Hector's Airgun Blog

The peculiar story of a "twice abandoned" D52

5/26/2026

A gun can tell a story . . .

IF you "listen".

Sometimes the stories are fun, and good, and even glorious.

Sometimes they are sad.

This one is one of the latter, but I hope it will have a good ending.

So, let's get started:

Back in May of 1993 a gun was made at the old "DIANAWERKE" factory in Rastatt:

The action was one with the "shared model designation" ones. It could be mounted in a simpler stock, or it could be mounted in an elegant, slender and checkered stock of slightly longer length of pull and montecarlo cheek riser.
One of the first "nods" from the industry to the increase usage of riflescopes in airguns.
Also, a continuation of a trend that was caused by a legal change in the German laws that restricted anything above 7.5 Joules (5.5 ft-lbs) to the realm of the "firearms licensed holder" decades ago.

We're talking of the 48/52 models:

The world back then still valued highly the use, and profficiency of use, of the Iron Sights.
Out to 30 meters/yards, the Iron sights are more than adequate. Proper use of the right hold for the target in question (whether paper, or feather/fur), will give usable accuracy and precision.
With practice and dedication, it is not that hard to be VERY accurate out to 50 meters as the, now defunct, "Olympic Free Pistol" discipline showed.
With a clear knowledge of the different "tastes" on both sides of the Atlantic, DIANA decided to offer a user selectable rear notch.
Using a spring loaded plunger to hold the rear sight plate in place, the user can select between two shapes (Square and U) and two sizes (small and large).
In practice, you simply push on the holding plunger from the front, and rotate the leaf till the desired notch is in place.

A steel ball under the graduated elevation bridge gives detectable "clicks" and prevents accidental shifting of the sight's position.

There is no spring in this sight because the whole body is made of steel and the forward "fold" acts like a flat spring.
Do note that the sight is adjustable for elevation and drift.

The front sight is also adjustable. To allow for the wide variance in pellet weights and power levels, the front sight can move forward and backwards along a dovetail ramp:

The front "korn" (grain) is metal and could be filed by the user to different configurations.

Overall, the DIANA 52 provides the shooter with a good platform. Powerful enough for American tastes and some hunting (up to Groundhogs/RockChuck, O'Posssa, Badger, and other animals of similar size), and refined enough for European tastes that dwell a lot more on target shooting at rural / weekend properties:

With a compact scope, it is quite a capable rifle, though modern trends towards large objective lenses and high mounts will make for the need for an additional cheek riser.

So, given all the advantages and the 20-22 ft-lbs power level, unkown up to the release of the 48-52 family, why was the gun abandoned the first time, and when did it happen?

Well a bit of forensics showed that the last time this gun was shot must have been, at least, 35-40 years ago.
How can we know that? Why can we be so sure?

Well, look at this picture:

On the left, the pellet that was recovered from the chamber of the rifle.

In the middle a "push through" pellet and on the right a pellet that was shot into a "soft catch" tube.

The "Flying Ashcan" pellet was discontinued by Crosman around the year 1990, the Premier having been introduced in 1992 and the pellet recovered was not even engraved in the rifling, meaning that somewhere along the cocking/loading/closing cycle, the gun was badly operated and broken.
It is a fairly common occurence that people think of airguns as toys. SO, they cannot be that complicated to operate, ¿right?
Well, no, wrong. If you do not read the manual and do not release the protection DIANA placed so that in the worst case scenario of something failing while you were loading the pellet you would still have both your thumbs, and tried to close the action, the cocking linkage bends.
Yes, you may straighten it, but next time you try to cock, it will break.
That cocking linkage is helping you pull back more than 300# of force. So, yes, once bent, it will break.

This is what caused the first "rejection" the pellet abandoned in the chamber, the gun relegated to a closet for almost 40 years till someone found it and sold it for cheap.

And this is how it arrived to our workshop, with no cocking lever linkage between the cocking lever and the compression chamber.

