Looking for a pink unicorn maybe

[PerkyVal]

Hi kids!

Well, I've decided to move to a FFP scope on my hunting rifle, but I cant find what I want.

The Hawke Sidewinder 6-24x56 has exactly the specs I want save for the lack of ED glass. I've been using the Hawke ED 10-50 and have become addicted to the glass. In fact, so much so that I can hardly use any of my other scopes at all.

I'd like to keep the cost between $800 and $1000. Hence the pink unicorn reference.

Any ideas?

 

[bfd136]

Hawke is coming out with a10-40 with ED glass. It was on 1 of the shot show vids

 

[PerkyVal]

Hawke is coming out with a10-40 with ED glass. It was on 1 of the shot show vids

I saw that too, but its second focal. I really dont get why they dont do a first focal with ED.

 

[BeemanR7]

PerkyVal,

Last time we talked, you said that your next ED scope would have a larger tube diameter (34mm?). Is that still your desire?

How about an illuminated reticle, do you want that too? I remember you said that you like the IR on your Hawke.

They make illuminated reticles of 2 kinds now; one kind the entire reticle is illuminated (like your Hawke), and the second kind only the center dot is illuminated. Which would you prefer, or does it matter?

What style reticle do you prefer for hunting, mil dot, mil hash, other?

In case you're interested, I ended up with this scope for my Impact: https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-tactical-rifle-scope-3-15x50mm-sf-mil-dot-reticle-matte-black.html  I'm not overly fond of the mil dot reticle but it works. It doesn't have IR, but I decided to use a gun mounted red LED flashlight instead. I find that it is better to illuminate the target instead. What's great about this scope is the glass. Everyone says you'd have to spend $1000 or more for better glass. I got mine on sale for $433 delivered! They make another one just like it with an IR. Here's the link: https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-tactical-rifle-scope-3-15x50mm-sf-illuminated-emdr-reticle-33-9-6-8-fov-3-98-er-black-matte.html

There are lots of better scopes available, but you'll spend all of your $1000 limit and then some to get it. But if you buy this one from Natchez and decide you don't like it, simply return it. I kept mine. I'm really happy. And $433 is all I spent.

BeemanR7

 

[PerkyVal]

PerkyVal,

Last time we talked, you said that your next ED scope would have a larger tube diameter (34mm?). Is that still your desire?

How about an illuminated reticle, do you want that too? I remember you said that you like the IR on your Hawke.

They make illuminated reticles of 2 kinds now; one kind the entire reticle is illuminated (like your Hawke), and the second kind only the center dot is illuminated. Which would you prefer, or does it matter?

What style reticle do you prefer for hunting, mil dot, mil hash, other?

In case you're interested, I ended up with this scope for my Impact: https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-tactical-rifle-scope-3-15x50mm-sf-mil-dot-reticle-matte-black.html  I'm not overly fond of the mil dot reticle but it works. It doesn't have IR, but I decided to use a gun mounted red LED flashlight instead. I find that it is better to illuminate the target instead. What's great about this scope is the glass. Everyone says you'd have to spend $1000 or more for better glass. I got mine on sale for $433 delivered! They make another one just like it with an IR. Here's the link: https://www.natchezss.com/weaver-tactical-rifle-scope-3-15x50mm-sf-illuminated-emdr-reticle-33-9-6-8-fov-3-98-er-black-matte.html

There are lots of better scopes available, but you'll spend all of your $1000 limit and then some to get it. But if you buy this one from Natchez and decide you don't like it, simply return it. I kept mine. I'm really happy. And $433 is all I spent.

BeemanR7

I like mil dot, or mil hash, but with mil turrets as well. IR is a must as I shoot at night a lot.

The magnification range I'm desiring would be 6-24 as I will shoot quite a bit from the bench and my eyes are elderly.

I'm going to move the Hawke ED over to my Crown as that's pretty much a bench gun. 

I'd love a 34mm tube, but anything I want is way out of my price range for a while

 

[DeutschKSK]

I have an Athlon 6-24 FFP, ED glass they have the 4.5-30 that retails $1100. That’ll be my next scope when I upgrade to a 34mm setup. 

 

[JamesD.]

Pink Unicorns. Hmmm. I was told to settle for a Sidewinder instead of the $1300-$1600 SWFA SS I wanted. I've owned 2 Sidewinders and can say I was highly disappointed. That was 8-10 years ago, when Hawke was allegedly still good.

I believe I should switch to FFP especially since I'm shooting out to 275 yards at times.

If I were to go with FFP, it HAS to have 0.1mil hash marks, obviously mil/mil adjustment. It can not have solid dots. It's impossible to shoot well when your dot is covering entire group. I really like the SWFA hollow diamond shaped mil-quad system

That being said, the 3.5x15x42 SWFA SS HD was recommended by a Smith that regularly shoots to 1 mile or more with his TRG42 he's gone over. So, I do want the hollow diamond hash marks & 0.1 mil adjustment. Being a lefty, a side wheel, rear focus, or front AO would all be OK for BR shooting. So, I don't think I need much more than a variation of their fixed power 10x42.

I will say I own & love the Hawke Air Max 4x12x42 w/ AMX reticle. I LOVE that reticle. The 20x 1/2 mil is supposed to be very good also. I just don't like Hawkes new non transferable warranty or outsourcing results.

So, I'm looking at SWFA, Burris, Leupold. Many of the scopes being sold by some air gun dealers. Charlie Frear Athlon Midas & entire line up look good.

I'm also thinking buy once, cry once. Save for a year or two and look at the high end stuff. Problem is, if I'm going to spend ANYTHING more than $800.00 on a scope, I want to look through it first. I can NOT tell you if my eyes will notice one iota of difference between Zeiss, Leica, G&R, S&B, Nightforce, Swarozski, Hendzsolt, March.

