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Review 1 by Morton James
Good Points
Ther are quite a few good points. Not all of the RWS 350 .22 virtues are immediately evident. Accuracy, power, performance, and ease of portability, the sum of all its parts add to the overall appeal of this blue collar gun or working mans pellet gun.
There are new models available to see at www.diana-airguns.com to see the new model 350 Magnum Classic Proffesional in complete aftermarket outfitted with, scope, muzzle break select stock, caliber and carbine.
The limited lifetime warranty is available once you register your gun on line at Umarex U.S.A. and print a registration certificate. In my case it was necessary.
Bad Points
My initial experience was negative. Upon opening the box I was underwhelmed. The material quality of the open sights, the trigger and guard, the end cap of he reciever were disappointments. All of which were obvious once I was advised by Umarex to remove the sock and lube the gun. "Which wouldn't void my warranty". After email tag with the techs at Umarex they advised to send the gun in for repairs.
The staff at Umarex were professional and helpful. Although I kind of felt they knew about the occaisional negative manufacturing characteristics. I paid a higher price for this gun in hopes I would get what I paid for. And so I did. Kharma.
1) When cocking the gun there was a "metal to metal" grinding in the action as the spring and piston were compressed to its limit. There was a slight hesitation to cock completely. Removing the stock revealed a very plastic looking reciever cap, trigger and guard that appeared to be cast molded. The trigger looked better than the guard and cap. There also appeared to be some misalignment with the receiver off to one side of the cool grained looking stock. It looked prettier apart from the gun.
2) Unable to hit a 3" spinner at 12 yards on sighting in. I set up a 2' x 2' white cardboard at 8 feet. Once the rear sight was adjusted extreme left, finally punching on paper a 6" high x 7" right, grouping from point of aim. But the group although way off was less than 1" in diameter, which was promising.
3) After 200 rounds the problem was uncorrectable. The front sight showed signs of drifting back and forth on the dovetails. Tightened all the way down it was still loose. The rear sight elevation pin would drift out every 9 to 12 shots. I'd have to tap it back in.
4) With lighter pellets the guns shows signs of dieseling. On insertion of any pellet type in the breach RWS or otherwise, the skirt would be crushed because it stuck out of the angled breech face. Using the round end of the Beeman Pellet Seater to just press the pellet into the barrel solved the issue. But using the cone end to start the pellet down the barrel changed the point of impact and the piston seemed to slam harder on shooting not to mention the louder report and dieseling. The inside diameter of the breech seems tighter than my 23 yr. old R-1, 11 yr old RWS Mod. 48 or my HW 97 MKlll.
5) The bluing on the barrel and receiver is very thin. It's not as deep in blue as HW or Beeman or the RWS 48 which has a richer hue. Rusting appeared after the muzzle break shot loose and lost it's screws in the field. An Imprint of rust showed where screws had imbedded into the barrel. So overall lubing is a must after shooting sessions in high moisture or humidity in the field.
6) If you don't tighten it down or lock-tite it (the blue grade) it will shoot loose. The scope will move backwards, the mount screws will come loose, the stock screws, the scope stop screw will shear or if you're lucky it will just come loose from the rail. Or you'll be ordering parts that you've broken or lost. So batten them down with lock tite.
7) I ordered a "universal" muzzlebreak from Umarex. When I got it I found that it required fitting. I wish they had told me that when I ordered it. After some emails I was able to slighty file down the dove tails with my dremel tool, which rendered my loose front sight unusable. but that's okay by me.
) Upon receiving the gun back from Umarex. I got it back in 11 days after sending it out. The front sight was still loose on the dovetails. There was a new all metal rear sight that seemed beefier. There were tooling marks on the barrel, perhaps from where they adjusted the barrel. I proceeded to shoot it. Cocking the gun, the action was like budda (butter), the trigger pull was two stages. A shorter first stage and a very crisp let off. Felt like my custom IPSC compensated 1911. Standing free I started hitting the 1" spinner at 15 yards with open sights. I was happy very happy.General Comments
Where do I start? Research, marketing, performance and power claims?
