In early 2020 I made a visit to the ShotShow in Las Vegas Nevada to meet with several Airgun manufactures including Daystate. During a banquet dinner they unveiled a revolutionary New offering that was to be called the Delta Wolf. This innovative electronically controlled PCP was to further Daystates reputation for making some of the finest Airguns in the world. After a brief glimpse of this rifle and getting to hear some of the included features I was very excited to get my hands on one for review. Our worldwide pandemic set many manufacturing back and we would not see the Delta Wolf until almost one year later. Last month I received word that Airguns Of Arizona would be shipping me one in .300 caliber and I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas. I have had the privilege of spending some quality time with this extremely advanced rifle and am happy to share my experience as follows.
DAYSTATE DELTA WOLF
Delta Wolf is the first Daystate to adopt an advanced tactical form factor that has proven popular with shooters across multiple disciplines – but make no mistake; Delta Wolf the world’s most advanced Airgun and represents years of development and investments that, courtesy of newly-filed patents, will make it a very hard act to follow, let alone actually beat! Building on years of expertise that has already resulted in market-leading electronic rifles such as the Red Wolf and Pulsar, Daystate has taken the concept to the next level. At its electronic heart, the Delta Wolf has next-generation touch screen Advanced Velocity Technology (AVT) which enables the selection of pre-set calibre-specific power levels.
AVT is also Bluetooth enabled to connect to other devices and is designed to accept future upgrades and technological innovations, helping to make the Delta Wolf future-proof. The incorporation of an onboard chronograph further enables users to customize the Delta Wolf according to their specific needs and different pellets.
Users can also adjust the pressure in the Huma-Air regulator and exploit the benefits of the huge 34cc plenum chamber, to achieve specific velocities. In addition, a newly designed fast flow valve system improves efficiency and shot count from the 480cc carbon bottle, which takes a 240-bar fill and is removable, allowing a spare to be fitted in seconds.
A new design, higher-capacity Self-Indexing magazine system taking between eight and 13 shots is cycled with a smooth side-lever cocking action, the lever for which can be swapped by the shooter to the left in a minute. The ambidextrous safety is beyond convenient under many different shooting positions from both the bench and in the field.
Inserted from either side, the Delta Wolf is configured to allow two magazines to be installed and used in concert to effectively double the shot count. In addition to technological advances, the Delta Wolf has a fully modular tactical stock design. Weighing 3.1kg (6.8lbs) for the full-length 600mm barrel version and measuring 840mm (34”)the rifle is available in black or bronze and features an ambidextrous AR-style safety catch and pistol grip. There are under and side-mounted Picatinny accessory rails and a 20mm Picatinny scope rail that can be moved by as much as 150mm to accommodate zero eye relief scopes, like the MTC Optics SWAT Prismatic, as well as a large objective lens, high magnification optics. ( Note) In my first part of the review I stated that the rail had 20moa built in, this is incorrect and was the result of my own miscommunication. Airguns of Arizona does sell a rail that includes the 20moa that would be helpful for those longer range shots although I prefer the Eagle Vision Infinity scope rings as used in my review.
Additional adjustments to the cheek piece and butt pad, which is compatible with a range of exclusive optional accessories developed by PGS Precision Rifle Services for perfect eye alignment. The Delta Wolf is available with 430 and 600mm ART developed barrels. A 30mm diameter carbon shroud reduces muzzle blast considerably and the addition of a 0db silencer makes the rifle almost silent.
Although users of high-powered air rifles, in particular, will value the ability to fine-tune it, a UK legal version of the Delta Wolf has also been designed to take into account the legal power restriction. For example, on the UK version, the power settings allow adjustment down from 12-foot pound in % increments and the onboard chronograph displays muzzle velocity allowing the shooter to ensure that he remains compliant. On all versions, every component has been painstakingly designed to optimize accuracy and efficiency. The Delta Wolf sets a new standard for others to follow. The rifle I received from Airguns Of Arizona in .300 caliber was adjusted by them to optimize the usable range. This is done to all rifles distributed throughout the United States. The HUMA regulator in turned down to 160 bar from the 190 bar factory setting. This in turn will give the rifle a more usable and efficient range using the factory pre-sets for using the 44gr and 50gr JSB pellets. The adjustable range is between 600 and 935 fps and this can be over-ridden using the "Advanced Settings" through the electronics. The Delta Wolf came packaged very well from Airguns Of Arizona and the Delta Wolf includes a well built custom molded hard case to secure it well into the field.
