I find the Diana 54 a little challenging to shoot but she will shoot.

[cslinger]

So I find my Diana 54 a little challenging to shoot. I don't know if its the false sense of security from the lack of recoil or the fact that I simply don't have a lot of time behind the rifle or that the trigger although very smooth and light just doesn't come as natural to me as others. The point is I find it challenging to shoot. Truth be told the main factor is really likely I just don't have as much time behind it and therefore haven't really learned to dance with her yet.

All that said when she and I are able to dance she is able to DANCE. Turned this group in this evening and I am darn happy with it. I mean I did better here then with the PCP I was shooting before it.

 

[MutinousDoug]

Great group. I don't own any springers but my friends that do tell me it's a whole different game than PCPs or pumpers. My brother's Marauder is a wonder to see and great fun.

 

[Pivot Dr]

Mine shot a group about like that with 12 shots, 3 each from 4 different kinds of pellets, mine is a 22.

 

[tallpaul]

there is a guy... Hector Medina? I think who was using a custom stocked and tuned RWS side lever for field target and won with it o the national level... Noce looking gun you have!

 

[Belld416]

I have an older 54 that I love. I find that it shoots just about any pellet accurately. Mine is a .177 caliber. I’ve just got a 4X Hawke scope on it but it’s been bulletproof and does what I need it to.

 

[SSBN617b]

The Diana 54 is able to shoot at 100 yards all day. As far as I know, no other springer can claim that. You can hold your own with PCP’s and 22lr.
Mitch

 

[Gumby0961]

Nice group, what distance? I wish I could either of my mod 48s to group that nice. I think mine could use a tune up, I bought both second hand. Think I might sell all my springers and get 1 nice pcp.

 

[cslinger]

Well a little follow up. Mine, while able to print tight groups, as I said above is difficult for me and has been inconsistent.

I finally decided that just possibly it wasn’t the idiot behind the trigger and maybe an issue. So I tore her apart and found 2 issues.

1-my breech seal was boogered
2-there was more factory lube in that gun then the Exxon Valdez dumped.

So some parts are coming in the mail and I have wiped her down and will apply a modest coat of lube.

 

[Gumby0961]

Let me know if the breech seal helps. I have been dealing with inconsistent groups & what I consider low velocity, (950fps- .177 & .750fps .22), with regular weight pellets 8gr & 14gr..

 

[SSBN617b]

Nice group, what distance? I wish I could either of my mod 48s to group that nice. I think mine could use a tune up, I bought both second hand. Think I might sell all my springers and get 1 nice pcp.

100 yards

 

[cslinger]

Let me know if the breech seal helps. I have been dealing with inconsistent groups & what I consider low velocity, (950fps- .177 & .750fps .22), with regular weight pellets 8gr & 14gr..

950 doesn’t sound that low. It’s rated at like 1100 and that would be with light weight stuff.

I will try to remember to double back whenever I get around to rebuilding. I am going to detune mine as I don’t need the power.

 

[cslinger]

So I installed the Vortek 12ft lb kit today. Subjectively it feels like it is shooting a bit harder then 12ft lb but definitely far less powerful then stock. The gun is far more pleasant to shoot. Cocking is, of course, easier as well.

I also installed a new breech seal and I think I am getting the consistency I was missing before. I mean I still struggle a bit with the trigger but that is just part of knowing the gun. I was also able to clean up the GOBS AND GOBS AND GOBS of factory lube and get it shooting less like a smoke pole and more like an airgun.

After re-sighting in here are the first 3 10 shot groups. All very consistent and very accurate as far as my shooting is concerned, I was also a bit off my game tonight so a different pellet or a better night I might be able to really bring some groups.

The minor changes in POI are me futzing with Zero to dial it in those last few clicks here or there and the shooter as well but everything is far more consistent then before. Time will tell if this continues to be the case.

Group 1


Group 2


Group 3


All in all the gun is far more pleasant to shoot and makes shooting the lighter weight(normal medium weight 8ish grain) pellets that I prefer much more doable with out that sound barrier flyer here or there. The gun just fits my shooting style far more now and should I suddenly decide I need MORE POWAAAAA!!!! its just spring change away. So fingers crossed everything stays nice and zeroed and I am off to the races again.

As always thanks all, take care and shoot safe,
Chris

 

[cslinger]

One more after letting it sit and moving it around a bit just to make sure everything seems to be sealing well and is staying consistently zeroed and so far so good. Pretty happy with this little group.

