Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

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Pinkes
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Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 10:27 pm

Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#1 Postby Pinkes » Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:12 pm

Hi guys

Any of you have experience behind this scope? It looks like a great buy.. Great glass, 1/8moa adjustment,high mag,zerostop and lots of elevation!

Regards
P

williada
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#2 Postby williada » Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:28 pm

Think I got the second last one in stock. Hope to get it by Friday. I will see what it can do. My old Nightforce died, but it has a lifetime warranty. Only 10 year one on the Delta. Will check it for clarity against a mate's March and Nightforce Competition.
Check the link, it may answer a lot of questions woth comparisons of high end scopes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ldMtOoOwI

bruce moulds
Posts: 2900
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:07 pm

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#3 Postby bruce moulds » Thu Jan 25, 2018 11:36 am

if you deploy one, will it automatically qualify you to be in the delta stike force team?
keep safe,
bruce.
"SUCH IS LIFE" Edward Kelly 11 nov 1880
http://youtu.be/YRaRCCZjdTM

Pinkes
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 10:27 pm

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#4 Postby Pinkes » Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:44 pm

Great.Dont forget to give us a report on the glass vs Comp & March. Im a bit worried about the side focus. not much travel pass 300y. Will it focus
properly on 600 and 900y vs competitors

Pinkes
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 10:27 pm

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#5 Postby Pinkes » Tue Feb 27, 2018 5:59 pm

williada wrote:Think I got the second last one in stock. Hope to get it by Friday. I will see what it can do. My old Nightforce died, but it has a lifetime warranty. Only 10 year one on the Delta. Will check it for clarity against a mate's March and Nightforce Competition.
Check the link, it may answer a lot of questions woth comparisons of high end scopes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ldMtOoOwI


Hi

Any update on the Delta?

Regards

williada
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#6 Postby williada » Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:33 pm

Pinkes, I have only shot with it up to 600 yards and hope to try it over 1000 yards this Sunday. In mirage conditions, I think the Nighforce has the clarity edge at high magnification for me. In fact, I found the Delta a little darker and closer to the March. Think this is more to do with the mineralization in the lens.

That being said, there is a problem for the over 50 (and I passed that a long time ago) with the exit pupil with any scope.

The exit pupil is the diameter of the beam of light that exits the rear lens (ocular) into your eye. As you zoom in with any scope you receive less light coming through the exit pupil. The problem for the over 50's is your own eye pupil won't dilate generally speaking more than 5mm. It means if the scope exit pupil diameter is bigger than what your eye pupil is, the sight picture won't be any brighter. People may be blaming scopes when the issue is age.

So if you are an old fart divide your objective lens by your pupil diameter 50mm by your eye pupil 5mm to find the most light at what magnification. 10x gives the most light. So we have to trade off light with target size. In reality, the higher the magnification the bigger the exit pupil of the scope.

The implications may be to use scope light filters (yellow) for contrast since we all like to shoot at high magnification for target definition even if it is a darker picture or we could use a hat which wraps over the scope to create a dark place to dilate your pupils. Young eyes have an advantage. That also has to be traded off with the desired mirage picture for reading the wind. Hence a 20 power spotting scope has a use for older shooters.

Back to the Delta. It tracks well, focuses well and is well balanced on the stock. My only real complaint is the graduation markings on the elevation could be clearer and the knobs are a little soft. I like a distinct feel. I would like to see the 10 minute rotation as other modern scopes have, be marked 1 to 5 minutes either side of zero because the Fclass shooters are now becoming excellent wind readers and this would readily assist that process when making quick decisions. Like Peter said on another topic, in terms of elevation, the zero stop is no advantage in Fclass shooting. It only has a 10 year warranty. Hope the plasticy knobs go the distance.

With regard to the reticle, the graduations are fine and don't detract from observing mirage. For my eyes, the centre dot is a wee small compared to what I am used to but so clear and easily focused.

The ability of the scope to focus up close at full 50 magnification made using a 25 yard zero target a breeze. This is important for accurate setting of zero for spin drift calcs. A 25 yard target set up with a plumb bob is a useful check for cant.

Still like the old Sightron for reliability and maybe someone has the latest 34mm tube they could comment on.

bruce moulds
Posts: 2900
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:07 pm

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#7 Postby bruce moulds » Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:47 am

is not exit pupil defined as objective lens diameter divided by magnification.
e.g an 8 x 56 scope has an exit pupil of 7.
10 x 50 = 5.
if this is less than your eye pupil diameter it will appear darker.
the human eye mostly cannot get as big as 7.
generally though as the exit pupil diminishes due to increasing power, so does resolution increase.
keep safe,
bruce.
"SUCH IS LIFE" Edward Kelly 11 nov 1880

http://youtu.be/YRaRCCZjdTM

Pinkes
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 10:27 pm

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#8 Postby Pinkes » Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:06 pm

Not to bad compared to the high end scopes.
For almost half the price it sounds good...

thanks for the update

williada
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#9 Postby williada » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:51 pm

Yes, Bruce the exit pupil is calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification. Once that is known, and thank you for reminding me of skipping over that point, but of interest to me as an older shooter is how much of that light is usable, what can I do to avoid eyestrain and how best can I read mirage or avoid its distortions.

In order to determine that, we must know the size of our pupil to determine what percentage of light transmission through the ocular (rear) lens is usable. This varies with age and obviously with night and day.

Ideally where the scope exit pupil matches the eye pupil, no light is wasted and eyestrain can be reduced. If there is wastage, the scope brightness won’t get any better with a bigger pupil exit value. The percentage of wastage is significant if your pupil size is 5mm and your scope exit pupil is 7mm. See Fig 2. I adapted.