A fairly simple repair, it was quoted as Labour + cost of parts, and the then owner agreed.
Once done, we had a problem.
The total cost should have been something like $100. Except for the fact that, due to the change in import regulations, a $35 purchase from Germany became a $164 total bill.
And it is NOT about the Tariffs. People insist on this, but this is not what is killing the micro and small businesses that were starting to rely on the importation of PARTS AND COMPONENTS to "MAKE in America", finished goods.
Tariffs amounted only to about $10, the rest of the $129 were fees and more fees from the logistics company.

And THIS is what caused the SECOND rejection.

Instead of crying over spilt milk, I offered to buy the gun "non-functional / for parts", and restore it.

I turned a CCA/Composite guide for the OEM spring, added a tophat, and proceeded to tune it a little.

It proved quite a capable gun:

Easily capable of "minute of squirrel head" out to 30 yards.

It has the scuffs and marks of any gun that is this old. Some of them clearly from simple handling.

It wil be shipped in an edge-reinforced cardboard box with contour cut foam spacers:

I do hope this fine example of German Gunmaking craft will find a good home.

Keep well and shoot straight!

HM

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FTRPA's FT season 2026; Off with a great start

5/19/2026

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Falls Township Rifle and Pistol Association has been hosting FT matches for a long time.
In fairly recent times, the responsibility passed to John Stellwag and he has done a fantastic job juggling two different disciplines in his dutes as head of the "Adult Airgun" scene at FTRPA.

This last 17th of May, saw the first FT match of the 2026 season, and it was a great match.

Not too hard. With some challenges, but eminently "shootable". I would rate the "pucker factor" at around 7/10

I don't have official numbers, but it felt like a TDR of around 26-27, so, not hard.

Still . . . nobody cleaned it. LOL!

There were, IIRC, 16 or 17 entries (between Rifle and Pistol), and we all had a blast.

Winds were very low (though NOT non-existent) and the main challenges were the dappled light spots of the forest canopy, and the heat. Temp in my scope rose to 97° F while in the sun (it only took a couple of minutes), and went down to 86 °F while in the shade and in the cooling breezes of the lake.

I had a great day, as I was finally able to track correctly the temp shift of my scope, I am using a Vector Optics Continental 6-30X56 FFP @ 16X, and it ranges real well. Taking a look at my temp strip just before taking the shot and correcting for that specific temperature gave good results.

But, enough talking! I know that y'all want to see the pictures. So, let's get the show on the road!

As any good match, it all starts with the MANDATORY, Shooters' Safety Meeting:

I was assigned to start at lane 8 (the farthest down the line) because I was shooting "solo".
Yes, it is a bit annoying, but on the other hand, it did allow me the time to get pictures and track the temp. So, good learning opportunity!
As usual, we present the lane and then the detail of the targets:

Do you like my High Tech Shooting Sticks? LOL!

Clearly presented targets well within the alignment requirements.

Now we walk all the way back and look for lane 10, which was the offhand lane:

A detailed look at the targets:

Now, I'm hearing some of you shouting: "You skipped a lane!, You skipped a lane!, You forfeit all your points!"

Hmmm, well, yes, I skipped a lane, BUT under the direct instructions of the MD. Without questioning, without doubt. The MD is there for the welfare of everyone, so his decisions are not to be taken lightly. Sometimes we may not agree with them, but we all need to abide by them.

Once the lane 10 was done (missed 50% of my standers, :-( )

It was time to shoot lane 9:

Beautiful lane on both sides of the tree (nothing BETWEEN the tree, LOL!)

See if you can find the third target. . . .

Hint:
.
.
.
.
Way back to the right! A challenging shot due to the distance, and also because you had to choose your shooting position well.

From there, we went to lane 1:

This is the long lane at FTRPA. It is also the lane where little wind will create havoc because there is a road back there, JUST before the far target.

Can you see thje road? No?
Well, that is sort of the point.
You need to look for small hints of wind back there because the road behaves like a wind-tunnel, channeling a large volume of wind into a smaller opening, speeds can multiply by themselves easily.

