll get maybe a 2–3 inch spread at close range, and it opens up more the farther out you go. It's got a smoothbore barrel, simple sights, and shoots BBs (which aren't super consistent), so it's best thought of as "good enough for casual target fun," not a precision shooter. If you can knock down cans at 20 feet, you're getting about as much accuracy as you can expect from it.

 

[Spitpatch]

The Red Ryder isn't really built for pinpoint accuracy, it's more of a fun backyard plinker. At around 15–25 feet you can usually hit cans pretty reliably, but don't expect tight groups. You'll get maybe a 2–3 inch spread at close range, and it opens up more the farther out you go. It's got a smoothbore barrel, simple sights, and shoots BBs (which aren't super consistent), so it's best thought of as "good enough for casual target fun," not a precision shooter. If you can knock down cans at 20 feet, you're getting about as much accuracy as you can expect from it.

I would grant that some shooters not familiarized with a Daisy might be so limited.

The gun itself in the hands of a seasoned expert is capable of far more.

BTW, a "seasoned expert" is any 6 year-old with a year or so (and a few thousand "Golden Bullseyes") under his belt. He'd mop up the floor with any shooter so handicapped. He'll also by osmosis become a better shot on average than any of his peers, even as an adult.

A Daisy is a gun that will actually separate the men from the boys (at a VERY young age), and even an adult skilled marksman will keep one handy for a refresher course, or a lesson in humility.

 

[Bobbygun]

A Daisy is a gun that will actually separate the men from the boys (at a VERY young age), and even an adult skilled marksman will keep one handy for a refresher course, or a lesson in humility.

Humility? You wanna talk about humility? Listen up and hear a tale of pressure shooting with a Daisy Red Ryder.

My old hunting buddy (old in the sense of both "long-time" and will be 80 soon) carries a really old Daisy Red Ryder in his VW Vanagon. He also has a pair of pink snow gloves. During bowhunting elk camp at some point during a hot midday, the three of us (my son is the third) set three cans up at various distances between 25 and 50 feet. You get three shots before passing the gun to the next guy. The guy that takes the most shots to hit all three cans, not only has to go set the cans back up to start the next round but also has to wear the pink gloves (yes, there is a camera handy) to shoot that round. Talk about a pressure-packed situation. Ain't nobody wants to be wearing the pink gloves.

 

[tac]

Just remember, that in the Republic of Ireland, in order to acquire and possess one of these mostly tin, smoothbore, self-powered toy guns, that shoots a steel bb with a muzzle energy of more than 1 Joule, you'll need -

1. To have joined a gun club.

2. Passed the 'safe handling' course.

3. Applied for and got your Firearms Certificate [FAC] - currently lasts three years - 80euros.

4. Have secure storage container for it that is -

a. Not accessible to anybody else but the license holder - ie. you.

b. Not visible from a window by a passerby.

c. Conforms to the State firearms storage requirements - since nobody in the Republic actually makes firearms storage cabinets, that means buying one made by them pesky Brits [grrrrrrr].

d. Firmly secured by wall-bolts into brickwork.

5. You'll need your FAC to buy BBs - you MIGHT be able to buy a full bottle, but don't count on it - I know shooters who are limited to holding 200 air rifle pellets at any one time.

6. You will NOT be able to shoot it in your back yard - plinking is illegal as it is construed as 'shooting at a target' and the only place you can legally do that is at a target shooting club. Some clubs are reasonably priced around 300 - 500 euros a year - others have a joining fee of an extra 300-500 euros.

Poor Irish shooters.

 

[Capn Jack]

I dont own one, but I did watch Ron Spomers review on one once.

Queued up to the discussion on accuracy.... sounds like they are all inaccurate... but you can learn where it drifts.

View: https://youtu.be/iCMdy1DjJyU?si=ip8xOArGvev7D91h&t=316

He forgets to mention, "Mussel Memory". Being Red Ryder trained, to this day, I still can't shoot a lever gun without wanting to take it out of my shoulder to cock it between shots.

 

[Dozer99]

Minute of Barn Door

 

[Capn Jack]

My 7yo has a Red Ryder, and accuracy is not an issue. I can consistently hit pop cans at 15y and ring a 12in gong at 35y. It's more than accurate enough for my little guy. My main issue is that it doesn't always load a bb when the lever is cocked.

