Recently, a number of reconstruction algorithms have been presented for residual strain tomography from Bragg-edge neutron transmission measurements. In this paper, we examine whether strain tomography can also be achieved using diffraction instruments. We outline the proposed method and develop a suitable reconstruction algorithm. This technique is demonstrated in simulation, and a proof-of-concept experiment is carried out, where the strain field in an axisymmetric sample is reconstructed and validated using conventional diffraction strain scans.