Bench Rest Scope Comparison: Delta Stryker V Falcon T50i

With the ever-increasing popularity of bench rest shooting, here at Optics Warehouse, we are getting more and more enquiries about which scope we would recommend and what other equipment is needed. Hopefully we can offer some help and guidance that will get you started.

There are several different types of bench rest shooting, but for this article we will stick to .22 calibre rimfire.  

There are many different things to consider at first, especially if you’re starting completely from scratch. If you’re a member of a club, there will probably be a few club guns that have been given over to Bench shooting. From what I’ve seen at our club and others I have visited, they are mostly single shot bolt action prone rifles that have been repurposed for bench. Some of these, including my first bench rifle (a 1968 Anschutz Match 54) are quite old, but in their day, they were top-of-the-range target rifles and are extremely accurate and still capable of achieving good scores.

Many people who are turning to bench rest shooting are like me, knocking on a bit with a few aches and pains and finding getting up and down for prone shooting isn’t as easy or comfortable as it once was. Having said that, bench rest shooters like our policemen do seem to be getting younger.

Once upon a time, some stalwart-prone shooters frowned upon Bench shooting as they considered it unchallenging and an easy way to get good scores. In some respects, that was and still is true, resting on a bench with a high-powered scope does make it a lot easier than lying down with open sights. However, to be successful as a bench rest shooter, you have to be consistently good. That’s why it’s important to have the best equipment that you can afford.

So, what exactly are you going to need to get yourself started? If you’re using club rifles and club equipment, you will probably be aware that other members are using the same kit and that you will probably spend the first part of the evening getting the rifle back to the settings that suit you. This can be a nuisance, to say the least, as it not only takes up time but also wastes ammunition. Additionally, if there’s a queue of people waiting for the range, there is a tendency to rush things, which of course leads to mistakes and lower scores, the best way around this is to branch out and purchase your own.

Ok, so what will I need? Well, there’s a long list which might at first be a little daunting. If you intend to shoot with anything other than an air rifle, you will need to apply to your local constabulary for a license if you don’t already have one. Some of the items you will need are relatively inexpensive, so it’s possible to acquire them as you go along, bit by bit, which should help. Apart from the rifle, you will need a stand that the rifle sits on. There are various types of stands which range vastly in price and adjustment. In my experience, have a look at what’s available at the club as well as what other members are using and what is suitable for your style of shooting. Other things you will need are ear defenders, gloves, and an ammunition box. Once again, take a look around and see what others have. I prefer ear defenders that look like headphones as apart from keeping the noise to a minimum, they keep my ample ears warm, handy if you’re shooting outdoors in the winter. Some competitions allow the use of a rear bag, so that is something else you might wish to consider, although they are relatively inexpensive.

Regarding the rifle, the choices are many and varied. Some people like myself switch from their old prone rifle over to bench rest just by swapping the open sights for a suitable scope. This can work well depending on what kind of stock you have. Mine, being a prone stock, was far from ideal but certainly got me started until I could afford to change it for a proper bench rest stock. 

Here at Optics Warehouse, we can now supply everything you need to turn your prone rifle into a dedicated bench rest gun. Take a look at our Bench Rest Bundles, which consist of a scope, stock and mounts. Although we do sell everything separately, buying everything together in a bundle will save you money.

The second biggest outlay after your rifle will be your scope. In my opinion, this is where you can make significant gains in terms of upping your scores. What you are looking for in a bench rest scope is as follows. Large objective lens. The objective lens in simple terms is the large lens at the front of the body of the scope, and the larger the objective lens, the more light it allows in for a brighter image. Because your rifle will be resting on a bench and will be fairly steady, it's possible (and desirable) to use a high powered scope. The two that we are looking at today both have a magnification range of 5-50 times, which allows you to zoom in very close. However, it's worth remembering that the greater the magnification you use, the less light it will allow in and the image will appear darker so a happy balance is advised. 

