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by: Randall Mitchell
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Comparison of the lengths of the guns
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If you like powerful spring-piston air rifles, you owe it to yourself to try out the RWS Diana 350 Magnum. This gun is well-sprung, and the power it delivers is all you’ll need for small game up to raccoon size. And when you consider the Model 350, you get your choice of options due to the different versions available. I was pleased to try out three of the versions offered by UmarexUSA over the past few weeks, and would like to share my impressions with you.
The Model 350 Magnum from Diana comes in the standard offering of a nice wooden stock with pressed checkering on the forearm and grip, and a luxuriously blued finish on the metalwork. A hooded front sight and excellent rear sight make open-sight shooting very easy. However, if you are a scope fan, as am I, the 11mm rail allows secure mounting of your choice of scope, with scope stop holes already provided in the top of the rail. RWS offers a scope mount that has double stop-pins, making it a very secure mount for this powerful shooter.
The second version of the Model 350 that I tried was the “P” version, featuring an ambidextrous synthetic stock. With fiber-optic sites on front and rear, it is easy to aim, easy to cock for such a powerful rifle, and fun to shoot. Consider this Model “P” as the all-weather version of the line, with the same power-plant and excellent accuracy you’ve come to expect from the Diana line of air rifles. It differs from its standard cousin in that it has a slight cheek swell on both sides of the buttstock, and the muzzle end of the barrel is encased in a synthetic front sight arrangement that matches the all-weather feature of the stock. The synthetic stock also extends slightly further towards the muzzle than the standard wood stock. Excellent bluing is also a standard feature for this model.
The third version of the Model 350 is the Feuerkraft Pro model. This one is a sort of carbine version with a 15.75” barrel versus the 19.625” version found on the standard model. The shorter length assists the hunter in managing tighter, thicker cover, but still delivers impressive accuracy. Another very noticeable difference was the stock. The Feuerkraft Pro has a stock that extends further towards the muzzle than the standard wooden stock, and is configured in the classic straight-stock style, with no cheek swell on either side, and an absence of checkering. It is a tight little package, with a matte finish on the metalwork instead of the deeper bluing of the previously mentioned models. You will need a scope for this model as it does not feature open sights.
I spent a few days shooting walnuts out of my backyard tree with all three models, and found no difference in the accuracy department. Velocity is excellent, up to the manufacturer’s claims, and as all my test guns were .22 calibers, they packed quite a wallop. Walnuts didn’t fall out of my tree….they went spinning sideways away from their former home!
I went on three different hunts with the Model 350, and my conclusion is simple. Small game doesn’t stand a chance against this powerful airgun! Though the guns are powerful, the cocking efforts aren’t as difficult as one might expect. Now, on to the hunt!
One morning I stepped into the woods carrying my camo fold-up stool, the Model 350 Feuerkraft Pro with an RWS scope mounted, and a pocket full of pellets. Within minutes I was shooting at squirrels who were working the upper canopy that was heavy-laden with forest produce. I missed my first two opportunities, but decided to be patient (or stubborn) and settled down to ambush the next squirrel that came along. Sure enough, this particular aisle of the forest grocery was busy, and my first take of the day received a pellet from the Pro model that sent it into a very long, very permanent dive. Within 10 minutes of retrieving this squirrel, my second take of the day provided a 25 yard shot as it headed down the trunk of a nearby tree. It didn’t have far to fall when the pellet arrived on target, right behind the ear.
Squirrel number one
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With two in the bag, I was ready to pursue a squirrel if the opportunity presented itself, and before long a barking, chattering ruckus began just behind me and to the right. I don’t know if I was the target of all the rodent cussing or not, but I eased up from my chair and quietly stepped to the base of a tree a few yards closer to investigate. As I peered around the trunk, I spotted the source of the racket, but also glimpsed another squirrel further off. Hmm….what to do? Well, since the barking squirrel seemed to be focused on something other than me, I changed my target to the further squirrel and took him first. At 42 yards, the pellet penetrated through the front left leg, into the chest cavity, and somehow ended up near the right rear leg, which is where I found it upon dressing him out later. I told you these Model 350’s pack a punch!
With that squirrel down, I reloaded and focused on the cause of all the racket. Another shot left the end of the muzzle brake, and the fourth squirrel of the morning ceased his final diatribe as the RWS 350 did exactly what it was made to do….put a pellet on target with authority!
The past few weeks have convinced me that serious airgun hunters who are in need of a powerful break-barrel rifle need to consider the Model 350. There are more options available than what I’ve described in this article, with complete packages that include scopes and mounts readily available from UmarexUSA and its dealers. The Model 350 is accurate, powerful, and available in both .177 and .22 caliber. It deserves a spot on your airgun rack, and I’ll be adding one to my gun case as well.
For more information on the three guns profiled in this article see the following:
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