1) Out of the box the gun has clean and trim lines. With just the right amount of volume and weight to fill your hand, not too bulky. It just sat in my shoulder like it was natural to be there. Held still real nice too. Looking at the stock showed nice wood grain on a soft satin finish. Once the gun came back it shot like a dream.
2) With open sights the gun was impeccably accurate to the point of boredom. At 12, 15 or 22 yards 1 to 2.5 inch groups were the norm, standing, seated or prone. Pointing and shooting was hella fast. I mean there is fast sight acquisition with negligable wobble before the shot. It's like the gun shoots itself. It's hold sensitive so not too tight or too loose. Taking advantage of its capabilities I mounted a Beeman 4-12x40mm 1' tube AO/TT illuminated reticle on 1" mounts with internal stop pins. (item # 5023 scope $$79.88/ item # 5030M mounts $36.65/ 2007 retail price list). The gun ios heavier with the scope and muzzle brake, but the balance was still there. I wondered how far out I could take a shot on quarry. Was I getting bored?
3) Power was always an issue. From the marketing claims to the readers reviews of confirmed or denied power and performance of characteristics positive or that are idiosyncartic of RWS 350's. Judging from the reviews at the centre there appears to be a society of RWS 350 admirers. Like the brand new gun that my 350 is, its perceived power is awesome in .22 caliber. My 350 is only getting smoother with each shot it takes. I use 2" solid concrete 12" x 12" stepping stones (purchased at my nieghborhood hardware store) stacked in metal frames behind my spinners. During shooting sessions, when the paper target is removed, shots hitting the concrete at 15 to 18 yards shoot very deep gouges on repeated impact. With occaisional mild ricochet even on concrete. So with accuracy speed and power what more can I ask for? As for quarry or pests, it's instantly humane.
4) The RWS 350 .22 is an omnivore. Aside from the tight barrel in the angled breech face and the pellet skirt crushed if ya don't seat it properly, my gun has a wide diet. It shoots well with RWS, Beeman, Crossman Premier, and Daisy Hobby. All Shoot well with little or no variance; in point of impact or the need for scope adjustment. A testament to the barrel. Just a properly placed crosshair and badabing badaboom. After 2300 rounds here's what I used with 1 to 2.5" results at 12 to 24 yards.
14.5 gr. RWS Miesterkugeln Wadcutters
13.8 gr. Beeman Wadcutter
14.8 gr. Beeman Bear Cub round nose
14.5 gr. RWS Super Point
17.1 gr. Beeman Silver Arrow or Silver Jets
11.9 gr. Daisy Hobby Wadcutter
18.2 gr. Beeman Crow Magnum HP ( my personal favorite )
I'm still waiting for the Predators and the zinc alloy sabot Hyper Velocity to arrive. Once the scope is sighted with your favorite pellet. Memorise the point of impact of each different pellet type to hit your target with different performing pellets. At least in my 350 I can do that.
5) There is something sturdy and utilitarian about the 350. Ugly and beauty at the same time. In comparison it is the blue collar or the working man's pellet gun whose virtues are hidden in its appearance and become only evident after shooting. Out of the box it is a simple well made overall gun that is extremely accurate and balanced with very powerful performance. As I break it in it shoots better and better all the time.
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Review 2 by jz99
Good Points
Hard hitting
Accurate for a magnum
Nice fit and finish
Best bang for the buck in magnum springers
Bad Points
Gun came very dry inside with very little lube
Broke scope stop pin (not really a fault of the gun as it is a magnum power gun)
General Comments
OK, this is a long one but I waited almost a year for this so it's worth it. I have had my .177 350 for almost a year now and waited this long to give an accurate review until it was broken in. When I first got the gun I fired off a few hundred rounds with a cheap scope just to get a feel for the gun. After that I opened the gun up and lubed everything properly. I also smoothed some metal to metal points and deburred everything.
