Rifle Scopes is hawke optics a good scope brand?

[scotty4739]

hey guys my name is scott from sydney australia and im new to the gun community so please be gentle :0P

i am looking to buy a scope for my rifle, currently have a cz 455 22lr and a tikka t3 lite 308

right now i got a z3 series on my tikka by swarovski but am looking for somehting thats alittle more high power zooming ( greater then 4 - 12 x 50 )

the scope i am looking at is a Hawke Sidewinder 30 SF 6-24x56
½ Mil Dot 20X Reticle

http://www.deben.com/hawke-sidewinder-30...0x-mil-dot.html

now this scope looks good, and is at a decent price ( 500 cost aprox, i am trying to stick to a budget which kind of sucks )

though i dont know much about this brand or this scope so im hoping some one out there might be able to give me some input, a person review upon using this scope, pros and cons or any other information would be great

thanks again guys for any / all replys

 

[ORD]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

First, welcome to the Hide. Do be sure to fill out your profile when you have a minute.

Second, there is no need to place your question in multiple forums (I note this exact question also appeared from you in the "Equipment" section).

As to the Hawke scopes...they are fair at best from my experiences with them. There are multiple scopes for the money available here in the States that will likely better serve your needs for a quality, higher powered optic that will be optically superior, more reliable/dependable, and overall better made than anything in the Hawke lineup. It all depends on what all you have access to down under and at what price point.

Try looking for Vortex optics (specifically the PST or HS lineup depending on all the features you need/want). They are arguably some of the best values for the money in terms of scopes with high-end features with a more budget-minded price range. They can be had in a variety of different magnifications ranges, including 4-16x and 6-24x that will likely fill the bill for what you are looking for at least in those terms.

 

[scotty4739]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

thanks for the reply dude, sorry about the posting in 2 sections i realised i posted in the wrong section so i thought id post in the other section

 

[bobtodrick]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

I'll differ from the last poster.
I've two Hawkes...and Airmax AO for my Diana magnum air rifle (springer air rifles are notoriously tough on scopes) and the 6.5x20 Tactical on my custom Savage .22WMR.
Hawke has a great reputation in Europe (they are an English company) and garner many good reviews... http://www.snipercentral.com/hawke624.htm
This is a pretty comprehensive review from a couple of years back and Hawke has in fact addressed all of the minor issues brought up...including much improved glass.
No...it isn't an $800 Bushnell, $1500 Zeiss...and of course I won't even suggest it's in the league of NF or S&B.
But what is lost on some people here (as much as I respect their opinions) is that some shooters want a reasonable scope for target/varminting and such. They're lives aren't depending on their scope and it has to survive the rigors of the local range or farmers field..not a mountaintop in Afghanistan.
Also some here fail to realize that a $3000 S&B (or even a good used one at $2K) means my kids go without shoes for the next year.
Ain't gonna happen.
As an entry level scope in the $500 range Hawke is tough to beat.

 

[BCP]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

Are you looking for a scope your 22lr and you want something upwards of 20x? The hawke scopes are chinese, if you don't mind chinese optics there are other options for much less money. There is a BSA 4-14 first focal plane scope for 250$ american, not sure if it's available over there but that would be neat on a 22lr.

FWIW my 22LR has a fixed 6x scope and it's more than enough for 100-200 yard fun.

 

[trailrider121]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

I have the Hawke Sidewinder 30 tactical 4.5-14x42 scope on my 30-06. It's a very nice scope for the money, clear glass and seems to bring in light pretty good in low light conditions. The turrets are nice and reliable, however the turret clicks not very audible. The scope to me is a little on the heavy side.

The scope has lots of features and I'm pretty happy with it and its performance. As mentioned above Vortex is another brand to consider as well.

 

[win.308stealth]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

My brother has the same scope you are asking about. His is mounted in a heavy barreled AR, that he uses for prairie dogs. A few years back we bumpfired abbot 400 rounds through that AR with the scope mounted on, not a good idea. The reticle turned about 45 degrees clockwise. Bumpfiring is equivalent to machine-gun fire. He sent the scope back and had a new at his steps in 3 days. This one has not had an issue with it, he likes all the features it has with breaking the bank. Like he always says it is not like his trijicon accupoint or Vortex HS but it does the job.

