by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
The Diana 75.
This report covers:
- Recoil
- Velocity test
- R10 Pistol
- H&N Finale Match Light
- JSB Match Diabolo
- Discharge noise
- Discussion
- Cocking effort
- Trigger pull
- Summary
We will take a second look at the Diana model 75 sidelever recoilless target rifle that we have learned was sold as a Beeman model 400. You saw the sales receipt in Part 1 that clearly identifies this as a Beeman 400.
Today we will look at a few more things on the rifle and we will test the velocity. As many of you covet one of these old target rifles of the past, this should be an interesting report.
Recoil
The first thing I will address is recoil, or in the case of this rifle, the lack of it. The Diana 75 was made at a time when a recoilless spring-piston air rifle was the height of technology. There were several ways to do it.
Feinwerkbau used a system of thin steel rails inlet into the stock of their 300-series target rifles that allowed the big heavy barreled action to slide one way when the pellet shot out the other. As long as the rifle is held fairly level this system works well, and a target shooter is always going to hold the rifle fairly level. The only thing the shooter feels is the rubber eye cup coming back into his shooting glasses, as the entire barreled action moves rearward by a fraction of an inch.
Anschütz used an oil-filled damping mechanism in their model 250 target rifle to counter the forward movement of the piston. It was subject to leaks and the most problematic of all the anti-recoil systems.
Weihrauch used a combination of weight and stock configuration, plus a smooth tune to counter recoil in their HW55 Custom Match that was the high-water mark of their spring-piston target rifles. The rifle weighs two pounds less than an FWB 300S, but a hollow forearm allows for the insertion of more than two pounds of lead weight.
An HW 55 won the gold medal at the European Championship in 1969. Like the proverbial tale of the last buggy-whip maker that made the finest buggy whips ever created, the HW 55 CM was the finest spring-piston 10-meter target air rifle Weihrauch ever produced. When the Custom Match hit the market in the 1970s, it came just after the summit of success. Little did they know at that time that there would be no more major championships for recoiling air rifles of any make. It was similar to the last gasp of the Offenhauser front-engine Indy cars when Ford got into Indy racing in 1963.
The HW55 CM was not a true recoilless spring-piston rifle, though when weighted and tuned correctly it came close. It reminded me very much of another recoiling target rifle that was nearly recoilless — the FWB 110! Instead of giving you a paragraph on that one I have linked to a special two-part report of the rarest airgun I have ever tested. That report says all I know about that rifle.
And I cannot overlook the Walther LGV. Like the HW55 CM, it is another recoiling target rifle that uses weight and a fine tune to cancel as much as possible. It also has a hollow forearm that allows the insertion of lead, and the ones I have examined have all had the lead poured in in its molten state so that all the space was taken.
And now the Diana 75. It has a Giss double counter-recoiling piston in which the rear piston cancels the movement of the front piston that has the seal to compress the air. John Whiscombe used a variation of this system where both pistons come together like the clapping of hands and instead of 6 foot-pounds that we see in target rifles they can generate as much as 30+ foot-pounds!
When an airgun with a Giss system like this Diana 75 fires there is no movement. All that is felt is a slight impulse through the stock or through the grips if it’s a pistol. This means that the target shooter can press his eye firmly against the rubber eyecup on the rear sight and feel nothing. Compared to the FWB 300 sight that comes back at you, I like this one better.
Velocity test
Remember that Wayne Johnson who sold me the rifle had chronographed it before listing it on Gun Broker and found it was shooting slow. It had been tuned by Dave Slade several years earlier and Wayne didn’t chronograph it when he got it back. He mentioned that fact prominently in his Gun Broker listing which is probably why no one had bid when I contacted him. When I approached him I acknowledged that I understood it was shooting slow, and he was happy to make a deal with me. So, I’m expecting the rifle to be a bit slow today.
R10 Pistol
The first pellet I’ll test is the 7-grain RWS R10 Match Pistol pellet. Ten of them average 534 f.p.s. The low was 526 and the high was 543, so the spread was 17 f.p.s. That is a high spread and the velocity is slow for a Diana 75 with a 7-grain pellet, but it’s fast enough for an accuracy test. I don’t know if I will have the gun checked out or not yet. It depends on what I see with accuracy. I’m thinking I will leave it alone.
H&N Finale Match Light
The next pellet I tested was the 7.87-grain H&N Finale Match Light. Ten of them averaged 505 f.p.s. The low was 494 and the high was 509 f.p.s., so the spread for this pellet was 15 f.p.s.