Sometime during the next approximate thousand rounds after that I installed a Leapers 30mm 8-32X56 scope and 1 piece high mount. A couple hundred rounds later it sheared the scope stop pin off twice. It came with two pins so I tried them both not realizing it was too thin and the hole in the rail wasn't deep enough. I then drilled out the scope stop pin hole and made it deeper and wider on the rail. I also put a longer, wider and hardened screw in place of the pins that came with the scope mount. After that it never moved again. Also it would be a good idea to locktite all the screws as that really seems to help. After putting the locktite on the screws they never need tightening any more.
So now at a little more than two boxes of Crosman Premier Heavies(10.5) into the gun is where I say it has settled in and this is a fair time to assess what it's capable of. When I first got the gun it was a little twangy and creeky. After the lube the twang went away and now it's just a nice thwack when it fires. The creeking was when it was being cocked and I knew that would go away and it did. Now you just hear the spring compressing inside. It has nice bluing although not as deep as some higher price airguns but at $350 it made me happy. The wood also isn't some fancy Walnut, it is Beech, but it still looks really nice and has a satin finish that seems to not scratch at all so far. Although I am pretty careful with it so that may be just be me not letting it drop or bang into anything.
I have the adjustable trigger screw completely unscrewed off the gun so the trigger seems real light. Although not so light that it will misfire if you bump the gun while it is cocked. Now when I first started shooting the gun it was all over the place. I never shot an airgun this powerful before and wasn't used to the power of a magnum springer. Now at one year with shooting this gun and this gun alone I am pretty comfortable in saying I don't see much more improvement possible in the accuracy department. Although I did just purchase a electronic jewelers scale this past weekend that measures to the thousandths in grains and I'm going to try weighing the pellets as that is what Tom Gaylord says will shrink your groups even more. I believe he says you can turn a 1" group into a 3/4" group so I'm going to try that for sure.
Sitting at a bench at 30 yards using a very light hold on the gun I can get a fair amount of 1/2 inch CTC groups with 5 shots. I am happy with 1" CTC groups at 30 yards if I am kneeling and just using something to lean against to steady me because that is the most realistic position you would be hunting in anyways and that is what I get with the gun. One inch groups are accurate enough to take care of most small critters and birds also. That is all I have to work with in my back yard (30 yards) so that is what I am basing all the groups on.
I don't have a chronograph so all I can tell about the power of my gun is it will go through a metal 5 gallon paint can and make a dent in some wood behind it. With the Crosman Premier Heavies I'm using, which by the way seem to be the best for accuracy and power according to most people with this gun, it will achieve approximately 20 to 21 FTLBs of energy.
As far as the bad points that I put up there the lube thing wasn't major as a gun should be properly tuned anyways when you get it new or used. That could be bad if somebody doesn't want to or doesn't know how to take the gun apart. The scope pin breaking was a pain to fix but, the kick that magnum guns produce isn't something to be taken lightly. I am just glad it was the pin breaking and not the scope. I couldn't give it a 10 for accuracy rating as a 10 would be only held for PCP airguns that will out shoot any springer. I also felt the handling shouldn't get a ten as this gun and any magnum for that matter will recoil. That 10 would be again for PCP airguns because they are mostly recoilless.
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Review 3 by Kicknotes
Good Points
* Very powerful
* Good accuracy for its power
* Easy to cock (again, for its power)
Bad Points
* Hold-sensitive
* Relatively heavy recoil
* Pellet finicky (see below)
General Comments
Ordered the 350 new from a dealer online after an experience with a defective-upon-arrival Diana 48 -- and Umarex's poor service/support (see my Diana 48 review).
Overall, I think the 350 is a great rifle. I was looking for a powerful .22 to complement my Gamo CF-X in .177, and the 350 does exactly what I was looking for. It's very powerful, and while the cocking effort is stated at 36 lbs., I found it easier to cock than a Diana 48 (which is stated at 33 lbs.)
