DarkLordOfOptics
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Delta Stryker HD 3.5-21x44
Seeing light at the end of a tunnel
October 08, 2023
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As I write this, I was supposed to be out on a pronghorn hunt.

Naturally, we make plans and then life happens.  A couple of days before I was supposed to leave, kids brought some sort of a virus home from school.  FIrst they got sick, then my wife got sick, then I got sick.  What was supposed to be a three day hunt will be a one day hunt tomorrow.  I am feeling better today, but get winded from going up the stairs.  Hopefully, I will be in better condition tomorrow.

In the meantime, the insanity in Israel kicked off, but there is nothing I can do about that aside from quietly cursing at my computer screen.

I figured I need a distraction from all that and a brief first look at the new Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 is going to be just that.

I set it up and sighted it in on my Fix rifle as a backup scope for the pronghorn hunt.  Given that It is turning out to be a one day hunt, I doubt I will need it, but I did end up doing a good amount of shooting with it as general training and preparation.  I have not yet taken it past 530 yards, but will in the next few weeks.

Just like the new 1-10x28 from Delta I have talked about a week ago, it is a new design and this scope is from a first production batch.  They should be making it to our shores shortly.  I just checked and now Annex Defense has it listed on their website https://annexdefense.com/optics-and-optic-accessories/delta-optics/.  I think it should retail right around $2k, but we'll see how that works out.

The scope that I have is equipped with the new DPRC-1 reticle.

Here are some basic specs:

For the metrically challenged, that's 28.4 ounces of weight and 12.4 inches of length.  This scope fits rather squarely into my definition of a crossover.  Apparent FOV is 22.8 degrees which is pretty good.

Before I move on, I have a philisophical question: if you use a scope to look down a tunnel, does that mean it is tunneling?

There is no other kind of tunneling with this scope, which is a good thing.  It turned out to be pretty comfortabel to get behind.  As I was shooting with it, I could not help but think about Leupold's Mark 5HD 3.6-18x44.  The new Delta is a direct competitor and Leupold should be worried.

On paper, Delta is two ounces heavier and hald an inch longer.  In every other way possible, it is a better scope: closer focus, more adjustment range, broader magnification range, wider FOV.

Reticles are in the eye of a beholder, but until Leupodl puts an illuminated PR2 into the Mark 5, there is no modern tree reticle available for the Leupold.

Now, as a general disclaimer, the Delta reticle is not my design, but again, I had a chance to offer my suggestions.  As is usually the case, they adopted some of them and discarded others.  Overall, I like DPRC-1.  It looks busier on paper than it does when shooting with it.  In some ways, it is a fusion of a conventional tree reticle with an abbreviated grid reticle like Schmidt's GR2ID that I also like.  With only the main studia illuminated, it is a good general purpose design for people who like tree reticles.  You get prominent 0.5mrad holds and as you go up in magnification you also have 0.1 and 0.2 mrad holds.  Usign 0.5 mrad hodls quickly is very natural.  Going finer that under time pressure looks doable, but will require a little practice.  The design is a little different from what is commonly offered now, but it looks very viable from my limited use so far.

For people who do not like tree reticles, I think it will eventually also be availabel with Delta's DLR-1 reticle (mil-hash design without a tree) that I also happened to like.

Turret configuraiton is a little different with the Delta.  WIndage turret is capped, while the elevation turret is not locking, but has zerostop.

At first blush, optical quality looks very good to me.  Now, I was looking at next to a 3-18x50 S&B and I will honestly tell you that optically S&B is a better scope in terms of image quality.  On the other hand, switching back and forth, I did not feel underscoped with the Delta.  There were no obvious optical issues that jumped out at me.

Mechanically, the turrets seemed to track as they should.  I did not harass them too much yet, but at moderate ranges where I was shooting, they dialed true.

As a brief aside, Badger's Unimount, when using a torque wrench remounted to well within my ability to shoot.  If Badger is indeed discontinuing these, maybe I should pick another one up while I can still fidn them under $200.  Opticplanet seems to have a few in stock: https://shrsl.com/482av

It is not as slick looking as some of the more modern designs like Reptilia, but it is rock solid and works wellf or under $200.

