New 340 N-Tec

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MarkChambers

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May 14, 2017
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MI
So this post will go as both an intro and info and a couple of questions.

Been reading here for a couple of weeks getting a free education so to speak and finding the place very interesting and helpful. I have a safe full of center fire and rim fire rifles and pistols but only one air gun--a mid 1980s RWS model 45 in 177. My oldest son, who thinks what's mine is his, commandeered it a few years ago and uses it for plinking with his boys and for chipmunk control. I've got a 5th wheel that I leave on Lake Leelanau year round which I opened up for the season a few weekends ago. And over this past winter a red squirrel decided to make it his home. He left his droppings all over the inside and in the trunk underneath he left a bed of shredded pine cones about 2" thick. I know it was a red squirrel because on opening I heard it scrambling through the AC ducts and out the unit on the roof. He then sat in a tree barking at me while we went about our business. I decided the old RWS would be just the thing to fix the problem. But there was another problem. Evidently Kalamazoo is experiencing a chipmunk invasion just a bit less severe than the zombie apocalypse and besides, according to my son, I gave the rifle to him. Right! But every problem is an opportunity and you can see how I handled the dilemma by the title of this thread.

I spent the last couple of weeks reading here and going through the various online dealer sites familiarizing myself with the all the latest stuff. This morning I got on the phone with AOA and bought the 340 N-Tec Luxus with a RWS droop mount and Nikon 3-9 scope. If the rifle looks as nice in person as it does in the pictures I'll be happy. I was pretty much decided on the rifle and the zoom range of the optic but let AOA influence me on the scope brand and mount. I'm sure the scope will be fine as I doubt I will ever go out past 40 yards with it. But I must say the mount looks like something from the dime store. I have a safe full of Near, Spuhr and Seekins and am having trouble with the idea that something that costs $30 provides a decent platform for an optic. So does anyone have experience with these and are there suggestions for a product that might be superior?

Second how about ammo? On the suggestion of AOA I got some RWS Meister22 and some H&N FTT 22s to start. Are there any suggestions for the 340? I do know that every gun has its quirks but there are usually a few that work well across the board. Any suggestions?

Third that old 45 could probably use a rebuild. Any suggestions on where to go for parts for the old girl?

I need to give Kudos to AOA. They were very helpful and patient spending a long time listening to me yak and answering my questions.

Finally glad to have found this forum. It's a wealth of great information.

Mark from Michigan.
 
This is a rewrite of a post I made some while ago.

Basic Springer Primer

Cleaning: Springers sometimes benefit from a good barrel scrubbing when they arrive from the vendor. Often the barrel needs scrubbing to remove machining lubricants.

Screws: The shot cycle is violent and quite often the screws on the gun will loosen up, especially on a new gun. Taker her down, clean her up real good. Tighten up all the screws and put a dab of blue lok-tite on them. Don’t strip them putting them back, just snug them down good and trust the lok-tite to do it’s job. Leave the gun overnight to let the lok-tite set.

Lubricants: Mind you avoid lubes and solvents which could cause detonation if they get into the compression chamber. This is also called dieseling. 

Scopes: on springers take a beating. If your entry level gun came with a cheap scope, it will probably be ok but monitor the scope’s performance.

Pellets: are a big deal when shooting springers. Spring guns are often picky about what pellet they will shoot accurately. If you can afford it, get a pellet sampler and take the time to figure out which pellets in the sampler the gun prefers. That will usually give you an idea as to what pellet weights the gun prefers. I have had exceptional luck sorting pellets by head diameter. Most spring guns will benefit from that. It is not unusual for a preferred pellet with the right head diameter to shoot into groups 1/4 of the size of the groups from pellets the gun doesn't like.

Pellet skirts: Crossman Premier is a thick skirted hard lead pellet. They shoot well in a lot of guns. Some pellets that might shoot well in your gun will have soft skirts, prone to damage, examine pellet skirts for damage before shooting. A bent skirt, even slightly bent will open up your group significantly. 