JSB Match Diabolo
The last pellet I tested was the 8.3-grain JSB S100 Match Diabolo target pellet. Being the heaviest they were expected to shoot the slowest, which they did. Ten averaged 500 f.p.s. the spread went from a low of 489 to a high of 506 — a difference of 17 f.p.s.
Discharge noise
The 75 is quiet, like you would expect. There is no silencer, but the low power and long barrel play their part. Discharge sound recorded at 92.5 decibels.
Discussion
This Diana 75 is a little slow and the spread is higher than I would like to see. But at 10 meters that probably won’t mean very much. You saw the 5-shot test target thast came with the rifle in Part One. That group measures 0.065-inches between centers. I doubt I can do as well, but let’s see what I can do. I plan to shoot a lot of different pellets in the accuracy test because this rifle is going in my estate!
Cocking effort
The sidelever cocks the rifle with 15 lbs. of effort as it retracts the sliding compression chamber, pushing back the piston. There is a fine ratchet in the cocking linkage, so if you let go of the sidelever it will stop instantly wherever it is. It will not return to the closed position until the rifle is cocked.
When the sliding compression chamber is all the way open you can see the blue seal that mates with the rear of the barrel. This material is what Diana now uses for their piston seals and some breech seals and it should be a lifetime material.
This is the Diana 75 breech seal. I know it looks pink or magenta or some other color that doesn’t really exist, but it’s blue. Photoshop fought with me a long time with this! Remember — old BB is red/green colorblind! At any rate, it isn’t light brown and crumbling because Dave Slade replaced it.
Trigger pull
The two-stage trigger is set for a 3-ounce pull on stage one and it breaks at 7 ounces. It is as light as I want it to be.
Summary
In short, I like this Diana 75/Beeman 400 a lot! I believe I promised a shootout between this rifle and my FWB 300S that is currently the accuracy leaders at Casa Pelletier. If I didn’t I’m doing it now. The Feinwerkbau is extremely accurate, having put five pellets into a 0.078-inch group at 10 meters, so this rifle has some stiff competition ahead.
Sorry everyone. This post was scheduled, but WordPress decided different.
BB
BB,
Given the somewhat recent “tune”,…. maybe it is not broken in yet,.. and thus the reason for it being a bit slow? Just a thought. I would expect any new seals to be a bit tighter and have a bit more drag.
Chris
Chris,
I hadn’t though of that, but there may be something in what you say. I’ll keep on shooting it and then perhaps return after accuracy and retest velocity. It’s so much fun to shoot! 😉
BB
B.B.
Are we still under the “old” format?
Nice rifle! Can not wait for the shoot out. Kind of like Auto Union VS Mercedes?
-Y
Yogi,
Yes, the blog has not changed.
Audi versus Mercedes? No contest! 🙂
BB
Not in the 30’s…
-Y
B.B.,
No need to place a few drops of silicone oil and let it sit in the corner overnight?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
I did give it silicone oil which boosted velocity by 20 f.p.s. or so.
BB
Tom, I’m really looking forward to that shootout with the 300S! What fun. The 75 had several touches that were specifically aimed at improvements on the FWB’s I think: infinitely-adjustable rear sight positioning, angled buttplate, multiple trigger position adjustments, easily adjusted barrel weights, and the nifty “shelf” below the loading port that keeps you from dropping pellets down into the breech.
I had the same thought on the velocity, I bet it will sneak up as the new innards break in.
Beeman actually did apply the “Beeman 400” marking to this gun eventually, along with the rest of the Dianas that he briefly imported. I owned a “Beeman 200” (Diana 35) years ago. Yours must be a very early Beeman import.
Yogi is referring to the Auto Union Type C, and Mercedes W125, Formula 1 race cars of the 1930’s. These things were completely insane…500+ horsepower running on skinny bias-ply tires! The Type C’s layout featured a 16-cylinder engine behind the driver, there’s never been anything else quite like it.
Mike,
Thanks for clearing up the formula 1 cars for me. Yogi asks me everything and tells me nothing. 😉
So there were Beeman 400s that were marked? I never heard of that. Were any of the Diana model 10s marked as Beeman 900s?
I’m looking forward to the shootoff, too. I know my 300S is a tackdriver, and I’m betting this one is, too. Oh boy! 🙂
BB
B.B.,
Yes, there were Diana 75’s that were marked as Beeman 400’s. I owned one that was in rough shape. If you enlarge and then scroll through the pictures in this link you will see a clearly marked Beeman 400:
https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/air-guns/rifles/beeman-400-air-rifle—177-shot-very-few-rounds.cfm?gun_id=100640895
Kevin,
Thank you. I looked and saw the markings.
