Airgun Reviews Daisy Avanti 853 Avanti 887 Competition

Airgun Review Daisy Avanti 853 Legend and Daisy Avanti 887 Competition

Daisy Avanti line of rifles were developed and built by Daisy Air guns with the young, developing air rifle target shooter in mind

Daisy Avanti 853 Legend

I was given the chance to spend some time shooting both these Avanti target rifles and thought I might offer my impression of their performance and features.

The Daisy Avanti line of rifles were developed and built by Daisy with the young, developing target shooter in mind. This line of rifles are very well know in the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), NRA air rifle competition and 4H club young shooter programs .(You can find them here) In CMP three position (kneeling, prone, standing) competition these rifles are much the standard in the Sporter class. CMP Sporter class rifles in CMP matches must be from an approved list of rifles that meet the standards for weight, sights, trigger pull weight, and perhaps most importantly, cost of the rifle. It is a fairly short list of rifles that are on the CMP approved list for the Sporter class and Daisy rifles make up the bulk of the list.

The Sporter class rifles are designed to offer an aspiring young shooter a class of rifles that will somewhat level the playing field and mitigate the advantage of a high cost, custom tuned rifle. When a promising young shooter has developed the shooting and competition skills necessary, they can move up to the Precision class and shoot the wonderful high end target air rifles from manufacturers such as Anschutz, Feinwerkbau, Walther, Steyr, Hammerli, etc. The Precision class rifles with their $1500 - $3000 price tags are cost prohibitive for a young shooter and the family that is likely sponsoring their efforts.

Daisy's made a commitment
to shooting education. Today, more than 2,000 Jaycee chapters across our country conduct supervised classes to teach boys and girls age 10-14 proper gun handling and marksmanship
(a total of 250,000 kids annually).

Daisy Avanti 853 Legend:The 853 Legend is offered in two versions, the first being the single shot version

I got a chance to shoot and review and the same rifle in the clip fed, 5 shot repeater. The rifles are identical with the exception of the five shot clip.

The 853 is a Single Stroke Pneumatic (SSP) air rifle that is charged by cocking an under lever that fits in a recess of the fore stock. Cocking effort is listed at 25 lbs., but I feel this likely on the high side and would rate it more in the range of 18-20 lbs. The majority of the cocking effort is concentrated in the last 6-8� of the stroke as you close the cocking lever, as this is where the real compression air going into the chamber reservoir occurs.
		The action on this rifle is the standard Daisy cast, straight pull bolt action that will be familiar to anyone who has owned or shot any of the Dasiy Powerline SSP or multi pump pneumatic rifles. The receiver incorporates a sight rail along the top, this is where the diopter rear sight attaches, or if one were so inclined a set of standard, tip off scope mounts could be mounted to the rails also. The rifle has a straight pull bolt for pellet feeding into the barrel chamber, very easy and straight forward to use. The bolt is opened, the cocking lever cycled, a pellet fed into the single shot loading tray, the bolt cycled forward, pushing a pellet into the barrel, the safety disengaged and the rifle is ready to fire.

This rifle has a two stage trigger with a cross bolt safety in the trigger guard. The trigger is non-adjustable. I�ll add a note here on the Avanti triggers; as delivered from Daisy the triggers on Avanti rifles are certainly not �match�� grade units. This is attributable to several factors; production cost, product liability and complying with CMP regulations for a minimum 1.5 lb. trigger pull on Sporter class rifles. There are some fairly simple modifications that can be applied to the triggers on Avanti rifles that will smooth out the first and second stage and lighten pull weight. The information for these modifications is readily available and certainly old news to any seasoned coach of a junior rifle team. It should be noted that any trigger modification should be performed by an air gunsmith, or person well experienced in this type of work. It is also likely that performing modification of any type to the rifle would void the factory warranty.

The stock on this rifle is a simple grade of what appears to be birch.
The stock is a true sporter design with an angled pistol grip
and very little rise to the cheek piece on the butt stock.