The artillery hold: for now shoot the rifle with the center of gravity sitting on a soft pillow and hold the rifle only as tightly as necessary to maintain a good sight picture. Once you master that, try to accomplish the same thing without the pillow. It will come quickly enough. The most important thing to remember about spring air rifles and accuracy is that the piston bottoms out before the pellet leaves the muzzle. This means that anything which causes the rifle to recoil differently, anything at all, will move the point of impact.

Accuracy in general with springers: There are a lot more people who think their favorite springer will shoot pellet on pellet at 25 yards than there are guns which will do it. Mind you I did not say that there were not any gun/pellet/shooter combinations who can do it. There are enough who can, to make most of us jealous now and then. If your springer/pellet combination will consistently shoot under one mil (3.4 minutes) from a rest, it is doing good enough for the hunting line up. That equates to 7/8″ groups CtC at 25 yards. There are some middle and low power sporters (10 – 14 fpe) that can consistently shoot in the 2.5 moa (5/8″ @ 25 yds) range. There are some low power high quality guns (5 – 10 fpe) that can consistently shoot under 2 moa (1/2″ @ 25 yds) or even better. These are not hard fast rules, just guestimations which should help you evaluate how well your shooting with your kit. If you get your hands on a magnum springer that consistently groups under 2 MOA, hold on to it. It's a rare prize.

Wind: even a little wind can make a big difference with pellets. I read somewhere else that if you scale the ballistics of an air rifle up to compare with a service rifle shooting a thousand yards, it compares fairly closely in range estimation requirements and drop estimation requirements but it is about two and a half times as hard for the air gunner to dope the wind correctly.



 
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Some good info, thanks. I would not have considered the dieseling effect of solvents, especially (I assume) those that are petroleum based. That was one of those duh! moments. I would have pulled a patch through with one that I have on the bench without even thinking about it. Do you have a preferred cleaner you use?

I only like accurate rifles. I haven't a rifle in the safe that won't shoot under 1 MOA and a few that are under 1/2. If after getting the pellets sorted out and finding the right hold I can't get this springer to shoot around 1/2 inch at 25 yards while at the bench I'll get a different one. I hope that doesn't happen because I really like the looks of the gun. We'll find out. Should be here toward the middle or end of next week.

Wind I know about all too well. Shooting a 22 out to 300 and 400 yards is great practice for 1000 yard or greater center fire shots. Harder if there is any wind at all since they're no longer supersonic out that far. I think this is going to fun. Don't know why I waited this long to try it.

Thanks again for the advice.
 
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These have a great reputation, however I can't tell you firsthand that they are any better than the one you ordered: http://www.airgunsofarizona.com/scope-mounts/sportsmatch-hop19c-1-pc-1-inch-high-scope-mount-with-0.75mm-droop-compensation/

IIRC, there is a Vortek kit that fits the Mod. 45--may be the same as the 34 as I think the 34 is an evolution of the 45 but I'm not 100% on that.

Ammowise, you are on the right track with the H&N FTT's--they come in various head sizes and in my experience this makes a difference. The three Dianas I have owned have had a preference for either 5.52 or 5.53 head sizes.YMMV. The JSB (also sold as Air Arms) pellets are also very good quality. They are limited to 5.52mm head size IIRC. They are made of a soft alloy and take well to skirt flaring. I find these are big squirrel medicine.

Good luck with your new 340. Looking forward to hearing about it once you've had some range time.
 
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well here's the deal. A spring piston has both forward and backward recoil during the shot cycle. This mount zeroes that out. You also aren't achieving nearly the same energy or force as you would with a pb. If you don't trust me contact Hector Medina, former world champion, and expert tuner of diana 54/56th variants, an authorized Styer repair tech, and all around genuine guy. I should also mention that before airguns he was a champion long range shooter of PB's. The guy knows his stuff. This is his website with contact information. You should realy get in touch with him before out right denying the use of a mount that will keep your scope from disintegrating. http://www.ctcustomairguns.com/
 