 

[scotty4739]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

thanks for all the feedback guys, im actually suprised about how many different opinions there are on this brand with some that are for, some aginst and some in the middle

 

[crockett007]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

I am running the sidewinder right now. I am using it while closing in on a NF.

1/2 mil dot, decent glass, good tracking,and at the price point...overall doing a good job.

This scope and the smaller objective help the resolution and clarity quite a bit. I got behind the larger (50mm) objective versions and the glass is milky @ high mag.

Probably the best Chinese scope out there IMHO

 

[LibertyOptics]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

Very good entry level scopes and the folks at the company here stateside are good people.

 

[Freeze]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

I have a 6.5-20x42 tactical sidewinder. It's my backup throw around. I had it for a while on my 6mmCrusaser and was shooting out to 1000 with it. Tracked well and was surprised by the glass quality. For lower end scopes it's my go to. Have it on my .223 now, buddy had one on his 300wm until his march showed up. Same experience as me. Decent scope for the money. Warranty wise they are great as well. Send it back and they send a new scope.

 

[Natty Bumpo]

Re: is hawke optics a good scope brand?

I haven't used any Hawke optics, but the Dark Lord of Optics, Ilya Koshkin, reviewed the 4.5-14 Sidewinder here:

http://opticsthoughts.com/index.php/rifl...cal-30-45-14x42

As I recall, for its price, he liked it.

 

[SEMPERFI308]

I personally have nightforce, but I'm a former scout /sniper with the US MARINE CORPS MOS 8541, so I always go with the best, since you are trying not to break the bank there are some entry to mid level scopes out there but vortex; the glass on the viper series not to bad , price is between $400-600, BUT If you want the best bang for your $ and really want a scope that you can really depend on to hold zero take whatever you throw at it go to southwest firearms (swfa) & look at the SS (super sniper )scopes I have used both vortex razor & viper series they are really not bad but with the 2 rifles you mentioned you would do better with the ss 20 , the price is $ 299, the glass is excellent the reticle is much better than vortex, if there was anything negative it would be that its a fixed power scope with rear parallex, which is not that bad but thats up to you if you have any other questions let me know, SEMPERFI308

 

[Kiba]

I've put a few Hawke's on air rifles for guys mostly because almost all of their lineup has 10Y parallax. I've used the Sidewinder 30 tacticals.

OK glass, knobs are a little mushy but track OK. The 1/2 mildot reticle is decent.

Killed one on an RWS Model 56 T/H Magnum Springer air rifle, but a magnum springer is a tough ride for any scope. Hawke replaced it ASAP with zero hassle.

They're probably the nicest Chinese-made scopes I've used... and there are two points purposely implied in that statement.

IMO, for about $600-625 which isn't much more than a new Hawke Sidewinder 30 you can get a nice used Bushnell 3-12 x 44 FFP with the G2DMR reticle which is a *far* better scope in every way. Same recommendation for the SWFA 3-15 FFP which can be had for about $600 used. If you can scrape up the extra $100-150 for one of the above options in nice used shape over a new Hawke I think you'll be much happier in the long run.

 

[delixe]

I personally have nightforce, but I'm a former scout /sniper with the US MARINE CORPS MOS 8541, so I always go with the best, since you are trying not to break the bank there are some entry to mid level scopes out there but vortex; the glass on the viper series not to bad , price is between $400-600, BUT If you want the best bang for your $ and really want a scope that you can really depend on to hold zero take whatever you throw at it go to southwest firearms (swfa) & look at the SS (super sniper )scopes I have used both vortex razor & viper series they are really not bad but with the 2 rifles you mentioned you would do better with the ss 20 , the price is $ 299, the glass is excellent the reticle is much better than vortex, if there was anything negative it would be that its a fixed power scope with rear parallex, which is not that bad but thats up to you if you have any other questions let me know, SEMPERFI308

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