Unlike Gamo break barrels, which have a chisel-like protrusion at the barrel break point, the 350 has a ball bearing. I'm not sure if this serves to make it easier to break, but out of the box, I still found it necessary to slap the muzzle to break the barrel down. After about 100 shots, the effort/slap required lessened substantially.
The cocking motion has been described by some as "rough"... I wouldn't call it rough, per se. It is certainly more "creaky" than the light "hiss" of some easier-to-cock rifles (lower-powered, eg., Gamo Shadow), but the cocking motion as a whole seems pretty smooth.
The rifle is definitely hold sensitive. I'm used to holding a CF-X loose -- but not so loose as to minimize any unnecessary contact with the rifle whatsoever. That same hold doesn't work for me on the 350. I need to be much more conscious about setting the forearm of the rifle on the palm of my hand, versus lightly curling my fingers around the forearm, as I do with the CF-X.
Initially, I wasn't too certain that the accuracy of the 350 was up-to-snuff, but after a few hundred shots, I grew more comfortable with its performance (as well as more familiar with its operation, of course). Obviously, 200-300 shots isn't a "break in" by any means, but the performance after 300 shots was well-improved over shot #1, so that is a welcome sign to that 2000-3000 shot mark.
The recoil is heavier than I was accustomed to with some lighter-kicking rifles, but it's not unwieldy. Shooting good groups (by my standards) with the CF-X requires far less effort -- and that's not always a good thing! The 350 is definitely accurate, but the heavier recoil forces you to pay closer attention to follow-through and initial body/shot stability -- which definitely IS a good thing. I think the 350 as a whole will make you a better shooter than would a CF-X.
I indicated that the rifle is pellet finicky; let me elaborate. In my CF-X, I can take seven or eight types of pellets from (8.3 to 10.6 grain), and get flat, consistent shots and virtually identical shot placement at 25-30 yards -- which I like. Different pellet, same bullseye... No futzing around with scope adjustments.
The 350, on the other hand, is more finicky. While it groups well (again, by my non-expert standards) with many types pellets, the final shot placement varies from pellet to pellet. I can get a six-shot group of Crow Magnums of about 3/4" at 25 yard. I can get the same 3/4" group with Superdomes, Super H-Points, and RWS Hobby pellets -- but the Superdomes land up and right, the H-Points land low, and the Hobbys land low and left. So, while many of the pellets you select will likely group well for you (at least well enough to hit a kill zone at 25-30 yards), you may need to adjust your scope if you switch pellet types.
When you sight-in a new gun, it's obviously best to experiment with various pellets to find the one that works the best. You'll likely find your "best" pellet well before running out a tin of 200/250/500... leaving you with lots of pellet types left to use. You can use them, you'll just need to adjust your scope!
I've read some people indicating that they're shooting through 3/4" plywood at 25 yards with the 350. I'm not sure if some folks are confusing plywood with particle board, pine, drywall, or what...
Even at 10 yards, the 350 does NOT penetrate through 3/4" *plywood* (I've never fired a .177 or .22 air rifle that has). At 10 yards, a single shot at underlayment particle board typically won't penetrate (though it does leave a nice-sized bulge on the reverse side). Two or three shots at the same spot WILL, however -- knocking out a good-sized (1 - 2" +) exit "wound".
All in all, I think the 350 is a great rifle at its price point. Accurate, powerful. I'm guessing that -- if you have the extra $150-200 to spend -- the 460, which is an underlever version of the breakbarrel 350, is a great choice, as well. I'm plenty happy with my 350, however -- and I think you will be, too.
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Review 4 by Eeyore
Good Points
Choked barrel with ball-bearing barrel lock. Good accuracy with many types of pellets. Adjustable trigger. Heavy weight absorbs recoil. Long barrel makes cocking easy. Lifetime warranty!
