TargetTalk

Hi, Im new here but have been reading a lot of good info regarding the Daisly 499B. Im doing a bunch of work to our 4H club guns and was wondering a few things.

Will 4.5mm Ball Bearings work? If so will they work better than the Avanti BB's?

Are there any other front sight inserts available other than what comes with the gun? I would like to put a smaller peep in the guns but am not sure if the kids would benefit or not.

What about the factory triggers? I haven't done any work to them yet. I do replace them with triggers that have a better feel. I also get a lot of triggers that do not work out of the box. When cocking the guns they do not always reset. Is there something that Im doing wrong with the install? Some triggers work fine and other do not.

I use a good valve sealant made by DOW for the plunger assemblies. I apply a small amount of DOW 111 to the OD of the plungers. This increase velocity by a small amount. 360-370 and the guns seem to stay consistent longer with this sealant.


Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

Stay with larger apertures. Makes it easier for the shooters to keep the bull inside the aperture.

Also, check the rule book before doing any mods. Some may not be allowed.

Several pellet manufacturers make .177 (4.5mm) lead balls. These would be far superior to steel BBs, but might give problems if using magnetic feed guns.

Yes you can replace the front sight with any brand that will fit and it's allowed by the rules. The Lyman 17A inserts work well. Yes use the largest insert for new shooters then experiment with the smaller inserts as their hold improves. Everyone's eyesight is different and time spent working with the kids is worth it.

Yes you can shoot industrial ball bearings except at the Daisy National Championship match in Rogers, Arkansas as they require you shoot the Daisy BB's. 4.5mm ball bearings will not work as that's the inside diameter of the shot tube. We use 11/64th sized ball bearings and have for many years and they work very well.

No you cannot use lead balls as the Daisy model 499b uses a very small magnet to hold the bb in the gun. It's interesting to note that lead bb's are allowed under the NRA 5 Meter rulebook but they simply roll out of the barrel.

You can find the Lyman 17A sight sets on Ebay from time to time or order them from Lyman at 1-800-225-9626. You can order individual inserts or the entire set and if you're a certified 4-H Coach they have given a small discount.

Good Luck,
David Haire
Tift County, Georgia 4-H Shooting Sports

Haireacane wrote:Yes you can replace the front sight with any brand that will fit and it's allowed by the rules. The Lyman 17A inserts work well. Yes use the largest insert for new shooters then experiment with the smaller inserts as their hold improves. Everyone's eyesight is different and time spent working with the kids is worth it.

Yes you can shoot industrial ball bearings except at the Daisy National Championship match in Rogers, Arkansas as they require you shoot the Daisy BB's. 4.5mm ball bearings will not work as that's the inside diameter of the shot tube. We use 11/64th sized ball bearings and have for many years and they work very well.

No you cannot use lead balls as the Daisy model 499b uses a very small magnet to hold the bb in the gun. It's interesting to note that lead bb's are allowed under the NRA 5 Meter rulebook but they simply roll out of the barrel.

You can find the Lyman 17A sight sets on Ebay from time to time or order them from Lyman at 1-800-225-9626. You can order individual inserts or the entire set and if you're a certified 4-H Coach they have given a small discount.

Good Luck,
David Haire
Tift County, Georgia 4-H Shooting Sports

Great info. Much appreciated. I have some Lyman sights ordered.
I will order some 11/64 ball bearings and try them out. I have been mic'ing my BBs and that has helped.
I played with a couple of triggers. Nothing major. Trimmed the pawl and just dressed up everything else. My daughter says she likes it better.

Does anyone have any issues with the rear of the plunger assembly rubbing the top of the receiver? I don't think that it hurts anything but it does cause the plunger to drag when cocking the gun. I may need to polish the rough edges off of the top.

Has anyone tried free floating the barrels/shot tubes? Making sure that they do not touch anywhere except where the screw in to the abutment? What about dampening the vibration on the shot tube? Installing a rubber hose over the barrel/shot tube to absorb some of the vibration? Just thinking out loud. Might be a waste of time.

Right now my daughter shoots in the high 360's to low 370's. I would love to get that average up and be competitive at the Daisy Nationals.

Does anyone have any issues with the rear of the plunger assembly rubbing the top of the receiver? I don't think that it hurts anything but it does cause the plunger to drag when cocking the gun. yes, this happens quite often. sometimes enough to cause very inconsistent velocities. I have had to clean up the plunger assembly as well.
Has anyone tried free floating the barrels/shot tubes? Making sure that they do not touch anywhere except where the screw in to the abutment? What about dampening the vibration on the shot tube? Installing a rubber hose over the barrel/shot tube to absorb some of the vibration? Just thinking out loud. Might be a waste of time. At our Club we make sure the end of the barrel shroud is square and screw in the shot tube finger tight, then using electrical tape, make a lap or two to prevent the tube from working loose. Different color tapes can let you know if the gun is a large aperture (beginners gun) or not.

Right now my daughter shoots in the high 360's to low 370's. I would love to get that average up and be competitive at the Daisy Nationals.[/quote]

I would spend time adding weight and balancing the BB Gun for her. then work on sling technique.

have fun!!

metalsmith wrote:Does anyone have any issues with the rear of the plunger assembly rubbing the top of the receiver? I don't think that it hurts anything but it does cause the plunger to drag when cocking the gun. yes, this happens quite often. sometimes enough to cause very inconsistent velocities. I have had to clean up the plunger assembly as well.
Has anyone tried free floating the barrels/shot tubes? Making sure that they do not touch anywhere except where the screw in to the abutment? What about dampening the vibration on the shot tube? Installing a rubber hose over the barrel/shot tube to absorb some of the vibration? Just thinking out loud. Might be a waste of time. At our Club we make sure the end of the barrel shroud is square and screw in the shot tube finger tight, then using electrical tape, make a lap or two to prevent the tube from working loose. Different color tapes can let you know if the gun is a large aperture (beginners gun) or not.

Right now my daughter shoots in the high 360's to low 370's. I would love to get that average up and be competitive at the Daisy Nationals.

I would spend time adding weight and balancing the BB Gun for her. then work on sling technique.

have fun!![/quote]

Thanks. All of this info is very helpful.

I ended up replacing the entire receiver assembly due to the gouging in the top of the receiver from the plunger assembly. I will now make sure that all plunger assemblies are debuted before going into a gun.
Her gun is shooting and cocking much smoother now.
I like the tape idea. Makes sense.

With just a little smoothing of the trigger and taking a bit off of the pawl my daughter claims that it makes a big difference.

My daughter shot a 373 yesterday. This is without a sling. I really think that I'm finally getting these BB guns dialed in.