 

[cslinger]

Some more shooting from today. Again rifle has a completely different personality and even though it is not physically lighter or smaller it "feels smaller" so to speak when shooting and luckily the consistency is there. I really think the bad seal and the Exxon Valdez lube job was really screwing with me but I have addressed both and everything seems to be GTG. I am finally having a ton of fun with this rifle.

I ran several groups today and did some pellet testing. She doesn't seem to like CPHP or Air Arms Diabolo Fields, which is a shame because I like and keep a lot of that stuff, but luckily she loves anything H&N which I also keep a lot of so all good there.

Here a list of pellets that seem to shoot very well.
H&N FTT (4.50, 4.51, 4.52)
H&N Finale Match Heavy
Champions Choice
RWS Meisterkulgeln Rifle

Here are some representative groups.

The first 7 shots of these Meisterkulgelns were a two pellet hole. I literally got up to make sure they were not flying super wild, off target. The next 3 opened up a bit but suffice to say the ammo shoots well.


Here is the H&N stuff. All of it shoots great. I got a little tired/loose on one but the pellets themselves work really well in this gun setup this way.






These posted a really nice group with the Finale Match Heavy being similar.


So I think I have managed to break this proverbial bronco.

Take care, Shoot safe,
Chris

 

[sigwally]

Chris, what brand/power of scope are you using? I am starting to plan for my next springer. I want to take a step up in power from my HW30s ( man I love that gun! ) and I know choosing a airgun rated scope is important. Thanks!

 

[cslinger]

Chris, what brand/power of scope are you using? I am starting to plan for my next springer. I want to take a step up in power from my HW30s ( man I love that gun! ) and I know choosing a airgun rated scope is important. Thanks!

It’s just a UTG 3-12. Nothing extravagant. I don’t think I have spent more then $150 on an air gun scope. I have a mix of UTG, Hawke, Nikon and a Beeman branded 3-12 that came with a really crappy Beeman branded Norica gun like 20 years ago. The gun is long gone but the scope keeps on a ticking.

 

[sigwally]

I actually have a Leupold VX-3 1-4 power scope on my HW30s and It's perfect for that gun. I called Leupold and spoke to the custom shop. I asked if that scope was "airgun rated" they said officially "No" . But unofficially "No problem". He did tell me that their "EFR" scopes are air gun rated. Unfortuneitly I checked on the prices of their EFR scopes and almost had a stroke...

 

[GoldenSworden]

I am very sorry but I am interested: what is that thing for?

 

[Mal H]

That looks like it may be a flashlight or something similar. It is used only to prop the gun up at an angle. Some people will also use a dowel or a shotgun shell to do the same thing.

 

[GoldenSworden]

That looks like it may be a flashlight or something similar. It is used only to prop the gun up at an angle. Some people will also use a dowel or a shotgun shell to do the same thing.

Interesting...

Thanks.

Appreciate your possible explanation :3

 

[cslinger]

That looks like it may be a flashlight or something similar. It is used only to prop the gun up at an angle. Some people will also use a dowel or a shotgun shell to do the same thing.

Awww man I was gonna come up with some kind of highly technical electronically actuated pneumatic trigger pull device or some thing. Ya blew it for me.

Seriously though, it's just a Streamlight Microstream flashlight that lives on that table and does double duty as a way to prop up the guns as was said above.

I actually used a black pencil in a picture from some time back of a CZ 631 and the angle, color and length even make me double take part of it as some kind of weird sight. I have been asked numerous times about that "sight".

 

[Dashunde]

I had an older 54 that I regret selling, it would hit acorns all day long, but it would wear me out after awhile - even 20+ years ago - and it thumped pretty hard.. the 54 has a long learning curve and also killed a couple of less-than-excellent scopes.
.
The 12fpe spring will do wonders for medium range target shooting, easier on you, easier on the gun/scope and even with a slightly longer dwell time the initial impulse doesn't knock people off target so easily as a 16-18fpe spring does.
Nowadays I have a Air Arms TX200 mk3 with a Hawke 4-16x44 SF on Sportsmatch rings, its around 16fpe and a pure joy to shoot.
I noticed that it *seems* to like 4.51 pellets a little better than 4.52's.. so maybe give those a try with your new spring?

At these prices I thought about going PCP (AA 510) to avoid the recoil, but the somewhat characterless sterility of PCP plus all the required pumps/hoses/paraphernalia kinda put me off of them, for now anyway.. besides, I have 22lr's, 223, 308, etc... with that stuff around I don't really see the point of 22+ cal air rifles delivering really high fpe and prices to match.
I like the sub-1100 fps indoor/back yard capability mixed with one gun & one tin of pellets simplicity of a good springer that's not reliant on any other gear to function.
(sorry, started thinking outloud there I guess)