After lane 1, we go to lane 2:

This lane is also long-ish, but it is a lane that tests scopes, this is why:

You see that Black Armadillo, with a dark grey KZ, just resting in the shade?
Well, it is a challenge when the day is bright, you are shooting from a bright spot, the target is in the shade, and there is little contrast between faceplate and KZ.
IF you "click" or have a FFP scope, the solution to the lack of resolution between KZ and faceplate is to reduce the magnification; something that even Hunter shooters can do, as long as when they reset the magnification they do not go past the 16X or immediately lower mark in their scopes.
Reducing the magnification should not affect the POI in a goof quality scope, and in a FFP scope, it will not affect the hold-offs.
I didn't have any problems resolving the KZ from the Faceplate, and that is an advantage of ED glass at the objective lens.
To ME, it is a bit annoying that some of the makers of the "top" scopes for FT are still resisiting the idea of using ED/HD/ULD glass for their objectives, but it is what it is. Caveat Emptor and all that.

After lane 2, we go to lane 3:

And, its detail:

Lane 4 presents the aspect that it is the first lane on the LEFT of the "path", and so, it is partially open to the winds from the lake:

The detail:

Lane 5 is again on the RIGHT of the Path:

Be careful not to mix the squirrels in this one!

Lane 6 returns to the LEFT:

That Weasel was a bit of a challenge for some.

Lane 7 is on the right again:

Was the last lane for me:

Shooting the back rabbit was a bit of a challenge because there were various leaves and weeds that needed careful analyses and a careful placement of one's self to avoid obstacles in the pellet's path.

By the time I finished (rather fast, being by my lonesome self), people were still shooting:

All in all, a great day in the forest, with friends and our well loved sport.

Thanks to all that helped setup, takedown, and to all that attended, it makes the sport what it is: a great place full of great People!

Keep well and shoot straight!

HM

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The 2026 MD State FT Championship

5/13/2026

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This year, 2026, marked the 30th Anniversary of the DIFTA (Damascus Izaak Waltton League, Field Target Assocaition) range in operation.
To my knowledge, the oldest FT range in Continious Operation in the US, having started operations in 1996.

Back then the course was simpler, and the shooters were few, here are two pictures from the following year, taken from an old document. I apologize for the quality of the image:

Anybody that has been to DIFTA will recognize the "main path"
And here is another that anyone would recognize:

A trusty HW or perhaps a FWB of the times with a scope, probably a Bushnell Elite AO.

Far from today's equipment, still, we need to reflect on the vision and the accomplishments of the founders, among which were persons that are regarded, today, as foundational personalities in the US airgun scene, like Tom Gaylord, and Jim Maccari

So, 30 years down the road, here we are and we gathered at the DIFTA course for the 2026 MD State Match.
All in all, there were 14 shooters, distributed across Hunter (PCP and Piston), Open (PCP Only) and WFTF (PCP only).
Weather was very agreeable, but challenging due to the shifty winds and sudden calms.
Scores were not high, no information has been released about the layout, so if I had to estimate a TDR for the course, it would be in the 28->30 but it is just an estimation.

I was lucky enough to share the lanes with my friend Toby M. He shot well, me . . . not so much.
The challenges encountered at Atglen surfaced with a vengeance in a more difficult and challenging course.
Match High was a 46/60 (Hunter PCP), and that tells you a lot about the wind conditions.Top WFTF shooter shot a 34 and top Open shot a 39.
DIFTA has the bad habit of assimilating along Divisions, which makes little sense.
There is MUCH more in common between Hunter Piston and WFTF Piston, than between Hunter PCP and Hunter Piston.
Hopefully, the BoG's at AAFTA will soon give more guidance on this.

How did the lanes look?

We started on lane 11, the longer lane in a depresion; so, let's look at them: in the order they were shot.

General view and then detailed view, as always:

Lane 12:

As you can see, Lane 11 is in a depression of the terrain, and lane 12 is on the "left uphil side" of that depression.
The picture also shows that, to the left of the lane, the land opens into pasture/field, allowing the full force of the wind to be felt.
At a certain speeds, the wind not only blows sideways, it start "rolling" over the ridge, with some very peculiar effects on the pellets.
I had my reservations about the near "gopher", so I made a mental note to check on it later.

