Had a chance to handle Diana 350 and 460. Here in my area prices are close, but for me, 460 is the way to go; fixed barrel, easier to cock, just better rifle.
Now, since I am not spring chicken, I need a nice scope for my future 460. Decades back I was listening "experts", and being myself in phase "bigger, larger, faster" when getting my first scope for a Mauser rifle, and being student, on budget, I purchased one 6x40 scope. Big mistake, just too much power on closer ranges than 150 m. These days, if scope does not have lower setting at least 3x, I am not interested.
In that respect I would need advice for air rifle scope. From what I understand, standard scopes for high power rifle are no-no on air rifles. Any suggestion for something 2x-3x lower setting, and up to 40-42 mm lens? I am for "the best bang for the buck", definitely not for something cheap, that will last just one season.
At the risk of being considered as hogging this thread, I would suggest the BSA 3-12x44 Essential Air Gun Scope. They also make a 3-9x40 but I have no experience with it so cannot comment on it. As I understand it, RWS scopes are just rebranded BSAs.
This is what I have on my 460 and it, as far as I'm concerned, is a great value for the money. Admittedly it is a bit bulky but for some of the tiny targets that an air rifle can be used for, at the higher power it sure helps with my aging eyes. It is, of course AO from 10 yards or so, to infinity. Also, the target turrets are handy if you like to switch around with different pellets for various purposes. I have probably 20+ different pellets that I can test each new rifle with and choose the best for it. Then I very seldom change anything. However since I have several very different rifles, (all springers) I just use the appropriate rifle and pellet combination for my needs at the moment.
When it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark.... and brother, it's STARTING TO RAIN!!
I have several BSA 3x9 x40 bought them about 10 years ago . They out lasted my springers and are now used on my PCP . GL with the springer .Marvin
I know this is extremely old post but I wanted to update. After owning my Walther talon/rebranded hatsan 125 for a decade I found that somebody on YouTube posted how to take this crappy Trigger apart. It was actually pretty easy. The youtuber who I believe is a probably a Smith suggested to replace the two front screws with longer ones on my Trigger and also a lighter return spring which I used one from a ballpoint pen. After I ran to the hardware store it took me about a half an hour to remove all the 2nd stage creep and it now brakes at a crisp 20 ounces! I bet you I’ve shot my gun lesson 100 times and it had rust in the breach from sitting in the corner of my controlled environment house for years. Well I have it all cleaned and lubed up with the rust moved. I bought a tasco targeter varminter mildot 2.5 x 10 optic off of Amazon for $27.99 and have it sighted in and ready to go! The gun was pretty accurate that way it was after I used to yanking the 6lb plus trigger. I can’t wait to see how it dose at 20 oz. Im sure I will be able to hit things Waaaay out there now with lighter trigger and mildots.
Last edited by Tripplebeards; 02-18-2020 at 02:10 PM.
You aren't going to find any quality "Magnum" Air Rifle that is light as 6 lbs. My R1 is 10 lbs. with the Leupold 1-4x variable on it.
The cocking force is much greater than anything else I have shot. I have to use my Right Arm to cock it, when all my other guns can be easily cocked with my left arm while holding the gun in the right.
Also you are looking at $550-600 for one of these as they are quality airguns that will last a lifetime. I got my first HW35EB in 1978 ($189.00) and have fired probably 10,000 rounds thru it. It is as powerful today as it was when I got it. Still at 626 fps shot after shot. The gun also looks new because I actually take care of it.
I recently found another HW35E which has a 19" barrel instead of the 16" one on the EB. I paid $60 for it! And it had been in someones closet for years and gotten some house paint on the wood. I refinished the wood and cleaned it up and now it is my favorite. These are $400 guns now, and they have been in continuous production since 1951! Definitely one of the best air rifles of all time. It looks new now too, as do the HW80 and HW77.
These guns are made as well as any firearm and will literally outlast you if you only treat them like your prized firearms. Store them indoors in your gun safe and wipe them down with a Silicone Rag after you handle them. Just like you do with your other guns! Make sure your kids understand that these are not Daisy BB guns and need to be treated like real firearms. That will help keep them nice.
