Diana AirKing .22 Review

[Michigander]

I finally got around to doing some bench shooting with my new AirKing Pro in .22 caliber. Here are the results from shooting at 35 yards:

JSB 15.9
Avg Velocity 758 fps ES 16.4 fps, Energy 20.3 ft-lb, Avg Group Size 0.69"

JSB 18.1
Avg Velocity 722 fps ES 21.5 fps, Energy 21.1 ft-lb, Avg Group Size 0.63"

Although initially I found the JSB 15.9 pellets to be more accurate, after tightening a loose muzzle weight and working through a tin of pellets I find I am doing better with the heavier 18.1 JSBs. Muzzle energy and thus efficiency is also better with the heavier pellets. Energy is a little better than the specified 19.2 ft-lb for the AirKing, although that may come down with further shooting.

The warning that Diana rifles tend to have a lot of barrel "droop" was definitely proven to be the case with my gun. Even with the RWS Lock Down mount installed I still had to shim the rear ring to get the elevation adjustment on my Nikon scope anywhere near centered. The large amount of first stage travel continues to be an annoyance. I will have to take care of that someday. Other than those two issues and the muzzle weight working loose, no other problems have cropped up.

As far as shooting characteristics go, it is still a springer and has the characteristic long shot time that can make it somewhat of challenge to shoot from anything other than a perfectly stable position. Although I am improving when shooting from sitting position, the sled function is not a cure-all for poor technique. Actually, from sitting position accuracy is not a lot better than I get from my TX200 once I am dialed in on that rifle. Bench shooting is another story, with a good rest very little time is needed to start getting decent groups out of the AirKing.

Which raises the question of where the AirKing fits in for practical shooting? It is awfully heavy and awkward to cock for hunting, unless you are able to shoot from some kind of rest. For position shooting a conventional springer can be almost as accurate once you get used to it. Bench shooting is where it seems to come into its own, but unfortunately, I don't do much bench shooting. Its benefit to me is in the larger caliber, my only springer in .22. The very high ballistic coefficient of the JSB 18.1 compared to the .177 JSB 8.4 (0.035 versus 0.019) will make the AirKing much more suitable for shooting at longer distances. And the relatively high power of the AirKing lets it generate reasonably high velocities for flat trajectories even when working with such heavy pellets.

View attachment P7190191.jpg

 

[Michigander]

 

[crowski]

Nice gun. I got the Airking Pro when they first came out. It’s a tank. Rarely do I shoot it but one day hope to. Enjoy Crow

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Youd think being a " fixed" barrel droop would be near to none unlike a break barrel .. ive seen that droop reported in these side/under leavers a few times..

Anyway looking good, i like it...

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

View attachment 276859

Nice gun and great scope. I have many of those Nikons. Can’t be beat. Sorry that Nikon discontinued all scopes.

 

[jkingrph]

Mine had enough that the Diana Zero recoil mount would not work,that is allow me to zero the rifle. I am using a Hawke Airmax scope so I got one of the Sportsmax adjustable two piece mounts, the one adjustable for both windeage and elevation, re centered the scope and then got a very close zero using the mounts, then fine tuned using the scope turrets. I still do not shoot that gun much, like said it's a tank or better a battleship, heavy and very hard to cock. I even find it a bit difficult to cock while sitting on my Caldwell stable table bench.

 

[Nitrocrushr]

I finally got around to doing some bench shooting with my new AirKing Pro in .22 caliber. Here are the results from shooting at 35 yards:

JSB 15.9
Avg Velocity 758 fps ES 16.4 fps, Energy 20.3 ft-lb, Avg Group Size 0.69"

JSB 18.1
Avg Velocity 722 fps ES 21.5 fps, Energy 21.1 ft-lb, Avg Group Size 0.63"

Although initially I found the JSB 15.9 pellets to be more accurate, after tightening a loose muzzle weight and working through a tin of pellets I find I am doing better with the heavier 18.1 JSBs. Muzzle energy and thus efficiency is also better with the heavier pellets. Energy is a little better than the specified 19.2 ft-lb for the AirKing, although that may come down with further shooting.

The warning that Diana rifles tend to have a lot of barrel "droop" was definitely proven to be the case with my gun. Even with the RWS Lock Down mount installed I still had to shim the rear ring to get the elevation adjustment on my Nikon scope anywhere near centered. The large amount of first stage travel continues to be an annoyance. I will have to take care of that someday. Other than those two issues and the muzzle weight working loose, no other problems have cropped up.

As far as shooting characteristics go, it is still a springer and has the characteristic long shot time that can make it somewhat of challenge to shoot from anything other than a perfectly stable position. Although I am improving when shooting from sitting position, the sled function is not a cure-all for poor technique. Actually, from sitting position accuracy is not a lot better than I get from my TX200 once I am dialed in on that rifle. Bench shooting is another story, with a good rest very little time is needed to start getting decent groups out of the AirKing.

