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Hawke or Element scopes

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Dr. Kralenstein

Dr. Kralenstein

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Apr 14, 2022
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The Laboratory, United States
Looking into getting better glass at some point and wandering who has experience with both brands and which one would be a better choice?

Theyre close in price range for some of the higher end hawke vs element titan.

Where are the element scopes made? I know hawke is Chinese and if I'm spending the coin, I'd like to avoid more Chinese stuff on my rigs.

Thanks!
 
I guess one important question is how old/young are your eyes?

I have owned the Nexus and i currently own a boatload of Hawke scopes.
To me the Hawke works out much better simply due to reticle thickness.

My eyes are not what they used to be and on Most scopes, i.e. Falcon, Athlon, Vortex, Element, Vector, just to ralle off a few i have tried, i have to "chase" the rerticle ...

The Hawke FFP at full magnification are about perfect for me..

I have gone the extreme other route, i.e. Riton, Blackhound where the reticle is too thick as well.

I would look hard at the Sidewinder line up, my 4-16x50 scopes are Outstanding and have a Very wide FOV and a forgiving eyebox even at full magnification
 
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I believe the Element Nexus is made in Japan, the others presumably in China.
I don't own one so I can say nothing about the quality, but I have a number of Hawkes and am super pleased with them.

Especially the Vantage 4x32 AO Mildot that I use on several springers is exceptional value for the money as they are frequently sold for the local eqv of $99
 
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Ryden said:
I belive the Element Nexus is made in Japan, the others presumably in China.































































































































I don't own one so I can say nothing about the quality, but I have a number of Hawkes and am super pleased with them.































































































































Especially the Vantage 4x32 AO Mildot that I use on several springers is exceptional value for the money as they are frequently sold for the local eqv of $99















Edit: I'm posting from my cell phone today and it's randomly inserting loads of line feed.















































































































































Sorry about that, I'll try to fix it from my work computer on Monday

















The more I try to fix it on the phone, the worse it gets
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Yep, my android started that crap after I updated the software. Had to switch browsers from Samsung to chrome. Problem solved. Good luck and thanks for the info.
 
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My close up vision is starting to slip so a thicker reticle is usually better for me. I don't do FFP for that reason.

As for the Chinese scopes, I own a few sniper scopes and they're very good for the money. Better than a hawke eclipse I had, and stay very clear all the way to max magnification. Reticle is easier to follow than on my westhunter scopes. Those are nice glass, no tunnel at all to see, but thin reticle and get a little fuzzy on high mag at closer range. Can't dial it out even adjusting the diopter.
 
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Boostcreep said:
It'll be in the $500-$1000 depending on what rig it'll end up on. Getting my plan together for when I get my higher end gun, which will be a revere/regal carbine or dreamline classic. Either will be 22 as well, and I don't shoot past 100.
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So at this point I would say my biggest concern would be weight. Too heavy of a scope may throw your balance off on a gun like one of those, assuming they won't be bench queens. I can't speak for the Revere, but the Dreamline magazine forces you to have the scope elevated pretty high. You may not like how the gun feels when shooting offhand with a 30oz + optic sitting on it. If you're primarily shooting from a bench/bag this really won't be a huge issue though. Just something to consider while looking at your options.
 
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Sqwirlfugger57 said:
So at this point I would say my biggest concern would be weight. Too heavy of a scope may throw your balance off on a gun like one of those, assuming they won't be bench queens. I can't speak for the Revere, but the Dreamline magazine forces you to have the scope elevated pretty high. You may not like how the gun feels when shooting offhand with a 30oz + optic sitting on it. If you're primarily shooting from a bench/bag this really won't be a huge issue though. Just something to consider while looking at your options.
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That is the big drawback for the dreamline IMO. These will be mostly off hand shooters. I haven't ruled out an AA s410/510 either, but they are definitely heavier rifles than either of my other options.
 
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Boostcreep said:
That is the big drawback for the dreamline IMO. These will be mostly off hand shooters. I haven't ruled out an AA s410/510 either, but they are definitely heavier rifles than either of my other options.
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I'm going to preface this by saying I loved my Dreamline. It was a 60fpe tack driver that took care of a lot of problems for me very reliably. 3yrs I had that gun and not once did it have a hiccup. It did have the standard FX POI issues that were caused by flexible barrels but that was pretty easily avoided.

