Sorry guys, I've worked so hard on this for so many weeks to try and get my 460 to show it's true colors that I just can't resist one more batch of pics. These were all at 5700 feet and 35 degrees. I think I'm finally ready to go hunting.



It wasn't a fluke, honest:







And even out to 100 yds:



These were all ranged with a tape measure, all the JSB's were weighed and this was the 15.8gr sort. I Pledged them in the oven ala Hector. The jury is still out on that, but the one thing I'm sure about is that I changed my hold back to the Artillery Hold, which had not seemed to make much difference before, but it sure did today. POI moved quite a bit and I re-zeroed to finally get these near the end of three hours.

I used front and rear sand bags on a real solid bench, front bag in the middle of the checkering on the forearm, and as light as I could get the grip, just two fingers, and my groups went from 1.5 to 2 inches down to .75 to 1.1 inch. I'm now a believer!

Now that I know what the gun can really do, I'll graduate to field holds as soon as the ground is dry to sit on. Maybe I'll finally get a dead calm day as well.

I'd like to thank everyone on this forum (and the Yellow and BB's) for the huge amount of information I've digested over the last 4 months, without which I never would have continued to make this effort to learn Springers and particularly Dianas. If I ever get back into powder burners it's going to seem like child's play!

So long and thanks for all the fish,

Duncan

(Uhh, maybe I got my SciFi metaphors mixed?)

Way to go Duncan!! Thanks for sharing the "true honesty" w/us! Nice pics! Not shure of where you live,but,next season you will be 'dialed in" even better! Small game in your neck of the woods better look out!! Remember ,If you invite Harry to hunt w/you,only let him stay one day,otherwise you will be only punching paper for a few years to let your local game populations recover!!LOL.!! seriously Duncan,,nice post. Keep us informed. Tim.

Good stuff Duncan! What scope and power were you using for that session?

Harv

Man Duncan thats pretty impressive! I came to the conclusion that you have: #1 The "Golden Gun" #2 A "Kriptonite" tape measure. #3 You are blessed w/shooting abilitys thatare way beond that of most of us!LOL.!! Im guessing you live "out west" where you must shoot long distance??? Great shooting Duncan, Im just "funnin" w/ya!! Tim.

Hi Harv,

I have the same scope as I started with lo those many moons ago with the first (damaged) 46. A Centerpoint 3-9x40 AORG. Once I got rid of the atrocious barrel droop on the 460 and removed half the shims, it started to act normally. Before, number of clicks vs POI change was pretty flaky, being near the limit of adjustment.

One odd thing I've found is that my near groups aren't all that good, sometimes over an inch at 25 yards, but a minute later I can do 1" at 50yds with the same pellet....go figure. There was a post a while back about some pellets characteristic of "going to sleep" after a certain range...maybe that's what's happening. One other thing I've noticed is that while the JSB's are nearly the same velocity as I chronied a month ago, the CP's have dropped from 820 to 785-790 (same temps). Strange...I can tell the gun is breaking in, it's smoother now, but I can't figure out why one pellet would lose 25-30 fps and another would stay within 10 fps of it's earlier numbers.

At any rate, if I can reproduce groups like this under ideal conditions indefinitely, I will be one happy airgunner!

Duncan

Hi Duncan,

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I mentioned that once a long time ago and a guy I really respect (LD) started talking about thinking the same thing regarding certain pellet/barrel/velocity combos making a pellet "go to sleep" at longer ranges. Its almost as if a certain combo like I mentioned above is forcing a pellet to be "overdriven" at the point it leaves the muzzle. Then, when it gets to its preferred velocity it settles, or " goes to sleep", essentially stabilizing it.

No, I believe it happens just as you do Duncan.

Harv

Duncan:

are the CP's from the same tin can, meaning same batch? if they are not tnat would explain the loss of 25-30 fps

warren

and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

Hi Warren,

I think I remember that tins are all the dies mixed together while the brown carboard boxes are single die. I've only ever bought the cardboard boxes so I can only go by what I've read and from what friends who buy the tines have told me.

I have some speculations why the pellets have been coming to us the way they have but that's all they are (speculations) so I won't write them.

Harv

Hi Warren,

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm still on the original Die#7 box...a possible difference is that the first chrony runs last month were all unsorted and unlubed pellets. This time I was using the 14.3 gr sort....Sometimes I think I've gotten all the way to the trunk, but other times I think I'm only just past the hind leg of the Elephant... LOL

One thing for sure, it'll be a long time before I'm BORED with airguns!

Maybe we'll come and visit my mother-in-law in Ft. Pierce soon. It sure has been a long cold winter up here and it ain't over yet!


Duncan

I can accept 5-8 fps variations on any same kind of pellets but not 25-30, there has to be a plausible explanation for the variation and I have to find out

send me the air gun until I find out, it might take me 6-9 months to find out but will definitely find out. LOL (like you would fall for this one)

lubed, unsorted?? careless from your part, be consistent Duncan so we can figure out that fps difference. it should not exist in those parameters

warren

PS: keep posting on your findings




and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

Warren,

It must be VOODOO! I'll have to boil some frogs brains and smear the pellets with them! LOL.

I went out to the dump today and picked random targets at estimated ranges, and ACTUALLY HIT most of them! Hopefully I really can kill what I'm aiming for now, at least within 50 yds...that's all I ever really wanted from a Diana, anyway. The rest of this stuff is fascinating, but only in so far as it enhances my one shot kill ability in the field...THAT'S what I really bought the gun for. Naturally, plinking is great fun, but it's purpose is to keep me sharp for the real thing, IMO.

BTW, what do you need TWO 460's for, anyway?

And yes, I will keep posting as long as I don't get too frustrated and go over to the DARK SIDE! Heh Heh.

Duncan