Diana 48 pellets

Glenroiland

Yup.  When I chrony it, I'm usually getting around 15 FPE with all pellets.  Ill havr to look at my results again because i think 1 pellet gave me near 17 FPE with a smaller extreme spread and more consistent FPS.  When I had tested that pellet early on, it didnt shoot as accurately as the 21.14 grain on targets.  It was the H&N field target 5.53 14.66 grain.  Not that I'm dissatisfied, but I was hoping to be around 5 FPE "stronger".  I love how it groups, so my plan is to inspect the spring sometime very soon (when my spring lube arrives).  If the spring appears to be in good shape, I'll lube it and leave it, and replace it when it dies on me.  If there's a spring issue at all (which would surprise me as the shot cycle is so smooth--even though I know plenty of people who have had broken springs with no other symptoms than decreased power-but I will still be surprised nonetheless), then I'll replace it.  

A lighter pellet will give higher ftlbs to a point of diminishing returns. There’s a balance you must find.

Maybe I missed it but what head size is your 21.14? Kodiak or Baracuda or Baracuda Match 5.50-5.55? I’d try all but depending on TO1,5,6 they like different head sizes. I wish my R1 would shoot anything like 5.52 RWS Superdomes and sized 5.52 18.13’s

I’ve had a lot of spring guns and loved a lot but my TX200’s shot most everything very well. Short good barrel helps which is why I cut my El Gamo 300 to 11” and hand crowned with Swiss files perfectly. John still hasn’t choked it but when a 6-7ftlb gun can put almost anything in 7-8.44 range under a dime at 38 yards, do I really need to?

Springers aren’t dead. In fact I believe if a “Kid” is gonna get an airgun with today’s capabilities in PCP’s, maybe there should be a spring gun mastering/hunter safety course as WE know pellets need to be even more precise than we are in Archery. Worst thing is wounded Game animal. I make exceptions for Chicken killing Coyotes. I’ll be whacking them any which way I can if I can’t call them within 75 yards and have my .22 slugs to .257 or eventually .357 RAW. I still won’t sell my spring guns to buy some PCP’s I want, and I have a $3200+$250 shipping 5K compressor in basement. Maybe that should have been banked for lathe, mill, instrumentation & tooling as I really don’t use it. In fact I’m buying up any good used Hill MKII-III & spring guns I can.

..........             
.22 Caliber Pellets   from a diana model 48 / 52 magnum side lever air rifle  ::

                     ............... hey , greenroilland , either your mainspring has weakened (shooting heavy pellets doesnt help) , or your breech seal which is inside the silver cylinder that comes and seals behind where you load the pellet is not good - or your sidelever isnt adjusted just right to snug it up there , or bad piston seal....   those links to straight shooters , you have to click the " our take " tab under each gun...   2006 was over ten years ago..  if you dont taunt the mainspring by using too heavy of pellet (and you'll feel the stress in the shot cycle) , and dont leave the gun cocked , or dont dry fire it , or mess it up with strange lubes - diana internals are usually good for 8000-10000 shots and sometimes more...   these model 48 / 52 / 56 magnum sidelevers generally average 840-860 fps with 14.3 grainers.....ive had the .20 cal model 48's pass thru cottontails so fast that neither rabbit or myself knew if it been shot...   i would highly recommend a new breech seal (which is a hard plastic disc, not a soft rubber oring like breakbarels have) , a new mainspring (titan xs , macarri power spring , a new r1 spring makes a beast out of these diana sidelevers , but too much cocking force will break that little u-joint part that screws into that silver cylinder which is actually the air chamber housing the piston seal - and that damn part is over $50...there's stories of guys poaching deer with an r1 spring inside their .22 diana 48/52) ..  i cant remember if i used a vortek kit in a diana mag side lever , but i did use tom's pro-vac 25 piston seals which were hot in 2010 - and i used and still use tom gore's breech seals for these guns...  the piston seal added 40 fps to my .20 cal model 48/52 ..  rich in mich put a choked l.walther barrel onto a beater .177 d48 i got in a trade with caro , a rancher down in south texas....     thee arent that hard to rebuild if you have a good spring compressor , and pay attention to the side lever and not to forget about how that adjustable cocking rod came out , so you can put it back with minimal troubles , the cocking arm comes off entirely and remove that anti-bear trap thing from under the gun....   that .20 l.walther d48 with a model 52 stock shot horribly until i got the new breech seal and got that cocking rod properly adjusted to seat and seal behind the pellet ( loss of 100+ fps there)...  once i got everything right - it was the BEST airgun platform i have ever had for 5mm...  dime-size groups at 60 yard on a good day with 13.7 grain jsb's - avg 870 fps ... and with the .20 caliber h&n ftt pellets - 930 fps.......it broke my little orange metal silohettes that came with that crosman pellet trap thing from walmart back then...and that chicken was hanging from a tree at 65+ yards (i can still hear that " SMACK ! " ).....   then a guy in ny state traded me a really nice factory-made .20 diana 48 for a brand new turkish patriot - couldnt believe it !!   i had been putting want ads for months - finally sent one to rich in mich to just "make my own" , then this popped up (diana made a few .20 cal model 36's and some .20 diana model 45's , also - but that was it for .20 caliber...unless special bulk order was arranged - and i heard that was costly...   here's a link to those .20 cal diana mag side levers...5mm does some really magical shit from one of these fixed-barrel mags...    here's a link  :          https://raneair.webs.com/20diana48.htm                    ...                   if i can help in any way , just p.m. me , ok ?  - paul.

I have a D48 and D54 in 22 cal and both shoot crosman ultra magnum dome pellets as well or better than JSBs. I usually shoot mine at 35 yards in my backyard, but I have shot it out to 55 yards and get great results. I can almost match accuracy of most of my PCPs at this distance