Which raises the question of where the AirKing fits in for practical shooting? It is awfully heavy and awkward to cock for hunting, unless you are able to shoot from some kind of rest. For position shooting a conventional springer can be almost as accurate once you get used to it. Bench shooting is where it seems to come into its own, but unfortunately, I don't do much bench shooting. Its benefit to me is in the larger caliber, my only springer in .22. The very high ballistic coefficient of the JSB 18.1 compared to the .177 JSB 8.4 (0.035 versus 0.019) will make the AirKing much more suitable for shooting at longer distances. And the relatively high power of the AirKing lets it generate reasonably high velocities for flat trajectories even when working with such heavy pellets.

View attachment 276852

Nice review. Have you experimented with sled tuning and also tuning with the front muzzle weight?

Also, how well are you finding the pellets fitting into the breech? Are they a very loose fit?

Steve

 

[Michigander]

Steve, I did read your post on sled tuning and found it interesting. This is actually my second D54. The first was a .177 that I purchased in 1986 thinking it would be a 300s on steroids. Given my limited experience and limited pellet selection of the day, it never lived up to my expectations, even after I tried some home brewed sled tuning of my own. But then my approach wasn't as methodical as yours.

This new D54 is not even broken in yet, so a little early to try any tuning. Honestly, if it continues to shoot under 2 MOA, and groups stay put, I will be satisfied with it as is. That said, the first time I have to pull the stock it will be almost impossible to resist the urge to improve things a bit by fine tuning the sled system.

As far as the muzzle weight is concerned, my understanding is that significant improvements will only be obtained from tuning if there are signs of stringing due to barrel vibration. From sitting I do see signs of stringing from 1:00 to 7:00 with the JSB 15.9 which might be eliminated by adjusting the muzzle weight position. However, I am not seeing stringing from sitting or bench with the JSB 18.1 pellets, which are what I plan to use currently. Unless things change, I will leave the muzzle weight in the factory set position, which is with one o-ring between weight and sleeve.

Pellet fit has been fine with JSB 5.52 size pellets. They slide in nicely until they hit the rifling, which leaves them a little below flush. Apparently to make sure even long/heavy pellets will still fit. There has been no tendency for them to drop out, even with the rifle vertical.

A question for you: Can I eliminate the excess first stage travel by replacing that forward adjustment screw with a longer one having the same size thread?

 

[jimk1963]

Beautiful gun, but I’ve also had difficulty figuring out “what it’s designed for”. As a hunting rifle, it’s probably the heaviest air rifle made - correct me if wrong. So that’s not great. Same for off-hand. For plinking, that side lever requires a he-man effort, so unless you’re into a workout each time, doesn’t seem to fit there either. Leaves bench rest shooting, which seems like a sweet spot. But with its super high energy, it’s never going to compete with calmer rifles unless you clip some coils. To me, it’s main attraction is sheer power, like having one of those elephant gun calibers in the safe that never gets used, except for an occasional nostalgic trip to the range. Still, it’s gorgeous, and offers a different experience vs. the higher volume HW’s, et al.

 

[Str8tshooter]

Nice shooting and groups. I really enjoy the fieldpod with my Diana's, I use Velcro straps and snug down my 54 & 52 so everything is solid with little movement. Easy and quick cocking siting behind the fieldpod. For BR I use a caldwell rock rest and rear bag.

I have used my D54 for HFT and 25M BR. There are definitely better squirrel hunting springers, unless you hunt from a hide like the SH guys in the UK. Once you get a Air king all dialed in and solid, it's a BR comp ready shooter.

 

[Michigander]

Nice shooting and groups. I really enjoy the fieldpod with my Diana's, I use Velcro straps and snug down my 54 & 52 so everything is solid with little movement. Easy and quick cocking siting behind the fieldpod. For BR I use a caldwell rock rest and rear bag.

I have used my D54 for HFT and 25M BR. There are definitely better squirrel hunting springers, unless you hunt from a hide like the SH guys in the UK. Once you get a Air king all dialed in and solid, it's a BR comp ready shooter.

How about a picture showing your fieldpod and velcro straps. You have me curious, especially about the "quick and easy cocking".

 

[Str8tshooter]

Thought I had a picture of my 54/52 fieldpod setup, but could not find. HW30 in fieldpod with straps that I use with 54/52. With the side lever in my right hand and using my left hand/arm against the stock you have a lot of leverage, makes easy and quick cocking. Much less effort not having to lift your rifle all the time.

