The Richard Utting Blog - May Edition

Is the £1,000 Delta Javelin worth the extra over Meopta Optika6? Is the Arken EP5 better than the Meopta?

Well since the last blog, I’ve been using the sub-£1,000 (GBP) FFP diallers side by side and now have some conclusions.

  • There are now diallers below £1000 that get it done and are recommended by me
  • There are indeed several of the above! Optics tech moves ever onwards
  • The Arken EP5, Meopta Optika6 and Element Titan are all great. They are more £750 than £1,000 and all are solid. The EP5 is a bright, wide, good-looking scope with great ret and turrets and a lovely simple zero-stop system. It’s better than the Element Titan, which is a shade cheaper; a solid scope, and a trailblazer when it launched.
  • The Meopta is interesting. It has magic contrast and whilst initially less wow than the Arken, as I’ve always said, contrast is the most important optical quality when it comes to actually making things out in tricky light. It’s better there but it has an awfully dated ret and a horrible, though just about functional, zero-stop system. It’s not as good-looking as the Arken. It has a better mag range. 5-30 beats 5-25 in scope top trumps, simple.

  • The Delta Javelin’s extra few hundred pounds is worth it. It’s just slightly better and more composed across the board.
  • But these “not quite a grand” options now are absolutely solid for getting you dialed in at long range.
  • In order, I’d go: Javelin is best and worth the extra, then overall the excellent new Arken EP5 pips the Meopta because its features are better, then the still solid Titan trails a little optically but still gets it done.

Meanwhile, I’ve been having fun with the SharpShootingUK ballistics training day clients.

Noteworthy kit that’s come through the door:

MBE making some lovely kit. Here is a clever tuner brake made in the UK

I’ve got the Lapmag back finally and have been running in the barrel, this is a Pendragon buttoned 30” straight taper. It’s very nice - no copper and cleans up in three patches. 300gr Atips look to be doing a good 2860fps so that’s encouraging. You can’t beat a long barrel for free speed. SDs look promising. I’m about to tune vertical dispersion at long range with bullet seating length tuning.

NB the Cold Shot adjustable base to give me the extra elevation I’ll need. Sightron S8 has mega 30moa in the rail and 30 in the excellent ADM Recon mount but sooner or later it all runs out. For this rig, past about 2200y I’m done. Enter the adjustable base which allows precise addition of MANY MILS to get it done at ultra-long ranges.  

Below, the new Magpul PRS3 buttstock for RPR. I don’t dislike the stock Ruger one but I love the Magpul version, especially the slightly sloping bag rider.

Creedmoor happily chucked out 140ELD-M at 3k after a longer 30” barrel fitted. Chromoly ZPV should last well too. Valdada Mini is one of the best bargains at Optics Warehouse at the moment.

EQUIPMENT

BRANDS