Another one bites the dust

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outdoorman

outdoorman

Member
Nov 20, 2016
355
29
Maryland
Spotted this guy out back first thing this morning. I usually, almost always, go for heart/lung shots but this guy was all hunkered down trying to stay warm on this cold blustery morning on a branch 25 yards away and about 10 feet up an oak tree in perfect side profile. I had time to relax and concentrate so I went for the head shot with my Diana 34 .22 and shooting stick. Got him right through the ear, the other side of his head was blown out, lots of blood. He dropped and did the crazy dance for 15 seconds. Sorry dude, this is a no squirrel zone.

1543408590_750928665bfe8bce3ae215.50992382_SquirrelKill10_2018.jpg

 
Outdoorman - very nice shot with a Springer @ 25 yards! As coincidence would have it, I shot a squirrel this morning @ 35.5 yards on the range finder with my DS Regal .22 cal XL laying off the deck rail for minimal movement. I went for the body because I wanted to make sure of a humane dispatch. Went over to pick him up, and I hit him right where I aimed. But, that was a PCP and I have much more confidence with that gun vs. my other Springers ( including a Gamo Swarm Maxxim .22 ).

I have the Diana AM03 N-Tec .22 caliber and a "head shot" at 25 yards would be a bit risky for me, so I would probably also go for a heart/lung shot at 25 yards. I am finding that I do get some flyers with my gun, and after reading some of BB's posts, I think it is because of the way the skirt sometimes gets bent when I load each pellet. I know there is a technique to carefully loading pellets with the Diana, so now I am more mindful. Going to adjust the T06 trigger to make it a bit lighter ( it's pretty darn good out of the box too ), and continue to practice better groups in the backyard.

So, what I am saying is that I admire you taking the head shot and having the confidence of having your POI equating to POA! Out of curiosity what pellets are most accurate with your 34? 

p.s. I think I need Santa to bring me an AA TX 200 MKll or HW98 for Christmas in .22 caliber, so I can upgrade my Springer inventory. Or bag that idea and go for the new Evanix Air Speed in .25.... ha ha, loosing it now.

Thanks, Tom






 
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The most accurate pellets in my D34 are JSB Exact Jumbo 15.89gr domes. That's what I took this squirrel with. I also recently made a perfect heart/lung shot on a squirrel at 31 yards and 40' up a tree. Here's my post on that one. I quit worrying about the pellet skirts getting bent. I had been using a pellet seater to push them in just barely enough that no damage would occur but then I tried an experiment where I closed the barrel, opened it to observe the skirt bending, then manually pushed the pellet through the barrel and it came out pretty much intact mostly due to the choked barrel. I found no change in poi due to this minor bending of the pellet skirt so I assume the high air pressure behind the pellet in combination with the choked barrel reforms the pellet enough that it's not worth worrying about. I am seriously considering getting the Daystate Regal XL. Never had a pcp before. Been thinking about it for a long time now and had it narrowed down to either the FX Streamline or the Daystate Regal. Now I'm trying to figure out if I want the regulated version or not. I'm thinking not. Love my Diana and I've gotten really good with it in combination with a shooting stick. I also have a Crosman Nitro Venom gas piston that I've never really had much luck with. Hope Santa is good to you.
 
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Thanks for the quick response.

I shoot 15.89 JSB, H&N FT 14.66 and Crossman Premier 14.3 grain for the Diana I have right now. Have also experimented with some 10-14 grain other lead pellets and brands as well. It does shoot alloys pretty well to, but since they are lighter and faster, I need to play with hold overs / unders a bit to get some decent groups. I can sometimes get a quarter at 25 yards, and occasionally a dime sized group; but that is rare for me. It's probably me and not the gun. I don't know this for sure, but I am betting I will shoot a HW98 or HW95 or a TX 200 MKll more accurately at same and longer distances than the Diana N-TEC Mauser. We shall see if / when I buy one of them.

Have had the DS Regal since March 2018. Both the Streamline and DS Regal are excellent choices, as many would attest to here on the forum. The DS has a 5-year warrantee from AoA, and I would not waste my money on the HUMA regulated version if money is tight. The Harper Sling valve does a very decent job of minimizing ES for pretty consistent shot strings. Other have said this as well, and I know it's a matter of conjecture. I almost did it, but decided it's plenty accurate for me and my application which is both small game and regular target shooting ( casual vs. serious).

Get the Daystate and you will never regret it!










 
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