Bad Points
I would like this rifle even more if they had not stamped “350 Magnum” into the right side of the stock.
General Comments
I ordered a “Demo” RWS/Diana 350 in .177 Cal. from Airgun Express by telephone. The rifle arrived three days later, double-boxed, and in perfect condition. I can highly recommend Airgun Express for fast service and low prices. Their “Demo” rifles are an excellent buy! I plan to buy one of their new RWS 48 rifles in .22 as $310.00 is too good a price to pass up.
I called Airgun Express to thank them when I found the “Demo” rifle was in perfect condition, and was told that many of the “Demo” rifles were new rifles that were returned because people did not like the scope that came with a combo package. In any case, they sent me what looked like a brand new, unfired rifle, without a scratch, for $291.20 including shipping.
ACCURACY: Please understand that although I have beem shooting for fifty years, including coast-to-coast NRA competition, I'm a NOVICE with spring-piston air rifles. In any case, using the out-of-the-box iron sights and a table for a bench rest, I shot multiple, five-shot groups at 25 feet with each of the 19 types of pellets I happened to have on hand. These 19 types of pellets range from top-quality, name-brand pellets to the discount store variety. I found that:
- The only poor performance was from two types of “Name brand” pointed pellets. The average five-shot group size of these two pellet types is about .75 inch, center-to-center, at 25 feet.
- The best performance came from three pellet types (one wad-cutter and two round-nose) that have AVERAGED multiple, five-shot groups of .30 inch or less. While I was able to shoot some outstanding groups (for me) with other types of pellets (i.e., .16 to .25 inch), the best three types consistently group well. Basically, most of the pellets I've tryed shoot far better than I can.
While an average five-shot group size of .30 inch at 25 feet may be poor accuracy for expert shooters, I’m pleased and having a great time concentrating on technique and enjoying sub-.20 inch, five shot, one-hole groups when I do everything right.
After about 600 shots, my one-hole groups began to be two-hole groups (i.e., horizontal point-of-impact shift, two shots into one hole and three shots into another). I discovered the rear sight carriage was loose on the elevation adjustment rail with about .009 inch movement left to right. I was having entirely too much fun with this rifle to send it back for repair, so I cut a horseshoe shaped washer out of an old .009 feeler gauge, inserted the washer onto the windage adjustment screw between the elevation adjustment rail and the rear sight carriage, and solved the problem. The windage adjustment operates smoothly with the homemade washer and the rifle shoots one-hole groups again.
When new, the velocities produced by this rifle were generating 17 to 18 ft. lbs. I've been tracking the velocities as the action wares in and after 1200 shots, it is generating 19 to 20 ft. lbs.
HANDLING: Shooting this rifle is a hoot. The weight and balance make it feel like a “super magnum.” The trigger is crisp, and I like the trigger-pull weight as it came. Cocking effort and recoil are a constant reminder that this is not a “Wal-Mart kid’s toy.”
VALUE FOR THE MONEY: Excellent! I selected the RWS/Diana 350 in .177 cal. because I wanted a “super-magnum” air rifle in my collection for target shooting and long-range, back-yard plinking. This rifle meets all my expectations and exceeds them in several areas. The wood is straight grained with low-gloss finish, metal nicely blued, globe front sight with optional interchangeable inserts, rear sight adjustable with four notch shapes to select from, and functional recoil pad. I did not know that the barrel would be choked - which came as a pleasant surprise during the initial cleaning. Another pleasant surprise was that the breach is cut diagonally so that the o-ring seal simply compresses when the barrel is closed, rather than sliding across the face of the compression tube like some other brands. The O-ring should last a long time with this design.
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There were several more. But these are the ones that have the most detailed info. Hope it was helpful for anybody looking for a quick look at the 350 magnum / magnum classic.
The reviews were found at reviewcentre. They have several reviews on most of the major air-rifle brands. I only posted 350 magnum, cause this rifle seems to be a common favorite here.