Going back to the optic, I am pretty pleased with what I see so far.  The magnification range is very appropriate for my needs.  It is not ideal behind a clip-on, but with 6.3degree FOV on 3.5x, it is perfectly workable.  Image quality looks very respectable so far.  The scope is not overy heavy for what it is and quite compact.  There is enough adjustment range for everything up to and including rimfire ELR.  45 mrad is a lot of adjustment.

Turret feel is reasonable.  It is no Tangent, but I did not miss any clicks either.  Turret reset is toolless, but you need a small allen wrench to reset the zerostop.

The new eyepiece of the 1-10x28 and 3.5-21x44 is a reasonable step up over the older Stryker models: FOV is wider and it is well corrected.

My 308 Fix is, in many ways, a perfect example of a true crossover rifle.  I can do everything with it from hunting to long rane precision to night hunting to you name it and the new Stryker is one of the best matched scopes for it I have seen to date.

 

 

 

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Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 Wrap-up

This scope comes up a lot since I really like the configuration. It is time to do a final wrap-up of it.

It is one of my favourite scopes on the market today, especially for the money, since I naturally lean toward general purpose-ish designs. Still, while the 3.5-21x44 Stryker is relatively compact and light, it still clearly leans toward the precision side of things, which suites me very well.

https://annexdefense.com/optics-and-optic-accessories/delta-optics/

00:10:25
AR-15 Handguards with integrated Arca rail

I had a couple of ARs I wanted to set up for long range training. There is more to do with them, but I started out by swapping out the handguards for models with an integrated full length Arca rail. Larger flat on the bottom of the handguard helps it settle on the sandbag and makes it easier to shoot off of a tripod. I also found the ability to slide the bipod to different positions occasionally helpful.

The two handguards I have been testing are:

Fast Track my Catalyst Arms: https://www.anarchyoutdoors.com/fast-track-arca-precision-rifle-handguard-ar-15-rpr-only/?ref=fl0iza41

IWI/CMT HDM https://alnk.to/8iWcTQE

Both work well once installed, but IWI/CMT was ultimately less of a hassle to get properly lined up.

Fasttrack barrel nut arrangement is a little goofy and getting properly lined up took some trial and error. Here is the video they made that shows how it is set up. I was going to do my own, but once I got it all aligned, I did not want to mess with taking it up and ...

00:19:29
Burris XTR PS Wrap-Up

The first Burris XTR PS scope I got my hands on landed here in the beginning of March.
That means I have been messing with this design for a bit under four months. That does not quite qualify as a long term test by my standards, but it is a fair amount of time and quite a few rounds shot, mostly 5.56 and 308.
I have both of the models of XTR PS and both work well.
https://alnk.to/3U3cZEC

For matches and such, I would lean toward the 5.5-30x56 version, but for general purpose use, the smaller 3.3-18x50 model does have an edge. You can shoot a match with it, take it hunting in the mountains or slap a thermal clip-on in front to go shoot some pigs. While not light weight, it is a very flexible design owing to moderate size and mid-pack magnification range.

As I said in the video, I think XTR PS is a meaningful step forward in simplifying how we shoot at distance.

I will provide occasional updates as I continue using the scope.

00:26:02
PA PLxC 1-8x24 SFP Blem

We are finally going home tonight and as we wait for the flight, I decided to check my email.

One of the first things I saw is an email from Primary Arms about their Summer Clearance event. In there is a cosmetic blem SFP 1-8x24 with the fiber illuminated reticle for just over $1k. That is an exceptionally good price for this scope: https://alnk.to/ei43zXN

There is quote a lot there aside from the PLxC, like the blem Geissele handguard for ~$210: https://alnk.to/aLKTXFp

Here is a link to the rest of it: https://alnk.to/3nj4LpX

I did not look through everything, but there is quite a lot that's interesting int he first half dozen or so pages that I flipped through:
https://alnk.to/aLKTXI2
https://alnk.to/5Q7GuSW

Sig P320

I just got an e-mail from my local range that they are banning any and all use of the Sig P320 due to the appearance of the gun going off by itself.

I have not been following the P320 saga very thoroughly, so I did a quick search to try to figure out what's happening and then called a friend of mine who is more on that side of the gun industry than I am and has better insight.

