Today we’re taking a first look at the Daystate Alpha Wolf air rifle. In many respects, this model has many similarities to the Daystate Delta Wolf that HAM reviewed in considerable detail in 2022. However there’s a fundamental difference in appearance due to the use of a beautiful laminated stock.
While the Delta Wolf has its own look that’s not unattractive – at least in my eyes – the Alpha Wolf is undoubtedly beautiful!
There’s also a difference in handling. I found the Alpha Wolf to be rather more balanced to hold, particularly when shooting offhand. Yes, this is not a light air rifle, but it certainly is comfortable to shoot from the standing and kneeling positions.
This effect is undoubtedly enhanced by the 17 Inch-barreled, “house clearance” model we are looking at. This short barrel makes the Alpha Wolf very convenient in confined spaces, with excellent manoeuvrability. (Even with 0dB silencer attached).
Of course – like the Delta Wolf, the Daystate Alpha Wolf air rifle is electronically-controlled. We’ll look into that in more detail in future. However the electronic controls are – again – very similar to those we reviewed exhaustively with the Delta Wolf.
Today, I’d like to concentrate on a feature that we have probably not done justice to before. It’s a simple, mechanical feature that has huge benefits that are so fundamental that we have somewhat taken it for granted.
The Alpha Wolf shares this feature with the Delta Wolf and the Brocock Ghost. But – otherwise – I’m not aware of it being available on other air rifles.
I’m talking about the extremely long, solid receiver housing that’s CNC-machined from a block of Aluminum. This gives an unsurpassed feeling of rigidity to the Alpha, Delta and Ghost alike.
Bolted securely to the top of this receiver is an immensely-long dovetail rail. Again CNC-machined from a block of solid Aluminum.
This dovetail rail actually provides some basic usability benefits that are so obvious, we’ve not stressed them sufficiently before!
You see, this rail is used as the mounting base for both the Alpha Wolf’s cheek piece and Picatinny scope rail. The key realization is that it provides practically unlimited longitudinal adjustability for both these items.
This gives extreme flexibility in the choice of scope. Anything from extra-long to short, “Bugbuster length” can be accommodated with ease. And eye relief is no issue either. Just slide the Picatinny rail back and forth along that seemingly-infinite dovetail rail until it’s right for you.
Ditto for the cheek piece. Again, there’s practically endless longitudinal adjustability. That allows the cheekpiece to be positioned precisely where you need it – long neck, or short…
Sure, this is a basic benefit of the Delta/Alpha/Ghost design philosophy. But it’s implemented in such a perfect, yet unassuming, “no moving parts” fashion that I feel it needs to be given greater prominence.
It’s a fundamental strategic engineering design decision that gives great practical benefits to anyone lucky enough to own one of these air rifles.
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Daystate Alpha Wolf Air Rifle
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