View attachment 476102 I know what you mean when you see a great deal and can't pass it up. I was looking hard for a Beeman R7 or HW30S, and no one had new ones, and used ones were overpriced. Then I stumbled upon this HW50 Hunter in .177, that already had a TnT spring kit added as well as a Rowan extra setback trigger, and had a Hawke Airmax 3x9 on it. The light marks on the stock are actually interesting grain patterns. there were no blemishes on it at all. Two weeks after getting it, the Beeman R7s became available again, and I ended up finding a good deal one of those too.
A few years ago, I bought that exact same Hawke Vantage scope for one of my rimfires. I discovered that the point of impact shifted as the magnification changed. One the first scope it shifted straight to the right about 5/8 in at 25 yards. So I sent it back for replacement. On the replacement, I locked it in a vice (using the rings) and checked for point of aim shift before mounting it, and the replacement shifted down and to the right about 5/8 in at 20 yards. So, I sent that one back and bought a Leupold EFR 3X9 and it was perfect. I do have two Hawke Airmax scopes, and a Hawke crossbow scope that are great.
Anyway, you might want to lock your HW50 in a padded vice centered on a target at 7X, then turn it down to 2x and check for shift. Hopefully my two bad Vantages were just flukes from the same run of scopes.
After shooting centerfire Bench Rest, both short range (100-300) as well as 600 yards, for over 40 years, I have become kind of a scope snob. The one scope that was eliminated years ago, was any that said LEUPOLD on them!! A lot of competitors use them, but in BR competition, they the most returned scopes in use. Even the old Weaver 36X with not quite as good of glass in them proved more reliable for me.
My only problem with this lightweight outfit in POI shift is from bench, to offhand. I'm sure zI will find the hold I need to obtain the same poi for both. But out of 8 other springers, this is the only one I'm seeing this with.
But any scope I buy or acquire immediate goes thru a range of test. groups of 5 shots on a 2-7 will see 2x, 4x, and 7x. A 4-12 would be tested the same at 4x, 8x, 12x. I also shoot them at the same distance be 12 25 yards for air guns, 50 yards for rimfires, or 100 yards for most centerfires adjusting the parallax under and beyond the distance I am testing at to make sure when my eye is centered in the scope, they shoot to the same POI.
I also have an old Vantage 2-10x44 SF that has been on 3 or 4 different springers over the past decade and a half. never a hiccup. But right now with 5 Airmax, and two vantage the only one I have had trouble with was a brand new 4-16-50 IR SF, the most expensive Hawks I own. the replacement has been spot on.
I also have used the XB-30 Pro since it was introduced with the old steel sled mount on it. It was nice, but when they went to 30mm tubes on those scopes with infinite IR, I replaced all three of my crossbow scope to the new one, I currently run 2 on my bows, and have one brand new setting in the box in case that bugs hits me and I find another special Excalibur worth buying,,, the only crossbow I will hunt with.
But that's it, anything requiring under .1" moa capability, it will be Night Force, March, or Kales. But I have been using Sightron's mostly 8-32x50 and just bought 2 10-50x60's, one for a varmint rig, and one for a test against my NF 10-55x50 on my favorite 600 yard gun. To be honest, the NF is slightly better glass, but performance and repeatability is looking just as good.
My problem with shooting the extreme accuracy game for so long is now as I age, the travel the time loading and cleaning, and getting back to the line in time is becoming more work than fun. So, I'm now turning this into the same tail chasing game with my air rifles! The ones I had for years that were perfectly fine, no longer entice me, and I am running the gambit from plinkers to target guns and have to try everything in the top tier in each category to be satisfied. Problem is, when I find a better one, to replace something I already have, I cant part with the ones I'm trying to replace???
Again and again and again. For 70 years its never changed, someday I'm going to have grandkids and son's that acquire a wealth of very nice toys!!!!
