Did love my new model 34.However, after 1600 shots I do not get it. The gun is great fun and powerful,---yet I do not find it to be very accurate at 25 yards.,-with any pellets-any hold.-----------1600 pellets is a lot of shooting and studying. Please do not tell me that it is hold sensitive,follow-thru-and that my stock screws are loose. The gun shoots 3 inch groups all over the place at 25 yards-scoped or open sights.Any feedback.
Sorry, I háve to say, it ís hold sensitive! I get similar results, except in 1 hold, from the fist. Than I get ragged holes no problem, at 25mm. As small as 9mm edge-edge with ease.
My 34 is the deadliest gun I own. Its NOT hold sensitive and holds 1/4 inch groups at 25 yards shooting freehand. A good tune and a cut barrel and re crown to get rid of all that useless travel time the pellet has will make that gun a sharpshooter. OH yeah a 1 lb trigger helps too.
the breach seal may be leaking causing a fluctuation in velocity. i am not an expert on 34s but the principals are the same for most guns. you may need to replace the seal and maybe even put a .005 or .010 shim in it behind the seal.
i don't know the dimensions of the 34 seals. once you know the demensions you can order the correct buna flat o ring in a lifetime supply for about 10 bucks or something. get them from Mcmaster Carr or Marco Rubber. You also said you get the same resultis with or without a scope. if it was just with the scope
then it could also be the barrell lockup. or the scope. or the mounts. hard to say.
I would say the single greatest weak point as well as a strong point of these fine rifles is the yoke system for securing the two front stock screws.This "yoke" rides in a square slot beneath the barrel and is secured by one large screw that is normally poorly staked in place in the hopes that the yoke will not move,unfortunatly this screw routinely becomes loose allowing the whole yoke to move with every shot,it doesnt matter how tight the stock screws are to the yoke if the yoke is loose on the barrel shots go all over the place no matter what you try.I have seen scopes blamed for inaccuracy in particular when all the while it is usually the yoke.I hope this helps you,its been my experiance learned the hard way.
1,600 pellets have you tuned that 34? after all those pellets being shoot
C.A.P. just told you what the 34 is capable
Larry said the breach seal may be leaking causing a fluctuation in velocity very possible but that is a FPS problem and not an accuracy one
Stephen has a valid point would say the single greatest weak point as well as a strong point of these fine rifles is the yoke system for securing the two front stock screws if those screws are loose you will not be able to shoot the barn from inside the barn
and I say; tune the 34 check the breech seal, check the front screws (Mac 1 screws) are great, check for choke and crown in the barrel
you should get ¼ @ 25 just as C.A.P. does because I can do it to with my 34s from 650 to 750 FPS in .22 cal
warren
and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"
If the previous posts didn't fix it,here are some thoughts on narrowing the possibilities. Did it ever shoot accurate? If yes, use the best pellets from then; otherwise CP's seem to be a good standard. Eliminate as many variables as possible. Are you shooting in the cold, if so, that could be the problelm right there with the heat up and cool down issues; do your tests in temps above 60 degrees F. Shoot inside if possible, that eliminates wind also. Use shooting bags on a solid surface with your open palm under the gun, cheek in same position, focus on a steady trigger pull with each shot as if you are the problem. Go back to the iron sights to eliminate scope variables. move the target to 10 yards or closer, the variations you talk about should still easily detectable at that range. Chrony the gun, is the velocity similar from shot to shot; is it in the right range for your caliber (above 800 for .177, high 600's or more for .22). Check it for barrel tightness both cocked and uncocked (careful when it is cocked!). Got any friends around/additional air rifles. You shoot theirs, they shoot yours - same or different results.
If no luck, time to take stuff apart (or if chrony findings imply low or inconsistent speed). Take note of each item removed and if it was tight/secure. If you get the stock off and everything looks good, plan on a new breech seal and a new piston seal. I would also go with the Maccari tar and moly. You could optimize cost by taking it apart before buying anything and making sure you know what you need. Or minimize downtime and buying what you know you need, but risking needing something else (RWS shipping is $10 for small to pretty big orders - JM is $9). If you haven't taken your gun apart before, its pretty easy, but maybe daunting the first time. Probably should read up on that separately to determine if you want to go that route after you've exhausted options.
I was having some accuracy trouble with my 34 too. I normally shoot RWS Superdomes, but I ordered in some CP's and Beeman FTS's from Tim @ Mac1 to try and they helped sometimes, but still got pretty sloppy groups @ 10 meters. Well, another call to Tim and a new set of brass stock screw cups went in, that helped a little bit, but still pretty sloppy. I've been lurking around here reading up on the 34 and read the post by Stephen Richard in this thread and promptly removed the stock and checked the yoke and sure enough it was all wiggly, backed the screw out, cleaned it and the threaded hole, then reinstalled with a drop of medium viscosity superglue. Put the gun back together and commenced shooting, TaDa instant tack-driver, it really likes the FTS's. That yoke was the problem!
So thanks guys, all is well now. This is a great place to share info with great guys that can give you different things to examine for various problems, saved the day for me .