BB
B.B.,
What you didn’t see in the listing is what it sold for. $895 plus buyer paid shipping. Here’s that part:
Beeman 400 air rifle, .177,shot very few rounds
Search domain http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/air-guns/rifles/beeman-400-air-rifle—177-shot-very-few-rounds.cfm?gun_id=100640895https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/air-guns/rifles/beeman-400-air-rifle—177-shot-very-few-rounds.cfm?gun_id=100640895
Beeman 400 air rifle with site, .177,shot very few rounds, condition as seen as in the pictures. On hold awaiting funds Price: $895.00 …
The above seller stated that this was “shot very few rounds”. The pictures show differently. The rear sight and the top of the cheek rest show lots of human oil and dirt that only exists after lots of shooting. No chrony numbers given either. Even considering that yours is shooting a little slow, I think you got a good price on that nice example.
Kevin,
I know I got a good price on mine. I am sending Wayne Johnson links to every report because he really cares what happens to his air rifle, as do I.
The Guns International listing has been taken down. You may get it because your cookies may still link correctly, but I can’t see it.
BB
My 400 is so marked. I bought it from Beeman in 78 and it was $400 even for a select stock, select group version. I still have it and still shoot it.
Thanks Tom! Diana was never shy about re-branding guns for different markets or distributors, and all the models Beeman imported eventually carried his marks.
Beeman’s earliest Diana imports had British-market “Original” markings to which the Beeman name was added, and were called “Beeman’s Original” up through Beeman catalog no. 6.
But the models he imported eventually all got new Beeman model numbers, starting with catalog 6A in summer 1979, and carried the markings.
Rifles:
Diana model 27 = Beeman 100
D 35 = Beeman 200
D 45 = Beeman 250
D 75 = Beeman 400
Pistols:
Diana model 5 = Beeman 700
D 6 = Beeman 800
D 6G = Beeman 850
D 10 = Beeman 900
The model 10 got quite the write-up when first introduced!
Mike!
I have been wanting to get in touch with you. I have seen your writings on the Diana 50. I had noticed that you seem to have several of them. I was wondering if you happened to have a spare part collection for them?
I recently had one of these gals move into RRHFWA, but she is missing the front sight hood and could really stand to have the rotating sight blades replaced. I was hoping you might have some extras on hand or maybe have an idea where I can find them.
Hello RR
I am lucky to own three nice older model 50’s with the “star” front sights, but unfortunately don’t have any parts for those uniquely designed units.
These sights were a cool idea, but are complex, and I suspect were prone to issues; one of my guns also has a little damage there. (The later “tunnel” type sights for simple interchangeable inserts are a much more practical design, and allow use of the ring-type inserts that ultimately ruled the roost for target shooting).
If it would help I’d be happy to send photos and dimensions of the hood.
Mike,
Thanks for getting back with me quickly.
Yeah, the newer design sights are so much better. My “bead” sight is bent over and I am very hesitant to attempt to straighten it. Maybe I can take it off and heat it. I may get brave and try that. As it is, it cannot be used.
I have a Mauser front sight hood that may work. I just have to spread it open enough to get it on. It will not be “correct”, but it will protect the sights.
Thanks!
BB
With a shootout set with your Feinwerkbau I can hardly wait for the results. Never mind the Super Bowl, let the important competition begin!
Your comment about the Offy engine brought back fond memories. I watched the 1955 Indy from a second row seat almost level with the main straightaway track. Pits were not behind a wall then. The sound of 33 Offenhausers at maximum speed at the start on lap one is something I’ll never forget. Check out Utube if anyone has never heard the sound of a 4 cylinder Offy.
Deck
Deck
Lucky you to get to watch that race.
Not to change the subject but I raced RC planes. Ain’t nothing like hearing five 25 and 30,000 rpm planes sreaming around you at a 150 mph+.
I bet that was something hearing those cars run let alone seeing them too. Cool stuff. I like. 🙂
Gunfun1
You are a man of many hobbies. Retirement is going to be the best time of your life I predict.
Offy engine cars raced at Darlington at least once and showed the Chrysler 300’s some real speeds.
Deck
Deck
I always liked the early days of auto racing.
How about when they use to race Daytona on the beach. Thats cool stuff.
And I hope your right about retirement. I have already had a pretty fun life. Thank God for that.
It is super easy to nick the piston seal when you put these back together it’s also easy to get the spacing on the rear piston bumper off a bit. Either of these can have some impact on performance. I have also found some weak springs in these as well, the springs are relatively small as compared to modern spring guns so it doesn’t take much to drop the velocity.
