Iron sights can be very good but.. Diana sporter open sights leave something to be desired
January 31 2008, 11:05 AM
In my humble opinion the sporter iron sights on the latest crop of Diana rifles are less than perfect. My Diana 46 is still running on the irons and I have to say its hard to focus on them well.
The reason is the four setting sprung leaf is set a hair lower than the rest of the rear site. The image of the front sight then, becomes a noticeable double notch. Stepped. I think this becomes a greater detractor than the front sight which is simply a block of plastic moulded into the underlever mechanism.
I would like to see a return to replaceable front sight inserts along with, and most of all, a four leaf front design which is LEVEL to the rest of the front sight.
I've thought about the idea of getting an aftermarket globe front sight and using a sport aperture rear sight. I think this would accomplish a much better rate of potential accuracy for open sights in the modern Diana aur rifles. Actually, I believe it could be accomplished just by using the sport aperture sight alone.
People have gotten so used to scoping airguns these days that I think the elegance of good open sights has sometimes been overlooked or altogether forgotten. Its in the front of my mind because I really enjoy shooting ten meter match and ten meter match is done with excellent open sights. Many of my airguns, maybe half of them, are open sighted. When the open sights are of high usable quality, it almost seems a waste not to use them.
By god, you gave me a great idea with your question. I'm going to try a spare Beeman sport aperture I just found lying around and mount it on the Diana 46. This set up ought to make this rifle a knockout open sighter. Thanks for the idea!
Re: Iron sights can be very good but.. Diana sporter open sights leave something to be des
January 31 2008, 3:59 PM
Harvey wrote:
<People have gotten so used to scoping airguns these days that I think the elegance of good open sights has sometimes been overlooked or altogether forgotten.>
Indeed! If one backs off a bit the change in perspective allows you to see how ridiculous it is that peope scramble to put better optics on their airguns than Carlos Hathcock used in his Viet Nam sniping duties. Has the American shooter forgotten how to use good iron sights? Apparently so from reading the reams of debate on bulletin boards regarding the relative merits of various very expensive scopes. Let's face it squarely----practical hunting ranges for airguns hover between 20 & 35 yards for most shooter/gun/ammo combinations. And I'm defining 'practical hunting ranges' as the distance that the combo can hit the kill zone 100% of the time. Anything less than that standard is just grist for the PETAphiles' mill. Inside 35 yards a competent shooter can do very near as well with a good aperture sight that he KNOWS how to use as he can with a scope.
It was once a point of honor for a serious shooter to be competent with iron sights. He was considered by both himself and his friends as over the hill when deteriating eyesight forced him to use the crutch of optically enhanced sights. My how standards have changed.
Ah---I think I feel better now.:^) Tom @ Buzzard Bluff
People like to shoot rested groups. Rested groups can be done at further ranges with higher powered airguns and so demand for high powered scopes increased. If you can lay a rifle well and if there's nominal movement, nifty little groups shall be attained. So small rested groups demanded brighter higher powered scopes.
As the scope of power increased, so did the scope of scope, so to speak. Not plainly, but in a redundant way lol.
I am truly in the mood for double entendres and puns tonight...
Where the optometrists' vision of seeing more clearly brought us spectacles of (and including) higher power and ever brighter glass, science also brought us Lasik.
People like to shoot rested groups. Rested groups can be done at further ranges with higher powered airguns and so demand for high powered scopes increased. If you can lay a rifle well and if there's nominal movement, nifty little groups shall be attained. So small rested groups demanded brighter higher powered scopes.
As the scope of power increased, so did the scope of scope, so to speak. Not plainly, but in a redundant way lol.
I am truly in the mood for double entendres and puns tonight...
Where the optometrists' vision of seeing more clearly brought us spectacles of (and including) higher power and ever brighter glass, science also brought us Lasik.
People like to shoot rested groups. Rested groups can be done at further ranges with higher powered airguns and so demand for high powered scopes increased. If you can lay a rifle well and if there's nominal movement, nifty little groups shall be attained. So small rested groups demanded brighter higher powered scopes.
As the scope of power increased, so did the scope of scope, so to speak. Not plainly, but in a redundant way lol.
I am truly in the mood for double entendres and puns tonight...