Fig. 1. The table below is sourced from Wikipedia which illustrates this.
download/file.php?mode=view&id=1548

Fig.2.
download/file.php?mode=view&id=1549

Of course the quality of the lens effects the quality of the light transmitted which will vary with scopes. It could be argued that a wide exit pupil assists a position not well aligned with the optical axis. Great for shooting game.

The real issue becomes one of brightness as the magnification is increased on a variable scope. See Fig.3 sourced from Wikipedia.

Fig.3.
download/file.php?mode=view&id=1550

We have all seen the problem of a dull target at high magnification. In fact heavy mirage DULLS THE TARGET making it harder to shoot on high magnification. It is interesting that Alan made a point on another topic about a 10 power selection having won a Queens. Interesting that snipers and tactical shooters use this magnification a lot. I recognise that its horses for courses and the picture, like position, becomes one of personal choice for reflex shooting. But like reading the wind, reading the mirage might be a bigger factor in the score than the bigger, dull picture of high magnification, if the scope needs to be wound back to effectively see the mirage to read it or trying to eliminate its distortions in bad conditions. Got to ask yourself how often do you get perfect light? It’s a percentage and probability game for an adaptable shooter.

In terms of brightness, which is vital for reading mirage and maybe a picture you are not used to, then the maximum magnification for the most light you would be able to get can be determined as I mentioned earlier by dividing the objective lens by your pupil diameter. This can be found by the equation Bruce gave for exit pupil, substituting eye pupil diameter and transposing the values for magnification.

So if you objective lens is 56mm and your pupil is 5mm, then brightness won’t get better than 11.2x magnification. If your objective lens is 50 mm and your pupil is 5mm, then brightness won’t get any better than 10x.

All just food for thought.

Further reading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_pupil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_telescope
EXIT PUPIL 3.jpg
EXIT PUPIL 2.jpg
EXIT PUPIL TABLE.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

williada
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#10 Postby williada » Thu Mar 01, 2018 6:52 am

Of course where possible I like to use a high magnification, but the trade off is brightness. The thing I forgot to mention was the type of reticle suited to shooting long range when you are forced to wind the scope back due to conditions. It is one with a cross hair. The eye naturally divides the aiming mark into quadrants and so the eye naturally centres the hold without the need to to find a spot on the target to shoot at that higher magnification in good conditions would reveal. They are different techniques and practice is required to master them.

bruce moulds
Posts: 2900
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:07 pm

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#11 Postby bruce moulds » Fri Mar 02, 2018 7:17 pm

2 things pop to mind on this subject.
quality of glass will alwys show more definition or detail.
i never forget looking through a really good spotting scope and seeing more mirage, better to read, AND more of the rings.
no rifle scope i have ever looked through was that good.
it was an 80 mm class of scope, brand forgotten, but could never afford one.
another happening involved a novice girl at a fly shoot so far ahead of everyone else on a mirage day that someone asked how she did it.
she said she just looked at her bullet holes.
no one else could see a bullet hole through march and nightforce scopes.
turned out her weaver t36 (x40) showed holes clearly.
better glass? who knows? if so a very lucky scope owner.
about a 1mm exit pupil might have been helpful according to some, who made stop down devices for their 56 mm objective scopes.
not sure if this has ever really helped them, but they believe it works.
eye surgery or corrective lenses?
keep safe,
bruce.
"SUCH IS LIFE" Edward Kelly 11 nov 1880

http://youtu.be/YRaRCCZjdTM

williada
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#12 Postby williada » Sun Mar 04, 2018 5:45 pm

Pinkes, I tried it at 1000 thousand yards today in heavy mirage. Results were excellent once I tuned the rifle as Alan can attest under coached conditions.

In respect to your focus question, yes the dial movement is very small but it is firm and stays in focus. No sign of parallax by moving the head about. Of course with other scopes this side movement is much greater. The small movement does have a benefit because it must reduce wear. This became a problem with the Sightron over time and I make the final setting in the same direction to avoid backlash and movement which may otherwise cause a parallax error (never had a problem with the tracking with windage and elevation knobs with the Sightron).

The final thing I noticed was the excellent focus that could be obtained for cross hair clarity and target from the ocular or rear end of the scope. Think this kind of makes up for any perceived weakness of side focus adjustment which for me did not present as an issue.

So far, so good and we will see if it stands the test of time. It sits in lapped scope rings on a bedded rail, so the scope is not subject to stress.

chicko
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 10:12 pm
Location: Ipswich

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#13 Postby chicko » Tue Oct 09, 2018 10:14 am

Williada, is the delta scope still going well? Thinking about getting one just worried about only a 10yr warranty.

williada
Posts: 969
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:37 am

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#14 Postby williada » Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:14 pm

Yep chicko its still working fine on the SAUM. If you are looking for value for money it is fine. As I said earlier, the focus adjustment is tiny to bring it up but once adjusted it does not move. The knobs are firm although they are not metal. No tracking issues to date. I would rate a nostril in front of my Sightron for clarity which also has a positive track. I still think my Nightforce has the edge for clarity, but after a few years, its ability to track failed. Would I buy another Delta at the price comparison? Yes, but I think the warranty is light but you have to ask yourself how many companies will be in business to honour their warranties in 10 years time or will they no longer support that model as a bullshit excuse. Many warranties these days won't replace goods that are subject to fair wear ant tear. Who makes this judgement? Perhaps making a provision for depreciation each year and buying a new one in 10 years could be another strategy.

cheech
Posts: 384
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:10 pm

Re: Delta Optical Stryker 5-50x56

#15 Postby cheech » Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:49 pm

Hi Williada

Any more thoughts or updates on this scope , worth keeping?


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