Have you ever heard of Hawke Optics? I hadn’t, but I’ve recently decided to try and create the best possible hunting rifle combination for $750 or a little less. My goal is to come in drastically under budget, but I’m also interested in seeing how close I can get to $750 while getting a good rifle and good optics. My rifle ended up being a Mossberg in 6.5, but today, we are talking about Hawke Vantage 30 2.5-10×50 optics.
I know nothing about Hawke, but I’ve always liked the 2.5-10X magnification setting. I had an old Nikon ProStaff in 2.5-10X, but Nikon has since discontinued that optic. I wanted to find a replacement for that optic, and a big part of that old ProStaff was the low price point combined with the magnification range I enjoyed.
That’s where Hawke came in. Finding a budget optic that’s not crap tier and offers that magnification setting wasn’t that easy. I just landed on the Hawke Vantage 30 by luck and hit that buy now button with a little hope in my heart. For less than $300, I had a 2.5-10X scope on the way, and I hoped it wouldn’t let me down.
Who The Hell Is Hawke?
Admittedly, before I hit the buy it now button, I did a little research into the optic and the company. Hawke seems to be a popular air gun optics brand, especially in Europe. That’s where most of the reviews originate and are tied to. They also have a fairly big name in the binocular world for affordable binos with decent glass quality.
Hawke also makes centerfire rifle scopes with what appears to be a focus on hunting optics. You’re not going to see some ultra-tactical stuff here. That’s apparent with the Vantage 30. It’s a fairly basic design. It’s got a fixed parallax at 100 yards, and is a second focal plane scope.
I’m hunting within 150 yards, so I don’t need an FFP optic. In fact, I’d prefer an SFP option for those times when I’m only using a portion of the magnification. I want the reticle to be highly visible even at 2.5X. The reticle in the Vantage 30 isn’t complicated, which was another thing I wanted.
The L4A reticle consists of three thick stadia at the bottom and sides and one thin stadia at the top. In the center sits an illuminated 2 MOA dot. You can switch from red to green illumination, and you have five illumination settings. It all works out for what I need, so in a jiff, I got my optic mounted and hit the range.
The Hawke Vantage 30 – The Good
First, the glass clarity is surprisingly nice for a sub $300 optic. It’s clear enough to easily see the varying colors in front of and around me. I can pick up the fine lines of the target at 100 yards. I can see the red center easily. My berm is mostly white sand, and I’m aiming at a white target and can see it in detail without issue.
I like the reticle. The 2 MOA dot is easy to see and makes an excellent aiming point. It doesn’t obscure much of the target and allows you to dial in the optic nicely. Illumination is fine, but it likely won’t be necessary for my hunting type.
My rifle shoots 6.5 Creedmoor, so it’s not a magnum shoulder thumper, but I still appreciate the 3.5-inch eye relief. It’s comfy and allows you to snap behind the gun. The field of view isn’t bad, with 12.6 feet visible at 100 yards with the magnification set to 10X.
The weight and size aren’t bad. It’s 12.9 inches long and weighs 21.2 ounces. For a budget optic that’s acceptable to me. The ¼ MOA clicks are enough adjustments for hunting and allow a nice tight zero. The zero stuck around and never drifted during testing.
The Bad
While the glass is mostly clear, the optic suffers from chromatic aberration. This is most apparent when aiming at white targets, like the target I zeroed the gun for. It’s much less of an issue in low light or when aiming at darker targets.
The reticle illumination doesn’t work in full sunlight. It’s too dim. That’s not a huge concern since most of my hunting is right before dark and as the sun rises.
The turrets are a bit soft, and I’d prefer good audible and tactile clicks. Luckily, once the optics are zeroed, they stay zeroed.
Behind the Optic
The Hawke Vantage 30 does what you expect from a budget brand optic. It’s clear enough, has a decent field of view, and works well. I wouldn’t hunt bad guys in Fallujah with it, but I’d hunt deer and hogs in Florida. For the money, you are getting a decent optic with a particular magnification setting I tend to prefer. It’s not a mind-blowing value, but it’s not a bad alternative to the more affordable Vortex lineup or as a replacement for the Pro-Staff lineup.
