Hawke Airmax 30 SF 4-16X50

Where scopes are concerned, quality varies enormously across the board, and the old adage that ‘you get what you pay for’, is on the whole, a safe guide for realistic expectations. That said, Hawke scopes from Deben Int Ltd have carved out quite a niche for themselves in the middle to lower sector of the market, and have a big following for good reason.

As a competition buff, I was always guided towards kit that had pedigree and potential. Look to what the winners are using, and you won’t go far wrong. On that score, consider that national HFT shoots have been taken with very modestly priced Hawke models, and it’s clear you get an awful lot of scope for the money.

PUSH TO THE MAX

The new Airmax 30 SF models are a real step up for the company, in that they are just that bit sleeker where presentation is concerned, more subtle in design and construction, and easier on the eye. ‘30’ denotes the larger 30mm body tube, whilst ‘SF’ stands for Side Focus.

My test model came specified as the Airmax 30 SF 4-16X50, and it can’t fail to impress, from the moment you open the oversized padded box. Open the lid, and the nicely packaged accessories become apparent. Metal flip-up lens covers are threaded into each end, (similar to MTC) and the two small metal tools to adjust/remove these are also included. A side focusing wheel is part of the package too, with a third small tool supplied, to assist in its assembly.

Unlike many scopes on the market, these Airmax 30 models are dedicated airgun specific, and with a minimum focus of 10 yds, it’s a good start.

TACTICAL..

Hawke have followed the latest trend, and stuck with over-sized target turrets, which is a shame in my book, since the overall width of the scope created, can be a source of irritation when looking for sufficient padding inside some gun cases. Huge turrets are unnecessary for most hunting trips, and certainly are no advantage where HFT is concerned, yet the visual appeal to many dictates their inclusion.

Hawke fit the rather impressive AMX ballistic airgun Mil-Dot reticule and this, being glass-etched, floats in the centre of the image. Full Mil-Dots and half mil spacing is on offer, along with segmented outer hollow posts. All this means in practise, that an abundance of aim points are available, allowing the shooter to gauge distance of certain targets, as well as take precisely aimed shots.

Red illumination of the central stadia is also possible, and here, Hawke have switched to a simplified continuous rheostat dial; although having left it switched on accidentally during my test, I have two observations. Firstly, the step-less switch doesn’t automatically switch off, but secondly, when left in the minimum setting, the battery didn’t entirely run down.

Fast focus of the ocular lens is fairly standard these days, and parallax focus is possible just using the left hand side mounted knob. For more accurate ranging however, a 100mm side wheel is supplied. This is attached by simply unscrewing the central cap (using the tool provided), pushing the wheel into place, then screwing the cap back into position. In addition, a sunshade is supplied for those so inclined. The side wheel works by exaggerating the gap between range markings, making them easier to read accurately.

TACTILE TACTICAL

Much time has been invested in getting the ergonomics and overall ‘feel’ right with this new breed of Airmax; from the off-set angle of the rheostat, to the ribbed, rubberized magnification collar. Twisting through from x4- to 16 mag is reassuringly smooth yet with enough resistance to know that everything is staying put. Likewise, those turrets, which have a crisp audible click and slick movement, yet tighten up with a top locking wheel, once zero is set.

They are also resettable to a zero marker, once slackened off with an Allen key. My usual grid test, clicking up by a measured amount, right, down, then left, saw the shots return to the start point - proving the integrity of the spindle mechanism. To be honest, parallax ranging with the wheel did return different figures to reality (25 yds showed as about 18 on wheel markings) yet this is very common with this type of scope. What was important was the consistency of readings, and in that regard, the Airmax shined.

SO WHAT OF THE VISUALS OVERALL?

A fully multi-coated optical system means great clarity and light transmission are a given. New high quality lenses, combined with that super fine reticule offer admirable edge to edge clarity, and with no notable aberrations, the image on offer is a cut above many other scopes in this price bracket. On test, clarity through the airgun target distances was simply spot-on, and the floating nature of the glass etched reticule means the overall picture remains fairly uncluttered.

Free to access Hawke BRC and Chairgun software programs (PC, Mac, Ios, and Android compatible) allow shooters to plot their ammunition and trajectory charts too, and it’s a great tool to play with for any budding enthusiast.

Waterproof, shockproof, nitrogen filled, and the Hawke 10 year warranty, along with a built-in quality feel, mono tube construction, and pleasing aesthetics all help put a very strong case for this model; but performance is of course the key to success… and here, the Airmax SF can’t fail to impress - for either hunting or HFT.

PRICE: £269.95 inc side focus wheel, flip-up lens covers, and sunshade
CONTACT: Deben Group Industries, 01394 387762 www.deben.com www.hawkeoptics.com