Blackwolf or Ghost? That’s a question that many air gunners have asked. When in the market for a top-grade PCP air rifle, should I buy a new Daystate Blackwolf, or a BRK Ghost?
So HAM Tester Doug Rogers and I sat down one sunny afternoon recently and discussed just that question. We were in the outstandingly fortunate position of having an example of each air rifle in front of us. So we made the most of it and compared them side-by-side!
Specifically, we compared the Daystate Blackwolf “cylinder model” with 17-inch barrel and the latest “Blue Ghost” special edition.
Now this is not a regular, standard Hard Air Magazine test review. We have tested the Blackwolf and Ghost exhaustively already. Both are HAM Gold Award winners, the Blackwolf scoring 95% and the Ghost in standard form, 98%.
Both these are definitely at the absolute top end of HAM scoring. Yes, in our reviews the Ghost scored slightly higher. But remember that both guns are available in a range of versions. With scoring just 3% apart, Blackwolf and Ghost run neck-and-neck in most respects.
First, let’s tell you what we did NOT discuss. We did not discuss downrange performance – that has been covered and documented extensively in our formal, published HAM tests. Plus – again – there’s a wide spread for both models, based on barrel length, caliber and so on…
Nor did we discuss price. Both these models are available in a range of versions and prices. These are both top-of-the-market products.
So our opinion is that – if a person is fortunate enough to be able to afford to lay down two and a half Grand, or more, for an air rifle – a few hundred Dollars either way is not a deal-breaker.
What we discussed were the less tangible, but equally important, aspects of these air rifles. What they feel like, how they handle and the way they operate.
Sure, you can say that these are subjective matters. Maybe that’s true. But when you’re investing in a product at the top of the market, they can still be important considerations.
You can also point to the fundamental design difference between them. The Ghost is a bullpup: the Blackwolf a conventional, full-length rifle.
Yet you can guarantee that anyone who’s really interested in a top-quality air rifle will have both models in their shortlist. So it’s a fair comparison.
Here’s how the discussion went…
Blackwolf Or Ghost? HPA Filling.
Doug: “Before we start, we need to get to the bottom of one issue. Steve, why do you have problems filling so many Daystate and BRK guns – including both these – with High Pressure Air?”
“Yes, you can fill them OK, but – time-after-time in our test reviews, you comment that you find it difficult to remove the female quick disconnect from the gun after filling. I have no problem. So what’s going on?”
This question led to some measurement and experimentation. What we discovered is that my fingers and thumbs are thicker than Doug’s.
This means that there’s less space for me to grasp the female quick disconnect when it’s connected to the male; set deep as it is inside the stock of many BRK and Daystate airguns. That makes it easier for Doug to grasp the female collar.
But there’s more.
What we also discovered is that Doug pushes the body of the female quick disconnect IN as he is pulling the outer collar back. I have not been doing that. I have simply pulled back on the collar.
Doug’s method works. I’m now a convert. It’s so much easier. Thanks Doug!
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Stock Design
We picked-up both guns, handled them and swapped back-and forth, comparing impressions and opinions. At this point it’s probably worth mentioning that Doug is a left-hander, I’m right-handed. That may make some difference to how we viewed the guns throughout this discussion.
Starting with basics, Doug is a “thumb up” shooter. He likes to hold his thumb in a vertical position while shooting. For this reason, he prefers the Blackwolf to the Ghost as that’s a natural position with the Daystate stock. Not so much with the BRK.
As I don’t usually shoot with my thumb up, that’s not a differentiator for me.
On the other hand, Doug definitely favored the wide, flat front provided by the blue Ghost’s Arca-style front rail. He felt that would be ideal for standing and kneeling positions in Field Target – much like using a hamster.
Of course that could be available on the Blackwolf, too, with the bottle version and the appropriate accessory rail (or the chassis configuration).
We both agreed that the Blackwolf’s cheekpiece was superior. It’s softer than the hard plastic Ghost cheekpiece. The design is more rounded, too, making it much more comfortable against the shooter’s cheek.
Both of us agreed that the pistol grip section of the stock was perfectly-designed on the Blackwolf. It’s extremely comfortable to hold.
The Ghosts’s AK-fit plastic grip was harder and less sculpted for fingers. But – of course – it could readily be replaced with an alternative if required.
