I recently won this scope through the drawing here on LRH! I got the email from Cameraland and was very surprised as I never win anything!
Here is a link with details on the scope:
us.hawkeoptics.com
I installed it on a very accurate rifle that I have had in my collection for quite a while. It is a long throated 338 RCM that shoots 300 gr Bergers @ 2450 fps. Recoil for this 13 lb rifle is 24 ft/lb.
My impressions:
Optics are very clear and parallax is not as critical as some scopes I own, meaning I can move up in power with some leeway in not adjusting the parallax precisely and still see an excellent view of a variety of targets up to around 14 power. The reticle is useful without too much clutter. To be honest I prefer a plain duplex crosshair but this didn't detract from my being able to use it. The illuminated reticle is a great feature, while it does light up a large portion of the crosshairs it can be adjusted quite low so it doesn't overpower in low light conditions.
I am very impressed with the turrets. They have an excellent feel being easy to move to any setting precisely. The turret top must be pulled upwards to allow movement so there is no way they can be disturbed while hunting. I especially like the way the turrets are zeroed. With the top in the downward position the slotted bolt in center is loosened. The turret is locked in place so it cannot move as the cap is removed and positioned to place zero in alignment with the witness mark. The cap slips into position with the teeth underneath so there is no way the turret can be slightly misaligned as often happens with setscrew style turret tops. A quick tightening of the center bolt and the job is finished. No struggling with two or three setscrews and multiple attempts to get the marks perfectly aligned.
I was able to sight in the scope quickly and easily. Both windage and elevation turrets moved the POI exactly what I inputted to get it zeroed at 100 yds. Each click is 1/10 mil or .36" at 100 yds.
I began seeing how the elevation turret would perform by twisting upwards 3 Mil and shot it twice. It moved to exactly 10.8" as 100 measured on the target. I then moved the turret down 3 Mil with two more shot on top of the first shot where it was zeroed. I repeated this again with same results. I did not go past the 3 Mil mark and then go down to 3 Mil which some scopes require to properly "dial out the slop" in the erector system. I simply moved to the value I desired and the turret gave me the desired output. I didn't do a box test but intend to take this rifle out for some LR varminting and banging of steel in the immediate future.
I intend to use this scope with lots of turret twisting and then if it continues to impress place it on my Remington Ultimate Muzzleloader. This scope is exactly what I was looking for when for my NM elk hunts. It can be used in thick stuff on 4X or low light with illumination or on higher power used for a longer shot like the one I had this year at 280 yds. I used a 1-6 on that shot and it showed me the error of my ways making the shot placement more difficult that I would have liked. Looking forward to finishing up the testing so I will be confident in this scope's abilities and using it on future elk hunts.
I want to extend my thanks to Hawke and Doug and Neil of Cameraland, and of course our website host Len Backus.
Ross
Here is a link with details on the scope:
Sidewinder 30 SF 4-16x50 SR Pro II
Our best selling scope just got better!. New for 2020, Sidewinder is the must-have high performance multi-discipline scope. Parallax-free shooting from 9 metres to infinity assisted by an index matched rangefinding side wheel (removable). All models feature HawkeÕs new H5 optics which boasts a...
I installed it on a very accurate rifle that I have had in my collection for quite a while. It is a long throated 338 RCM that shoots 300 gr Bergers @ 2450 fps. Recoil for this 13 lb rifle is 24 ft/lb.
My impressions:
Optics are very clear and parallax is not as critical as some scopes I own, meaning I can move up in power with some leeway in not adjusting the parallax precisely and still see an excellent view of a variety of targets up to around 14 power. The reticle is useful without too much clutter. To be honest I prefer a plain duplex crosshair but this didn't detract from my being able to use it. The illuminated reticle is a great feature, while it does light up a large portion of the crosshairs it can be adjusted quite low so it doesn't overpower in low light conditions.
I am very impressed with the turrets. They have an excellent feel being easy to move to any setting precisely. The turret top must be pulled upwards to allow movement so there is no way they can be disturbed while hunting. I especially like the way the turrets are zeroed. With the top in the downward position the slotted bolt in center is loosened. The turret is locked in place so it cannot move as the cap is removed and positioned to place zero in alignment with the witness mark. The cap slips into position with the teeth underneath so there is no way the turret can be slightly misaligned as often happens with setscrew style turret tops. A quick tightening of the center bolt and the job is finished. No struggling with two or three setscrews and multiple attempts to get the marks perfectly aligned.
I was able to sight in the scope quickly and easily. Both windage and elevation turrets moved the POI exactly what I inputted to get it zeroed at 100 yds. Each click is 1/10 mil or .36" at 100 yds.
I began seeing how the elevation turret would perform by twisting upwards 3 Mil and shot it twice. It moved to exactly 10.8" as 100 measured on the target. I then moved the turret down 3 Mil with two more shot on top of the first shot where it was zeroed. I repeated this again with same results. I did not go past the 3 Mil mark and then go down to 3 Mil which some scopes require to properly "dial out the slop" in the erector system. I simply moved to the value I desired and the turret gave me the desired output. I didn't do a box test but intend to take this rifle out for some LR varminting and banging of steel in the immediate future.
I intend to use this scope with lots of turret twisting and then if it continues to impress place it on my Remington Ultimate Muzzleloader. This scope is exactly what I was looking for when for my NM elk hunts. It can be used in thick stuff on 4X or low light with illumination or on higher power used for a longer shot like the one I had this year at 280 yds. I used a 1-6 on that shot and it showed me the error of my ways making the shot placement more difficult that I would have liked. Looking forward to finishing up the testing so I will be confident in this scope's abilities and using it on future elk hunts.
I want to extend my thanks to Hawke and Doug and Neil of Cameraland, and of course our website host Len Backus.
Ross
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