Today reader RidgeRunner finishes(?) his blog series on his experiences with the Diana 34 I tuned for him. If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, RidgeRunner.
RidgeRunner’sDiana 34 Project: Part Nine
by RidgeRunner
Ridgerunner’s Diana 34.
This report covers:
- The last time
- Ten yards
- JSB Exact 8.44 grain
- Benjamin Bullseye 10.5 grain
- H&N Baracuda 8
- Twenty-five yards
- H&N Baracuda 8 at 25
- Benjamin Bullseye 10.5 grain at 26
- JSB Exact 8.44 grain at 25
- Summary
- More from BB
The last time
This is probably going to be the last blog I will be doing on my Diana 34, so you folks had best be enjoying this as much as you can. Last time around I mounted the TruGlo front globe sight and the Williams rear peep. This setup is identical to the HW30S I have here for my grandson. I really enjoyed having that arrangement on the Diana 34, but I know a bunch of you have been impatiently waiting for me to mount a scope and give it a go. So this time around I mounted an old UTG 3-9X32 BugBuster on this and gave it a try.
Ten yards
This first time around I will be shooting five shot groups at ten yards just to get an idea what these particular pellets will do when I do stretch their legs out some.
JSB Exact 8.44 grain
The JSB Exact 8.44-grain dome has been an old staple around here at RidgeRunner’s Home for Wayward Airguns (RRHFWA) from the very beginning. At ten yards, five of them made a group of about 0.527 inches. Three of the holes were touching.
At 10 yards five JSB 5.44-grain domes made a 0.527-inch group.
Benjamin Bullseye 10.5 grain
Normally I do not mess with Crosman/Benjamin pellets as I have not had much luck with them, but I thought I would give these 10.5-grain Benjamin Bullseyes a try anyway. They did not do too bad at ten yards in this Diana 34. They made a five-shot group of 0.375 inches that is the smallest 10-yard group.
The Diana 34 put five Benjamin Bullseyes into a 10-yard group that measures 0.375-inches between centers.
H&N Baracuda 8
H&N Baracuda 8s are nominally 8.44 grain, the same as the JSB Exact. There is a good chance they will end up being my new favorite. At ten yards, five of them made a 0.586-inch group with four of them touching. Hmmm.
At 10 yards the Diana 34 put five H&N Baracuda 8s into 0.586 inches, with four of them touching.
Twenty-five yards
It is time to do a little leg stretching now. These groups were all ten shot groups at twenty-five yards. This distance will start separating the men from the boys or in this case the go to pellets from the fishing sinkers.
H&N Baracuda 8 at 25
As I had finished up the ten yard shooting with this pellet, I went ahead and started with this one. I probably should have taken a break as I had a bit of a problem settling down when I started, but except for the one called pull which I did not count in the measurement, this pellet did not do too bad. Nine of them made a 0.825-inch group with five of them in one tight little cluster.
At 25 yards the Diana 34 put nine of ten H&N Baracuda 8s into 0.825-inches.
Benjamin Bullseye 10.5 grain at 25
Well, this group of Benjamin Bullseye pellets was very disappointing. There were no called pulls in this bunch. Horizontally this was not too bad, but vertically this is horrible. This group is a real whopper at 3.091-inches. The nine up top are only 1.683-inches though.
At 25 yards the Diana 34 strung the Benjamin Bullseye pellet into a vertical string that measures 3.091-inches between centers. Nine are in 1.683-inches.
JSB Exact 8.44 grain at 25
The last pellet I shot at twenty-five yards was the 8.44-grain JSB Exact. This pellet has always been my go-to pellet and once again it did not do too bad. Although ten of them made a 1.307-inch group, five of them were pretty close together.
At 25 yards the Diana 34 put ten JSB 8.44-grain domes into a 1.307-inch group. Five and very close.
Summary
Although I have what I consider a long way to go with this Diana 34, this has not been too bad a start. There is a good chance I will be putting the TruGlo and the Williams back on and using this as a plinker/pester, but I imagine I will end up being pretty good with this thing. Feral soda cans had best beware.