The stock is adjustable for length of pull via adding or removing 5/8� spacers between the butt on the stock and the molded plastic butt plate. The rifle comes with 3 spacers. I found that fitting two spacers allowed me to have a comfortable length of pull. This stock is truly designed as a sporter stock and is easily useful for all three shooting positions. The sling mount is attached to a cast in rail on the cocking lever and is adjustable for position fore and aft.

The 853 comes with the basic Avanti sight set consisting of a basic tunnel, aperture front sight and a basic diopter rear sight. These sights are acceptable as a starter set for 10m target use. The front sight comes with a basic set of front sight inserts that are easily changed. I used the cross bar, ring front aperture in my testing.

As a shooter progresses the sight set on the 853 could be upgraded with the better sight set that comes standard on the 888 and 887 CO2 rifles. Daisy sells the upper end sights as an accessory.

The 853 along with the 753, 888 and 887 all come fitted with a Lothar Walther precision barrel.
The quality of the barrel shows up in the accuracy these lower end target rifles are capable of.


I spent some time shooting this rifle and trying different pellets in it. The rifle shot well with Gamo Match and RWS R10 heavies, but these 8+ gr. Wad cutters required a lot of positive elevation adjustment on this rifle. I didn�t have any light weight match wad cutters on hand, but did have some RWS Hobbys, 7.0 gr. The 853 responded very well to the Hobbys and shot very nice groups at 10m from an informal rest. I shot 5 shot groups for accuracy from the rest so as to get a good idea of the rifle�s accuracy and not induce my less than perfect 10m standing stance in the results.
This rifle is rated at 510 fps. I did not have a chance to run real chronograph numbers due to an indoor lighting issue. Based on the chrony numbers I have seen on this rifle, real world numbers tend to be high 300s to low 400s, depending on pellet choice. This rifle will respond best to lighter weight pellets, RWS R10 lights (7.0 gr) would be an excellent choice in this gun. As mentioned, I was able to get good results with RWS Hobbys and was able to consistently put together 5 shot groups that I felt were very acceptable.

This rifle would be a great choice for getting an aspiring target shooter started. Being a SSP, there is no support equipment (CO2 tanks and fills, or air tanks and or pumps as required with pre charged pneumatic (PCP) rifles). This rifle will teach a new shooter the right set of basics, breathing and trigger control, sight acquisition and repeatable technique. The moderate cost and ability for this rifle to progress with the shooter makes it a great choice. This rifle will appeal to the more casual shooter as a great low effort, very noise friendly informal target and fun plinking rifle.

Listed Specs:

Caliber: .177 Pellet Velocity 510 fps
Weight: 5.50 lbs
ACTION: Single-pump pneumatic, straight pull-bolt
SIGHTS: Hooded front with interchangeable aperture inserts;
micrometer adjustable rear
SAFETY: Manual cross bolt trigger block with red indicator
MUZZLE ENERGY: 4.5 ft. lb.
OVERALL LENGTH: 38.5 in.
STOCK/FOREARM/GRIP: Full-length,
sporter-style hardwood with adjustable length
BARREL: Lothar WaltherTM
rifled high-grade steel barrel, crowned,
12 lands and grooves, right-hand twist.
Precision bore sized for match pellets
PUMP FORCE: 25 lb.
CAPACITY: Auto indexing 5-shot pellet clip
RECEIVER: Die cast with dovetail scope mount
SLING: Adjustable positioning
Usage : Competitions Target Shooting

Daisy Avanti 887 Competition

At the same time I received the Avanti 853 Legend I also received the 887 Gold Medalist Competition.
The 887 Gold Medalist Competition is the top of the line Daisy Avanti Sporter Class target rifle

This was a new model release for Daisy last year. The 887 is based on the 888 Medalist CO2 rifle that has been the running top line Avanti rifle for some years. The 888 and 887 use the same basic action and Lothar Walther barrel as the 753 and 853 series rifles but are CO2 powered.

