TFB Review: Delta Optical Stryker HD 1-10×28 SDOG-1 (MRAD) Riflescope
This is a review of the Delta Optical Stryker HD 1-10×28 SDOG-1 (MRAD) riflescope. This is a compact Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO) with a reticle in the First Focal Plane (FFP), parallax adjustment and exposed lockable turrets. The brand Delta Optical is from Poland, but this sight is Made In Japan. When asking around, the brand is typically described as offering optics with a blend of wide magnification, illuminated reticles, good twilight performance, sharp optics, and affordability. There is always a strong demand for high-quality optics at reasonable prices, and there are many reasons to include Delta when you’re on the market for new glass.
Delta Optical @ TFB:
TFB Review: Delta Optical Hornet 1-6×24 SFP Riflescope Delta Optical Launches Stryker HD 1-10×28 LPVO
Ergonomics
The first thing that strikes me is how short and compact this riflescope is, especially considering its 28 mm glass, with a 34mm tube. It’s a bit heavier than expected at .65 kg. In a world of perfect products, I’m constantly on the lookout for imperfections in my reviews, or things that will irritate me. But the surface finish looks great, the white-on-black numbers and indicators are visible and readable. There’s a very discrete “Delta” logotype on the ocular, and the name of the optic is printed around the exit.
The scope has a classical three-turret design. The top lockable turret is for the height and the right one, also lockable, is for the windage. The left turret has a Delta Optics logotype with the three crosses in blue and also controls the illumination and parallax. That’s a lot of controls in a small space, but everything is reachable and the clicks are tactile. To be honest, I was expecting to write something negative about the clicks, but I can’t. They’re not the best I’ve tried, but they sure work. The only thing I can find is a small play when the turret is unlocked, but that tolerance is very small.
But I finally found something that can be improved. The friction in the parallax ring is just a tiny bit too much, but there are grooves all around for a good grip in all conditions. And you don’t really want the parallax to change due to recoil.
Depending on what kind of hunting you’re doing, this setup might not be as strange as it seems at first. For the driven hunt this could work well.
Delta’s LPVO scope features a 34 mm tube and a 28 mm objective lens, offering variable magnification from 1-10x. With an eye relief of 83-99 mm, it ensures comfortable observation and a fairly flexible eye box. The field of view varies from 2.23° to 22° (3.9-38.9 m at 100 m), depending on the magnification setting.
The Delta has High-quality ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) glass, which is said to enhance image clarity. I don’t really have anything to say against that.
There’s a throw lever to make adjustments of the magnification easier. In my opinion, the friction is perfect – not too light, not too tight.
There are optional throw levers delivered with the sight, so you can decide if you want to use them or not. There are also two mounting options, so if you have a red dot or a mount in the way there’s a possibility to adjust the position of the throw lever knob.
Optical Quality, Reticle & Illumination
I think most people will experience a good image and optical quality from this riflescope. The eye box is pretty forgiving and better than I expected. As you increase the magnification, the eye box becomes more unforgiving, and a 10 power you better be shooting or viewing from a support to keep your eye and optic in the same place all the time. There’s nothing odd about that, but I better explain it so you as a reader don’t get unrealistic expectations.
The parallax wheel has a ”volume” indication for the distance, and three markings: CQB, 100 and LR. I presume LR stands for Long Range.
The higher the magnification, the more careful you have to be with the parallax. Below 3x you don’t really need to adjust the parallax to get a good image, but the higher you go the more essential it gets to get a crisp image.
I am not used to changing the parallax on an LPVO, and if you’re a practical shooter who needs to adjust between close and distant targets this will be an issue for sure.
The reticle is FFP, so it increases in size as you zoom in. I’m not a huge fan of the reticle itself, there are just too many dots and lines in it for an LPVO. At one or low power magnification, it’s difficult to make precise shots – then again, you’re probably pretty close to the target so it may not matter.
The illumination is pretty bright on 10/10, and the center reticle works in the sun which is good – especially when you’re zoomed in a few steps.
There’s a large center ring in the reticle, which disappears out of the glass at around 5.5 power. This ring is pretty dominant, and not sure what kind of ballistic purpose or guidance it serves? If you have your illumination on strong, you’re gonna want to get that ring out of your view. I perceived it as distracting, especially in low light or against a dark background.
Overall, the illumination is doing a good job, but it hits the lines, dots and numbers in a bit uneven manner, creating what looks like shadows. However, the main center reticle is well and evenly lit, and that’s what’s most important. I don’t know if the illumination is night vision compatible, but that’s probably not most buyers’ main priority.
Concamo hunter with Pulsar Merger thermal binoculars and a Ruger Precision rifle with the DeltaOptical 1-10x and an A-Tec suppressor.
Price: You can find a direct product link to Delta Optical in Poland here. The price transforms to just below €2,000.00. In the USA, the Stryker HD 1-10×28 has a retail price of $1,695 and is backed by a 10-year warranty.
Conclusion
There aren’t too many Low Power Variable Optics out there with First Focal Plane reticles, although the market is increasing. The Delta Optical is a nice addition and should be considered if you’re looking for these kinds of features. Is it a riflescope that can do everything? The Stryker HD isn’t perfect, but it comes a long way – and all the way for most of the potential buyers. If you want a 1-10x riflescope, there’s a lot of value for the price in this package. The ability to perform parallax error adjustment is pretty unique for this type of optic.
Most people will be perfectly happy with the Delta Optics Stryker 1-6x, but if you’re reaching for more, Delta’s 1-10x might be the answer.