Where the optometrists' vision of seeing more clearly brought us spectacles of (and including) higher power and ever brighter glass, science also brought us Lasik.
People like to shoot rested groups. Rested groups can be done at further ranges with higher powered airguns and so demand for high powered scopes increased. If you can lay a rifle well and if there's nominal movement, nifty little groups shall be attained. So small rested groups demanded brighter higher powered scopes.
As the scope of power increased, so did the scope of scope, so to speak. Not plainly, but in a redundant way lol.
I am truly in the mood for double entendres and puns tonight...
Where the optometrists' vision of seeing more clearly brought us spectacles of (and including) higher power and ever brighter glass, science also brought us Lasik.
People like to shoot rested groups. Rested groups can be done at further ranges with higher powered airguns and so demand for high powered scopes increased. If you can lay a rifle well and if there's nominal movement, nifty little groups shall be attained. So small rested groups demanded brighter higher powered scopes.
As the scope of power increased, so did the scope of scope, so to speak. Not plainly, but in a redundant way lol.
I am truly in the mood for double entendres and puns tonight...
Where the optometrists' vision of seeing more clearly brought us spectacles of (and including) higher power and ever brighter glass, science also brought us Lasik.
People like to shoot rested groups. Rested groups can be done at further ranges with higher powered airguns and so demand for high powered scopes increased. If you can lay a rifle well and if there's nominal movement, nifty little groups shall be attained. So small rested groups demanded brighter higher powered scopes.
As the scope of power increased, so did the scope of scope, so to speak. Not plainly, but in a redundant way lol.
I am truly in the mood for double entendres and puns tonight...
Where the optometrists' vision of seeing more clearly brought us spectacles of (and including) higher power and ever brighter glass, science also brought us Lasik.
I cringe when I watch a air gun review video using the rested gun crap. We need a machine to test accuracy of the gun in that manner. And then we need a shooter to test the gun.
I too like the old style Diana rear sights. The sights on my new Model 36 seemtoo "flexable".
The long arm that holds the 4 position disc isn't backed up with a spring(?).I dunno if it got lost/left out or if the new style "long" sight just depends on the spring of the bent steel arm to hold it up and in adjustment.
My absolute favorite Diana Factory sight is the "Short" plastic model used on the Model 25's. It has the 4 rotating disca plus POSITIVE detents. I have a spare and it's going on my rifle!
I sent my Leapers scope that was mounted on my 460 mag in recently, and have been shootin with the open sites. God! I love shooting that way. Somehow it seem more natural. Brings back the childhood. Seem clean and refreshing!
I used to have a Gamo Shadow that I'd shoot beer bottle caps and such at 20yds or so with those TRUGLO's before the rear sight broke off and I had to sell the gun for $80.
This is why 2,000 shots later I 'm still shooting the 350 with open sights. I don't miss the scope I had on it earlier when I bought it.
I started shooting an 850 with a scope right from the start and it doesn't excite me as much. It's too easy. The satisfaction and gratification of hitting the target or your quarry with open sights is much greater. I was never a big fan of scopes anyway. My first airgun 28yrs ago, a 760 pump, gave me 7 years of pleasureable shooting without a scope until it broke. Later my first 2 firearms a Marlin 30/30 and .22LR did not get scopes for another 3-4yrs. I brought down much game with them. I first got a scope for the 30/30 when my friend recommended it because the area we were going to hunt in PA, was a 200yd long open field where you wait for the deer to come out of the brush and feed on the grass. So rather than miss or injure and possibly lose the deer I got a scope.
Diana 350 Mag .22
Hammerli 850 .22
A few Crosman CO2 & Pump .177
Well,I'm useing the beeman sport sight on my 34 panther and loving it.It just seems to make the gun look cleaner imo, with the other mods I have done to the gun...Removed and sold the syn. stock and replaced with a 34 wood stock that I stripped down to bare wood,restained with home made walnut stain,many coats of hand rubbed oil finish after sanding and filling the wood grain,then topped off with a paste wax final coat.Internal mods are JM spring and guide.Next in line are to button piston,cut/crown/choke barrel.Thinking of a shroud and or muzzle brake,but I have to think how I will attach a front sight to it.Ill post a pic sometime.Still looking for the "right" pellet!Guess I'll just have to keep shooting...