Here is a gyst of it.

There is a good number of anecdotal accounts of P320 going off on its own, including the incident that resulted in the tragic death of an airman in Wyoming a few days ago.

Neither Sig, nor the various government entities nor any of the 3rd parties were able to re-create ANY of these incidents.

A large number of P320s were retrieved, tested and abused. That includes the actual firearms that the incidents happened with.

Noone, to the best of my knowledge, has been able to make any of them go off without trigger manipulation.

What does that mean? That means that we do not know what is true ...

Leupold Scope dump at CDNN.

I just got an email, multiple models and reticles for 3HD, 4HD and 5HD scopes. You need call to get prices.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/optics.html?manufacturer=LEUPOLD

Scoping Gas Guns
an interesting question that acme in via PM

I received this question via a private message and thought it was interesting enough to answer it in some detail.  I have been thinking a lot about appropriate optics for gas guns recently, so this came it at the right time.

 

Here is what I ahve been messing with last few days:

 

Above: 18" WOA barrel 5.56 AR-15 with Burris XTR PS 5.5-30x56 on it.

Below: 22" Satern barrel 224Valkyrie AR-15 with Delta Stryker 3.5-21x44 on it.


For obvious reasons, I am not posting who asked the question, but what I'll do is send him a link to this article, so that he gets an answer and we might have a good discussion.
Here is what I received:

Had a question for you
I have a Knights Armament SR25 6.5CM with a 14.5" barrel - I plan on shooting 100 - 600 yards at targets at 100 yd intervals
I am favoring the TT 315P with an Aimpont Acro mounted on top -( see you liked the TT315M) - would that be enough magnification?
I saw the SB SB 5-20 which offer more top end - I like the turrets on the Tanget and tooless Zero - what are your thoughts between the 2?
If I stayed 400 and under - how do you see the TT315P with the Acro Red dot against the SB 1-8 Short Dot (saw your review on that)

There isn't really enough information in the question for a simple answer, so let's consider a couple of options.

What is the gun for? 

For shooting medium range (out to 600) with occasional close range use?  If yes, go with a conventional scope and offset or piggybacked RDS.

For shooting at close distance with occasional med/long range use? If yes, so with a nice LPVO like the above mentioned S&B Short Dot 1-8x24 https://alnk.to/3J8vlFv.  It is quite capable at long range, but where it will really knock your socks off is up close and personal.

The question of what is enough magnification is pretty personal.  For me, 3-15x is plenty, but I shoot a lot off of the tripod and off of barricades which likely influences my decision.  For that, my 3-15x50 TT315M Tangent works great and 6mrad of elevation is plenty.  https://alnk.to/gVNkUXB  175gr #08 out of a shoter tube will drop in the 5 to 5.5mrad range at 600 yards.

For a dedicated long range semi-auto, other than the looks, there isn't much downside to a larger scope, which is why I set up Burris' XTR PS on the 5.56 AR pictured above.  It is for my son to learn to shoot at distance and to us in next year's BOTC match.  https://alnk.to/gp33YuR

If I were setting up an accurate semi-auto and wanted a high mag scope for it, I would likely lean toward March 4.5-28x52. https://alnk.to/dLjHgjh  It is compact, relatively light and very good optically for any use other than the dead of the night (for which we should be using clip-ons anyway).

S&B Short Dot is a very nice scope, but March is a newer design and, other than the lowest light, has an edge in terms of image fidelity and stray light control.

TT315P Tangent is a veyr ncie scope and toolles turrets are appealing.  However, there is a weight penalty to that.  For me, that was not worth it.  I ahve 5-25x56 and 7-35x Tangents and those toolless turrets are spectacular.  However, in a 3-15x50, I am quit ecomfortable with simpler 6mrad per turn knobs on the TT315M.

 

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A morning with a chronograph

When I tell people that I am using Hornady's factory ammo for matches, I get occasionally surprised looks.  Occasionally.  Most of the time, I get fairly condescending looks from handloaders who would not let a factory round pollute the chambers of their precision rifles if their lives depended on it.