Slevane,
Thanks for your insights. I will watch the velocity and consider what to do.
BB
Whenever anyone talks about a slow shooting air rifle, I think back to my second springer – the RWS 350. I was going to disassemble the rifle to inspect the piston seal when a wild thought occurred to me – what was going on with the o ring breech seal? Some silicone lube around the o ring and the junction of the barrel and action produced a fine spray when the rifle was shot. New #109 o ring and the rifle was back up to 750 fps +. Check the easy things, first.
Fred formerly of the Democratik Peeples Republik of NJ now happily (?) in GA
Fred,
now happily (?)…………… 😉 more like 🙁
Chris
Fred,
I am with Chris, happily (?)? Is it becoming the Democratik Peeples Republik of Amerika?
Hi RR, Hi Chris,
yeah I was not happy with our Senatorial runoff results. I will refrain from commenting on what might have been the problem(s) to try and keep the blog from falling into a political cesspool of accusations. We’ll see what happens in 2 years. For myself, I believe in what goes around, comes around and this has all happened before. It’s going to be a long, strange trip,
Fred formerly of the Democratik Peeples REpublik of NJ now happily in GA (no snow so I’m happy today)
Hi Fred,
I do indeed understand on many points you make. I had a good idea about the question mark.
Yes, I have been around long enough to pretty well guess what is coming down the tubes. Whew. I am just tired of all this.
RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns Located in the Demokratik Peeples Republik of VA
Hi B.B.
I miss the link/shortcut to the Air gun blog formerly found at the bottom of the old Pyramyd Home page; it has not been included on the new version. Pass it on. 🙂
John,
Click on the 3 horizontal lines in the upper left of the PA HOME page, a drop-down should appear at tge bottom of which is a RESOURCES Tab, click on that and then select BLOG…more work to get to same place…PROGRESS as defined by IT types!
shootski
Shootski,
I have not had the chance to review the PA site yet,… but kind of like air gun designers and air gun marketing departments,…. maybe?,…. ought to have an (actual) air gun user try it out first.
GTA opinions are going both ways and PA is in the conversation. It will all get worked out. From what I have gathered,…. there is a big difference to marketing/selling to people on desk/lap tops -VS- people doing so on cell phones. Thus,.. the format change.
I shop on the phone (calling) or internet and make phone calls on the cell phone. I am a dinosaur I suppose.
Chris
Chris,
Dinosaur? I still use a flip phone. “Beam me up Scotty. There is no intelligent life down here.”
Thanks Shootski.
B.B.,
The third paragraph of the section titled Recoil reads: “Anschütz used an oil-filled damping mechanism in their model 250 target rifle to counter the forward movement of the pistol.”
Should that be piston, not pistol?
Bob,
That’s a good catch! I often make that mistake.
BB
B B,
As a Diana man, I’d like to see the 75 do well against the 300S. My own 75 shoots R10 8.2 and 8.2 Meisterkugeln equally well with the 7.0grn versions of both very close behind. It is the most accurate air rifle I have ever owned.
In my early shooting days the 75 was very popular at club level but at national level the 300S and to a lesser extent the Anschutz 380 were far better represented. Perhaps because they made cheap entry level plinkers as well as match rifles, Dianas were seen as a less prestige/specialised option. In my experience the 75 is just as accurate, nicer looking and with a more interesting/ better engineered recoil suppression system than the competion. But I may be slightly biased.
Roll on part 3.
Regards,
Drew
Drew,
I shall roll!
BB
B.B.,
At the end of this report, before comments, is the line
“This entry was posted in Uncategorized.“ I am guessing that is not what you intended. – Don
Don,
Thank you. When WordPress wiped out my schedule it erased all the links I made as well.
Thanks,
BB
Off topic but other posters have indicated itis acceptable. BRAND NEW TO BLOG, have quick question re Chief. Got a new Chief ii and 4.50 per the tin H&N Barracudas will not load in the breech. JSN Exacts and junk Cabelas load and fire fine. Have you heard of any issues related to this pellet? Could the HNs be 4.52 maybe and that is cause?
Hbdmax,
Welcome to the Blog. Off Topic? Maybe this particular days main subject the Diana 75/Beeman 400 but since it is about an airgun it really isn’t off topic when compared to REALLY Off Topic, LOL.
So your Beeman QB Chief II is giving you problems single loading H&N Barracudas with a nominal head size of 4.52mm? Or are they not loading from the multi-shot magazine? If the other pellets load the 2 one hundredths shouldn’t keep them from loading. Something else is going on. Need more information for us to be able to help out. First of all:
Single pellet loading?
