Scope recommendation for pre-EMS Diana 34 in .177cal.

This Hawke scope has withstood about 2K/3K shots on my HW95L and is excellent. https://us.hawkeoptics.com/airmax-30-sf-compact-4-16x44-amx-ir.html

There are scopes that "rate" springer recoil but in the D34 category you either have to spend a lot on a "lasting" scope or spend around 70 dollars for a ZR mount and rings.

Right now I am thinking about scoping an HW35E .22 Silver/Walnut with a scope because the thing is more accurate with a scope.

The recoil of the 8 point four pound rifle with locked barrel is still there to mess up pinned or staked sights I tried using on the other HW35E Blue/Walnut I bought years and years ago.

The end result is use a scope that can withstand the recoil of a springer such as the D34. You only need to look at velocity and how fast your rifle is performing according to statistical charts with chronographs and pellet choices.

The D34 is a real springer with accuracy and velocity in whatever caliber and I assure you in time a "rated" or "unrated" advertised scope WILL BREAK in time.

The ONLY solution is to install anti recoil rails on your scope in the design of the D54 already on rails AND NEEDING recoilless mounts itself to preserve the scope!

Recoil in "lesser powered" rifles is truly there to mess up the highest priced scope you can afford; and if the scope is guaranteed in case "it breaks" the warranty it will be replaced may not satisfy you until you shoot that second replacement scope wondering when it will break and then if a warranty gives you ANOTHER FREE TRY to "stick to them" as "faithful and loyal and noble scope makers".

Try that for size. 

I tried to restrain myself in writing this because you won't believe what horse feathers I've encountered around rifles and scopes and mounts. 

Kindly,

John

What's your budget? What will be the D34s primary purpose? Gotta know before I recommend.

I decided to advantage of this sale: https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1828970 and buy a Diana 34 in .177 cal. It comes with sights, but when I get to the point of mounting a scope on it, what would the good people here recommend? I have been looking at Hawke Airmax and Hawke Vantage scopes (2-7 variable mag) and tried to find a Wiehrauch or other "springer rated" scope. I have a cheap Centerpoint 4x32 scope that came with a cheap Crosman NP-4 rifle, so I may use that for a bit, but being a packaged scope, it isn't very good.



I understand that springers have a reputation for wrecking scopes, and I don't want to dump a ton of money into a "fun plinker."



Thank you to everyone in advance for your advice.

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That's a good price for that rifle. For general purposes the UTG 3x12x44 SWAT is a good call. There are more expensive options but if you are price sensitive that's about as low as I would go. I've had three or four UTGs and they generally have held up well for me.

The Diana ZR Mount and Rings has adjustments for centering the bore.

If the Diana ZR Mount doesn't fit properly over your bored D34 .177 guess who will fix THAT!

Diana!

I've had the below UTG scope on two M34's and a Sig Sauer ASP20 with zero issues. Great scope for the money. I paid $63 for mine on Amazon a few years ago. There in the $100 range now. Kind of large and heavy. The cross hairs are a little thick but that aided in it's survival on the rifles I mentioned.



https://www.ebay.com/itm/UTG-3-9X40-1-Hunter-Scope-AO-36-color-Mil-dot-SCP-U394AOIEW/223138643012?epid=1909873462&hash=item33f4197c44:g:AosAAOSwG9Zblc3w&pageci=6e568163-03b3-4f3f-bf11-7c8819413c6a&redirect=mobile

 "Do you think that the etched reticle options would stand a better chance against breakage, or is it the internal mechanisms and gearing that fails?"

For a etched reticle I'd say internal mechanisms and gearing. Your not going to break the reticle on the UTG. Even at that, the UTG reticle isn't that heavy for me.

Breaking a scope is easy on an air rifle as strong or "light" as an HW35.

I know this. 

I have my own two UTG air rifle scopes upon light recoiling rifles like the Savage 14 .250-3000 (the BIG UTG is on that one) and the "Bugbuster" is sitting on top of a .17 Hornet by CZ (527).

They are HEAVY HUGE and unnecessary on top of any air rifle unless you are a weight lifter and can run a marathon to carry THAT scope into THE FIELD.

If you are a "sitting" shooter who places in place and waits for game or whatever the scope may be useful but not as useful as a better scope.

I would not trust UTG on ANY springer; but I trust it on my .250 Savage and .17 Hornet: Which have NO recoil compared to what an R7 has!

Breaking a scope is easy on an air rifle as strong or "light" as an HW35.

I know this. 

I have my own two UTG air rifle scopes upon light recoiling rifles like the Savage 14 .250-3000 (the BIG UTG is on that one) and the "Bugbuster" is sitting on top of a .17 Hornet by CZ (527).

They are HEAVY HUGE and unnecessary on top of any air rifle unless you are a weight lifter and can run a marathon to carry THAT scope into THE FIELD.

If you are a "sitting" shooter who places in place and waits for game or whatever the scope may be useful but not as useful as a better scope.

I would not trust UTG on ANY springer; but I trust it on my .250 Savage and .17 Hornet: Which have NO recoil compared to what an R7 has!

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Opinions are like.....Well ! You know the saying ? The R7 snap isn't anything like a magnum springer and cases of UTG scopes surving a magnum springer are many ! My case included. I understand the difference between powder burner and springer airgun recoil but my UTG will survive on any R7. An 8ft lb air rifle!!

I've got a Hawke Airmax 4-12x40 on my Diana 36. Its mounted on a UTG drooper rail for a Diana T05 variant with low Hawke rings. Its seen several thousand rounds with no problems. I paid $219 for it a few years back and liked it so much, I got a second one for my Marauder. I like that its clear, light in weight and holds zero. 

I also have a UTG 3-12x40 that is mounted in a Sportmatch one piece adjustable mount. Its seen several thousand rounds on another Diana 36. It is heavier and has a thicker reticle. But, again, no problems and holds zero. 

I have a 2 other Diana's and they all require a droop corrective mount for the optics. 

I've got a Hawke Airmax 4-12x40 on my Diana 36. Its mounted on a UTG drooper rail for a Diana T05 variant with low Hawke rings. Its seen several thousand rounds with no problems. I paid $219 for it a few years back and liked it so much, I got a second one for my Marauder. I like that its clear, light in weight and holds zero. 

I also have a UTG 3-12x40 that is mounted in a Sportmatch one piece adjustable mount. Its seen several thousand rounds on another Diana 36. It is heavier and has a thicker reticle. But, again, no problems and holds zero. 

I have a 2 other Diana's and they all require a droop corrective mount for the optics.

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What he said. It’s a great scope for under $250. I have (2) of them and they have been on everything from 12fpe to magnum springers and haven’t had any problems. Probably 10,000 ish rounds each. 

I had a Hawke Airmax 3-9X40mm AO on a Sig ASP20 and after a few days it wouldn't hold zero. Hawke has excellent warranty backing and they sent me a new one free of any charge. Was it defective or did the Sig kill it? Who knows ?? I ended up selling the replacement scope without ever using it. I get it though ! Stuff happens, and problems can arise with any scope.

Folks,

Thank you again for the suggestions. My apologies up front if I wasn't clear, but the rifle I purchased is a ~14.7 ft/lb rifle, not the sub 12 ft/lb version. I'd like to keep my scope budget under $250, but maybe that won't be completely possible. When I'm ready, I will probably start with my cheap (came with another rifle) Center Point 4x32 to try and determine if there is any barrel droop. If there isn't much, I will probably go with a Diana Zero Recoil mount for whatever scope I decide on. If I have to compensate for what seems like a lot of barrel droop, then I might have to use something like the BKL adjustable one-piece mount instead.

It sounds like if I want the best chance of the rifle not destroying the scope, I am probably looking at something like the $400 range like the Hawke above, or an Element Helix. I'm not too keen on spending more than the rifle for the scope, but if the rifle manages to break one $200 scope, and I buy another, then I'm already at $400. I may try one of the UTG scopes I already have and see how that works out (already own it, it's not my favorite one anyway, so I'm less likely to "cry" if it gets broken).

I really do appreciate the discussion. As always, it helps to get informed observations from folks that have a scoped R7/Diana 34 or similar rifle.

Cheers,

Bill

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I have scoped R7s in .177 and .22 (HW30s) and there are .20 R7s out there I haven't shot but wished I had in my rack!

Okay with an HW30 or R7 your scope will last longer than on an HW35E or HW50 and those will allow the scope to live longer and the R9 and HW95 will make them live shorter lives and by this time the problem with springers and scoping them needs proper addressing from "Light" recoil to "High" recoil.

So you can run a jeep over a UTG and it still works but you could substitute Weaver or Bushnell or Burris or Leupold or Schmidt Bender, Docter, Kahles, Swarovsky, or Zeiss and have the SAME durability without all the excess weight UTGs have in unused GLASS background called Field of View around the intersecting crosswires whether "front" or "back" focal plane with etching or no etching or wire et al to ad infinitum.

A D34 is a POWERFULL and ACCURATE air springer rifle that has been around almost since the days you weren't born yet. It NEEDS a reliable scope with clear vision and field of view completely to the outside diameter of the objective lens that should be around 36 to 44 millimeters in Objective Lens Diameter. Compare the Objective Lens Diameter with the Field of View and then you will know when you have a "proper" glass lensed (or plastic lensed) scope.

In UTG you carry an outside diameter way over the actual ACTUAL focal diameter--They shove extra glass grounded at the center "perfectly" with nice mil dots and dashes--but the lense itself is a HUGE lens ensconced inside a STEEL tube that is at least 65% useless in the circular peripheral glass "field of view."

There is a specialist I know in D54 modifications to .20 LW barrels instead of the regular .177 and .22 of the product line.

He'd most likely steer you into another lesson in Physics that he is a doctor of.

Me? I just bought a couple of years ago one of his custom made .20 LW Barrelled D54s with 2nd Generation Diana Zero Recoil Mounts and Rings with a cheap Traditions made in China Black Powder Rifle Scope centered professionally above the bore.

This cheap Traditions 3X-10X scope is made in China and no longer available (I wonder why....) but the CLARITY and scope of this riflescope are as good as Swarovski when I focus from 25 to 105 yards. There are horizontal slashes to compensate for elevation with THIS type of scope upon the famous D54.