Powerline 880- Multi-pump Nostalgia

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Funky Cold

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Sep 9, 2023
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So in the midst of researching and researching for an Airgun for me, I went out and got a Powerline 880 for my twin boys to mess with.

I had one when I was 10 or 11 (95-96) and used to dispatch ground squirrels with pellets that were getting into the chicken runs at my grandfather's, shoot beetles and various off the ground (BBs), and annoy the ravens that would perch on a joshua tree around 80-100yards away by lobbing/arcing BBs at them. Probably played with that gun a good 5-6 years always shooting iron sights. Then shooting break barrels my grandfather had, that as I remember didn't seem quite as accurate.

Seems like it's about as decent as I remember. Was hitting a tiny pellet trap at 15 yards consistently off hand with iron sights using some red fires.

Tried teaching them to shot iron sights. One boy could hit it a bit here and there braced on a step ladder. My other son couldn't hit anything in the pellet trap. Eventually got him hitting in the pellet trap but not the targets. Worked with him for like an hour and all his shots were pulling right. Tried to have him focus on his trigger pull but he was still off to the right.

Then put up a soda can at 15yds and told him he couldn't go inside until he hit it. Couldn't hit it. Then moved it on top of the pellet trap that had a plywood back stop behind it. Kid grouped his shots decently enough all to right in the plywood. It was getting dark and told him to aim just left of the can and he nailed it.

Picked up some paper targets last night to get a solid look at their placement. Also getting plenty of nostalgia and probably gonna play with it a bit and see how many yards out I can hit a target. Used to do around 30 just fine as a teen with one but maybe they aren't built as well anymore.

Any of you still shoot one or have your kids firing 880's or other multi-pumpers?
 
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Kids group trying to hit the can. Ignore the what look like high and low flyers those were from them trying to initially hit the pellet trap

20230910_193643.jpg
 
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JDR said:
I shoot the Crossman 140 and Crossman 761XL (I had a plain 760) that I used as a kid. Also shoot a Sheridan blue streak that I dreamed of as a kid. Brings a smile on my face. One thing about those guns, they are short and light so great for carrying in the forest for plinking and hunting small game.
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Been going through the forum and noticed a bit of it being talked about the Blue Streak like it was the gold standard. Definitely peaked my interest and looked up a thing or two on them.
 
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lookup the "tape mod" for the 880.

it can really help in the accuracy department.

as will good pellets,such as jsb's or h&n,
but sadly you cant just go into a store to buy those lol

my 880 would consistently hit a small spinner target at 50yds,after some accurizing and using jsb 10gn.

and that reminds me,
i have an older metal reciever 880 in my closet ive been wanting to get working again lol
 
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starlingassn said:
lookup the "tape mod" for the 880.

it can really help in the accuracy department.

as will good pellets,such as jsb's or h&n,
but sadly you cant just go into a store to buy those lol

my 880 would consistently hit a small spinner target at 50yds,after some accurizing and using jsb 10gn.

and that reminds me,
i have an older metal reciever 880 in my closet ive been wanting to get working again lol
Click to expand...
As a kid I just got whatever pellets my grandfather had for the squirrels.

I did probably spend a good 4 hours looking into what pellets an 880 would shoot best all over the internet and couldn't find anything in stores locally other than redfires, that "according to the internet" group okay. I did pick up some gold flights when I got paper targets. I had heard nothing on them when I was researching. Curious to see what they do.
 
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starlingassn said:
lookup the "tape mod" for the 880.

it can really help in the accuracy department.

as will good pellets,such as jsb's or h&n,
but sadly you cant just go into a store to buy those lol

my 880 would consistently hit a small spinner target at 50yds,after some accurizing and using jsb 10gn.

and that reminds me,
i have an older metal reciever 880 in my closet ive been wanting to get working again lol
Click to expand...
about to look it up on YouTube while I do laundry but I'm guessing it's going to being like a harmonic dampner effect?
 
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Funky Cold said:
As a kid I just got whatever pellets my grandfather had for the squirrels.

I did probably spend a good 4 hours looking into what pellets an 880 would shoot best all over the internet and couldn't find anything in stores locally other than redfires, that "according to the internet" group okay. I did pick up some gold flights when I got paper targets. I had heard nothing on them when I was researching. Curious to see what they do.
Click to expand...

you can get crosman premier at walmart ,
they are usually decent in most guns,
great in some also.

everything alse i leave on the shelf lol




but you may be surprised at what quality pellets can do out of an 880.
 
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Funky Cold said:
about to look it up on YouTube while I do laundry but I'm guessing it's going to being like a harmonic dampner effect?
Click to expand...


it takes the slop/movement out of the end of the barrel.

the front sight fits around the end of the barrel,
a few wraps of tape takes out any wiggle room,
and accuracy usually improves.
 
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starlingassn said:
you can get crosman premier at walmart ,
they are usually decent in most guns,
great in some also.

everything alse i leave on the shelf lol




but you may be surprised at what quality pellets can do out of an 880.
Click to expand...
Out of specifically an 880 this was probably one video where someone took some time. Not as thorough as I'd like but was about the best I saw.