The case had enough room for my Hawke Sidewinder 4-16x50 ffp scope as well as spaces for the 0dB moderator and magazine. My first course of action was to make sure the battery was charged, this is easily done with the provided 6' cord that plugs into the USB port.
This is where I discovered what could be a long term problem, the rubber dust cover has no lanyard so it can fall off or get misplaced very easily. To cut some time this did happen on several occasions throughout the few weeks I had this rifle, ultimately I left it off the rifle. I did leave the Delta Wolf out overnight on several occasions and used it in dusty conditions with no issues. My advice to Daystate is to fix this problem and find a plug that fits tighter, adding a lanyard would be helpful. One of the things I always carry with me into the field is a small power bank that I use to charge my camera gear and lights for when I film at night. I used an Audew Epower-188 that has more than enough power to charge the Delta Wolf multiple times out in the field.
The battery on full charge should give up to three days of continued use before needing a re-charge. If you plan to do some camping with the gun over several days I highly suggest looking into getting one of these. The nice thing about this power bank is it fit one of the cutouts in the case perfectly.
Moving on I was surprised at just how small and compact the Delta Wolf is, I had expected it to be much longer and heavier. The overall weight is just 6.8lbs with a length of just over 33" making it the perfect size for an all day carry. I tested the Delta Wolf out to 50 yards the first day using the 44gr and 50gr JSb's and was very pleased with some of the groupings I was able to get, not bad at all for out of the box.
The 50.15gr JSB's shot very well with a speed adjustment of 830fps putting out just over 76fpe of muzzle energy. This was a very conservative power level but felt to be a good base for accuracy. My impression of the trigger was excellent, set to 16oz with a crisp and predictable feel. This trigger is electronic but Daystate has designed it to give the feel of a high precision mechanical trigger. It does have the feel of a true first and second stage that to me was very impressive. This of coarse can all be adjusted to the individual shooter but felt it to be more than enough to make anyone happy out of the box. The beauty of the electronic hammer system is the lack of a coil spring that can sometimes make cocking difficult, especially with higher powered Airguns. The side-lever on the Delta Wolf is simply put "effortless" and the forward placement of it makes using the index finger to cock extremely natural.
After spending a good portion of my day at the 50 yard range getting familiar with the gun and sighting it in I planned to spent the next several days in a true field setting to get to 100 yards and beyond. Marley and I packed the Jeep and left the next day to begin filming for Part 1 of this review. The location I had chosen is and area I do most of my testing and offers a great place to shoot out to longer ranges as well as some fantastic camping.
The weather called for low temperatures with rain and snow for that evening, not ideal but still fun to get out with Marley and enjoy an overnight adventure. I wanted to get out to 100 on paper using both pellets and the few NSA slugs that I had. We set up a small base camp where I was able to pull out all my gear to film and test.
I wanted to test how accurate the onboard chronograph was against my Caldwell that I generally use for all my reviews. I figured I would see a big difference in the #s but I was pleased that both readings were no more than a few FPS difference, some were identical. Having the built in chronograph is in fact extremely useful because I can make adjustment to the gun on the fly under any conditions. The barrel system on the Delta Wolf is very robust and has zero flex, something I have found very important under heavy field use. The worst thing is to have a gun you spend so much time getting right just to have a slight "bump" knock the poi out of whack.
I first tested the 55gr NSA's as well as the 44gr JSB's followed by the 50gr JSB's out to 100 yards. I spent a good few hours getting frustrated at times to to the extreme recoil that causes the muzzle to jump. Part of my problem was not having a rail extension to get the Accu-Tac bipod further out front. After some practice I was able to get some improvement on my part. I was finally able to get a fair 8 shot group at 100 but felt that a rail extension would have definitely helped.
Bottom left 55gr NSA, Middle 44gr JSB, Top right 50gr JSB
After spending most of the day shooting the weather started getting bad so I packed some of the gear away and headed into our very own underground WW2 bunker.
This is a bunker that I have used for many months now and can accommodate up to six people comfortably for foul weather camping.
We had spent a good amount of time cleaning the place out and have even added a wood burning stove to keep us warm and to be able to cook and make coffee.
The interior was in poor shape but does have two rows of bunk beds that can double as storage for all my gear and of coarse Marley.