Actually.off of a rest the gun is shooting 1/2'-3/4' groups at 20 yards ctc.,with open sights.My 3" first posting was a little dramatic.---Frustrated and I had not really measured.---------These measurements were from yesterday and are actual.
I did learn about and address the yoke bolt issue and mine was tight so I cleaned and re-greased the pivot point,washers,insert sleave,and thru-bolt.Possibly it is the shooter.,but I did expect better results from my first (expensive to me)---airgun.My idea of an airgun heretofore was $100.00 max.
Now I have the bug and will probably get about $1500.00 worth of airguns this year and be frustrated with that also. It is great fun .
My previous hobby was "Decimet's stripping with automated endothelial keratoplasty",
---I know, a lot of words.-DSAEK.---It is a partial cornea transplant procedure with excellent healing times over full transplants.-and by the way,is really less exciting than the mysteries of airgunning.----Geronimo---I am wrapping that model 34 around a tree and heading out for the Tx200,AirArms Pro,HW30,ETC.
Possibly I am subconsciously trying to force a divorce from my wife and do not know it.----You guys are the Greatest.
Before you harm a protected tree with that 34 try different pellets, your gun can respond in a dramatic way to a pellet it likes ie: tight groups, you did say you now like exciting mysteries, right?
As far as former hobbies, when I was growing-up in Iowa I would go with some friends {ie: girls} and some beer into the cornfields at night and we would listen to the corn grow, so I can relate to your eye transplant thing as they are very close in nature. So, now I'm married and was urged to change hobbies.
If the pellet sampling thing doen't work out for you and you do smote a tree with your 34, could you send me the resulting pieces, whether it's the 34 or the tree?
I will send either the tree or the rifle.In all honesty,I am totally intrigued at figuring out this rifle's accuracy.----The cornfield thing is even much more interesting than eye surgery.---------Is there ever such a thing as maybe a less than wonderful barrel? Could it be the barrel itself?
Haven't heard back from you on the scientific method and things you have eliminated, but it could be the barrel. You have questions on crown and choke, but before you go there, you might try cleaning the barrel. I would recommend trying a lot of other things suggested before that (particularly the one about having someone else shoot your gun and you shoot theirs). If you get to the barrel, there is an excellent article on the Pyramyd Air Blog on JB paste cleaning. It has warnings about what not to do wrong so you don't make the barrel worse.
It is down to the barrel for me.It will group somewhat with jsb magtechs and jsb superdomes.I am awaiting a scope from Natchez. It could be the shooter and 58 year old eyes.It is a tremendous rifle for plinking around with. I guess that possibly I am looking for too much accuracy from a $200 rifle.
OK, I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but in the not so distant past I competed very actively in the game of Sporting Clays, a skeet in the woods sorta thing. If you are trying to sort out a shooting problem ie: hitting the target, there are many avenues to pursue. In your situation if you are reasonably confident your gun is performing properly the first thing you do is get closer to your target. Start @ 10 meters or about 30 feet and see what you get, if things look and perform reasonably well, move back from your target gradually until the wheels fall off so to speak and try and evaluate what the problem is.
So, cut your distance to target in half, let me repeat: cut your distance in half and let us know what you get.
By the way, I kinda like the idea of a little amatuer surgery, any forums pertaining to such?
I did the cut the distance in half thing.Must say that it is not totally all over the place.If you google decimets stripping or simply DSAEK,-you can learn all that you can stand about cornea transplants.---Tough part is finding a willing volunteer in need of a cornea.
Thanks John for the surgery info, yea I know what you mean about people being fussy about who works on their eyes, let alone volunteering to be the first vict, I mean subject for my new found hobby. I don't think it would be that difficult after I read-up on it, it's more the practicing for a while thing people want, jeez, people are a funny lot are they not?
Which leads to kinda of a personal question if I may; you mentioned 58 year old eyes, I have the 56 year old models and I have noticed a drop in acuity in most aspects compared to my previous 18 year old models, since your previous hobby was that eye/cornea thing did you get your info from the Web too as you suggested for me? I'm just thinkin' out loud here, but if you did get your info on the Web and couldn't find a suitable first subject is there a remote chance you were your own first subject? If this is in fact the case, it could be directly attributable to your accuracy problem with your Diana 34. Don't get me wrong here John, I'm not saying you were a lousy eye/cornea hobby guy, it just takes practice as I mentioned above. So, perhaps a little brushing-up on your old hobby and doing another surgery on your eyes may fix that whole accuracy problem post haste. Please advise me of the results if you do, as I will be reading-up and ready for action on my own eyes if the outcome is good ie: accuracy improves on that 34.
Pull through your barrel with whipping twine looped from muzzle to breach with a cleaning patch soaked in bore solvent.
Some barrels can be heavily choked, you get a leading up
Never use rods in an air rifle barrel
It is worth having a good piston seal and spring guide made, even a spring sleeve to smooth things out too
Here we have V Mach www.air-rifle-tuning.com I think you have options too.
I had an older Diana once did this before realising you do clean air rifle barrels