From there, it's an uphill hike to lane #1:

The second lane of the Match was Lane 3:

Lane 4:

Lane 5 was the Standing lane:

Lane 6:

That little Blue bird in the "Near" position posed a peculiar problem, but more on that later.

Lane 7, with Long Tom at the middle position:

Lane 8:

There was no Lane 9, here is Lane 10, that was the Kneeling lane:

A good Match, with some reserves, but a good match overall.

Somoeone asked in a forum about a picture of the REAR of Long Tom, to replicate the "Heart Attack" target, so here it is:

You can see that there is a LONG paddle that falls on a little "arm", that then pulls the target down.
Target has a stop because otherwise it would not reset well, and the paddle is itself thereset lever, being pulled by the reset string through the faceplate itself.
It's the long distance between the paddle and the little arm what creates the time lag. Just enough to give you a "Heart Attack" thinking you have missed.
Here is another view:

It's a tough target, and it "hides" behind a tree.
Challenging indeed. I've gotten it down a few times, but it wasn't to be this time. Missed it twice.

Now, why was I so bothered by the "near Gopher" in lane 12?

This is why:

A typical, and typically ignored problem, of small KZ's (3/8"s): the concentration of lead after a bunch of people have shot 20 ft-lbs pellets into the same spot. This level of accretion does not correspond to one match, this is a buildup over several.

Here is another look:

Yup!
There is a "buildup" of lead on BOTH sides of the paddle
This connects the paddle to the faceplate in ways that prevent the paddle from falling with less than 20 ft-lbs directly on the paddle.
The slightest contact with the rim of the KZ, and the target refuses to fall.

The other target that called my attention was that little Blue Bird on lane 6, and here is why:

In the dappled light of the forest, when the sun hits the KZ, there are reflections from the bare steel dents that create a "difuse" sight picture, to the point where I could not make out the exact rim of the KZ.
I do not know what is the material that this faceplate is made out of, but clearly it is soft enough that lead pellets create some serious dents and deform the KZ to the point where it is no longer truly "round".

As per AAFTA 2026 Handbook, page 6, Section: "Targets", Subsection: "B", and I quote:

"B. Hit-zones shall be round and shall range from 3/8" to 2" in diameter. No fake hit-zones may appear anywhere on the target."

This target should not have been set in the course.

For whatever it's worth I offered help to repair/maintain these targets a week ago, with no answer, yet.

Bottom line for me was that a new rig/system was in order, too much of a handicap shooting the Mauser with the old AEON.

A quick review of the "Hunter Division" rules told me that I could use my LGU with the "Varmint" stock even WITH the hamster attached, so that is what I will use.

FT is a never-ending process of learning, and re-learning; searching and finding; and that is one of the aspects that makes it so fascinating.
The other aspect, is the people that shoot FT.

Keep well and shoot straight!

HM

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FT at Atglen, PA

5/12/2026

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Back in May 2024, I ws invited to a "new to me" Club, about 2 hrs drive from my "local neck of the woods"

A BIG surprise awaited me. A relatively short drive on the highway and, from there, smaller, winding road across true Amish Country, horse-buggies and covered bridges:

I simply fell in love with the place!
The tranquility of the flowing creek, the approach to the Club, the layout of the sighting in range, and then . . . the lanes!
What lanes! Variety and challenge made for a VERY interesting course.

Since then we've been to a few matches, somewhat intermittent, through no fault of anyone, simply life events that get in the way.

Towards the end of last year and with the participation of more members, the Club's FT activities have really taken off.

New lanes have needed to be cut because some forestry operations will take place, and to really care for a forest, you need to steward it. So some heavy machinery will have to come and take out those trees that are too old/non-productive and allow space and light for new trees to really spread out.
Of course there are plans to later use that "road" as part of the FT area ;-)

AND, to clarify, IMHO:
This is the difference between stewardship and outright conservation.
Conservation to the extreme is perfect, when you have thousands of acres and unmolested nature.
When you have a "smaller" (still hundreds of acres) area, where the wildlife has changed, humans are nearby, and it is not precisely and wholy "wild", there's a need for stewardship.
So, Kudos! to Atglen S. A. that is taking the steps to protect the long term health of their forests by careful and precise forestry measures.