This would be the first time we have actually spent the night inside as it had needed some minor work to make it accommodating enough to sleep in. The temperature outside was down to 19 degrees with the wood stove bringing it up to 80+ degrees inside. We made some dinner and even made some coffee to enjoy inside this awesome underground oasis.
After dinner I wanted to give a brief discussion on my initial few days with the Delta Wolf that you can find in Part 1 of the enclosed https://youtu.be/bDU8JEgw6EA.
Marley and I stayed pretty warm through the night with a little visitor that made it's way under the door out of the rain. I wish I had taken some video of Marley hunting this rat that was trying for some food I dropped next to the stove. She was up for most of the night keeping watch on the doorway for our little friend to return. We thankfully only received a little bit of rain that night with the expected snowstorm passing by leaving for a beautiful next morning.
That morning I packed up the Jeep and headed up the hill to an area I do lots of long range practice with many of the Airguns I test. I like this area because it generally has some strong wind that I find to be fairly challenging to shoot in.
I like to practice in wind because it gives me the opportunity to test under normal conditions I may encounter in a hunting situation. I set out a quadrant target at 205 yards down a long steep canyon that was right in the brunt force of the wind.
I filled the gun and loaded the rifle with the 50gr JSB's and took a few shots with erratic results, the pellets were simply all over the place. The wind was a bit excessive so wasn't surprised at all by my inconsistent results. I then pulled out the 55gr NSA's that I had tested from 900 to 930, this is a speed that has worked well with other guns in the past. I was able to hit the quadrant a few times but nothing consistent enough to write home about. After spending a few hours shooting I was running low on air and decided to call it a day.
Several days later I had scheduled to visit several of my larger permissions for several days of hunting with the Delta Wolf. For this trip Terry, Marley and I loaded up the Motorhome and headed out with a quick stop to the Nielsen Specialty Ammo factory to visit my good friend Nick. I figured who best to ask for advice on slugs that may work out of the Delta Wolf. Nick provided me with an assortment of weights ranging from 44gr out to 65gr that I thought would be good to test that morning at the farm.
I tested them all at 100 yards and found the 49.5gr to be fantastic in the Delta Wolf set to 935fps. My settings were as follows:
This is a high powered tune that gave me over 96fpe using the 49.5gr NSA's, pretty impressive but not very tame. Along with such high power comes some hard to manage recoil...WOOOF!!! This gun has some serious balls and the muzzle really wants to pull up, took some getting used to on my part. The Delta Wolf at this power level is more comparable to shooting a short big bore such as the Slayer but with less punch. Without the moderator this gun is LOUD, especially in areas that have feedback such as buildings, canyons etc, For a more conservative tune for pellets that gives a more manageable shot cycle I would suggest a setting as follows:
These are just two examples of the "unlimited" adjustments the Delta Wolf is capable of, this isn't even mentioning the fact you can caliber change the gun. The fact that the gun comes with a built in chronograph is fantastic, super helpful for guys like me who do lots of shooting. I spent about three hours shooting zeroed the gun to 100 yards, even had some fun plinking exploding golf balls and cans. We loaded up the motorhome and moved spots to a different area that was loaded with Ground Squirrels, Rats, Coyotes and Rabbits. A soon as we rolled up I spotted a ton of ground squirrels all over the hillsides. My first shot was prone with the target out at 96 yards up towards the top of a grass covered hill.
The ground squirrel stood up and made a perfect pose, just begging for a well placed headshot. The Delta Wolf provided him with a well deserved headache using the 49.5gr NSA hp Slug.
Marley was eager to run up and visit our deceased friend, although I don't let her make contact as these squirrels carry disease such as the bubonic plague. The farmer likes us to eradicate as many as possible due to the immense destruction they cause the property. These critters burrow holes under buildings, equipment and cause serious erosion problems when it rains. On top of that the holes make it dangerous for the cattle to roam the pastures, it's not uncommon for cattle to break legs stepping in these giant holes. Moving on we moved up to the top of the hill where I had a great vantage point on the many ground squirrels as far out as 140+ yards. while up on the hill Terry aka "Offhand-Airgunner" took a few shots with the Delta Wolf and immediately classified it as a slug slinging laser beam.
Offhand-Airgunner
The Delta Wolf made a difficult job look easy, the power the gun put out was just perfect for such long range. A few of these ground squirrels got pretty acrobatic but still had a hard time escaping the impending doom. A few I encountered were fairly close and to be honest I had to leave out of the video due to some extreme graphics.