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"John_in_Ma"well here's the deal. A spring piston has both forward and backward recoil during the shot cycle. This mount zeroes that out. You also aren't achieving nearly the same energy or force as you would with a pb. If you don't trust me contact Hector Medina, former world champion, and expert tuner of diana 54/56th variants, an authorized Styer repair tech, and all around genuine guy. I should also mention that before airguns he was a champion long range shooter of PB's. The guy knows his stuff. This is his website with contact information. You should realy get in touch with him before out right denying the use of a mount that will keep your scope from disintegrating. http://www.ctcustomairguns.com/
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OK for 60 bucks they're worth a try. However I read some reviews and there is a problem with some scopes. The ring is very low and does not provide clearance for the center bell on some optics. When it is tightened down it binds the mount and it won't travel. Some shimming is required. But I have a set of Larue 30mm to 1" reducers so I ordered a 30mm mount and will use the shims. That should solve the clearance problem. We'll see.
 
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Well it finally made it here. Nice rifle and while the walnut stock is a pretty nice piece of wood it is absolutely raw. Dry as a bone. I rubbed in 3 coats of orange oil/carnuba wax and it soaked it up like a sponge. It brought out the grain and its starting to take on a bit of a sheen but it will take that a few more times before I get it where I want it.

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Arrived home after a five hour drive back from the lake to find it on the porch. Took it out and shot it in less than great conditions. Wind was a steady 14mph with gusts to 28 coming from around 4 o'clock. I was tired so I filled a milk bottle half full so it wouldn't tip over, drew a makeshift bulls eye on and set it out 60 feet from the deck. Off hand in the wind was brutal so I sat and rested the barrel on the back of a plastic deck chair.
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The ones all over the map were offhand. I will have to spend some time zeroing the scope as it s shooting high and to the right in spite of the wind blowing right to left. That group outside the bulls eye upper right is where they went when I put the cross hairs in the black. The group under the dime--6 pellets I think--is when I aimed under and left. I am extremely happy with the results. I can't wait to get it set up on the bench on a calm day.

Oh yeah, I was shooting H&N FTTs in 14 gr. 5.5 head.
 
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Mine likes JSB Exact, but it took about two tins for the rifle to settle down. Screws is most definitely the biggest issue with this powerhouse. Even loctite comes loose after a while, so my advice is to check those screws each time you shot the rifle in the beginning. The barrel weight in particular. I saw groups opening up inches because the rear screw came out completely.

I also took it apart, removed factory grease, polished the internals down to 2000 grit, and used a tiny bit of graphite powder on the piston. I was amazed to see that the rifle shot about 100 fps faster after that!
 
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Jonnes thanks for the info. I do have a tin each of the 15 and 18 grain JSB to try. I'll drop some blue Loctite on the screws. I saw a picture of the rifle disassembled at the Dianawerk blog and it appears to be relatively simple. I don't have a compressor yet but plan on remedying that pretty soon.

Was there any finish on your stock? Mine appears to be raw wood. Just cut, sanded and assembled. No protection at all. I've already started to work on that.
 
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Put another 50 or 60 through it this eve. JSB 15gr was all over the map. Then went to H&N FTT. Shot the 14.66gr in 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5 head sizes. Amazing how different they shot. 5.3 shot high and to the right. 5.4 shot closer to the point of aim horizontally though higher still. The 5.5 was within the bulls eye horizontally and a quarter to half inch above. A few clicks on the turret and I was in the black----mostly. Still have four or five different types to test but so far the 14gr FTT w/5.5 head is the best. I need to get it on the bench and take as much user error out as possible. Maybe Saturday.
 
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"MarkChambers"Put another 50 or 60 through it this eve. JSB 15gr was all over the map. Then went to H&N FTT. Shot the 14.66gr in 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5 head sizes. Amazing how different they shot. 5.3 shot high and to the right. 5.4 shot closer to the point of aim horizontally though higher still. The 5.5 was within the bulls eye horizontally and a quarter to half inch above. A few clicks on the turret and I was in the black----mostly. Still have four or five different types to test but so far the 14gr FTT w/5.5 head is the best. I need to get it on the bench and take as much user error out as possible. Maybe Saturday.
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Thank you for giving me an idea. I've been testing groups after sorting by head size and was confused with the data... until just now. Thanks!
 
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