And this brings us to the current shoot, held at Atglen on April of 2026

It all started at the sighting in range:

I don't think anyone of us was shooting broadheads, LOL!
Actually we, the airgunners, share the archery range (as is the case in MANY clubs) for sighting in.
You can see, at the top right hand of the picture, where the new lanes have been cut.
And I have to say that there was a "Theme" to the shoot. Let's call it "Through the two Trees", LOL! (not my idea, my idea was a bit rougher around the edges). But we'll come to that.
I had the pleasure and the privilege to shoot with my good friend Mike Harris

Mike is one of the Pillars of FT in the Northeast, Mike used to run the two ranges at Delaware County Field and Stream until health issues prevented him from continuing to do so. Now on the mend, he still finds the energy and the time to shoot.
Congrats and thanks, Mike for all that you did AND do, for FT!
AND, BTW, the man in charge now is Mark King, who is also doing a fantastic job at keeping the shoots alive. But, . . . that deserves its own story.
Back to the shoot, it was well attended (12 shooters) considering the weather forecast (nothing too enticing, but still, we were there!).

The way Trevor designed and executed the course was interesting.
WE were out in the open; for the particular day, it was not a challenge, even with semi-good scopes (I was shooting a MAUSER K-98s with an old AEON scope). The overcast day afforded us a mildly lit area to shoot from into the woods.
Let's wait a few months and we will see how challenging that course becomes in summer, when we are shooting from a brightly lit / sunshined area into the densely packed forest with a full canopy of leaves.
Start preparing to shoot with lower magnifications, LOL!
Here are some typical lanes:

Picture taken at 20X, it transmits the message: Follow your strings, or you will be shooting the wrong target.
;-)
But how does a typical lane look from the shooting gate?
Like this:

Remember "The Theme"?
Can you see the targets?
¿no?
Follow the strings!

First string from the left goes around the tree and gets to the first target, right "between . . . the TWO TREES!"
For those that like "lifelike" targets, I am sure you are almost salivating over this one.
Thanks to Laura S and Rich B for the paint/decoration.
I have to admit that they are attractive, even if it pains a little to shoot at them. ;-)

Want to see another target?
Here is one for you:

Yes, it is between . . . . TWO TREES!
And another?

Yes, there were also a bunch of targets more "open to view", LOL!
One thing that is peculiar to Atglen is this:

Yup!
There is a Prone lane, designated by the MD as a "forced position" lane.
As per the rules, you can shoot this lane in any other approved "forced position" so, you can shoot it, in order of difficulty: Kneeling, or Standing.
HOWEVER, you CANNOT shoot it sitting.
Why? because sitting is the FT 'Free Position'.
:-)
It was fun and I enjoyed it immensely.
Missed my sling, that Mauser is one heavy gun. Still it was fun!
Now, just to clarify: Do take a good look at my position:
The hand that supports the rifle is NOT supported by the ground, if I had been wearing a glove, it would be the same. The ONLY object that can support the forward hand in a forced position is THE SLING.

Two point sling for Hunters, One pont sling allowable for Open and WFTF.

This is per AAFTA rules (2026 Handbook, page 6, section "Shooting", paragraph B) and I quote:

" Other than using aids permitted by specific AAFTA Division Rules (slings, bipods, etc.), the gun must be supported solely by the shooter's hands and body. The gun may not contact the ground. Any part of the body directly supporting the gun may not rest on the ground. The body may not lean on or be supported by any features other than the ground or the shooting seat".

Didn't do too well, I am "new to the Hunter Class" and still troubled by some shortcomings of the system, mainly the scope. The optics range beautifully, but the mechanics are not consistent enough.
And putting another scope is out of the question because the gun is so heavy in and of itself.
It shoots real well, the Mauser is incredibly stable at longer ranges. The whole architecture, allows for an extremely rigid barrel/action interfase. But it weighs a bit much.
We'll see.

BIG thanks to the Atglen Sportsman's Association, to Trevor D, Ed P, and all others that helped and attended.

After the shoot, we all adjourned to the "Brass Eagle" and shared a great dinner.