After a few hours of some serious ground squirrel smackdown action we decided to take a much needed water break next to an old abandoned barn.
Here I filmed a few segments, with one talking about how from a prone position the muzzle jump can be difficult to manage. Having a lower extension rail would definitely help improve this situation. The Delta Wolf at this power level really takes some experience and concentration to shoot accurately, especially at these long ranges. Unfortunately I had forgotten my extension legs that I normally use on my Accu-Tac Bipod, these would have been the hot ticket for this adventure. By this time it was late afternoon so we packed up the motorhome and moved down the road to another large permission where we would be spending the night.
This area was more of the same but had a totally different layout than the previous permission, many more buildings. This was a smaller more confined property but housed 4 buildings full of egg laying chickens.
To minimize the report of the Delta Wolf I added the 0dB moderator that has proven to quiet the report and keeping the weight down, my experience with these has been very good. This one adds 7" to the gun, still keeping it short enough to be maneuverable through brush and tall grass. I like the slim design and the adaptor that steps the threads down to 1/2" is very easy to quickly add on.
We made our way down a walkway between the buildings that opens up to a hillside towards the back of the property that was loaded with ground squirrels.
Marley and I slowly moved our way towards the corner of one of the chicken houses where I was able to spot a few of the ground squirrels out in the open.
Most of the action was within 100 yards with a few out beyond that, we took down about 30 just in this one spot as they seemed fairly active in the afternoon sun.
After hunting right into the evening I did go out for some Coyotes with no luck bringing one in. We did hunt through most of the night, but will leave all that for a future video adventure.
I will say that the "Night Mode" on the Delta Wolf did come in big handy as it doesn't have the bright glare such as the standard daytime display.
The following day after a long night of various hunting activities we packed up the motorhome and headed back towards home. This was such a fun trip and was so happy that I got to learn a bit more about the Delta Wolfs performance, the fact that it shot slugs so well really made me happy. That following day I decided to head back up the hill and do some more long range shooting, as well as to film for a few future videos.
This time I brought the 49.5gr NSA's and set the quadrant target out to 200 yards hoping for better results. The area was still pretty windy, but nothing like I had encountered on the previous trip.
This time with some practice I was able to fairly accurately and consistently hit the quadrant target at 200 yards. I will say it's pretty satisfying and fun to hear the KLANK and see that paddle spin shot after shot. After a few hours of satisfying results Marley and I took a nice lunch break back at the Jeep followed by a short hike in this beautiful area. I love to hunt but unfortunately it's not that great this time of year in this particular area. For me I just enjoy being out in the wilderness with a great dog and an awesome Airgun, doesn't get much better than that. I really want to thank Airguns Of Arizona for sponsoring me to get out and work with the Delta Wolf and try to bring a thorough field review. My work is not totally finished and will be coming out with a detailed "Advanced Tuning" guide, as well as possibly one more hunting video. Enclosed are my final honest opinions on the Delta Wolf as well as some suggested gear that may help those looking to purchase.
PROS
CONS
I only base this negative on previous electronic rifles such as the Safari that can go for months of continual use before needing a re-charge. Having the power bank was definitely needed for more than a few days in the field unless you want to charge from vehicle.
Now for my thoughts on the heavy price tag, this gun is definitely not for everyone but to be honest I see nothing else capable of this kind of versatility. The Delta Wolf can be adjusted under near any conditions on the fly out of the box. The onboard chronograph is beyond useful for guys like me that spend the majority of time in the field hunting and shooting, no more spending hours tinkering and tuning. The gun is able to caliber swap in minutes and is capable of storing profiles for various ammo being used....you want to shoot lightweight pellets one day and slugs the next, it stores all that info. With the push of a few buttons the gun is tuned and ready to go. No other gun does this..period!!
Enclosed are all three of my videos that document my experience with the Delta Wolf, really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to sharing more.