Anyway, if I could go back in time I probably would have grabbed an AA or Revere. They are beautifully made and about as dependable as they come. I've been fortunate enough to handle both at local FT matches and they both shouldered a bit nicer than the Dreamline did. That being said, they also didn't have long barrels and a big moderator sitting at the end to quiet down the bark of a 60ftlb .25 cal. The guns I shot were all 20ftlb field target guns. If you dont need excessive power I feel like both of the other two options you are looking at are better choices.
 
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Sqwirlfugger57 said:
I'm going to preface this by saying I loved my Dreamline. It was a 60fpe tack driver that took care of a lot of problems for me very reliably. 3yrs I had that gun and not once did it have a hiccup. It did have the standard FX POI issues that were caused by flexible barrels but that was pretty easily avoided.

Anyway, if I could go back in time I probably would have grabbed an AA or Revere. They are beautifully made and about as dependable as they come. I've been fortunate enough to handle both at local FT matches and they both shouldered a bit nicer than the Dreamline did. That being said, they also didn't have long barrels and a big moderator sitting at the end to quiet down the bark of a 60ftlb .25 cal. The guns I shot were all 20ftlb field target guns. If you dont need excessive power I feel like both of the other two options you are looking at are better choices.
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Appreciate some real world experience. Yes, itll be a 30 fpe 22, and that's all I really need it to be. I have my 25 cal 50 fpe gun, and the 38 fpe 25 carbine I built. Probably would go larger vs another 25.

This rifle I plan to get will presumably be my last 22 I get... yeah, I know...

My only 177 I plan on ever having is a BSA CLX. 12 fpe in 177 is a good gun and won't need a moderator. Theyre too anemic in 22 for me.

I really wish daystae would make a 14" barreled revere with a baffled shroud and keep them the size the carbine version comes. It would be perfect for what I want. Ain't no way I'd be cutting one up to make it that way either.
 
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Hawke Sidewinders are pretty good. I've owned several. While I've never owned an Element, they have quite a following because of their connection to FX, but that doesn't make them good. I've looked through a couple of them and find that their tight eyebox is objectionable. My favorite scope(s) are Athlon Midas-Tac 6-24X50. Better glass than the rest. My second favorite is Sightron.
 
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jps2486 said:
Hawke Sidewinders are pretty good. I've owned several. While I've never owned an Element, they have quite a following because of their connection to FX, but that doesn't make them good. I've looked through a couple of them and find that their tight eyebox is objectionable. My favorite scope(s) are Athlon Midas-Tac 6-24X50. Better glass than the rest. My second favorite is Sightron.
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Element is 90% marketing hype from having FX and Dubbers names on them. If you went to an outdoor range and asked 100 guys NOT shooting airguns what they thought about Element Optics, you'd probably get 99 responses of "Who??"
 
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Sqwirlfugger57 said:
Element is 90% marketing hype from having FX and Dubbers names on them. If you went to an outdoor range and asked 100 guys NOT shooting airguns what they thought about Element Optics, you'd probably get 99 responses of "Who??"
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Kind of like hawke scopes. Not many powder guys use side focus scopes.

jps2486 said:
Hawke Sidewinders are pretty good. I've owned several. While I've never owned an Element, they have quite a following because of their connection to FX, but that doesn't make them good. I've looked through a couple of them and find that their tight eyebox is objectionable. My favorite scope(s) are Athlon Midas-Tac 6-24X50. Better glass than the rest. My second favorite is Sightron.
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So Athlon is worth a look? I'm all for a 6-24 as long as it's compact. Some of these compact high mag scopes don't really reach as far as they claim.
 
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Gerry52 said:
Nowadays you'd be hard pressed to find a TRULY American made scope. Most scopes have components made in Asian countries, even "American made" scopes. My old gen Hawke Sidewinder 6x24x56 is my favorite scope and extremely robust & clear.
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As with anything, it all comes from there really. I'm fine with Japanese glass too, but its usually pricey.
I didn't know if the element scopes were made in Sweden along with FX.
 
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I don't own Element scopes, but I do own Hawke Sidewinders. I bought two Arken scopes last year and for they exceeded my expectations. FFP, zero stop, illuminated, super clear glass, and the turrets are exceptional IMO. The turrets on my Hawke scopes are like mush compared to the Arken. The older scopes are 35 ounces and only focus to 20 yards, but the new 6-24X50 is under 25 Oz., focuses to 10 yards and is priced at $439.
 
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