That kind of money could put decent universally identical scopes on all 3 current main distance & target shooters. Probably a couple more Air Max's to put on every spring gun I have. 

Picking a scope is NOT easy

Most places don't even show you reticle or have full specs available. Good luck.

 

[Cranky1]

So far I really like my athlon Midas TAC 6-24. It does not have an ir reticle but I would definitely buy another Athlon I got my Midas for 570ish from a local guy, but definitely give them a look, mines ffp ,mil/mil adjustments ,side focus , solid zero stop, accurate and repeatable adjustments , plus good glass. 

 

[jgburks]

+1 on the Athlons. I have the Ares BTR 2.5-15×50 APLR3 FFP IR MIL and it is awesome!

 

[Spray1Mark]

ED is in reality just a marketing term, for a start you will find the glass in the VORTEX Diamondback tactical 6-24 FFP is visibly better than the HAWKE although it lacks illumination, for illumination you would need to step up to the PST GII.

 

[Smok3y]

Hope to add a little here as FFP is my favorite and I have tried them from cheap to Tier1 very expensive. You have received some good responses. I will try to answer based on the requirements it appears you want.

It appears you want at least 6-24x, and I agree with going at least that high when you can. You mentioned that .1 mil marks are required. I want to be sure you typed that correctly. Most scopes have 1mil or .5mil at most. I have seen few with .2mil, one of which is my Favorite for the money, the original Athlon Cronus 4.5-29. While MSRP is $1799, the newer model is usually around $1400 retail, but used can be had around $900-1000. It focuses down to 25yds. Don’t forget that as a major research point. You mentioned Bushnell and Leupold, but they often don’t focus below 50yds, so be careful. Athlons also have a lifetime warranty similar to Vortex’s. This model, I think, is the best you can find for $900-1000, hands down.

If you don’t want to spend to the top of your budget, I still like Athlons next range better than anything at the price as well, the Ares. One person mentioned the Ares ETR earlier, 4.5-30x which is MSRP at $1100 I think, but can be had for $900-1000 (used to new). I thought it was a very nice upgrade over the Ares BTR, but I sold my ETR because I preferred the smaller Cronus at the same price. The BTR is a great buy and I suggest it after the Cronus. It retails many places for $750, but I have seen used ones for $560-650 depending on reticle and condition. Massive value at that price! I think it is 4.5-27x and focuses to 25yds also. This one is 30mm instead of 34mm like the other two I mentioned. I like it a lot as well as a lighter option, and currently own these as well.

The Cronus is Japanese glass front the well renowned LOW plant, and that means something to a lot of people. The Ares lines and other lower lines are all Chinese, but I think the Ares line is the best Chinese scope I’ve looked through. 

I do recommend these two lines when the requirements fit, but I don’t work for them or sell them in any way. Not even it that industry. I would happily recommend other scopes if you were looking for different specs, but previously being in your exact position and trying many different scopes, selling my original Cronus to try others, and coming back to it, I think it shows how much I like it. Also, on other PB forums and optics forums, they are extremely well reviewed. That being said SWFA is also one I really like, but I have preferred the mag range and reticle more on the Athlons.

 

[Smok3y]

I meant to also say, I don’t think you are looking for a pink unicorn. I think it is more available than you think.

Also wanted to add, that having used the Hawke 6-24 before, I didn’t like it at all. To each their own. There are much better scopes out there and some are not that much more expensive.

It is one of those things, that you don’t know what you are missing until you try it. That being said, I have purchased $3k Schmidt & Bender before, and while it was beautiful, the value wasn’t there for me for what extra it offered. I say that to say that I’m not a scope snob at all. I appreciate my cheap $200-300 scopes for what they are, but I wanted to offer my opinion at your price range. 

Be sure to look at the Cyclops videos. I agree with a lot of what he says, and he focuses at a lower price range usually. That being said, I woud try to find a used Ares or Cronus for the upgrade. At a lower price, I have really wanted to try the Vortex Tactical that many have mentioned. With the PSTII and Razor being as good as they are, I want to like that one, but just haven’t tried it... yet.

 

[PerkyVal]

I did go with the Ares ETR, more money than I wanted to spend for sure.

It gives me a 34mm tube that I've wanted for a while, but takes away the 10 yard focus, but 25 isnt too bad.

Scope rings were a pain to find. I wanted an adjustable set, but all I found was sportsnatch in dovetail, not the picatinny, so I went with Luepold steel rings. I hope I made the right decision.

Thanx for your input guys!

 

[DeutschKSK]

Let me know how that scope is! It’s on my list 

 

[Smok3y]

Let me know how that scope is! It’s on my list 

It is a very nice scope. I found that I don’t use the 10yd at all, so I’m happy with a 25yd focus. So bright and the reticle is very easy to see. It was was better than the BTR version, and pretty dang close to the Cronus. The only reason I sold it is that I don’t personally care for the center dot on the MIL reticle. I tried it out knowing that I usually don’t like the dot, but wanted to see it for sure. The turrets have a solid feel and are very repeatable. 

It is large. Much larger than the Ares and longer than the Cronus. Here was a picture I took when I had the ETR and BTR.

 

[PerkyVal]

A couple hours after I ordered the Ares I received a call from the vendor. Apparently the employee that put the ad on the web got the color wrong. So he offered me $75 off if I wanted to take the brown one (barf), or the same off if I would wait 2 weeks for the black, plus he'd give me a discount on the sunshade.

So, it will be a couple weeks until I can report on it. Maybe longer if the global warming doesnt ease up. I have lived my whole life in Wisconsin, but that doesnt mean I tolerate sub zero temps very well.