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  • Writer's pictureNoah O. Thompson

We Tested The Daisy Powerline 880 And It Exceeded Our Expectations

If you’re looking for an air rifle you can rely on, look no further. You can’t go wrong with the Daisy Powerline 880, and these hands-on reviews will prove us right.

Daisy Powerline 880 Multi-Pump Pneumatic Rifle .177 Cal (BB or pellet)

FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.


Daisy Powerline 880 Multi-Pump Pneumatic Rifle .177 Cal (BB or pellet)

Top-rated: 3,747 ratings | 438 answered questions


Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Highlight: The kit includes safety glasses and 4x15-millimeter scope with rings.

Helpful review: "I remember growing up a lot of kids had the Red Ryder, but I was lucky enough to have an awesome Dad who bought me an 880 in the late 1970s / early 1980s. Bought this kit to replace an old broken 880 that I've had in my closet since the about 1980 when I was a kid. The old one would no longer pump and hold air. I tried to fix it up with new parts but soon gave up since a new one was so affordable. Surprised to see that the new one is still made pretty much the same way except its black instead of brown. I think the black looks cooler now. The only real difference is the pump arm on the old one was all metal and the new one is a hard plastic. Still seems solid and heavy though. These 880s shoot powerfully and accurate. If I get another 35 years out of this gun I'll be a happy old man by then. You get a tin of both pellets and BBs ready to go in this kit. I also like the yellow adjustable glasses that come with this kit. A lot of people complain about the scope, but I found it to be quite accurate once you sight it in. I prefer using BB iron sights though (my old one never had a fancy schmancy scope), so I'll probably take off the scope eventually anyway. Overall, I'm really impressed with this kit and the great price. It reminds me of my childhood." — Cabo

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Credit: metaspencer

Trending review: "Got a squirrel problem and don't want to spend a bundle or spook the neighbors? This is your gun. The scope is its only real drawback. After mounting, it pointed right of the muzzle. I had to shim the front bracket with thin pasteboard to get a good eyeball alignment. After 8 practice shots, it groups about an inch at 25 yards, about the distance of an average back yard. It's hard to do much better since the scope doesn't magnify well at that range. The test was from well inside a room out a window opened about 8 inches. At 6 pumps, it's no louder than a cap pistol. Penetration was through an eighth inch of heavy pressboard, then into a tree trunk flush with the surface. This was with the flat shot included. Imagine what you can do with 10 pumps and Crosman Destroyers. A tip for novice gunners: turn the top screw clockwise if you're shooting high. Turn the side screw clockwise if you're shooting too far right. One complete turn moves the impact point about 5 inches. The only cons concern the cheap scope. Since it straddles the bolt chamber, loading is tricky. But the biggest advantage to this gun is being able to zero the scope on your own property. That's how quiet it is. This rifle doesn't cost much. Go ahead and add it to your collection." — Mick Williams

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Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Reassuring review: "I purchased this for my son's 10th birthday and he loves it. My parent's have an old (very old) Red Ryder style BB gun that my son has been shooting for a few years and he's really been enjoying it. But, sometimes you can throw the BB faster than what the gun will shoot, so I figured it was time for an upgrade. It's funny how much time I put into researching which BB gun to get. Probably just like you, I looked at all the models offered by Daisy and Crosman, and even some of the more expensive brands. When I started reading reviews on how smooth the trigger pull was on expensive $500 pellet guns, I knew I was in too deep. So my decision just came down to remembering how much fun I had with my Daisy BB gun when I was a kid and the fact that BB gun couldn't have cost more than $17.....so I got my son a Daisy pellet gun for $40. This gun has lots of power for the dollar. I don't remember as a kid my gun having this much oomph, but this one shoots really well. We set up a target at about 30 feet and after a few adjustments, the grouping was about 2 inches. This was using the flimsy, plastic scope that came with the gun. I don't know how long (or if at all), the scope will hold it's zero, but for the 50 or so shots we made, it did OK. It's a variable pump, so the more you pump it, the stronger it gets. The instructions say don't pump more than 10 times or you could damage the internals, which is just fine because around pump number 8, it starts to get pretty hard for my son to pump it. All in all, I think this is a fantastic BB/pellet gun for the first time shooter at a great price." — Scott T.