The accuracy of the High End Air Rifles second to nothing else on this planet, and they will continue to put pellets thru the same hole in the target for as long as you can stand to shoot at it.
The Ace of Clubs was shot in 1978 Down the Hallway to my Living Room at 10 yards. The dot was shot in 2019 in my shop with the same gun! The dot target has a 1/8" 5 shot group, the Ace is 5 shots in about 3/16"! I guess it is getting better with age?
Good luck.
Randy
Last edited by W.R.Buchanan; 04-05-2020 at 04:16 PM.
"It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
www.buchananprecisionmachine.com
I have three packs of jsb diablos I need to try out of my rifle yet. They’ve been collecting dust for a decade since I bought them unopened. The RS, exact, and heavies if I remember at 13,15, and 18 grains.
Last edited by Tripplebeards; 02-20-2020 at 12:38 AM.
The pictures I posted before were from 2018.
In 2019 I killed 605 Rock Chucks with my Air Arms TX200 22 cal with a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 FFP scope. I am still not in the Magnum frame of mind.
This chuck was number 600 for me.
Guys that think that a magnum is the way to go need to really see what an accurate non magnum can do.
I made the mistake of ordering my first Springer and picking the fastest,meanest, one available at the time according to reviews in January of 2010. I bet I haven’t shot it 100 times Because of the crummy trigger. If I would had a nice one like yours it probably would’ve been worn out by now. That’s some pretty wood. A decade of time only made me realize that I like wood over plastic stocks again. At least I won’t cry when I scratch mine up now that I’ll be using it since the Trigger has been lightened.
I ended up buying a Browning 800 express 22 cal pistol and I’ve been using that quite a bit. It drops rabbits and squirrels in its tracks with head shots at 25 yards...when I connect. I’ll be messing with that trigger tomorrow. I read there’s a hidden screw adjustment hidden underneath the pistol grip if I pull the action back that’ll get it to just under 2 pounds. It’s got to be over double that right now. I have a nice little tasco PDP2 red dot on it that works pretty slick. I’ve been wanting a Sam yang 45 cal big bore before I bought my springer. I think it or something similar will be my next gun. I’ll buy a bike pump to go with it.
Last edited by Tripplebeards; 02-27-2020 at 12:06 PM.
No hidden trigger adjustment screw...or anywhere for that matter, on the 800. It had three sears that I polished and stoned. I took it from 4 pounds to 36 ounces. Massive pain in the butt and I should’ve never messed with it. I had to pull the spring out to remove the trigger housing. Should be a lot more accurate now as I won’t be jerking it To get the trigger to go off anymore.
My gawd Ron,, 600+ of them?. You are definitely a Gopher Killin' Machine!
Is it possible to eat those things? They look like pretty fat critters, all grass fed no doubt.
Randy
"It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
www.buchananprecisionmachine.com
I just went out and tried about 15 or so different pellets through my gun at 23 yards give or take. It was from one side of my garage and out the back door to my Fenceline before it goes down the hill. So it was the furthest spot I could Shoot. Even On a led sled and a nitro piston that gun jumps around and is not forgiving!!! The pallets I thought grouped good in it did not,lol. I never pull out a tape measure to measure them but predators and crow magnum’s which I thought shot nice little groups were maybe an inch in diameter. The tightest groups I shot came from JSB 18 grain jumbo heavy exacts. I shot three groups with them. The first group had a flyer that was about a quarter inch away from the other five that all went in one big oblong hole about the size of two pencil erasers put together. The next time I shot a five shot group they all touched in a vertical string. Then the third time I shot a five shot group about the size of two pencil erasers put together again. I had hopes for the JBS diabolo RS as it’s a goos second choice. The first five shots all touched and made a C pattern. The second time I had a flyer about a quarter inch away and then four all in one hole about a quarter inch outside to outside. Then the third time I had issues.lol I shot three in the same hole and then I had two a quarter inch in each direction. All alloy pellets I tried sucked.
Last edited by Tripplebeards; 02-23-2020 at 05:22 PM.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |