Diana 56TH. Scoped.
Printed From: Kiwi Airgunners
Category: Technical
Forum Name: Reviews
Forum Description: Rate your airgun or pellets here
URL: www.kiwiairgunners.co.nz/forum_posts.asp?TID=986
Printed Date: 23 Nov 2024 at 12:28am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.14 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Diana 56TH. Scoped.
Posted By: RangerPete
Subject: Diana 56TH. Scoped.
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2024 at 7:50pm
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This is going to be a review of my "new to me" Diana 56TH. She is a 2015 model, chambered in .22cal. The TH does not actually stand for thumbhole, even though she has a lovely, very comfortable thumbhole stock. It actually stands for Target Hunter. I'm not sure if that means its good for hunting targets, or that it can be used for hunting and target work...? My 54 has the T01 trigger (its 28 years old). My 56 has the T06 trigger. I'll post a pic of the two of them side by side. The 56 has the same sliding action that the 54 has, and I believe the internals are exactly the same. The differences are all external. The 54 comes with a traditional sporter style stock, the 56 has a thumbhole, with a beautiful "Diana" lazer cut into the wood under the stock right about where the ballance point is and where you would want to rest it on a sand bag. The 54 has open sights and an 11mm dovetail rail, the 56 has no open sights, just an 11mm dovetail rail. The 56 has a what looks like a sliencer on the end of the barrel, but I'm told it is not a silencer, it is a "tuenable" weight that just looks big and fancy like a silencer. They are both built like tanks and weigh a ton! I had a bit of time so I mounted a gamo recoli reducing rail, more just to give a bit of height to the scope than anything else, but hey you never know. Put on a 3-9 Nikon scope and zeored her at 30m using JSB exact 15.89gr pellets. I wanted to mount a nice Hawke 8-34, but the Hawke is too long and covers the loading port, so I had to find a shorter scope. I'll see how this one goes, but might change it in the future. Zeored at 30m I took her out for quick hunt the other afternoon, and she shoots nicely  Need to spend come more time with her, do some pellet testing and chrono work. Looking forward to getting to know her better! ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Replies:
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2024 at 7:54pm
     ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2024 at 7:56pm
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Oh, and I've named her. I believe all good things should have names, so as the biggest, prettiest and most prestigious of all the Dianas, I've named her Lady Di. ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: Myson
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2024 at 5:53am
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Love your choice of air rifles Pete!!! Great guns! What are your group sizes at 30yds or so? Have you already identified the best pellet for your barrel? What Muzzle Velocity do you have? Although they are heavy, a good fence-post rest or similar, cancels that problem eh? Thanks for the info... ------------- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE Air Arms S510 US .22 Air Arms S410 .22 Weihrauch HW97KT .177 Weihrauch HW95 .177 |
Posted By: Billbobnz
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2024 at 8:41pm
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You will probably want to hunt me down and give me a wacking.... But I've always wanted to turn one of those into a bullpup!! Now I better run.... Haha Flipping nice guns |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2024 at 5:23pm
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Myson… hopefully next week I’ll get to spend some time with her, and a chronograph. But just to get her shooting I went stright to my go to pellet, JSB exact, which in .22cal weighs 15.89gr. She seems to like it 😂. Further testing to follow. Billbob… luckily I have a soft spot for bullpups, but it would be such a pity to waste that gorgeous thumbhole stock! ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: Billbobnz
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2024 at 5:26pm
| Yes 100% I have been waiting for a Chinese BAM copy to come up down here that I can use |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2024 at 6:20pm
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Lovely looking guns. I did try a 56 th a few years ago, but didn't gel with it, and owned a BAM copy, which I liked, but I just preferred my 97K, and sold it. Ultimately I probably didn't spend enough time with them. And one must spend time with ones springer for the best of results.
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Posted By: jwabfrog
Date Posted: 27 Mar 2024 at 8:45am
| I had a 56TH and it had PCP like accuracy, very heavy but very cool! |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 27 Mar 2024 at 11:03am
@ Jwabfrog... look familiar?  ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: Robo9
Date Posted: 01 May 2024 at 4:18pm
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Hi I've just joined and shoot a 56TH and a blue laminate 97, The 56 is my pro gun for rabbits and hares, it's heavily tuned. Please contact me if you want any tuning advice on the 56. I'm in Nelson |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 01 May 2024 at 4:35pm
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Hi Robo9, Welcome aboard the forum. Please share lots of photos, we all enjoy seeing what you're shooting and seeing what you're shooting.