To be fair, if I had the time, I might be reloading as well.  I might be able to do better than modern factory ammo, but the truth is that I am not a quarter MOA shooter, so a lot of that would be lost on me.  The UKD matches I fidn most interesting can be done by a competent shooter with a 1MOA gun.  I am working on that first part.  I reload when I have to, but if I can get factory ammo that's not outrageously expensive and that shoots well, I will go with that every time.

I looked around and realized that I have about 600 rounds of Hornady 147gr 6.5CM factory ammo from two lots.  400 rounds from one that I will use during the match later this month.  The remainder I will likely use up practicing prior to that.

I woke up early and snuck out to the range while my family was still asleep earlier today.

I set up in the 100 yard tunnel we have.  I took my four shots to zero with the lot I plan to use for the match.  Then I fired a six shot ~0.7MOA group.  That's accurate enough for my purposes.

Here are the chronograph results:

It is slow, but accurate and consistent.

Then I shot a five round group of Hornady 147gr ammo from the other lot.

Both of those lots are not too shabby for factory ammo.  POI was within 0.2mrad between the two lots, all laterally.  

 

I had some other ammo on hand, so I fired two five shot groups with Berger 144gr hybrid target ammo and Sako TRG 136gr.

Here is what I got for five rounds of Berger:

That's not a ton of statistics, but it is a data point.  The group was ~1.1MOA

 

Here the data for the Sako TRG 136gr ammo:

This ammo showed some mild pressure signs, but not too significant.  

Again, this is not a ton of data, but Hornady is looking pretty decent here.

I'll repeat the zero retention and consistency tests a couple more times between now and June 18th when we head to Wyoming.

I might pick up a couple more boxes of Hornady 147gr from a different lot to get some more data.

More to come.

 

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First PRS Match is behind me
High Noon at Del Norte

My first PRS match is officially behind me.  It was, I think an officially sanctioned regional PRS match at the shooting range called Del Norte about an hour from me (just east of Rio Rancho).
As I discussed previously, rather than using the rifle I originally prepared for it, I ended up having to change gears at the last moment and slapping a 5-25x56 Tangent on my daughter's 6ARC MiniFIx.  A lightweight 16" Proof barreled 6ARC is not an ideal set up for PRS competition, but, in the grand scheme of things, the rifle did hot hold me back at all.  I had a couple of weights that fit the Q-cert handguard, so I slapped them on there as well, which got the rifle to right around 12lbs.  The balance point was almost where I want it, but not quite.  In all other ways, this was a very handy rifle to shoot.  I am actually thinking of getting a couple more weights that I can stack on it (Sawtooth weights are stackable), so that I can shoot some future local matches with it.  It shoots Hornady's Black 105gr ammo very well (it also shoots 108gr ELD-M and 103gr ELD-X well, but I had a larger supply of Hornady Black ammo on hand).

It chrono'ed pretty consistently for factory ammo.  Here are the measurements for a 20 shot group.

If I were to take out the fastest shot, SD drops down to 8fps.  

In terms of wind performance, it is a 5mph rifle, so slightly better than the 308 ammo I was going to use originally, but not as good as the 6.5CM that was my intended match rifle for this year (we make plans, but then life happens).

I do have to admit that I really enjoyed shooting the match with the MiniFix.  So much so, that I am seriously thinking of building another one for myself, since this rifle is technically my daughter's.

The closest shot we had was a bit over a couple of hundred yards.  The furthest was around 1150.  That was a bit challenging for the 16" barreled 6ARC, especially since the terrain there is tricky and wind is doing strange things.  Morning was relatively quiet wind-wise, but then the wind becamse gusty with changing directions.

It was a one day match with about 30 shooters (six squads) and ten stages.  The 17 year old kid who won the match was in my squad with his dad.  Apparently he is on the US team, so it should not be surrpising that he won.  He was very good.

Overall level of the shooters in the match was quite good.  I really was not sure what to expect.  Somewhat paradoxically, the only matches that I have shot in so far are the much larger two day NRL Hunter matches.  In those, I am just out of the bottom third in terms of skill level.  In this match, it was pretty much in the same spot, I think.  

The terrain was a little bit like Cameo, I think (I have been there, but not shot there), with some angle changes and sufficient vegetation to make getting on target occasionally troublesome. 

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