More from BB
Tomorrow I have a report that I think will keep you talking all weekend. Seldom do I have the time to cover as much as I would like, and tomorrow will be no exception, but this time I have a plan of how to deal with it. Tomorrow we look at tuning the Avenge-X rifle!
“At 25 yards the Diana 34 put nine of ten H&N Baracuda 8s into 0.825-inches.”
Purdy nice, RidgeRunner; you got yourself a nice little shooter there! 🙂
Dave,
It is doing quite nicely, but I have not quite gotten the feel of it yet. We will see.
” There is a good chance I will be putting the TruGlo and the Williams back on and using this as a plinker/pester…”
RidgeRunner, that sounds like a great idea; everyone needs at least one such air rifle. 😉
Dave,
This is so true. It is also a lot of fun to shoot. Those feral soda cans do not stand a chance.
R.R.
Are those JSB 8.44 4.52 or 4.51 head size. Those are the only two sizes that I have seen in the USA.
It should say on the bottom of the tin….
-Yogi
Yogi,
According to the tin they are 4.53.
Wow, fat headed pellets!
As B.B. has noted, RWS/Diana guns seem to shoot well with RWS pellets…
-Y
PS if you have any 8.44’s with 4.52 heads, they might do better?
Yogi,
You never know. I might though not likely. I ordered these from PAIR as I was pretty low of these JSBs. Quite frankly, I have never considered head sizes with the JSBs.
I do have some RWS pellets. A couple of the “old gals” around here seem to like them. I just may have to give them a try in this gal.
RidgeRunner,
Given the results scoped I think another blog installment will be how far you can stretch this lady’s legs going after feral cans using the Tru-Glo and Williams combination and what pellet you settled on for it.
Siraniko
Siraniko,
That is a real possibility. First I had better learn how I intend to use those sights.
As of this moment, I have as of yet not removed the scope. I think I want to see if I can do better with this setup. I will endeavor to inform you folks of what I am doing with her. It may even turn into another blog. You never know.
RR
My TIAT tuned Diana 34 prefers JSB 10.34 gr Heavy Diabolo or AA 10.3 gr Diabolo Field Heavy pellets. Maybe someday you’ll have either of those on hand to try. I was hoping the Benjamin Bullseyes would perform but that vertical string says no. JSB 8.44 and AA 8.44 gr domes are a favorite around here too but not for my 34.
Thanks for your Diana 34 testing.
Deck
Deck,
Over the years I have never been that pleased with the performance of Crosman pellets. Sometimes they do OK, but they have never been the best pellet for any of these “old gals” around here.
I am going to have to dig through my .177 collection and see if I have any heavier pellets and give them a try. Something you may want to keep in mind is BB “detuned” this Diana 34 to about 11 FPE for me. She may not care for the real heavies now.
RR
Good point. My Diana 34 chronys 14.7 FPE
The only Crosman pellets that have performed for me were the 1250 pellets in brown boxes. But I had to sort them using a Pelletgage by head diameter. Their 7.9 gr in brown box (discontinued) in .4.53 and 4.54 mm shot some really tight groups with my Diana 34. I still have a few but have not used them in several years.
Hope the barrel cocking is now smooth. Eventually if not already you won’t have to bump the muzzle to disengage from lock up.
For readers, BB has done other tests also on this high quality Diana model.
Deck
Deck,
The cocking is almost as light as the HW30S now. I do not have to slap the barrel now to unlock it.
I still have some of those boxed 7.9 grain Crosman pellets myself. As I do not have a Pelletgage, I will just have to make the assumption that all my pellets in a tin are uniform. Yeah, right.
RR
With it being “detuned”, maybe light weight pellets? Just a thought.
rk
rk,
There will likely be some “light” pellets in the mix the next time around.
Well folks, as I have stated in this blog, this will be my last report on this particular air rifle. I have started playing with something else right now. However, there does seem to be a pretty good chance that I will tell you folks about any further adventures I have with this Diana. I am pretty sure that I can do a good bit better with this “old gal” than what I have shown you. See? I am calling myself a liar.