One final comment. We both felt that the Ghost would be a cold gun to shoot in an upstate New York winter. The tactical-style design means there’s lots of bare metal to contact an unprotected face and hands.
The wood Blackwolf stock would definitely be more comfortable if shooting in cold weather. But then we don’t shoot that much in the winter…
Blackwolf Or Ghost? The Buttpad
The buttpad of both guns is very similar. Again we agreed that – although functional – we would prefer to replace it with something else.
As an active Field Target competitor, Doug would install an aftermarket, more conforming, “multi part”- style buttplate such as this PRS unit. That would help him achieve cthe repeatable positioning that’s so important for consistent, precision shooting.
Being a “happy plinker”, ideally, I would like a softer, more grippy rubber buttpad that would conform more readily to a wide range of clothing. The Daystate Gecko Buttpad would likely be the upgrade for me.
But here’s a big difference!
The angle of the buttpad is very different between the two guns. We had never really considered this before. But having both models side-by-side made this very obvious.
The Ghost has a completely-vertical buttplate. The Blackwolf’s is set at a considerable rake. Which is better?
After trying both guns multiple times and concentrating on this design feature, we agreed to differ!
Doug’s preference was for the Blackwolf combination of slanting buttplate with more-raised cheekpiece. I preferred the “straight up” design of the Ghost.
But, you know, it was not such an easy decision to make. Surprisingly, both designs felt good and usable, in spite of their very different configurations.
While the modular nature of the Blackwolf means that – should a vertical buttplate be at the top of your requirements list – the chassis version can provide that for you.
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Length Of Pull
Now here’s an interesting feature that we had never seriously considered before. At 15.25-Inches, the Ghost has a significantly-longer pull length than the 14.5-Inches of the Blackwolf.
Pull length can have a significant effect on how a rifle “fits” you and the way it feels to shoot. Now Doug and I are both tall (6 Foot 2 Inch-ish), thin sort of guys with pretty long arms. So our comments need to be taken in that light.
Being an Army Vet, Doug showed me the military test for pull length. He held the gun vertically upright with the buttplate in the crook of his arm and offered his finger to the trigger.
Interestingly, both Blackwolf and Ghost passed the test despite their different pull lengths.
However Doug preferred the Blackwolf because it gave a better angle for his finger on the trigger. I preferred the Ghost as my trigger finger felt more comfortable with the greater length, even if it did not conform to the official military finger angle.
But short-armed shooters may find this a measurement that causes them to prefer the Blackwolf wood stock. The Blackwolf can deliver a longer trigger pull, courtesy of the chassis version, but there’s no way that the Ghost’s pull length is going to become any shorter.
Blackwolf Or Ghost? The Safety
Here the two guns differ significantly. The Ghost has a small, “push across” safety while the Blackwolf has a larger, lever design.
This makes the Blackwolf safety easier to operate – in both our opinions – than that for the Ghost. It’s also more obvious from a distance: the Ghosts’s safety position is tough for anyone but the shooter to see.
As a left-hander, Doug also needed to take his hand off of the gun and reach to the other side to release the safety – although he didn’t consider this to be a big deal.
The Blackwolf also benefits from the ability to have the safety lever installed on either side of the stock. It’s an easy thing for the owner to change, too.
So the Blackwolf is a clear winner here. However, being target shooters, neither Doug or I are big safety users. We much prefer to remove the magazine and have the cocking lever wide open as a visible and fail-safe method of indicating that the gun is “clear”.
But the Blackwolf’s safety may give it the nod for hunters who need to have their gun “locked and loaded” but on safe, ready for immediate action in the field. It’s quicker to use than that of the Ghost.
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Magazine Considerations
There’s a big difference here between the two designs. The Blackwolf’s magazine is orientated vertically and loaded at the top of the action, but from the right side.
The Ghost’s magazine is loaded horizontally. It has the benefit of being able to be loaded from either the left or right side.
Neither Doug nor I had a big preference for these different magazine-loading methods. Both work just fine.
But we could see that the Ghost has the edge if a high capacity, on-gun shot count were required.
With this gun, it’s possible to have two magazines loaded at one time, butted together by their built-in, high-strength magnets. You simply push across the empty magazine to engage the full one.