First Day at 50 yards
https://youtu.be/RBUKcoQ24uA
Field Review Part 1
https://youtu.be/bDU8JEgw6EA
Field Review Part 2
https://youtu.be/L8cmbhplRL8
DAYSTATE DELTA WOLF
Delta Wolf is the first Daystate to adopt an advanced tactical form factor that has proven popular with shooters across multiple disciplines – but make no mistake; Delta Wolf the world’s most advanced Airgun and represents years of development and investments that, courtesy of newly-filed patents, will make it a very hard act to follow, let alone actually beat! Building on years of expertise that has already resulted in market-leading electronic rifles such as the Red Wolf and Pulsar, Daystate has taken the concept to the next level. At its electronic heart, the Delta Wolf has next-generation touch screen Advanced Velocity Technology (AVT) which enables the selection of pre-set calibre-specific power levels.
AVT is also Bluetooth enabled to connect to other devices and is designed to accept future upgrades and technological innovations, helping to make the Delta Wolf future-proof. The incorporation of an onboard chronograph further enables users to customize the Delta Wolf according to their specific needs and different pellets.
Users can also adjust the pressure in the Huma-Air regulator and exploit the benefits of the huge 34cc plenum chamber, to achieve specific velocities. In addition, a newly designed fast flow valve system improves efficiency and shot count from the 480cc carbon bottle, which takes a 240-bar fill and is removable, allowing a spare to be fitted in seconds.
A new design, higher-capacity Self-Indexing magazine system taking between eight and 13 shots is cycled with a smooth side-lever cocking action, the lever for which can be swapped by the shooter to the left in a minute. The ambidextrous safety is beyond convenient under many different shooting positions from both the bench and in the field.
Inserted from either side, the Delta Wolf is configured to allow two magazines to be installed and used in concert to effectively double the shot count. In addition to technological advances, the Delta Wolf has a fully modular tactical stock design. Weighing 3.1kg (6.8lbs) for the full-length 600mm barrel version and measuring 840mm (34”)the rifle is available in black or bronze and features an ambidextrous AR-style safety catch and pistol grip. There are under and side-mounted Picatinny accessory rails and a 20mm Picatinny scope rail that can be moved by as much as 150mm to accommodate zero eye relief scopes, like the MTC Optics SWAT Prismatic, as well as a large objective lens, high magnification optics. ( Note) In my first part of the review I stated that the rail had 20moa built in, this is incorrect and was the result of my own miscommunication. Airguns of Arizona does sell a rail that includes the 20moa that would be helpful for those longer range shots although I prefer the Eagle Vision Infinity scope rings as used in my review.
Additional adjustments to the cheek piece and butt pad, which is compatible with a range of exclusive optional accessories developed by PGS Precision Rifle Services for perfect eye alignment. The Delta Wolf is available with 430 and 600mm ART developed barrels. A 30mm diameter carbon shroud reduces muzzle blast considerably and the addition of a 0db silencer makes the rifle almost silent.
Although users of high-powered air rifles, in particular, will value the ability to fine-tune it, a UK legal version of the Delta Wolf has also been designed to take into account the legal power restriction. For example, on the UK version, the power settings allow adjustment down from 12-foot pound in % increments and the onboard chronograph displays muzzle velocity allowing the shooter to ensure that he remains compliant. On all versions, every component has been painstakingly designed to optimize accuracy and efficiency. The Delta Wolf sets a new standard for others to follow. The rifle I received from Airguns Of Arizona in .300 caliber was adjusted by them to optimize the usable range. This is done to all rifles distributed throughout the United States. The HUMA regulator in turned down to 160 bar from the 190 bar factory setting. This in turn will give the rifle a more usable and efficient range using the factory pre-sets for using the 44gr and 50gr JSB pellets. The adjustable range is between 600 and 935 fps and this can be over-ridden using the "Advanced Settings" through the electronics. The Delta Wolf came packaged very well from Airguns Of Arizona and the Delta Wolf includes a well built custom molded hard case to secure it well into the field.
The case had enough room for my Hawke Sidewinder 4-16x50 ffp scope as well as spaces for the 0dB moderator and magazine. My first course of action was to make sure the battery was charged, this is easily done with the provided 6' cord that plugs into the USB port.
This is where I discovered what could be a long term problem, the rubber dust cover has no lanyard so it can fall off or get misplaced very easily. To cut some time this did happen on several occasions throughout the few weeks I had this rifle, ultimately I left it off the rifle. I did leave the Delta Wolf out overnight on several occasions and used it in dusty conditions with no issues. My advice to Daystate is to fix this problem and find a plug that fits tighter, adding a lanyard would be helpful. One of the things I always carry with me into the field is a small power bank that I use to charge my camera gear and lights for when I film at night. I used an Audew Epower-188 that has more than enough power to charge the Delta Wolf multiple times out in the field.