You folks may even hear/read about some of the other airguns I have laying around RRHFWA. There are some I have not even shot yet.
Looking forward to reports on the other ladies residing at RRHFWA – Diana should be pleased. By the way, FM has found those Crosman .177s in the brown box accurate enough for FM-enian purposes. And for that FM once again thanks Thedavemyster for his generous donation.
RidgeRunner,
Did those Benjamin Bullseye pellets walk down or up; or were the pellets out of order printing on your target?
Did a gust/pressure front come through or did you touch the elevation turret right before shooting that group?
That kind of stringing always drives me Knuts trying to find what caused it…could NOT just be me ;^)
YOU’RE NOT LAUGHING! : ^ []
shootski
shootski,
I am now.
They went up and down willy nilly. The first shot was that very low one. I do not know if it was the pellets or the airgun, but I was able to hold it right on the center of the X with no issues.
I did not adjust the scope during the shooting of these things. As I stated, I was kind of pleased with the horizontal spread, but the vertical spread was not good. I have not tried the RWS pellets in this gal yet, but so far the Baracuda 8 is looking very promising.
RidgeRunner,
I’m glad!
shootski
RidgeRunner,
I have very much enjoyed reading this blog series. Very well done. And furthermore, good shooting.
Sproinger lovers unite!
Michael
Michael,
I have enjoyed writing it almost as much as shooting it. To be honest, I like other airguns also. I have a CO2 rifle waiting her turn right now as soon as I get out my round tuit and figure out how to bulk fill.
Yes, most of the airguns hanging around RRHFWA are sproingers, but I do like the gassers also. I have to admit they do much better way out there.
RidgeRunner,
I have loads of experience (successful) doing CO² bulk fills on my CO² bottle guns. Happy to answer any questions.
shootski
shootski,
Please consider doing a bulk-fill tips guest blog! I love CO2 air guns and have at times considered acquiring som bulk-fills but decided against it because I am leery of a whole new system. But I am tempted by bulk-fill CO2.
I also would like to get a bunch of CO2 fire extinguishers for the house and would appreciate learning more about it beforehand.
Off the subject of CO2, it occurred to me a while ago on the idea of 6000+ cubic foot, 6000 psi steel tanks from a welding supply Co, that yep, you are correct about their not being able to fill such a tank with air. If I hunted (and I don’t; I was just musing), I might consider a 6000 cubic foot, 6000 psi tank but with helium. That would perhaps make the PCP more powerful, too. (Then the complication might be modding the rifle to carry it around.)
Crazy ideas rattle around in my head all the time.
Michael
Michael,
Until then please consider:
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2006/03/bulk-fill-part-3/
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2006/03/bulk-fill-part-2-2/
https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2006/03/working-with-bulk-fill-co2-guns/
BB
B.B.,
Thanks!
Remember when Dave Letterman raced down the hallway of his offices in an office chair using a fire extinguisher as his “jet engine”? That’s not the real reason I want to get some of those. (HAH!)
Michael
Michael,
B.B. beat me to it but i was going to link you to just what he did.
I Never bother plowing well tilled fields.
shootski
That field has laid fallow for many years. You’re not foolin’ me, you’re just lazy. 😉
RidgeRunner,
The CO² field has lain fallow for many years is a fact but not out of laziness. It just isn’t as profitable and effective as shooting air.
My 20# CO² tank hasn’t been refilled in years!
Even my DAQ .25 caliber Bulk Fill modded pistol is infrequently in the shooting cycle.
shootski
shootski,
I do have to agree with you on that. I for one do not care for CO2 as it is not useable around here in the winter. Those in the far Southern part of the States may be able to do such, but not I.
Also, in more recent years the world of CO2 has been almost exclusively the world of replica looking bb guns, which I will not waste my precious dollars on.
Now, the world of bulk fill CO2 has long been ignored and I see a good bit of growth potential there.
shootski,
She is in the que. I just have to get me some CO2 and get out my round tuit.