HW30R Build - Airguns & Guns Forum

HW30R Build, Air guns, Airgun Forum

www.gatewaytoairguns.org

 

[Dan25]

Beautiful gun, but I’ve also had difficulty figuring out “what it’s designed for”. As a hunting rifle, it’s probably the heaviest air rifle made - correct me if wrong. So that’s not great. Same for off-hand. For plinking, that side lever requires a he-man effort, so unless you’re into a workout each time, doesn’t seem to fit there either. Leaves bench rest shooting, which seems like a sweet spot. But with its super high energy, it’s never going to compete with calmer rifles unless you clip some coils. To me, it’s main attraction is sheer power, like having one of those elephant gun calibers in the safe that never gets used, except for an occasional nostalgic trip to the range. Still, it’s gorgeous, and offers a different experience vs. the higher volume HW’s, et al.

Heavier than the Hatsan 155 under lever at 11 pounds?

 

[jimk1963]

Heavier than the Hatsan 155 under lever at 11 pounds?

Good call - D54 is 10.7 lbs... but it's not even an underlever.

 

[Nitrocrushr]

Steve, I did read your post on sled tuning and found it interesting. This is actually my second D54. The first was a .177 that I purchased in 1986 thinking it would be a 300s on steroids. Given my limited experience and limited pellet selection of the day, it never lived up to my expectations, even after I tried some home brewed sled tuning of my own. But then my approach wasn't as methodical as yours.

This new D54 is not even broken in yet, so a little early to try any tuning. Honestly, if it continues to shoot under 2 MOA, and groups stay put, I will be satisfied with it as is. That said, the first time I have to pull the stock it will be almost impossible to resist the urge to improve things a bit by fine tuning the sled system.

As far as the muzzle weight is concerned, my understanding is that significant improvements will only be obtained from tuning if there are signs of stringing due to barrel vibration. From sitting I do see signs of stringing from 1:00 to 7:00 with the JSB 15.9 which might be eliminated by adjusting the muzzle weight position. However, I am not seeing stringing from sitting or bench with the JSB 18.1 pellets, which are what I plan to use currently. Unless things change, I will leave the muzzle weight in the factory set position, which is with one o-ring between weight and sleeve.

Pellet fit has been fine with JSB 5.52 size pellets. They slide in nicely until they hit the rifling, which leaves them a little below flush. Apparently to make sure even long/heavy pellets will still fit. There has been no tendency for them to drop out, even with the rifle vertical.

A question for you: Can I eliminate the excess first stage travel by replacing that forward adjustment screw with a longer one having the same size thread?

Regarding the trigger, I replace both of the T06 adjustment screws with the screws from a TX200 trigger. They are an exact fit and give you more adjustability. You can also drill and tap for an adjustable stop screw that fits on the little tab in front of the trigger, but that's not necessary. I am testing a D54 right now and the TX200 screws gave me the feel I was looking for.

The muzzle weight tuning is an interesting process and will yield the best groups with a little patience. I have found that there will be patterns to the best groups. For instance, you may find the best groups with 0, 3, 6, and 9 O-rings and out of those settings 0 or 3 may have resulted in the best group overall. You will see the stringing that you referred to. I have seen both horizontal and vertical in between the tightest groupings.

Sled tuning and stock screw torque are also key to getting the most from this rifle.


A few things to be aware of that will have a negative impact on accuracy;

1) Rear sled adjustment screw moving due to vibration. I have a method for applying loctite when I get things where I want them

2) Inner sleeve working loose beneath the outer barrel shroud and shifting back under the rear barrel guide

3) Outer barrel shroud having some slop between receiver and the muzzle weight

4) Binding in the sled movement. I have one D56 that remains smooth when torquing the stock screws, while the other begins to bind a little bit as screws are torqued. I made shim washers that I place on top of the OEM sled washers. I simply add and move them around front to back until I find out where they are needed and how much is needed in order to keep the sled level and bind free when stock screws are torqued.

Another thing that can give erratic accuracy on springers is running the scopes too far from optical/mechanical center. As you are aware, the 54's can have some droop. I have tweaked the barrels on all of mine. Easy to do and gets you back on track to zeroing your POI to within a reasonable range of optical center. I am running accurized ZR mounts from Hector Medina on my 56's and they work great. I set the scope at mechanical center and then tweak the barrel as closely as possible to my desired POI, ideally within an inch at say 30 yards. Then a handful of clicks to finish things off. I have done many tests to show the changes in group size as scopes are dialed away from optical/mechanical center. It is eye opening. This is not specific to the 54/56, as there are many rifles with the droop. One of my TX's was equally as far off, and I ended up indexing the barrel within the action to get it closer.

You're off to a good start for sure. Hopefully you will find some of this information helpful should you ever want to do some additional tuning. Fun rifles, but they require time and patience to get the most out of them. My non-sled rifles were much easier to tune and get set up, but I do like the challenge of the 54/56 platform.

Steve