If you have the chance, make it a point to go to one of Atglen's shoots.
You will not regret the trip.

Keep well and shoot straight!

HM

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The DoAll "Dialed Spinner"

4/24/2026

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Disclosure:

The first "Dialed Spinner from DoAll was purchased from an online store.
The second version was sent under warranty by DoAll.

A bit of History:
Back in the year 2K, while I was barely starting to scratch the surface of this enormous "rabbit hole" of airguns, I came across an idea that was good, but clearly needed some strong re-development.

Yup!
Crosman used to sell a target comprised of 5 "sectors" that swung independently:
One central "bullseye" and 4 quadrants of a circle divided at 3, 6 and 9 O'Clock.
It was OK, except for two factors:
1.- It had been discontinued for years
2.- It was rated for their CO2 rifles and pistols (so, about a 13-14 ft-lbs max.)

When a year later I saw one at the Little Rock Airgun Show (AR), priced @ $50 (of year 2k $'s), I decided it was time to act.

And so, the "Quadrant Spinner" came to life:

A first production batch was made in Argentina and was thoroughly tested. Back then 20 ft-lbs were more than enough. These spinners were designed to be reactive enough at 12 ft-lbs, and "pellet proof" at 20 because we followed AAFTA's power limits and springers at 10,000 FASL were not particularly powerful. PCP's were JUST coming down in price enough to be contemplated.
This was the year 2002.

Fast forward 7 years and when I started moving to the US, I had to leave my beloved set of spinners behind.

Once established, I set about finding a company that would make the spinners because no one offered the concept.
And I found a company in upstate NY that would build them.
Sent pictures and drawings and even went up there (I was living in CT back then) to see the first prototype.

We agreed on the prototype, and the first small batch was made. That was in 2012.
When they arrived, my heart sunk. The maker had added a horizontal cross member above the upper quadrants "to make it more robust". Fine, but that prevented the spinner from spinning! ¿huh?
He also took the liberty to add a couple of gauges to the material, and make them "extra strong"; based on his experience with shooting, it was needed (I also think it was the material he had at hand). The increase in gauge also created another problem: the counterweights were now not enough to ensure a true "return to vertical" from a low power hit in any of the lower quadrants.
In any case, they were not as reactive as they should have been at lower powers, and the result of a good hit was a bit "underwhelming" when the bullseye didn't circle around even once (due to the "hard stop" added).

They DID their job; and that was to allow people to "sight in" without needing to constantly change paper targets, without making a mess of used paper, and allowing fine tuning of FT skills because the "bullseye" followed WFTF recommendations: ½", ¾", 1" and 1½"
A few friends still have those.

Our design then was copied by a few companies.
Yes, people are like that. Without any improvement, redesign, or even name change, some outlets started marketing them.

Issue with those crudely made ones (to comply to a low cost barrier), was that 0.177" pellets could get in BETWEEN paddles and not indicate any hit.
Of course, by then the user had used the target and there were no refunds.

"Caveat Emptor" and all that.

But I always kept a soft spot in my heart for the concept. I tried to resurrect the production to no avail (cost was prohibitive), and the idea went dormant.

One day, looking at other things (as usually happens), I came across DoAll's version of the old Crosman 444:

I started using it with good success at Palmyra, when we started shooting LR FT.
And it held well for airguns in the 50-60 ft-lbs range.
So, on an outing to check out some very accurate 22 RF rifles (a DIANA 22R bolt action, and an SPA Toggle Bolt), I took it along.

Hmmmm, the target had reached and exceeded its limits:

Even at 100 yards, these rifles can keep their impacts very close together, if not in the same spot, and that created a problem, especially when hitting a bit "high" on the bullseye.
Things look even more dramatic from the rear:

Even packing the target becomes a problem when it cannot lay "flat":

Now, we did manage to "pound it into submission" with a good "dead-blow" mallet and some paint:

But clearly, the targets could not be sold as "rated for RF's" without creating some sort of customer dissatisfaction.
And, it was in this spirit that I wrote to DoAll.
I stated that the targets worked marvelously well with airguns up to 50-60 ft-lbs, and that they COULD be rated for 0.22" RF Short, but not for LR, even Standard Velocity.