Magazine?
shootski
Shootski-
I believe he said his tin is marked 4.50. ….’and 4.50 per the tin H&N Barracudas’.
Mis-marked tin, perhaps?
Pacoinohio,
Yup. But given the HAM reports on pellet head size variations there might be bigger and smaller ones in any tin by + or – 0.02; even quality (expensive?) pellets.
I haven’t a clue what Hbdmax’s Chief II real loading problem is given the limited information provided. So far there appear to be no loading issues trending in any reviews on the gun. Lots of leak downs!
shootski
Single tray, no magazine. HN tin says 4.50 on the tin stamp. I didn’t figure 2 hundredths could cause the issue though. My Daisy 880 fires the HNs fine. My chief loved these pellets and they were far most accurate. My Chief II handles RWS Superdomes good but not accurate. Some “Magnum” pellets from Cabelas load good but crap pellets I wouldn’t use. Not sure why happening.
Does anyone who owns Chief II have recommendations for pellets they like? Prefer mid weights since BB says Chief valve favored them, and mine did.
Thanks
BB,
I love those spring action and single stroke pneumatic target rifles they are just awesome to shoot. I find their shooting rhythm so relaxing.
My favorite thing is when a buddy drops by to show off his new magnum springer and I have them try my 300 and 603 (talk about opposite extremes) their expressions are always priceless 🙂
Hank
Me too! I’ve owned a 602 for years and recently found a Diana Model 60 locally so I finally have my own Giss system airgun as well. I find it very relaxing to shoot them with the pause between shots to cock and load a pellet. Although I’m far from the standard of shooter that could really make the FWB perform the way it was meant to I have shot it enough over the years that I can distinctly feel the tiny bit of recoil the 602 has and I can see why they did something about it on the 603. I can’t feel any recoil at all on the Model 60 – it’s a bit of an odd feeling actually.
Nowhere,
Ha! You are one of the very few people who will admit that the SSP air rifles had a recoil. I used to have a FWB 601 that I played with extensively for some time. At one point I even mounted a 3X9-40 BSA scope on it and shot it at 25 and 50 yards. I was shooting prone off of my front porch with the 601 fully resting on denim “sand” bags. When firing, I would only touch the 601 gently with my thumb as I pulled the trigger. The 601 would recoil about one half inch with each shot.
AV-46M trigger upgrade, $30 from PA, fits IZH 46M too.
https://hardairmagazine.com/reviews/fitting-the-av-46m-trigger-upgrade/
Chris USA,
Saw that trigger upgrade when my wife asked me if this was going to be a good gift. So we ordered it at the sae time…STILL on BACKORDER! Anticipated delivery was in the Spring.
Since the 46M is a single shot the increased Mass of the upgrade trigger is not going to be an issue like it would on a fast shooting repeater or semiautomatic.
It will be interesting to see if the width of the trigger will change the FEEL and by how much.
shootski
Shootski,
I have thought long and hard about this trigger “upgrade” for my Izzy for many years. Maybe if I still had the trigger set at match weight I would want it and if was shooting it lefty I would definitely have to have one, but that right angled trigger seems to work just fine for me.
Let me know what you think of it…whenever.
RidgeRunner,
I will share my thoughts on if it does the magic and what percent improvement it provides for m scores…i will also share how heavily I think I’m pressing down on the scale of trigger EVALUATION…LOL!
I agree that for a Right Strong handed shooter thr 46’s trigger is very acceptable. But then…shooting Off Hand is a great way to break tie scores in a “friendly” shoot off.
shootski
Shootski,
Yes, shooting off hand is not a bad idea at all. However, the grips on my Izzy are VERY right handed. I have shaped them to fit my hand. My son-in-law could not comfortably hold and shoot it.
Another thing with my Izzy is you had better not touch that trigger until you are ready to shoot. The first stage is very light and very short. The second stage is almost as light and the overtravel is almost zero. The trigger on my Izzy is set to where you would like to have your 10 meter air rifle set.
RidgeRunner,
I did look at the photo of your very nicely done IZY grip. I’m waiting (hopefully soon) on a Left Hand Grip option direct from AV maybe they will offer that one in BLUE so i don’t confuse them.
Most of my target rifles are set so the 2d stage travel is imperceptible to most everyone…they draw lots of complaints from folks who DARE ask to shoot them; not many ever shoot more than a few pellets before setting them down, LOL!