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Posted By: Declan
Date Posted: 02 May 2024 at 12:02pm
| Welcome Robo9. You’ve joined a great forum with awesome members. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 05 May 2024 at 12:21am
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Tried to mount a scope onto Lady Di yesterday. Trying out some adjustable height, one piece mounts. They seem to work well. Took her to the range today to try get her Zeored. JSB exact 15.89gr pellets at 30m, best group was 3 shots, 1 hole, and then a fairy tight 5 shot group. I’m happy with that for now. Need to spend a lot more time with her. Something to look forward to 😉   ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: Myson
Date Posted: 05 May 2024 at 6:53am
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Great group at 30m Pete! Approximately, how many pellets have gone through the barrel? And have you ever cleaned the barrel? It's looking like a "keeper" for sure!  ------------- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE Air Arms S510 US .22 Air Arms S410 .22 Weihrauch HW97KT .177 Weihrauch HW95 .177 |
Posted By: Billbobnz
Date Posted: 05 May 2024 at 10:45am
| Haha Pete I love the name for your rifle. Was duck shooting yesterday using a friends "Russian Mistress"..... |
Posted By: mercs
Date Posted: 05 May 2024 at 10:53am
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From a new setup thats very nice 30 metre group. Nice looking rifle. I note what might be a gamo rail used as a riser, knew they had to be good for something. Beautiful day with a bit of time working up a new air rifle, has to be good for the soul. Are the Exact 15.89's available again or already on hand?
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Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 05 May 2024 at 4:32pm
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Myson- I bought it second hand, so I unfortunately don’t know her full history. I’ve put about 100 pellets through her so far. Billbob— Russian mistress 😂😂😂 During the many years I was a trails guide in Big 5 country, my wife used to call my .458Lott my “other wife” because she was with me 24/7 for days/weeks on end while out on trail 😂 Mercs - correct, a gamo “recoil reducing rail”…hummm 🤔. I needed a few more mm height, so it was selected for the honor of residing on Lady Di 😂 I’ve got a few tins of Exact in my pellet collection. ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2024 at 9:21pm
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Finally managed to get some pellets through Lady Di and over a chrono in between showers of rain the last few days... Tested 5 pellets: H&N FTT 14.66gr - ave 808.6fps, ES 15.4, SD 4.9, for 21.3FPE. JSB Exact 15.89gr - ave 758.3, ES 22.4, SD 9.3, for 20.3FPE. JSB Hades 15.89gr - ave 775fps, ES 7.1, SD 3.0, for 21.2 FPE. H&N Hunter (Guncity rabbiter) 18.2gr - ave 686.5fps, ES 12.8, SD 4.1, for 19FPE. H&N Baracuda 21.14gr, ave 600fps, ES 11.5, SD 4.7, for 16.9FPE I was quite surprised that my favourite go to pellet, the JSB Exact, was actually the worst performer!!! The best seems to be the JSB Hades. But these are just chrono figures, the proof of the pudding will be some holes in paper at 30yards... What I have noticed is she is sounding a little twangy, but I defiantly don't know enough or have the experiance to open her up and start playing around with things, so I'll just have to live with her like this for now till someone with more knowledge and experiance then me can help me out. More to follow. ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: RangerPete
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2024 at 9:25pm
 ------------- Walk quietly, but carry a big stick. |
Posted By: Pauly5
Date Posted: 23 Jul 2024 at 9:33am
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Nice Pete. My experience swapping between H&N and any other softer leaded pellet is that the harder H&N lead can effect what is used after it. I read an article where it was proven that the barrel needed cleaning after H&N if you were swapping pellets. So Maybe if, as your list says, you used JSB after them, the JSB could be better but were effected by the harder lead. Just a thought, but I had noticed a few years ago the definite change in the H&N pellets when they got harder.
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