The battery on full charge should give up to three days of continued use before needing a re-charge. If you plan to do some camping with the gun over several days I highly suggest looking into getting one of these. The nice thing about this power bank is it fit one of the cutouts in the case perfectly.
Moving on I was surprised at just how small and compact the Delta Wolf is, I had expected it to be much longer and heavier. The overall weight is just 6.8lbs with a length of just over 33" making it the perfect size for an all day carry. I tested the Delta Wolf out to 50 yards the first day using the 44gr and 50gr JSb's and was very pleased with some of the groupings I was able to get, not bad at all for out of the box.
The 50.15gr JSB's shot very well with a speed adjustment of 830fps putting out just over 76fpe of muzzle energy. This was a very conservative power level but felt to be a good base for accuracy. My impression of the trigger was excellent, set to 16oz with a crisp and predictable feel. This trigger is electronic but Daystate has designed it to give the feel of a high precision mechanical trigger. It does have the feel of a true first and second stage that to me was very impressive. This of coarse can all be adjusted to the individual shooter but felt it to be more than enough to make anyone happy out of the box. The beauty of the electronic hammer system is the lack of a coil spring that can sometimes make cocking difficult, especially with higher powered Airguns. The side-lever on the Delta Wolf is simply put "effortless" and the forward placement of it makes using the index finger to cock extremely natural.
After spending a good portion of my day at the 50 yard range getting familiar with the gun and sighting it in I planned to spent the next several days in a true field setting to get to 100 yards and beyond. Marley and I packed the Jeep and left the next day to begin filming for Part 1 of this review. The location I had chosen is and area I do most of my testing and offers a great place to shoot out to longer ranges as well as some fantastic camping.
The weather called for low temperatures with rain and snow for that evening, not ideal but still fun to get out with Marley and enjoy an overnight adventure. I wanted to get out to 100 on paper using both pellets and the few NSA slugs that I had. We set up a small base camp where I was able to pull out all my gear to film and test.
I wanted to test how accurate the onboard chronograph was against my Caldwell that I generally use for all my reviews. I figured I would see a big difference in the #s but I was pleased that both readings were no more than a few FPS difference, some were identical. Having the built in chronograph is in fact extremely useful because I can make adjustment to the gun on the fly under any conditions. The barrel system on the Delta Wolf is very robust and has zero flex, something I have found very important under heavy field use. The worst thing is to have a gun you spend so much time getting right just to have a slight "bump" knock the poi out of whack.
I first tested the 55gr NSA's as well as the 44gr JSB's followed by the 50gr JSB's out to 100 yards. I spent a good few hours getting frustrated at times to to the extreme recoil that causes the muzzle to jump. Part of my problem was not having a rail extension to get the Accu-Tac bipod further out front. After some practice I was able to get some improvement on my part. I was finally able to get a fair 8 shot group at 100 but felt that a rail extension would have definitely helped.
Bottom left 55gr NSA, Middle 44gr JSB, Top right 50gr JSB
After spending most of the day shooting the weather started getting bad so I packed some of the gear away and headed into our very own underground WW2 bunker.
This is a bunker that I have used for many months now and can accommodate up to six people comfortably for foul weather camping.
We had spent a good amount of time cleaning the place out and have even added a wood burning stove to keep us warm and to be able to cook and make coffee.
The interior was in poor shape but does have two rows of bunk beds that can double as storage for all my gear and of coarse Marley.
This would be the first time we have actually spent the night inside as it had needed some minor work to make it accommodating enough to sleep in. The temperature outside was down to 19 degrees with the wood stove bringing it up to 80+ degrees inside. We made some dinner and even made some coffee to enjoy inside this awesome underground oasis.
After dinner I wanted to give a brief discussion on my initial few days with the Delta Wolf that you can find in Part 1 of the enclosed https://youtu.be/bDU8JEgw6EA.
Marley and I stayed pretty warm through the night with a little visitor that made it's way under the door out of the rain. I wish I had taken some video of Marley hunting this rat that was trying for some food I dropped next to the stove. She was up for most of the night keeping watch on the doorway for our little friend to return. We thankfully only received a little bit of rain that night with the expected snowstorm passing by leaving for a beautiful next morning.