I like my hand guns a tiny bit more forgiving, but not much! Although my Kimber Tactical Custom II 1911 is set at 4# most folks who have shot it think it is far lighter and that it has NO travel. They also complain that it goes off without them being ready??? I like it that way and it also ’causes them, usually, to shoot NO more than 7-8 rounds of my ammunition.
shootski
Shootski,
You really need to talk to this dude about a left hand grip for your Izzy. I almost went this route and still may.
I noticed something after the back and forth on the comments of the velocity test on the 397 BB did. All kinds of talk about the 397 not being up to snuff on the claims Crosman made on the box about velocity with BB’s results.
And now here we are again. Todays report and the gun isn’t performing even after seals. And I do remember BB saying other guns he tested wasn’t performing like he thought after chronying the gun.
Like I said on the 397 report. Are chrony’s like pcp gauges? The gauges show what your pcp works like. But don’t compare that gauge to another because your probably going to get different readings.
Here is the 397 report. Read the comments and see what you think. And remember key words. Different readings with same guns tested with different chrony’s.
/blog/2021/02/benjamin-397-variable-pump-air-rifle-part-2/
Gunfun1,
Every Chronograph I have ever owned had/has in the specifications a percentage of acceptable variation. Once I got my LabRadar the rest of m Chronographs are collecting dust unless I am shooting something that is outside of the LR stated (mostly REAL FAST) operational limits. Just in optical Chronographs the light conditions and angle of pellet travel over the sensors can change the readings using the sme Chronograph. Just think if your other Chronograph was assembled on a Monday after a long weekend…or by a disgruntled Prison Laborer on any day!
shootski
Shootski
For some reason I always tend to agree with you.
And I do again. 🙂
Oh and I’ll post a picture of my Wingshot with the scope and Air Venturi dove tail slim rail on it with the scope in a minute.
I been sighting it at 50 yards standing unsupported. And what I now believe I’m going to do is leave the scope on for the type of shotgun shooting I’m going to do. I’m not going to be shooting birds as in starlings in flight or squirrels on the run. I ended up being 1 dot low at 50 yards with the slugs to be able to hit center mass with the shot shells sighting with the cross hair center mass.
I did ten shots at 15 and 35 yards with the #8 shot shells and all I got to do is put the cross hair center mass on a 12 oz. can and I’m dead on. So it worked out reall nice.
I’ll post the picture of the target wood I was shooting at in a minute. It’s a hard pressed one inch particle board from a old piece of furniture. Its going through and mushrooming the Belle Blondeau .50 caliber slugs when my Champion rimfire trap catches them. No dents in the trap either. I’m happy. 🙂
Here is the Wingshot with the choke on the gun and the scope.
Here is the back side of the 1 inch hard pressed particle board.
And you will notice one slug didn’t punch all the way through. That was because the gun was at the end of its power band on the pressure in the gun. So it was a little slower so it didn’t punch through. But you can see it still had power because it flattened the slug. And it is still in with the group of other pellets. Yes I know it ain’t a small pin point group like I usually post with my other airguns at 50 yards. But remember I’m standing unsupported at 50 yards. Not bench resting it. That’s how I will use the gun if I’m coyote shooting at 50 yards which will be plenty accurate.
Here’s the slugs.
The one underneath is a unshot slug. The one on the left is the one that didn’t punch through. Oh and on the front side of the wood board the slug holes are almost a perfect round diameter like someone was drilling the holes.
Anyway that’s what is what for now.
GF1,
Pretty impressive. Coyote eh? We have them around here, but never seen one. Some deer hunter’s I know spot them on occasion.
I’ll pass on the chrony comparison deal. That would be like a dog chasing it’s (too short to catch) tail.
Chris
Chris
Yep for sure Coyotes. My .25 Condor SS is familiar with them already. Yes I’ll say it again. My .25 Condor SS is familiar with them. Imagine that.
They can be hunted year round here in Illinois.
And yes. Glad you said it. Chasing the tail. And really. Is it a big deal that I get a different reading than you. Or the manufacturer of a gun. If that’s the case you better stop buying air guns if your that worried about what the gun chrony’s at.
That number is just a reference. I don’t think I have bought a gun and chronyed it yet anigot what they claimed it wo
Couldn’t get back to correct my reply. Had something going on.
Anyway it was suppose to say.
I don’t think I have bought a gun and chronyed it yet and got what they claimed it would get.
GF1,
Yea,.. that was kind of my point,….. it is just a point of reference.
It is better to have one than not have one.
Initial check to specs., fps spread info., discover shot curve, tune data and gun health check over time.
