Field testing the SR 12 Hawke reticle for range accuracy
I recently aquired a Hawke 6x24x56 Sidewinder scope with the SR 12 reticle. Although I would never buy such a scope, not thinking the lens quaility or the reticle were as good as a mildot and a Bushnell 3200 which my Condor had worn in the past, I got the scope when I bought the AA S410 from Gary.
The Sidewinder was too big for the AA 410 so I traded it for the 5×15 Tactical 3200 on my Condor.
Yesterday I discovered that my Chrony was not reading my Kings correctly and showing 970FPS when the Chairgun showed 1100FPS.
by measuring drop from 50 to 100 yards.
Checking where it was hitting on the SR12 reticle verified the 1100 FPS velocity.
I have the Hawk BRC program, so I checked to see what the flight path was compared to the marks on the reticle, what it showed me was that I had an aiming point within 2 yards from 50 to 100 yards when on 24 power, so today I decided to see if that was accurate. On 24 power the reticle gives holdover in addition for 106 and 114 yards, but I did not try the last two yardages.
I shot a 3 shot group first at a laser measured 50 yards, Swarovski RF-1, and then kept moving the target back 10 yards each time until I got to 100 yards.
I shot at the same aiming point each time using the diagram of the reticle taped to my scope bell. So the picture you see is a little busy with the circles on the shots for each distance.
I had the Condor tethered to a regulator set at 2500 PSI and as I said, I used Kings at 1100 FPS, which corresponded with the reticle used. I shot from a Caldwell bag, from the hood of my Explorer. There was a variable crosswind that could be felt on my face, and just wiggled the wind flags. I have a 15% incline on the range and had entered that information into the program.
I had to walk down and move that target each time, 1200 yards total in 40 minutes. I was already tired when I started the test, I did 620 pushups earlier today and chased deer out of the vineyard, but did okay on the shooting, except for 90 yards, things were bad at 90, the wind went crazy and the group went to hell.
Group sizes in inches at each ranges were:
50-1.
60-.9
70-.65
80-.9
90- 3.5
100-1.1
Total group was 2.7 inches 2.8 inches with a 1 inch aiming point.
All shots were within 1.2 inches vertically of the aiming point, they were scattered horizontally due to the right due to the wind.
The SR 12 and the Hawke BRC have made a believer of me, although I don’t care for the optics on 24 power of the Hawke 6x24x56, or the side focus parallax adjustment, it is difficult to use and not marked between 50 to 100 yards. However, I do like that reticle much more than the mildot.
On each power it gives a different set of holdover marks, so the utility of this reticle, while complicated with a lot of imformation, is endless.
Regards,
Roachcreek
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Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
RC i miswrote the reticle as a 20x mildot, its actually a half-mildot calibrated at 20x. I actually shoot it at 10x which makes it a standard mildot reticle. For the really long shots I can crank it to 20x and get double the usable aiming points. If at 90 yards im 2 dots, at 20x aim point is at 4 dots.
Ive gotten really used to it, and my scope is as clear as my Leupolds or even better. The Tactical series appears to use good glass.
But I agree you have a lot of usable aim points with a SR12. Mines a 6×18 I think… I shoot it at 10x too and never change it.
I remember when I had the 8-32 SR12, I used that program as well! Very accurate. Awesome reticle as well.. but I prefer my mil dots.
RR,
I am enjoying the scope and the BRC program. Although it is pretty shitty at 24 power, hard to imgagine a Chinese scope would be blurry on 24 power . 💡
So I have been using it on 12 power, which is all the magnification I really need for almost all my shooting. I have a diagram of that power taped to the scope bell.
With that power I have it sighted in at 60 yards, so it also hits on at 25. The top circle is my 50 yard point, and I have 75,90,100,115,125,140 and 150 hold over points.
Makes it handy for in the morning I have crows that light in a 40, 50 and 80 yard Doug firs, and are acessable from my bedroom window. I took a Starling at the 80 yard tree two days ago and I am still gloating over that one.
I do not have the AO wheel, so I just sent off a email to Hawke to see if they are still available, it would really make life easier.
Regards,
Roachcreek
Ive had the SR12 on the s410 for a couple of years now.
I don’t even look at the printout taped to the bell anymore, aiming is nearly automatic.
However, I am preferring the 20X mil-dot on the Tactical now.
Apples and Oranges really, all boils down to what your eye has an easier time with.
The side-focus I wasn’t all that happy with at first, but after getting used to it its a keeper. Adjusting while aiming is very easy compared to a bell adjustment.
Yes, I have to say I like the otics on my 3200 better.
Any time you buy a scope for like money and one is a 1 inch without the lighted reticle the scope with the less features will have better optics, it takes money to produce useless features light LR
Regards,
Roachcreek
But the normal 30’s are used for (H)FT because it’s more easy to parallax and measure distance with some glass that is from minor quality.
You probably already know the Hawke Sidewinder Tactical line was redesigned and brought out because the results of optics issues with the Sidewinder 30 series. That is why Eabco and others are/were dumping the SR 30s are great prices.
The Hawke reticle’s are sweet with that software. I have the 2-7×32 airmax with the MAP 6 reticle and it is pretty sweet.
Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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I have one of the old Hawke 6-24 X 50 SR12 Sidewinders. I used it a lot and liked it. I bought one of the new Hawke 8.5-25 X 42 Tacticals and liked the reticle even better. The glass is better, a lot clearer.
Bought a Bushnell 6-24 X 50 Elite 4200 Tactical side focus and it was clearer than the Hawke Tactical. It only had 4 mil dots and the mil dots and cross hairs were way too large for me to do 100 yard target shooting. They covered too much of my pellet’s impact points.
I gave $640 for the Bushnell, only used it a couple of times and sold it for $400. I used the money to buy a Hawke 6.5-20 X 42 Tactical. It is not as clear as the Bushnell was but, the reticle works so much better with my Edguns that I can live with it!
If I had powder burners, I would have Bushnells. I wouldn’t need all of the extra mil dots. Using Chairgun with the Hawke’s 20x 1/2 mil dot reticle makes 100 + yard shots almost too easy. Way too much guess work with the Bushnell’s 4 mil dots.
It would be sweet if Bushnell, or any of the other better scope brands, came out with a reticle that like Hawke’s. I don’t see it happening as us long range air gunners are a really small market.
I have been having a blast shooting 13 stripped ground squirrels at 100 + yards using my .25 Edgun and the Hawke. My bigest problem is getting accurate yard estimates on the shots. Those critters are so small that my Nikon Laser 1200 has a hard time picking them up past 100 yards. Birds on a wire or in a tree are in big trouble at 100 + yards.
Chairgun has just released an app for the IPhone. I have used it a couple of times and it is great!