That morning I packed up the Jeep and headed up the hill to an area I do lots of long range practice with many of the Airguns I test. I like this area because it generally has some strong wind that I find to be fairly challenging to shoot in.
I like to practice in wind because it gives me the opportunity to test under normal conditions I may encounter in a hunting situation. I set out a quadrant target at 205 yards down a long steep canyon that was right in the brunt force of the wind.
I filled the gun and loaded the rifle with the 50gr JSB's and took a few shots with erratic results, the pellets were simply all over the place. The wind was a bit excessive so wasn't surprised at all by my inconsistent results. I then pulled out the 55gr NSA's that I had tested from 900 to 930, this is a speed that has worked well with other guns in the past. I was able to hit the quadrant a few times but nothing consistent enough to write home about. After spending a few hours shooting I was running low on air and decided to call it a day.
Several days later I had scheduled to visit several of my larger permissions for several days of hunting with the Delta Wolf. For this trip Terry, Marley and I loaded up the Motorhome and headed out with a quick stop to the Nielsen Specialty Ammo factory to visit my good friend Nick. I figured who best to ask for advice on slugs that may work out of the Delta Wolf. Nick provided me with an assortment of weights ranging from 44gr out to 65gr that I thought would be good to test that morning at the farm.
I tested them all at 100 yards and found the 49.5gr to be fantastic in the Delta Wolf set to 935fps. My settings were as follows:
- Reg Set 160 Bar
- Speed 935 (49.5gr)
- Voltage Set 77
- Hammer Set 3600
- 250 Bar Fill
- 24 Shots
This is a high powered tune that gave me over 96fpe using the 49.5gr NSA's, pretty impressive but not very tame. Along with such high power comes some hard to manage recoil...WOOOF!!! This gun has some serious balls and the muzzle really wants to pull up, took some getting used to on my part. The Delta Wolf at this power level is more comparable to shooting a short big bore such as the Slayer but with less punch. Without the moderator this gun is LOUD, especially in areas that have feedback such as buildings, canyons etc, For a more conservative tune for pellets that gives a more manageable shot cycle I would suggest a setting as follows:
- Reg Set 135 Bar
- Speed 860 (44gr JSB)
- Voltage 80
- Hammer Set 3000
- 60 Shots
These are just two examples of the "unlimited" adjustments the Delta Wolf is capable of, this isn't even mentioning the fact you can caliber change the gun. The fact that the gun comes with a built in chronograph is fantastic, super helpful for guys like me who do lots of shooting. I spent about three hours shooting zeroed the gun to 100 yards, even had some fun plinking exploding golf balls and cans. We loaded up the motorhome and moved spots to a different area that was loaded with Ground Squirrels, Rats, Coyotes and Rabbits. A soon as we rolled up I spotted a ton of ground squirrels all over the hillsides. My first shot was prone with the target out at 96 yards up towards the top of a grass covered hill.
The ground squirrel stood up and made a perfect pose, just begging for a well placed headshot. The Delta Wolf provided him with a well deserved headache using the 49.5gr NSA hp Slug.
Marley was eager to run up and visit our deceased friend, although I don't let her make contact as these squirrels carry disease such as the bubonic plague. The farmer likes us to eradicate as many as possible due to the immense destruction they cause the property. These critters burrow holes under buildings, equipment and cause serious erosion problems when it rains. On top of that the holes make it dangerous for the cattle to roam the pastures, it's not uncommon for cattle to break legs stepping in these giant holes. Moving on we moved up to the top of the hill where I had a great vantage point on the many ground squirrels as far out as 140+ yards. while up on the hill Terry aka "Offhand-Airgunner" took a few shots with the Delta Wolf and immediately classified it as a slug slinging laser beam.
Offhand-Airgunner
The Delta Wolf made a difficult job look easy, the power the gun put out was just perfect for such long range. A few of these ground squirrels got pretty acrobatic but still had a hard time escaping the impending doom. A few I encountered were fairly close and to be honest I had to leave out of the video due to some extreme graphics.
After a few hours of some serious ground squirrel smackdown action we decided to take a much needed water break next to an old abandoned barn.
Here I filmed a few segments, with one talking about how from a prone position the muzzle jump can be difficult to manage. Having a lower extension rail would definitely help improve this situation. The Delta Wolf at this power level really takes some experience and concentration to shoot accurately, especially at these long ranges. Unfortunately I had forgotten my extension legs that I normally use on my Accu-Tac Bipod, these would have been the hot ticket for this adventure. By this time it was late afternoon so we packed up the motorhome and moved down the road to another large permission where we would be spending the night.
