Hawke Vantage Sf 3-12x44 Half Mil Dot

Hawke as an optics brand have had a good reputation in the field for some while now; primarily for offering great value products. But it’s not quite that simple, since they also have a knack for offering us shooters exactly what we want. Given that the company has employed such notable names on a consultancy basis, as three times World FT Champion, Nick Jenkinson, for development work, this shouldn’t really come as a surprise, and with a raft of technical features, and some exciting reticle designs, the company is well regarded for its no-nonsense approach.

2015 saw the company really up their game, with a revamped, somewhat slicker corporate logo, and a host of new models, aimed at shooting sports right across the board. Hawke clearly means business then, and on test here is one of the new breed of Vantage SF models, in 3-12x44 specification- which for airgun applications, (among others) is just about ideal.

These scopes come highly specified with an 11 layer multi-coated lens system, all designed to maximise clarity and definition. The ‘SF’ in the name denotes ‘side focus’ parallax adjustment, whilst ¼ click, finger adjustable turrets, and a one inch body tube, appeal to the traditionalists among us. A fast focus eyebell and prethreaded objective and ocular complete a solid list of features. Time to take a closer look

Slim-Line Turrets

First impressions with this scope are very favourable, with the mono-tube construction and resultant sleek appearance playing its part. I’m no fan of 30mm tubes, since they invariably add significant weight to the design. This Vantage SF, as mentioned, is a one inch tube, and it feels sleek and fairly light to boot. One of my bugbears in recent years has been the emergence of oversized ‘tactical/target’ turrets, and I’m pleased to see a return to low profile, traditional screwcap turrets, as seen here with this Vantage model. In respect of airgun use, unless you are taking part in Field Target, where instant dialling-in of target turrets is near essential, chunky turrets are simply unnecessary, and frankly bloody annoying, when trying to stow a rifle scope combination away in a firmly padded case- with little room for manoeuvre. Suffice to say, this particular Hawke takes the subtle route… so I’ll stop whinging!

Click values are ¼ inch at 100 yards, and the turrets themselves are clearly marked, and as mentioned, finger adjustable, with a reassuringly positive click movement. No Allen keys, scrwdrivers or coins required here then! I’ve listed the range of rotation in the spec table, but suffice to say that there’s plenty of adjustment in both windage and elevation.

My usual grid test, adjusting a measured number of clicks right, then down, then left, then up, proved a return to point zero and the integrity of the spindle mechanism.

Magnification is adjustable from 3x through to 12x, and I have to say, the magnification collar, is not only easy to grip, but also turns with just the right amount of resistance; firm yet smooth. I set the mag to 9x for my test period, since this represents a typical mag setting for HFT use, and it’s the mag I normally choose to shoot on. That said, for the record, Hawke set these scopes up so that the reticle shows full Mil Dot/ half Mil Dot values when shot on 10x magnification.

Focus

Overall clarity and image definition with this scope is excellent. Fast focus is achieved in the usual way, and I found a quick twist of the rear mounted rubber protected ocular ring brought the reticle into sharp focus for my eyes. ‘SF’ in the model name denotes ‘side focus’, and here, the test model performed flawlessly, with the pre-marked ranges on the side dial, corresponding perfectly with tested ranges. What’s so surprising about that? Well it’s actually very common for range markings on scopes to be out, often by several yards. Of course varying eyesight plays its part, but I was impressed with the performance of this Hawke nonetheless.

Side parallax adjustment is a handy feature, allowing the shooter to set clarity, and with it correct parallax error, for a given range. Again, with my interest primarily in airgun applications, the ability to set up this scope for use in Hunter Field Target events for example, was not lost. Bear in mind that with HFT, the shooter is not allowed to adjust the scope in any way for the duration of the competition. The shooter therefore has to make a decision as to which distance the side focus dial is to be set to. After a little trial and error, I set the parallax to 30 yards, which proved about ideal, since most other ranges still showed admirable clarity. 45 yards then looks just slightly hazy and that is of course how many competitors want it, so they can use the degree of clarity to judge target distance.

Edge-to-edge sharpness was spot on, and another point worth noting is the relative sensitivity with regards to head position. Move slightly off and the full crisp sight picture soon distorts; meaning this Vantage actually promotes careful consistent target acquisition and correct head positioning, which can only be a good thing.

Minimum focus is marked up as 10 yards, but I found winding it down to the minimum meant good clarity at 7.5 yards was possible.

Up The Bracket

The Half Mil Dot Reticle is a nice, uncluttered design, although personally I reckon additional ultra-fine but wider lines, maybe after two Mil Dots on all four stadia, would be beneficial to aid quick ‘bracketting’. As it stands, and with a 35 yard zero set from a 1.6 inch high sightline, I found the trajectory of my full powered .177 fell perfectly into place against the aim points. The Half Mil Dot first line down related to around 40 yards, with the first Mil Dot down equal to 45 yards. It’s all about precise, proportional aim/reference points at the end of the day, and the Vantage SF has what it takes in a super slick package.

Hawke Chairgun Pro software is free to download and this has become an invaluable tool for many serious airgun shooters of late; eager to check pellet compatibility and trajectory against a variety of Hawkes reticle designs. Great for customers of Hawke Optics, but highly informative for airgunners across the board, whether customers or not! ‘No purchase necessary’, as they say.

In Conclusion

Not a bad scope then, and whilst unusually these days, no sunshade is included, a nice pair of elasticated lens covers are thrown in; along with all the usual hidden essentials: nitrogen purged system, waterproof, shockproof, and fogproof; along with Hawke’s worldwide warranty.

In short, Hawke have indeed raised their game, and with a well-earned reputation for punching well above their weight, and a host of successes secured in outdoor airgun competitions to their name, it’s hard to ignore them. This Vantage is a slick, highly impressive product, that won’t disappoint, and in my book represents astonishing value for money at the price. I seem to be in a constant battle with myself these days as to whether to switch my glassware. If I did, this would genuinely be a serious contender!

PRICE:£169.99 including lens caps and cleaning cloth
CONTACT: 01394 387 762, www.hawkeoptics.com, www.deben.com