The 887 introduced a laminate stock with a more serious target stock profile. The stock profile is basically identical to the 753 PSP rifle. The stock profile has a more pronounced cheek rise, more vertical, fuller pistol grip, and a wider, flatter fore stock that is equipped with an aluminum accessory rail.

The 887 stock is also adjustable for length of pull using plastic spacer inserts. The rifle comes with four spacers as standard equipment. As with the 853, I found that two spacers gave me a comfortable fit on the stock. I found the ergonomics on the 887 to be much better for me than the 853.
The 887 comes more naturally to hand and is a far more substantial feeling rifle. I really liked the feel and fit of the near vertical, target type pistol grip. The laminate in the stock is a combination of light beech and dark, near black stained laminate panels. The finish is a light satin matte.

The 887 is, as mentioned, CO2 powered. The power plant is charged by a detachable 2.5 oz. tank. The tank can be filled by any paint ball shop, or can be bulk filled using the optional bulk fill adapter and a bulk tank purchase a CO2 fill station/refill device directly from Daisy (800-643-3458). I had the tank on the 887 filled at a paint ball shop not far from my house and it cost me all of $0.60.

The tank is listed as providing approximately 300 shots from a single fill. I have about 150 shots through this tank so far with no degradation in performance. Spare 2.5 oz. tanks are available as a reasonably priced accessory as well, and might be a great idea for the competition shooter traveling for a match. Most clubs will elect to bulk fill the tanks for economy and control of the precision of fill.

The CO2 power plant in the 888 and 887 is very consistent and provides a higher level of power than the PSP powered Avanti rifles. I found that this rifle shot best with RWS R10 Heavies (8.3gr.). This rifle was easily capable of consistent 5 shot, one hole groups.

The 887 is equipped with the top of the line Avanti tunnel, aperture front sight and precision diopter rear sight. The rear dipoter sight comes with a rubber shade hood and the front sight has an assortment of inserts. I used the crossbar, round aperture front insert on this rifle too. The upgrade sights on the 887 are far superior to the lower end sights that are standard on the 853.
	They provide a much clearer, more precise target picture for 10m target acquisition.

The trigger on the 887 is the same pattern as the 853 trigger but adds a more correct two stage feel to the trigger pull and has an adjustment screw for second stage pull weight. The trigger is listed as being able to be adjusted down to a 2lb. pull weight. I adjusted the trigger down to its lightest setting and was reasonably pleased at the improvement in pull, 2 lbs. in the second stage is about right on this rifle. This trigger can also benefit from some careful attention from a knowledgeable tuner or coach, but is not bad stock when adjusted down to a lower pull weight.

For the enthusiast that wants a lower priced target rifle for club matches or informal target shooting with friends, or the family buying a target rifle for a dedicated young shooter, the 887 is the choice I would recommend. This rifle has proven its accuracy in many CMP and NRA Sporter Class matches.

As a side note, this rifle is suitable as a light duty pest control rifle at short to moderate ranges. I had the opportunity to use this rifle to discourage two pest birds in my yard and it made quick, accurate, humane kills at a 15 and a 20 yard shot.

I�m very enthused about the Avanti 887 and would recommend it as an accurate, moderate priced target rifle.

Avanti 887 Gold Medalist Specs:

Action CO2 single shot bolt
Caliber .177 (4.5mm) pellet
Sights Front globe sight with changeable aperture inserts;
rear diopter sight with micrometer click adjustment for windage and elevation
Stock Laminated hardwood
Muzzle Velocity 500 fps (152 m/s)
Capacity Single shot
Barrel Lothar Walther rifled high-grade steel,
12 lands and grooves, right-hand twist.
Precision bore sized for match pellets
Trigger Pull Adjustable to 2 lb
Length of Pull Adjustable from 12" to 13.75" (30.5 - 34.9 cm)
Length 38.5" (97.7cm)
Weight 6.9 lbs (3.12kg)

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