Sometimes you have to tilt them back and forth for a positive feed.

 

[Capn Jack]

Just remember, that in the Republic of Ireland, in order to acquire and possess one of these mostly tin, smoothbore, self-powered toy guns, that shoots a steel bb with a muzzle energy of more than 1 Joule, you'll need -

1. To have joined a gun club.

2. Passed the 'safe handling' course.

3. Applied for and got your Firearms Certificate [FAC] - currently lasts three years - 80euros.

4. Have secure storage container for it that is -

a. Not accessible to anybody else but the license holder - ie. you.

b. Not visible from a window by a passerby.

c. Conforms to the State firearms storage requirements - since nobody in the Republic actually makes firearms storage cabinets, that means buying one made by them pesky Brits [grrrrrrr].

d. Firmly secured by wall-bolts into brickwork.

5. You'll need your FAC to buy BBs - you MIGHT be able to buy a full bottle, but don't count on it - I know shooters who are limited to holding 200 air rifle pellets at any one time.

6. You will NOT be able to shoot it in your back yard - plinking is illegal as it is construed as 'shooting at a target' and the only place you can legally do that is at a target shooting club. Some clubs are reasonably priced around 300 - 500 euros a year - others have a joining fee of an extra 300-500 euros.

Poor Irish shooters.

Sounds like a good place not to be .

 

[Capn Jack]

Daisy had a, "Pump Action" (not a pump up) air rifle with a positive, (spring pressure feed) that was reasonably accurate. As kids we used to use them to hunt doves.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Just remember, that in the Republic of Ireland, in order to acquire and possess one of these mostly tin, smoothbore, self-powered toy guns, that shoots a steel bb with a muzzle energy of more than 1 Joule, you'll need -

1. To have joined a gun club.

2. Passed the 'safe handling' course.

3. Applied for and got your Firearms Certificate [FAC] - currently lasts three years - 80euros.

4. Have secure storage container for it that is -

a. Not accessible to anybody else but the license holder - ie. you.

b. Not visible from a window by a passerby.

c. Conforms to the State firearms storage requirements - since nobody in the Republic actually makes firearms storage cabinets, that means buying one made by them pesky Brits [grrrrrrr].

d. Firmly secured by wall-bolts into brickwork.

5. You'll need your FAC to buy BBs - you MIGHT be able to buy a full bottle, but don't count on it - I know shooters who are limited to holding 200 air rifle pellets at any one time.

6. You will NOT be able to shoot it in your back yard - plinking is illegal as it is construed as 'shooting at a target' and the only place you can legally do that is at a target shooting club. Some clubs are reasonably priced around 300 - 500 euros a year - others have a joining fee of an extra 300-500 euros.

Poor Irish shooters.

Flippin love Ireland and the Irish. Nicest people you'll ever meet. When we went to Cong there were guys target shooting above the Guinness castle. I didn't bother to walk all the way to where they were shooting but it somehow fit perfectly with that place. Man I want to go back there bad. The west coast is a joy. Pubs all have traditional music at night. Whole families in the pubs.

 

[MacReady]

I have a red rider adult version.

This sounds like the kind of euphemism that makes a man hesitate to read the rest of your post lol

 

[tac]

Sounds like a good place not to be .

I just find it odd that everybody talks about the wacky laws here in UK, but omits mentioning the Republic of Ireland, a country that so many present-day Americans still claim as the spiritual home, where everything is just too wonderful for mere words.

Possession of loose primers or even bullets can get you arraigned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, where the minimum sentence is ten years.

 

[tac]

Flippin love Ireland and the Irish. Nicest people you'll ever meet. When we went to Cong there were guys target shooting above the Guinness castle. I didn't bother to walk all the way to where they were shooting but it somehow fit perfectly with that place. Man I want to go back there bad. The west coast is a joy. Pubs all have traditional music at night. Whole families in the pubs.

The nearest clay shooting club to Cong is Ashford Outdoors, located on the Ashford Castle Estate, which offers clay pigeon shooting experiences for various skill levels. For a wider range of target shooting options, you could also consider Connemara Shooting School in Recess, which provides lessons in shotgun, rifle, and air rifle, though it is located further away.