Poll: Vortex Viper or Hawke Sidewinder

[SidecarFlip]

I just bought a Vortex Viper 6.5-20 PA from Camera land for $279.00. It is going on my 6.5-284 Savage LRH.I also have a set of Vortex Viper 10x42 binos both great products.


Randy

I swore off PA scopes after I bought an insanely expensive Fine Duplex Leupold Benchrest Target scope with extended turrets and PA Ocular years ago. It's a helluva benchrest scope, clear as a bell, I can easily see .223 shot placements at 150 yards but the PA parallelax adjustment would be a royal PITA to hunt with. It's fine for benchrest. I can't see reaching over the scope or around the side to adjust parallelax on a rangefinder hunting shot. Side mounted is so much more convenient (and more expensive).

 

[Scrubbit]

Have a Viper 6-24 x 50, Mil/Mil with FFP reticle on my 300 Win Mag with about 1000 rds through it. Tracks accurately and love the simple reticle. My buddy thinks it looks a bit cloudy at full mag, but I don't see it. Sunshade is often necessary in the far north with oblique sun angles. Like the turrets (very positive firm clicks, better than my Sightron), illuminated reticle and parallax adjustment, although I think the parallax is off at shorter ranges from the markings. Not a big issue with me as it's a long range rifle. Like the FFP for a long range hunting scope, but if I was just looking for a super precise long range target rig at set ranges, I would go with a 2nd focal plane. Have a set of 10x50 Viper binos and love them. Kind of wish I'd gone with the 15s tho... Hope that helps.

 

[uka]

Hawke scopes are made in China except for the top end Frontiers that are made in Japan.

I have one of the Chinese Hawke scopes. It sits on a PCP air rifle with almost no recoil.

Almost all Chinese scopes suffer failure after use on springer air rifles or heavy magnum recoil. The parallax ring scales are usually way off as well. There are other issues you will spot after you own them a while. Always choose the Japanese scope if you can afford it.

My Hawke scope has a good ballistic reticle with a well designed Christmas Tree configuration that is etched on glass and well illuminated for night use. Way better than most Chinese scopes, but it will stay dedicated to night use on an air rifle or rimfire due to the 50mm objective.

there are 20 dollar Chinese airgun scopes I have seen still working after more then 1000 shots. that does not mean it is a premium scope but if they are on an air rifle when you buy it they will last

 

[HighCountryMulies]

+1 with Scrubbit, my only complaint with my pst 6-24x50 is the parallax marks are off at short range also, still easily tuned in though just not at the exact yardage markings...

 

[300rum]

I owned both of them.

both are tracking perfect (2000 rds on Hawke and 800 rds of Vortex PST)
I tend towards Vortex PST because the knobs and reticle match.
If Hawke will ever come out with matching system on their scopes I will lean towards them.

I have 3 Hawke scopes and One Vortex PST and one Night Force NXS and If I have to do a classification this will be the order based on repeatability, ruggedness and price)

1. Night Force (More money but very reliable and trusted scope)
2. Vortex PST (just because reticle and dial knobs match - "Poor mans NF")
3. Hawke (if used at 18x you have 2MOA reticle (for every 1/2 Mildot marks) - very solid and rugged scope, good tracking and repeatable dials, locking knobs - a plus, and neck in neck on glass quality with Vortex PST

So any of the above will work just fine, it's just up to you how much money do you have for the scope.

Ok guys, thanks for all of the help narrowing down my scope selection for me. This newbie to long range shooting really appreciates it. I am down to two scopes I'm trying to choose from and they are these two:

Hawke: Hawke 6-24x56 Sidewinder 30mm Riflescope

Vortex: Vortex 6.5-20x44 Viper 30mm Rifle Scope

Which one of these will be my better option? I like the mildot reticle on the Hawke but am tempted to try the Dead Hold BDC reticle rather than Mildot if I go with the Viper...any thoughts??

 

[SidecarFlip]

I owned both of them.

both are tracking perfect (2000 rds on Hawke and 800 rds of Vortex PST)
I tend towards Vortex PST because the knobs and reticle match.
If Hawke will ever come out with matching system on their scopes I will lean towards them.

I have 3 Hawke scopes and One Vortex PST and one Night Force NXS and If I have to do a classification this will be the order based on repeatability, ruggedness and price)

1. Night Force (More money but very reliable and trusted scope)
2. Vortex PST (just because reticle and dial knobs match - "Poor mans NF")
3. Hawke (if used at 18x you have 2MOA reticle (for every 1/2 Mildot marks) - very solid and rugged scope, good tracking and repeatable dials, locking knobs - a plus, and neck in neck on glass quality with Vortex PST

So any of the above will work just fine, it's just up to you how much money do you have for the scope.

It begs to ask so I will....

Did you can the big side focus wheel on the Hawke? I personally think it's tacky...

A less poor mans Schmidt and Bender is a Nightforce......

 

[SidecarFlip]

there are 20 dollar Chinese airgun scopes I have seen still working after more then 1000 shots. that does not mean it is a premium scope but if they are on an air rifle when you buy it they will last

Candidly, I've never seen a 20 dollar scope. Maybe a length of water pipe taped to the receiver?????

 

[300rum]

i never used the big tacky wheel on hawke scope.
I found it useless.

I mean for 3-400 $ the scope is pretty good.
Of course is not Viper PST or Nightforce nor a hi end scope. Is one average scope who holds the zero pretty well, and good glass with lock turrets knobs.

 

[SidecarFlip]

i never used the big tacky wheel on hawke scope.
I found it useless.

I mean for 3-400 $ the scope is pretty good.
Of course is not Viper PST or Nightforce nor a hi end scope. Is one average scope who holds the zero pretty well, and good glass with lock turrets knobs.

Was patently curious. I'm actually going to get one for a 308 I'm getting for a friend.

I see they have a ballistics software application on their website, geared for their reticles. Is it any good or is the G7 ballistics calculator on this site better?

 

[300rum]

Was patently curious. I'm actually going to get one for a 308 I'm getting for a friend.

I see they have a ballistics software application on their website, geared for their reticles. Is it any good or is the G7 ballistics calculator on this site better?

No. Used the Shooter or exbal.
the software is basic one

 

[300rum]

if you get the 6-20x42 and crank the scope at 18x you will get for every 1.2 Mildot - 2MOA
pretty neat.

 

[WBecker]

I currently have two Vortex scopes. My first is a Vortex Viper 6.5X20X50 Dead Hold B.D.C scope mounted on a Remington 700 HBBL, in 7.62mm . My second is a Vortex Viper PST 4X16X50 MilDot mounted on a Tikka T3, 338 win mag. I must say that I love them both. Vortex makes the best optic's for their price point I've found. I also own two Leupold M4 series scopes and would rate the quality of the Vortex glass to be comparable. Excellent optic's with a lifetime warranty.

 

[mmh]

Another happy Vortex PST 6-24x50 FFP Mil/Mil scope owner.

 

[mencius]

4-16x50 HSLR on 308win for myself. love it!