Daisy Grizzly 840 Review

Overall Rating

Smooth to pump
Great price
Able to use pellets, AND bbs.
Stock is sturdy
Squared front sight
Fast and reliable feeding bolt-action

Front grip becomes loose
Cannot be stored pumped, even though its a pneumatic
Gravity-fed
Single shot pellets
Smoothbore
Curvy barrel
Too much plastic
Breakable scope mount
Creepy trigger
Flimsy pump

As a first time airgun, this Daisy Grizzly 840 served me well. It came with a crooked scope, which means quality control is non-exsistent. After mounting this scope, I soon found that the mounting hardware cracked the mount. I moved it forward, more gentle this time. It still showed fractures, manufacturing tolerances are loose, as demonstrated by the pump arm and stock. While sturdy, the stock has a noticeable line where stock meets receiver (which is plactic, btw). The pump arm wobbles with each pump, and with time, the clip that holds it to thw lower part of the barrel soon loosens up as well, not good. It was about at this time I noticed that this part of the gun was stamped steel. The barrel looked with rolled steel tubing, I was pleased to find a square front sight, which makes a precise sight picture, fiber optic, too. Too bad their "fiber optic" is just a plastic insert, with no realistic function, the rear sight is elevation adjustable only. It rides a staircase to it's desired height, precise? hardly. Then there is the scope, I had to tune the settings to their max, stressing out the erector tube springs and making for a crooked scope, and it shot straight, great quality scope.
Then came part 2, shooting, it is a pneumatic rifle, so it has minimal recoil and a smooth firing sound. The bolt functions well, despite the bbs being fed by gravity. If the gun is tipped vertically, it usually resolves the feed problem, it can be worked very quickly, so it makes a very good repeater. But that's about it, sitting from 7 metres, I fired away at a target. Looking through the scope, I could see that all shots stayed within the tapered area. Same story for pellets, which sunk lower at 7 metres, this is unacceptable. This made the scope unnecessary. (but, aesetically, it was pleasing). As either a hunter, or a target shooter, it is a disgrace moving into the backyard, however, the light pump and fast bolt action lets the gun show its qualities. It cycles very quickly, and is suitable for snap-shots, pellets are tedious to load, though, so I suggest you stick with bbs. Pop, Pop, Pop can after can was knocked down, relatively quietly. It makes an excellent plinker, and is enjoyable to shoot if all you do is plinking, have a look at this gun. It is priced well and is quiet, plus easy to pump, if you shoot the occasional target, close your eyes and cry if you bought this.

Members' Comments onstarling death's Review

• dennis595 on 13th Dec 2006

  I've got one of the Mossy Oak 840s. We shoot it in the backyard all the time. It's a hoot. It takes out bottle caps and battle-scarred GI Joes with a crisp little "snap".
  You may want to go to a Benjamin Sheridan, one of the better Beeman's or at least trade up to the Daisy 1000S break barrel at Wal-Mart.
  For under $40 dollars I think the 840 does well. We must have shot it a couple thousand times and it still shoots like a champ.
  Please don't hunt with it. It doesn't have the muzzle velocity to do anything other than maybe break a bird bone or put a pellet under an animal's skin to cause an infection. Both are pain without purpose.
  When my folks died I found one of these still in the box in their house. Back in the 70s the fore stock fit flush with the barrel. The fore stock on our newer one droops down too.

• starling death on 15th Dec 2006

  Thanks for your comment. I don't plan on hunting with ths gun of course, not at 300 fps. I have a target gun i use for headshots on starlings (although the trigger is so bad, i miss half the time) rated at 500 fps. I never take body shots, or headshots further than 15 metres. Very challenging to get close enough for the shot. Also, in Canada they retail for about $60-70. For $40 i wouldn't complain but $70 is a little much for this gun. Especially when the crosman 781 is available.

• dennis595 on 15th Dec 2006

  Understand. I didn't think you were hunting birds with this, but the comment about "and hunting" I was afraid might encourage someone else to.
  A fellow told me Canada has a law requiring pop-off valves to limit muzzle velocity to 500fps on air guns. Do you know if that is the case?
  And yes, sixty to seventy is quite a bit different than the $39 down here.
  Good shooting!

• starling death on 20th Dec 2006

  Yep, on the multi-pumps, there is a bleeder valve. Most of them use the same main valve as their non-500 cousins, meaning most people just open up the gun and [illegally] caulk the bleeder shut. Sorry if I worded that poorly. I tend to make more mistakes when I'm not in word. I meant it was unsuited for hunting, and I appreciate that you want humane kills. I can't tell you how many times I've had to give up a shot because I couldn't get close enough. As I said, quite a challenge, even when I'm in camo!

• starling death on 20th Dec 2006

  Oh, forgot to add, my lower receiver. The connection from the pump link to handle, and one of the two clear plastic pieces by the breech have cracked. And the scope rail has flaked off at the initial mounting point. Then there was the night I left the bolt open and the pump charged. I think I weakened the hammer spring and the seals. Definite power decrease, judging by the gentle muzzle blast and twangy sound of the hammer falling. On the plus side, pumping is easier than ever, and I can cycle the action even faster. Still comes out to play "death of the aluminum foe".