My NF 12-42 hung up on me a couple weeks ago while dialing a wind and elevation change and like all scopes, it's not a matter of "if" a scope will do this, but "when".
A quick phone call to Peter set me on the path to owning a Delta Stryker 5-50x56 MOA with the 1/8" adjustments. I left the selection of rings up to him and I was happy to see that he understood exactly what I was looking for. He had sent some 34mm MDT ones with a bubble level at the base of the rear ring. These are possibly the best machined rings in my inventory and didn't break the budget- Think aerospace quality here folks.
Mounting was straight forward as expected and I had the opportunity to run it through some work-ups at the range today. Weather was pristine and sunny and the wind died off to absolute calm conditions around 7pm (Something that rarely happens on PEI).
Beginning at 100, it was hardly worth while evaluating the glass, but the great features of the scope readily became apparent. No BS turret zeroing was simple but not as simple as Sightron.
The elevation turret and zero stop , which is zerod now at 300, requires a coin to remove the screw. Not a game changer for me because Peter left a handful of change in my pocket. The clicks are easily felt and as crisp as the best scopes I have evaluated. They are not vague, and mushy, like some but tactile and there. The side focus adjustment knob shares a space with the illumination control. It is very well thought out and to turn the center dot on, you choose one of 11 settings. To turn it off, you simply rotate the control knob to the intermediate position between numbers and it turns off. A+ in this category, because you don't have to turn a dial to find the off position. I heard of one fellow complaining about the battery cover coming loose. I found that if I put my purse down and actually tightened the cover properly, there is no way that cover is coming off unless you need it to.
Moving from 300 to 500, I was able to really test the optical quality. Is it as good as my NF? I'd say it is at least as good. There was better image control (is this a thing?) it seemed, when mirage was at play. I found my NF makes it look like the target is rotating on a pinwheel when looking through mirage. I'll have to wait for a windier day to be sure, but I believe the Delta wins this one too as the target rings were more easily distinguished. As a matter of fact, I could see bullet holes at 500 yards. The included zoom lever is a handy feature too. I could really get used to that. And at a glance, you can see where your zoom is set because of the "pointer" effect and you can see it without taking your eye off the target. -That feature may be better for someone involved in a sniping situation where ongoing surveillance is crucial.
Reticle- The model I received has what is termed the DLS-3 reticle. What's it mean? I honestly don't have a clue, but I can tell you it works and is more modern and updated than most. Probably since these are relatively new to the market (2017). What I really appreciated was the fine .25moa floating dot. It has 1moa on each of the four sides, which turn into a finely etched crosshair with 1moa incremental sub-tensions. It just plain works well and at 40x it matches up perfectly with a 1moa grid. 1" squares begin to shift out at the extremes of the field of view, but that is quite expected, since 1moa is .045" larger than 1". I guess what I'm trying to say is the DLS-3 reticle is apparently designed for target shooters and is completely mathematically compatible with targets which are designed on the imperial measurement system as opposed to metric. If you are using it to hunt, it works like a mil dot, with less beads and baubles to deal with, or obscure the target.
What else can I say... I like the scope and believe I will become as fond of it as my NF. Like any new piece of equipment, it will take some tinkering and work to get really proficient with it. Having said that, the 5 shot group at 500yds measured 2 inches which is about 40% better than my normal equivalent with the NF. Will it outperform a $6000.00 state of the art rifle scope? No it won't, but then again it's not supposed to. What it's supposed to do is give a shooter the confidence and optical ability to shoot to their potential at just over 1/3 of the sticker shock of a Tangent Theta, or IOR ect. In my opinion, it accomplishes this more than nicely. It does it with panache and style usually reserved for scopes the discerning shooter can only wish for.
If anyone has a question I can answer but so far have failed to, I'll do my best.
Tally-Ho the little black dot...