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Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Updated review: "Excellent airgun for the price!!! Scope is mediocre. So I wanted to post a review with pics as there are some who say it's a horribly inaccurate air rifle. I've been a shooter for about 20 years and actually started off shooting competitively. Decided one day to get into pellet guns. The factory scope is adequate, but honestly a $25 scope will be several times better. Decided to try out an accuracy test on my 880 (had it for years) and I'm getting (10-shot) 1.5" groupings @ 15 yards (45 feet) with 10 pumps. I'm rusty and haven't shot competively for years, but if I can do this, then the gun can do 1.5" groups @ 45yds. It's a very cheap pelletgun, but is designed durable, and is lethal and accurate at close ranges. I plan on getting one for my niece and teaching her the fundamentals of shooting and gun safety." — Thisblackguy

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Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Well-received review: "I've owned 880's since I was 10, and I keep coming back to them. I abused a few when I was younger, and they took a beating. I would say that their weakest features are the plastic parts in the upper receiver, but they will hold up under normal use (I took it to another level). Check the pump lever hinge bolt every so often, oil it right, replace the compression seals when necessary, DON'T pump it up if you're not going to shoot it (the main cause for replacing the seal), don't use it to launch things it's not intended for, and this thing will serve you well, indefinitely. It's lightweight, reliable, accurate and pretty crisp on velocity. I own high-power air rifles, as well, but they're bulkier, harder to sight-in, 5-10x (no joke) heavier, so I just usually reach for the 880. I definitely recommend it." — Robert L.

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Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Helpful review: "Overall great purchase. I've never owned an air rifle before but have had experience with firearms so I wasn't sure what to expect. But after a few days with the rifle, I've come to really enjoy using it. Scope was very easily attached. Zeroed in with the pellets instead of BBs (highly recommend that you use the pellets for this process). The scope was very simple to adjust and it's of reasonably good quality for the price you pay. Using pellets required a bit more effort since you have to load them individually, but once you get the process down you can fire 5-6 aimed shots per minute very easily. Not to mention, they're nearly perfectly accurate compared to the BBs. The BBs are fun with short range or larger target plinking and the reload time is a bit shorter though at reduced accuracy.
Couple of very minor complaints. With the scope attached, getting the pellets loaded can be somewhat challenging for adult sized hands. I also recommend not pulling the bolt all the way back when loading the pellets as they can slip into the rear of the receiver where the BBs go. If you pull the bolt back, then push it forward a little bit so the magnetic tip is blocking the opening to the BB reservoir, you won't have any problems. A couple of times I had to shake a lost pellet out because of this issue. Looking forward to giving my nephew an introduction to firearms and firearms safety!" — S. Light

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Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Trending review: "I have been using a Daisy 880 since the 1970's, because they are awesome. The 880 works great, is reliable and accurate. They are great starter rifle to learn shooting safety and fundamentals. Adult supervision is a must. It shoots .177 BB's and .177 pellets. The pump handle gives more leverage and takes less effort. Classic hunting rifle look and great ergonomics." — Sheila

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Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Reassuring review: "Just a great all-around gun. EXTREMELY accurate even at longer ranges. The BBs may sway a inch to the left or right at far distances, but that's not really something you can help with BBs. One word of advice though: THIS IS NOT A TOY. So all-around a fantastic gun. Iron sights and scope are both amazing and the scope is easy to Zero. Great buy!" — Stephen McSpirit

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Daisy Powerline 880 Air Rifle

Most-discussed review: "This is not my first pellet gun, but indeed the best. I have killed many flying pests with this gun. It's great for plinking and small game hunting. I did not like the scope that came with it - it had a lot of parallax. So I went with an NcStar 3-9x40 sporting scope, and now I can get birds up to 15 yards away! if you are thinking about getting your first gun, your search ends here. If you want a better one, I have ordered a Big Cat 1250 and will write a review on that. But this is a great beginners gun. It's well worth the money!" — S.K.L.

Get it from Amazon now: $94.99 & FREE Returns