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Hawke

Hawke Rifle Scopes, Mounts and Red Dots in South Africa

Hawke Optics sits in the spot most airgun and rimfire shooters actually want: better glass and better repeatability than entry-level scopes, without the price of a premium hunting optic. The range is also unusually complete, so a scope, the correct mounts and the levelling accessories all come from one maker and are known to fit together. NeonSales carries 223 Hawke products, from R168 for a sports mount up to R10,499 for a Vantage 30 WA first focal plane scope.

What Hawke products does NeonSales stock?

  • Rifle scopes: Vantage, Airmax and Fast Mount families in magnifications from 2-7x32 through 4-16x50, with AO and side focus options
  • Reticles: Mil Dot, illuminated Mil Dot, AMX and dedicated rimfire .22 LR subsonic
  • Mounts: Match Mounts and Sports Mounts in 1 inch and 30mm, one piece and two piece, for both 9-11mm dovetail and Weaver rails
  • Red dots: Vantage 1x20 in 3 MOA
  • Accessories: 25 MOA adjustable mount insert sets, bubble levels in dovetail and Weaver, rail risers

Which Hawke scope family suits your rifle?

Family Built for Typical use
Fast Mount Scope supplied with rings already fitted A first scope, or a spare rifle you want shooting the same day
Vantage The core hunting and target line, widest choice of magnification and reticle General airgun and rimfire work where you want options
Airmax Designed around airgun recoil and close parallax Springers and PCPs, particularly at shorter ranges

Getting the mount right

More scopes are ruined by mounting than by anything that happens on the range. Two things decide which mount you need. First the rail on your rifle, either 9-11mm dovetail as found on most air rifles, or Weaver and Picatinny as found on tactical platforms and many rimfires. Second the tube diameter of the scope, either 1 inch or 30mm. Match those two and the height, then check that the objective bell clears the barrel before you tighten anything.

Height matters more than people expect. A high mount on a 40mm or 50mm objective keeps the bell off the barrel, though it raises your cheek weld and can make a consistent head position harder. Medium is the sensible default where the objective allows it.

Common questions

Will a Hawke scope survive a springer? The Airmax line is built for it. Spring piston rifles produce a sharp two-way recoil that destroys optics designed for centrefire, so a scope rated for springer use is not marketing, it is a real requirement.

What does AO actually do? Adjustable objective removes parallax error, which is what causes the crosshair to appear to shift when your head moves. At airgun distances this matters far more than at rifle distances, which is why most Hawke airgun scopes include it.

Do I need the 25 MOA insert set? Only if you are shooting far enough to run out of elevation adjustment, or if your scope is already near the end of its travel at your zero. The inserts tilt the scope to buy back adjustment range.

Is a bubble level worth it? At 50 metres, no. Past that, cant introduces horizontal error that grows with distance, and a level is the cheapest fix available.

Related: 1 Inch Rifle Scopes · 30mm Rifle Scopes · 9-11mm Mount Rings · Air Rifles · Bipods · Accessories