Hawke Sidewinder SR Pro 8-32×56 on Cricket and Edgun
I have worked out the settings on the new Hawke Sidewinder SR Pro reticle scopes on both my Cricket Std .22 and Matador Std .25. I am really liking them relative to the four (plus one Panorama 1/2 mil dot) Hawke Sidewinder Tactical 6.5-20×42 scopes I have on my other PCPs with the standard 1/2 mil dot reticles but they took me a while to learn. I tend to pest (shoot sparrows :)) at ranges out past 100 yards quite a bit from a bench rest. They are easier for guestimating elevation and windage at longer ranges IMO. The christmas tree design has varying aimpoints that just happen (great design) to correspond to equidistant points on the trajectory curves for typical pellet velocity. I have them set so that each major increment represents exactly 10 yards in range (5 yards for 1/2 increments) out past 100 yards and the windage increments match up in 5 mph increments by 90 degree wind adjustments. I no longer need a cheat sheet on the gun or scope cover like I do with the 1/2 mil dots (as long as I know what yardage the gun is sighted in at) and the 1/2 increments are right on the money. I run the scopes at 24x. Anyway, just curious if anyone else had taken the plunge with the new SR Pro glass etched reticles and what they thought. I think they have been out since about December 2012.
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I did not want to show for bad side of hawke. I just only found one negative review on hawke so I put it here for the general outlook 😉
I discovered on my Hawke when I´m shooting in the evening at sunset and sun warms the cricket + optics after some time 10 -15 minutes, It move zero top right. It’s pretty annoying. Is it normal? 😳
Here is my guess on this and some other reviews I have seen of the Hawke Sidewinder 30 8-32×56 1/2 MD. I posted this on the GTA forum on April 16th when asked which Hawke Models I purchase and why. You can read the entire thread there. Basically, the Hawke Sidewinder Tactical redesign (completely different lens system including thinner reticles – clearer and brighter) occurred around 2010 which is when I started buying the 6.5-20×42 models with 1/2 mil dot glass etched reticles. The prior ones were blurry at high mags just like the Sidewinder SR 30s before their redesign. Unfortunately, the Sidewinder SR 30s were not redesigned until 2012 when the new SR Pro reticles were released (and the optics were changed to basically the Tactical designs). Subsequently, vendors bought out hundreds of these scopes that were left in inventory from Hawke in the US and sold them everywhere including EBay. Some are still for sale. Based on the price this “reviewer” says he paid, he did not get his models from Hawke directly although some vendors drop ship from Hawke. I purchased the SR Pros earlier this year to be sure I wasn’t getting an old SR 30 in 1/2 mil dot models and because I wanted to try the SR Pros (they are better IMO for airgun shooting). Personally, I think Hawke shot themselves in the foot dumping the old models because they are floating around out there and they are inferior to the redesigned ones optically. Anyway, that is my guess on this guys “review”.
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=44311.40
“Only 4017s. The new SR Pros. The aim points work out perfectly for an airgun trajectory and I get 10 yards in between each major point with my .22 Cricket sight-in at 44 yards using Chairgun Pro out to 100 yards (the SR Pro designer knew what he was doing ;)) . The xmas tree is a vast improvement for windage over mil dot once you get used to it. I shoot sparrows from a bench rest at distances as far as 105 yards (a dead tree where they hang out). I have shot airguns for over 40 years but never with this level of long range accuracy on very small targets. I am an ex competitive bench rest shooter (light varmint) from back in the 80s and early 90s. I have five Hawke 6.5-20×42 Tactical’s in the 20x 1/2 mil dots and one new Panorama in the 10x 1/2 mil dot all on PCPs. Once you give it a chance, the SR Pro gives you an edge IMO over the mil dot. In the forums it seems like most folks are struggling switching from mil dot. (I own over 35 scopes and all of my varmint rifles have Vari-IIIs Leupold scopes. I also have a Nightforce, several Bushnell 4200s, several Nikons, old Redfield, a Zeiss, a Swift, a Mueller, a Leupold Tactical, so I am familiar with the spectrum on scopes – all SFP) The Hawkes are a bit heavy but the latest redesigned ones perform well enough for my PCP airguns and my FT buddy is using the latest 8-32 md as well. All of my Tactical’s were bought after the redesign a few years back. The older Sidewinders and even Pans had poorer optics. I just looked at a guys old Panorama and the difference is real significant. I always see them dumping the older ones – most folks don’t know.”
I have noticed one issue with my camera settings, sharpness contrast and saturation, are not at 0, which will distort and exaggerate the issue in certain degree. I re-took a snapshot with all parameters in question set to 0 this morning and posted it here,
A few findings,
0. Don’t expect that issue will go away, but
1. At focus plane, low light and low contrast area, you will see less intensity of the issue.
2. At high contrast area and non-focus area, the severe fringing is visible.
The cross-hair is on a 96Y object, the center open area is 2.25×2.25MOA, the cross hair is 0.875×0.875MOA which gives you an idea about the aspect you will get at 32X.
To me, this scope is acceptable so far.
Some review of 8-32×56 sidewinder http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f18/hawke-sidewinder-30-8-32x-56mm-review-problems-97546/
I would like to share the following info with every user of this scope,
That is certainty true. Leupold won’t touch a Leupold made in China. 😀
I´ve also had mostly good experience with Chinese scopes as Leapers,Gamo,Hawke & MTC (the Gamo is the only one i had any troubles with and i got an replacement scope without any fuzz) but i know people who haven´t been so lucky. I also know people who have had problems with their high-end scopes but i still stay behind my statement the risk is much higher with the Chinese ones. Although they do provide much more “bang for a buck” for sure ..
One of my local gun shops told me a while back that the number of Leupold problems has really skyrocketed the last 5 years or so. I own quite a few of Leupold scopes on PBs but they are all older than five years. I’ve only ended up with one bad Hawke but I caused the problem and they replaced it for free anyway. They are just in that “best bang for the buck” category. Definitely no March.
Seems to be the same old song as with any Chinese made optics. You can get a scope with marvellous optics and all functions but you can also get a real lemon. I quess it´s the same regardless where the scope is made (Japan,Germany,Austria etc.) but the risk is faaaar greater with Chinese ones. Say 20 x the risk or so … Do you feel lucky? Do you,punk ??? 😯
Hawke is china it is not leupold march…. Is possible find some wrong pieces 👿
Wow. That is bad.
I updated the post with a full size photo through the scope. Very strong fringing clearly.
I just tried this on my laptop (1366×768) in 1080P and 720 mode but don’t see a difference and I don’t see purple fringes.
http://hfpsair.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/color-fringing-of-hawke-scope/
Here is a Video about Glass quality. I do not think that it is a big deal for non-camera application.
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Octavius, some scopes shift and some don’t. I have a inexpensive Accushot 6-24 that has only needed to be rezeroed once in over a year of field target matches in three different states.
My expensive Nikko needs to be rezeroed almost every time I sight in for a match, even at my local matches.
I’ve been lucky and have not seen much a poi shift from right to left in either scope.
I’ve heard of a few rifles that have thin aluminum action/scope rail parts from the cuts needed for the action to move (FWB and AA) that have a tendency to make a scope move quite a bit when they heat up after being sighted in cold…