This area was more of the same but had a totally different layout than the previous permission, many more buildings. This was a smaller more confined property but housed 4 buildings full of egg laying chickens.
To minimize the report of the Delta Wolf I added the 0dB moderator that has proven to quiet the report and keeping the weight down, my experience with these has been very good. This one adds 7" to the gun, still keeping it short enough to be maneuverable through brush and tall grass. I like the slim design and the adaptor that steps the threads down to 1/2" is very easy to quickly add on.
We made our way down a walkway between the buildings that opens up to a hillside towards the back of the property that was loaded with ground squirrels.
Marley and I slowly moved our way towards the corner of one of the chicken houses where I was able to spot a few of the ground squirrels out in the open.
Most of the action was within 100 yards with a few out beyond that, we took down about 30 just in this one spot as they seemed fairly active in the afternoon sun.
After hunting right into the evening I did go out for some Coyotes with no luck bringing one in. We did hunt through most of the night, but will leave all that for a future video adventure.
I will say that the "Night Mode" on the Delta Wolf did come in big handy as it doesn't have the bright glare such as the standard daytime display.
The following day after a long night of various hunting activities we packed up the motorhome and headed back towards home. This was such a fun trip and was so happy that I got to learn a bit more about the Delta Wolfs performance, the fact that it shot slugs so well really made me happy. That following day I decided to head back up the hill and do some more long range shooting, as well as to film for a few future videos.
This time I brought the 49.5gr NSA's and set the quadrant target out to 200 yards hoping for better results. The area was still pretty windy, but nothing like I had encountered on the previous trip.
This time with some practice I was able to fairly accurately and consistently hit the quadrant target at 200 yards. I will say it's pretty satisfying and fun to hear the KLANK and see that paddle spin shot after shot. After a few hours of satisfying results Marley and I took a nice lunch break back at the Jeep followed by a short hike in this beautiful area. I love to hunt but unfortunately it's not that great this time of year in this particular area. For me I just enjoy being out in the wilderness with a great dog and an awesome Airgun, doesn't get much better than that. I really want to thank Airguns Of Arizona for sponsoring me to get out and work with the Delta Wolf and try to bring a thorough field review. My work is not totally finished and will be coming out with a detailed "Advanced Tuning" guide, as well as possibly one more hunting video. Enclosed are my final honest opinions on the Delta Wolf as well as some suggested gear that may help those looking to purchase.
PROS
- Lightweight/Compact
- Excellent Trigger
- Unlimited Adjustability
- Shoots Pellets & Slugs
- Strong Barrel System (no flex)
- Adjustable Rail For Eye Relief
- Side Pic Rails for Night Hunting Accessories
- USB Charging
- Onboard Chronograph (accurate calibration)
- Dual Magazine Capable (doubles shot count)
- Firmware able to update via Bluetooth
- 5 Year Warranty
- Excellent Fit and Finish
- Ambidextrous (can switch sidelever and safety from right to left)
CONS
- USB Dust Cap (falls off)
- Battery life (approx three days before recharge)
- Lower Pic Rail (needs a rail extension to mount bipod forward to tame muzzle jump)
I only base this negative on previous electronic rifles such as the Safari that can go for months of continual use before needing a re-charge. Having the power bank was definitely needed for more than a few days in the field unless you want to charge from vehicle.
Now for my thoughts on the heavy price tag, this gun is definitely not for everyone but to be honest I see nothing else capable of this kind of versatility. The Delta Wolf can be adjusted under near any conditions on the fly out of the box. The onboard chronograph is beyond useful for guys like me that spend the majority of time in the field hunting and shooting, no more spending hours tinkering and tuning. The gun is able to caliber swap in minutes and is capable of storing profiles for various ammo being used....you want to shoot lightweight pellets one day and slugs the next, it stores all that info. With the push of a few buttons the gun is tuned and ready to go. No other gun does this..period!!
Enclosed are all three of my videos that document my experience with the Delta Wolf, really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to sharing more.
First Day at 50 yards
https://youtu.be/RBUKcoQ24uA
Field Review Part 1
https://youtu.be/bDU8JEgw6EA
Field Review Part 2
https://youtu.be/L8cmbhplRL8