The two scopes that we are looking at here are both suitable for bench rest shooting, similar in design features, however, they are quite different when it comes to price. The Delta is around four times the price of the Falcon, but is it four times as good? I took the pair of them out to see how they compared.

Delta Stryker 5-50x56

 

Out of the box, as soon as you handle it, you can tell that this scope is of great quality and is a fine-looking piece of equipment. It is quite heavy, but for me, that's a good thing as the rules that I shoot to (NSRA) don’t have any weight restrictions. The Delta is fitted with multi-coated ED Japanese lenses, which allow for a clear, crisp image and are generally accepted to be superior to Chinese glass. The turrets are a good size but not too large. The markings are clear, easy to read, and they are nicely knurled, which makes them easy to grip and adjust.
The side focusing ring will focus down from 10 metres to infinity, and there is also a ring for the illuminated reticle, which adjusts the red dot in the centre to the desired brightness.
It's water-resistant and nitrogen-filled to prevent fogging, so ideal for outdoor use. More technical specifications are available with us at Optics Warehouse.

Falcon T50i 5-50x60

 

Straight from the box, the Falcon doesn’t feel quite so well put together as the Delta, but by no means does it feel cheap and poorly made. It's not quite as weighty as the Delta, but is solidly built and looks good. The turrets are smaller but still a good size with clear markings. They are adjustable via a push/pull system. The click stops are positive and are locked in place by pushing the turret back in once they are in position. As with the Delta, it will focus from 10 meters to infinity and is surprisingly bright and sharp. Like the Delta, it has a very neat illuminated red dot reticle, making it ideal for finding the centre of the target in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. I won't go into the finer technical details for these scopes here as they are all available on our website. Needless to say, both scopes are ideal for bench rest shooting and should serve you well for a long time.

I took both scopes out to a 50m range to see how they both compared in the field. The last day of January presented itself as a fine and sunny morning. With a clear blue sky and light wind, it seemed an ideal day to get some practice in and try out the scopes. The day didn’t start well as my friend left the keys to the clubhouse at home, so we had a ten-mile round detour to Brixham to pick them up and collect our rifles. It seemed that the gods were against us as once we were near our destination, we had to stop and rescue a pair of lovely Jack Russell terriers running freely in amongst the traffic three miles from their home. Luckily, they had a contact number on their collar, so we were able to return them to their grateful owner.

Eventually, we arrived at Budleigh Farm Target Shooting Club situated on the edge of Dartmoor. We signed in, collected some appropriate targets and set up on the North Range at 50m. In the time it had taken to collect the keys and rescue the dogs, the wind had risen a little to what I would say a gentle to moderate breeze, so still fairly ideal conditions. I started with the two guns side by side to compare the brightness and clarity of the glass. My main rifle, a Walther KK500, was fitted with the Delta Stryker, and my other rifle, an Anschutz 2013, had the Falcon. It was a very sunny day, which gave very bright contrast lighting. Both scopes looked sharp, clear and focused easily. I decided to start with the Walther. I'm more used to that setup up as I've only just acquired the Anschutz and the Falcon. It took me a few minutes to adjust the range from 25 to 50m but once it was set up I was able to pop ten rounds pretty much through the centre of three different targets. I like the Delta Stryker. It’s clear, bright and the tiny little dot in the centre makes it ideal for Bench rest shooting targets, and of course, it's illuminated for times when the light is poor.

Moving on to the Anschutz and the Falcon T50i. Sighting it for 50m seemed to take a little longer, but that could have been down to me and the fact that I'm not as used to this set up as I am my Walther once it was on target, however it performed well. The Falcon also has a tiny centre dot reticle which is also illuminated if needed. To be honest, on the day there didn’t seem to be a lot in it when it comes to clarity and brightness. I managed to shoot as accurately with the Falcon as I did with the more expensive Stryker. I think it would be fair to say that in more tricky lighting conditions, the Stryker might prove to be the better scope, but indoors at 25m with our club lighting and outdoors in bright sunlight they both performed well and I would recommend either.