Chris
Chris,
Point of reference? Do you call an unachievable number a point of reference? That is marketeering, or as other people call it, lying.
RR,
No disagreement there at all. Something is definitely wrong there. If someone were to get a higher reading with an alloy (confirmed) then I might say BB has a weaker gun.
Chris
Chris
Yep that’s the way I see it too. Just a reference.
Shootski,
I have always been careful to align my trajectory perpendicular to the chronograph sensors but never really looked into it.
If my math is correct with a 12 inch distance between sensors and a time of 0.002 seconds I get 500 fps.
If I am off one inch perpendicular to the sensors the distance goes to 12.0416 inches.
At 500 fps the projectile requires 0.0020069 seconds to travel 12.0416 inches.
So (12 inches/12 in per ft) / 0.0020069 seconds = 498.3 fps
Being off 1 inch from perpendicular is quite a bit and does not make a big difference in the velocity measurement.
Don
Gunfun1!
Now STOP that! You enabler…
That really looks real good :^)
And not only that but shoots good too!
shootski
Shootski
Thanks.
Benji-Don,
Your correct on the math.
But only for off in one Plane. This is in 3D so you will need those Special Glasses! Joking!
But in the piece I read a long time ago the problem comes when the inherent to the design variables stack. Interestingly on most of the avionics i worked on/with over the years there is also system of box(es) bias that typically isn’t random at all.
I’m not making excuses for the manufacturer’s marketing fingers on the scale when they come up with the high numbers. Those numbers that wind up disappointing individuals who then write posts that disappoint all the typical buyers who expect that high velocity to relate to their firearm experience. Gunfun1 talks about pressure gauge variation which i did a big search on long ago because the different pressures readings bothered me filling to high pressures. Boy was that a mistake! Not only is there a whole bunch of different classes of gauges that go from cheap to Megadollar; but also what part of the gauge pressure range you are reading matters more than i knew. So dont depend on a 5,000psi gauge to be accurate for 4,500psi fills! Go with at least a mid grade 0-6,000psi gauge to be within 10% at 4,500psi.
It makes me laugh when I read reviews that complain about “100psi difference between my Dollar Store Pump” and my Bigbox Store PCP’s gauge.”
shootski
Shootski,
To your knowledge:
1) Can the average chronograph be calibrated/re-calibrated?
2) If so, what would/could be used for calibration?
Chris
Chris USA,
Chris you do know how to ask them…!
The average consumer Chronograph doesn’t start out calibrated! If it was it would have a Certificate of Calibration. So recalibration is off the table. You could certainly send it to a Calibration Lab and they would charge you way more than the cost of the Chronograph to provide you with a certificate that might not even be good for a day. The issue is that they would state conditions for the certificate that you could never meet and expect to use the Chronograph for the intended purpose. Chronograph actually means device that measures some unit of time and displays it. It is not hard to imagine that they would measure the clock rate and stability of the oscillator as well as measure the distance between the detectors. Calibration is a crazy complicated field for both the provider and the user, most of the time they just talk right past each other. Check out the Link and tell me what you think.
https://as.flukecal.com/literature/about-calibration
shootski
Shootski,
Gave it a quick scan. I was in QC for 20+ years in the electrical switch gear field. We had to send all sorts of things out for calibration. Some things were of course required and had to be spot on,………. other things? Like,.. sending a 12″ or 24″ machinist square to be sure it was a true 90 degree. Most of anything,… if anything,… that was ever measured with them,.. could be off up to 5 degree (plus) and would not have made one bit of difference to the intended task.
It can definitely get a bit overboard,.. real quick.
Thanks,…. Chris
Re: Calibration- Shootski nailed it. However, there are things that you can do to increase consistency of your consumer grade chrono. Fixturing helps. A lot. By this, I mean making sure the barrel is aligned and parallel to the sensors every time.
Control the lighting. The easiest way I have found is to mount the chrono upside down. I used a white laminate covered board and used the sky screen support rods to place the chrono above the board. I bag the rifle in position, aligned and parallel to the sensors on the other end of the board. Board is about 8’ long and sits on an 8’ folding table. Table is adjusted to get rifle/chrono aligned on target.
Two advantages to this. Sunlight reflecting off the board is less variable on partly sunny/cloudy days and the chance of shooting the chrono is nil.
Paco,
I do all mine indoors. Very controlled as you say. The more, the better. I use a 500W halogen shined at the ceiling (BB’s method). Mine is the shooting chrony with remote corded readout. I have one of those large MTM red shooting rest which is fully adjustable. Table is 2 fully adjustable plastic saw horses with a top.