 
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starlingassn said:
it takes the slop/movement out of the end of the barrel.

the front sight fits around the end of the barrel,
a few wraps of tape takes out any wiggle room,
and accuracy usually improves.
Click to expand...
Also thanks a lot I found another rabbit hole. There's dudes sealing the end with resin between the shroud and barrel and alleged power mods. A bunch taking off the tip but the nostalgia is shooting iron sights.
 
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Funky Cold said:
Also thanks a lot I found another rabbit hole. There's dudes sealing the end with resin between the shroud and barrel and alleged power mods. A bunch taking off the tip but the nostalgia is shooting iron sights.
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welcome :cool:

whats this rabbit hole you speak of?
i know nothing! hahahahaha

you probably shouldn't even look at any pcp guns then hahahahahaha
 
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Chris_K said:
I still have mine from my teenage years in the 80s, a metal receiver one. I remember shimming the play out of the buttstock with cut up sections of old credit cards. My eyes suck now, so I have a scope on it. And I have a newer one that has a plastic receiver.
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I wish I had the old one from when I was a kid. Disappeared after I went off to the Air Force.
 
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No nostalgia, because the only guns I had as a kid were capgun and watergun. Oh, well; I can get want now. 🤷‍♀️

When I bought the 880 this spring, I bought the Daisy pointy pellets that Walmart had on the shelves near the gun. Two tins of 250 each. I have 20 left from the second tin. They’re fine for starting on, but after a while I suspected that flyers were not always due to my technique.

I next mail-ordered RWS R10 wadcutters in the 8.2 gr weight. Those were more consistent, and I have a decent stash of them.

Then bought off-the-shelf Crosman copper-coated domes, 10.6 gr. Shot both tins of them (400 total), liked them fairly well, but they were expensive. Yes, expensive even from Walmart.

Next I mail-ordered RWS Superdome 8.3 gr and HNN FTT 8.64 gr. My gun likes both of those, and the price was reasonable. By this point, I was better able to call the true flyers (ones due to my technique). The pellets themselves have been good as far as not throwing me WTF? shots, so they and the R10 WC will remain as standard stash.

I keep old shot target results and occasionally compare the same kind with earlier results. Using the same type of pellet has been helpful for seeing gradual, fairly steady improvement in accuracy, and at gradually longer distances. The 880 is the best $60 I ever spent, though I think the scope that came with it is crap. The iron sights are good, though.
 
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jetpopt said:
No nostalgia, because the only guns I had as a kid were capgun and watergun. Oh, well; I can get want now. 🤷‍♀️

When I bought the 880 this spring, I bought the Daisy pointy pellets that Walmart had on the shelves near the gun. Two tins of 250 each. I have 20 left from the second tin. They’re fine for starting on, but after a while I suspected that flyers were not always due to my technique.

I next mail-ordered RWS R10 wadcutters in the 8.2 gr weight. Those were more consistent, and I have a decent stash of them.

Then bought off-the-shelf Crosman copper-coated domes, 10.6 gr. Shot both tins of them (400 total), liked them fairly well, but they were expensive. Yes, expensive even from Walmart.

Next I mail-ordered RWS Superdome 8.3 gr and HNN FTT 8.64 gr. My gun likes both of those, and the price was reasonable. By this point, I was better able to call the true flyers (ones due to my technique). The pellets themselves have been good as far as not throwing me WTF? shots, so they and the R10 WC will remain as standard stash.

I keep old shot target results and occasionally compare the same kind with earlier results. Using the same type of pellet has been helpful for seeing gradual, fairly steady improvement in accuracy, and at gradually longer distances. The 880 is the best $60 I ever spent, though I think the scope that came with it is crap. The iron sights are good, though.
Click to expand...
Yeah I didn't bother. Let my daughter play with the scope
 
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I've got a similar model, a Daisy Powerline 856. Apparently it came as a close version to the 901 where it could do BB and pellet but mine is strictly pellet, no BB reservoir. And has shorter barrel than a 901.

It's the gun my grandpa taught me to shoot on and is very special to me. Glad you are able to teach gun safety and have fun too.

I would pump that thing up to 15 and load 3 pellets in there for a "shotgun" effect.

Can't believe it lasted so long but I have it to this day. I did have to do a complete re seal but she pumps and holds air just like the good old days.

I believe I did the tape mod and I did use iron sights (has a nice red fiber in the front) but I got a deal on a scope and that's what it wears now.

Not sure it is as accurate as it used to be since it's had thousands of pellets of all different kinds like those blowgun dart looking ones and more. But recently I've been using those 10.5 gr Crosman from the brown box. You can tell the energy carries well with those but they do arc more than 7.9 CPHP.

Fun gun but as others have said I've moved on to break barrel (one action one shot beats 10 pumps / shot !!) Then to PCP but I get the 856 out just to plink random stuff. She still takes care of chipmunks though!
 
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