I had to admit that I wasn't expecting a personal answer from a large company, like DoAll but, surprise, surprise!

I received an answer in 2 days and the kind person that answered showed me their "improved" version:

I asked what gauge material they were using and he responded, candidly, that he didn't have that datum, but that he would send me one to test.
WOW!
Clearly someone interested and, knowledgeable of the MARKET, if not of the product itself, of the MARKET (and that is really his job as customer relations). He understood he was talking to a person that was willing to go the extra mile.
I promptly furnished my postal address and waited. Not much, the target arrived, just in time for the first snowfall..... grrrrrrrrrrr.

Over the winter there was no opportunity to test it at the appropriate range (100 yards), and THIS PAST winter in Maryland was peculiar: Early snowfalls, then a sort of very short "indian summer", then more snowfalls separated by a few days in such a way that the range was closed for most of the season.

Range started opening in earnest a few weeks ago.

So, taking advantage of a sunny and not quite calm day, but with tolerable wind, I headed out to the range and tested.
Using Aguila 40 grs, standard velocity ammo (about 1,080 fps) in both the "Competición" and the "Super Extra" grades in my two favourite RF's (an old Voere bolt action, and the SPA Toggle action), this was the result:

There are 30 shots in that target, see if you can count them.

Several hits were aimed at corners and edges and results were good.
Important part is that repeated hits at three different points in the vertical support of the "bullseye" created NO distortion.
There are 6 hits in that vertical portion, three pairs, exactly ¼ mildot (milDOT, not mRad) apart.
Reason for that is I wanted to see if the inertia of the heavy bullseye was enough to act as a "hold" on the rotating part, therefore creating a "bend", therefrom the three chosen places tested for a "mid-weight" hit, a ¼ skewed weight hit and an extreme top hit.
None of them had any effect.
The vertical element is as straight as ever:

AND, BTW, that steel is a full 6 mm's thick, just shy of ¼" thickness.
The twists and bends do act as reinforcing points in an effective manner.

Does this version of the target reacts as well as the older one for airguns?
A bit. It does flip completely over at 50 ft-lbs and 100 yards, but not as "energetically" as the older one.

I will keep both because they BOTH have a role to play in my shooting, if you come across some of the older versions, and you are interested more in airguns of 60 ft-lbs and under, do get it, it is a lot of fun and very useful.
If you are more into RF's or airguns in the 70-150 ft-lbs, do look for the new version.
Retailers are not making much of the difference, so it is up to the customer to ensure they are getting the "Ver 2.0". THE thing to look for are the twists and bends in the vertical supports and that the only welds are the spacer tubes between vertical hangers in the targtet. There are no other welds.

This target allows you to sight in and practice all at the same time.

Thanks to DoAll for their customer support and for putting on the market a product that does a needed job well.

Now, if they made a set of four.............LOL!

Keep well and shoot straight!

HM

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Hector Medina

2012 US National WFTF Spring Piston Champion
2012 WFTF Spring Piston Grand Prix Winner
2013 World's WFTF Spring Piston 7th place
2014 Texas State WFTF Piston Champion
2014 World's WFTF Spring Piston 5th place.
2015 Maine State Champion WFTF Piston
2015 Massachusetts State Champion WFTF Piston
2015 New York State Champion WFTF Piston
2015 US National WFTF Piston 2nd Place
2016 Canadian WFTF Piston Champion
2016 Pyramyd Air Cup WFTF Piston 1st Place
2017 US Nationals Open Piston 3rd Place
2018 WFTC's Member of Team USA Champion Springers
2018 WFTC's 4th place Veteran Springer
2020 Puerto Rico GP Piston First Place
2020 NC State Championships 1st Place Piston
2022 Maryland State Champion WFTF
2022 WFTC's Italy Member of TEAM USA 2nd place Springers
2022 WFTC's Italy
2nd Place Veteran Springers
2023 WFTC's South Africa Member TEAM USA 1st place Springers
2023 WFTC's South Africa
2nd Place Veteran Springers