They got some pretty cool ones out nowadays. I am not sure what I would buy if buying again.
Chris
Chris,
I like my Caldwell. I can plug it into my Kindle and away we go. They have a decent software package (read ap) to go with it.
Caldwell has an even nicer one, but I am too cheap to go that far.
I have used a ProChrono before also.
/product/competition-electronics-prochrono-ltd?a=9727
Both are pretty simple to use and close enough for what I need one for. It would be interesting to compare the different chrony readings, but I do not see getting rid of my Caldwell, no matter how much it varies from others. I use it to create my own reference points and go from there.
Chris USA,
As long a your setup gets you numbers that are within your requirements is really the key. It is unfortunate that we live in a World driven by comparisons to what other people have; or claim to have. I think RR nailed it in his post below “…no matter how much it varies from others. I use it to create my own reference points and go from there.” I gree with him 99.5%! The other 0.5% is if i need to enter a competition and someone has a no faster or no slower standard and in order to be competitive you need to be REAL close to that standard. Just think if you show up and the device and process they use to measure is OFF by enough to disqualify you!
shootski
Shootski,
(To the below comment and out of room),….. yes, that would be bad. I might take it a bit more seriously if lived in a country with fps restrictions or competitions with limits.
Chris
Yep I went through the same thing with pressure gauges. Now I have a couple of gauges I rely on. They seem to read similar to my friends high dollar gauge.
BB,
I came late to the show this time. I was up early Friday and went to work (upstairs) early and did not see this until this morning. I was starting to get gittery again. They can’t be doing this to me. It will not be pretty.
I wish I had listened to you and Mac when you guys were telling me to buy one of these. There is a good chance it would still be at RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns. I really do like that angled butt stock. That fits so sweet.
RR, for what it’s worth, here’s a photo of the hood in place.
The top of the hood is 26.5 mm long. As you can see the front and rear are slightly sloped, so that the bottom edges are 22.5 mm long; these have a shorter, shallow “tab” that fits into the grooves visible in your photo. The hood is 17.0 mm in outside diameter.
Mike,
Thanks!
The Mauser hood is taller than this and comes down straight on the front and back, but rounds in on the lower tabs. It looks like it might fit with the possible exception that it is a little thicker. I am not sure yet. I will need to take some locking ring pliers and spread it some to get it on. I really do think it will work.
Like I was saying, I may have to see if I can remove the sight piece and see if I can straighten them with a little heat and then refinish them.
To Whom May Give A Doodly Squat,
I was fooling with my 101 some today, trying to get it up and running. It holds some air and will push a pellet out of the barrel, but it can only be pumped up to a certain pressure and it seems to not hold it above that pressure. I suspect the o ring between the pressure chamber and the valve. I reckon this means another trip back in.
BB,
Whee! My favorite air rifle!
I was fortunate enough to shoot a friend’s 75 for a postal match, many years ago, and did better than I had any expectation of doing (I credit the rifle). I found it easy to shoot, easy to cock, it had great ergonomics, a great trigger, and in my opinion is the most accurate rifle that I have ever had the pleasure of shooting. Since they have always been an expensive (and rare) rifle, I have never found one that I could afford.
Thank you for the test.
I expect that this one will perform very well and may well make me redouble my efforts to find one available.
Bill
Well I just realized something.
Air gunners are worried about velocity for some reason.
Firearm shooters don’t seem to be.
Wonder why that is. Do air gunners have some sort of velocity thing ebbed in thier mind.
Why?
Do they think it should be a certian way?
I’ll reply in a minute.
Ok here. I have had all different ranges of velocity air guns. Some accurate and some not. What does it matter what velocity they shoot as long as they are accurate.
I say stop rating air gun velocitys. Smart air gunners know what to expect from a paticular gun.
But what about the others out there that want one. Well I guess they will learn some way. We did. And how did we do that.
My 400 does 528 HN Light, 550 HN match (80s vintage), 490 RWS Meisterklugens also 80s vintage. My spread on a 10 shot string runs about 6 fps. This was my original 78 400 I bought myself and my primary shooter. It was rebuilt by Urmarex around 2010. I have not chronoed all of mine one after another but that would be fun to see the sample to sample variation.
Now I’m baffled. The guns bore don’t allow to use .22 pellets? So we get a firearm only gun that has slightly less power than a 22LR, has the vibrations of a springer, needs to be cocked like a springer, has ammunition that costed more than .22lr, the rifle itself cost much more than a good .22…Is there any advantage do the VL?