This is a brilliant solution to the shot capacity issue. However, it does mean that one magazine could project into the shooter’s cheek in use. That may, or may not, be an issue.
I could live with it: Doug could not.
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Cocking Lever
Both guns were rated as having wonderful cocking systems by both of us. The side-cocking lever is ideally-placed on both guns and operates with buttery precision.
But we do have a recommendation here. The Blackwolf is fitted as standard with Daystate’s Performance Cocking Lever Handle. It’s not standard on most versions of the Ghost, although our “Blue Ghost” special edition was fitted with it.
This oversized lever handle is a joy to use. It’s easily retro-fittable to any Ghost, Delta Wolf or Alpha Wolf. If your gun doesn’t have one, you need to get one immediately!!!
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Trigger
There’s few things that set airgunners talking so readily as triggers. There’s about as many opinions on this topic as there are shooters!
Now Doug and I have given our formal opinions on the triggers of both guns in the comprehensive HAM test reports. But we do have a few additional words to contribute here…
Both of us consider the Ghost trigger to be very good, particularly for a bullpup configuration with all the additional linkages that involves. But there’s little doubt that the Blackwolf’s trigger is superior – just.
As set from the factory, both triggers are very satisfactory for most shooters. However both have considerable adjustment potential. They both can be tuned and positioned by the individual owner in many ways.
The Blackwolf has the edge here in its ability to operate safely and consistently – we believe – with a somewhat lower trigger pull weight. This is an attraction to many Field Target and Benchrest shooters wanting a “glass break”, or “switch” trigger.
Said Doug: “I would love to try this Blackwolf in .177 caliber for Field Target with a nice, light pull weight.”
But it should be noted that the Ghost has registered some outstanding wins in long-range competition. So it’s hardly to be discounted for trigger capability…
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Scope Mounting
There’s a big difference here!
The Blackwolf has a relatively short Picatinny scope-mounting rail. Despite Doug and I having VERY different requirements for eye relief – I need a much longer eye relief distance – neither of us had any issues with successfully mounting riflescopes on the Blackwolf. It wasn’t an issue.
However there’s no doubt that the Ghost’s “infinite” dovetail with range of separate Picatinny scope rails gives it the edge here. (Our photograph above shows the same system on a Daystate Alpha Wolf).
In the end, there’s just more flexibility for scope mounting – a LOT more flexibility!
Now – given our success with scope mounting on the Blackwolf – we cannot say that that the Ghost’s additional scope-mounting real estate actually confers a real benefit. But we both FEEL that it does. And feelings are important, right?
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Better For What?
Now we were getting down to the serious question. Is the BRK Ghost or Daystate Blackwolf the better gun?
We agreed that both are superbly-capable air rifles. That was easy! But…
Doug summed it up in this way. “They’re totally different guns for different purposes.”
We agreed that both would be very suitable platforms for long-range Benchrest shooting and competition. But here we would give the nod to the Ghost.
However, we’re comparing that gun with the conventional, wood-stocked Blackwolf. It likely would be a different result if we were comparing to the chassis version of that gun.
There’s yet another benefit of the Blackwolf’s modular design concept: it can be a benchrest gun one day and a hunter another, with just a few simple changes.
As a Field Target competitor, Doug took the call here. “For FT, it has to be the Blackwolf. For me, it’s no contest. But I do know others who have had good luck with the Ghost”.
We agreed that either gun would be good for plinking and informal, general shooting.
Likewise, either would be good for hunting. However we considered it would be easier to attach a sling to the Ghost, should carrying be required. That could give it the edge here.
Blackwolf Or Ghost? Conclusions
Doug nailed this one. “Steve,” he said. “If money was no object, I’d have both. And you can quote me on that!”
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BRK Ghost
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The post Blackwolf Or Ghost? appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.
needs more work outta the box (grip is laughable, buttpad is a hard piece of plastic from the dollar store bargain bin, and trigger is acceptable but not great) but for some money, and some time tinkering it can be made much better. I think one main benefit of the Blackwolf not mentioned here (and my biggest Ghost gripe) is the scope can be mounted lower to the barrel for less holdovers up close, I've flat out missed pests 20Y away with my Ghost (just recently I might add
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. Really beautiful guns but I can’t do that any more in this life time.
