The Hawke has landed

[Rob27]

I won this Hawke AirMax 4-16x50 in the CAFTA Nationals last year (not for my shooting since the prizes at the Nationals are by draw).
A huge thank you to all the sponsors of the Canadian Nationals!!!!
This is an awesome scope but my previous one Vector Tourex 6-24x50 was working well on top of my TX200 so I was not eager to mess with it....
Since the new FT season is less than a month away, I took the plunge and bought a set of SportsMatch mounts and just installed it a couple days ago. I have only ever used no-name rings before and have never had a problem, but wow, these feel really solid!
One of the other reasons that I hesitated is that my Vector was in MOA and my Hawke is in MRAD. Just one more change to get used to.
I have not been able to get to a range to test it at more than basement distance yet, but I am loving it so far. I watched an interesting video online about how to install your scope with the optimal eye relief and he showed a neat trick using a flashlight to see the distance where the smallest exit pupil is - this is ideally where you want your eye to be to give you the most flexibility if you are a bit forward or back of this position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEqbHMAFUs
Unfortunately this scope does not focus to less than 10 yd and I only have 9 in my basement so things are a bit blurry. My previous scope also was listed as going to 10 yd but could actually go to about 8 yd.
Looking forward to the first match with this scope in Hamilton on April 5.
Rob27

[Dukemeister]

Unfortunately this scope does not focus to less than 10 yd and I only have 9 in my basement so things are a bit blurry. My previous scope also was listed as going to 10 yd but could actually go to about 8 yd.
Rob27

Hawke makes good scopes, some of my favourite.
But just for setting eye relief, you don't need to pull the trigger so couldn't you set up the scope for best position by aiming/sighting at anything? Surely somewhere around your house/yard you have >=10 yards. Am I missing something?

[Rob27]

My previous post was a bit rambling and unorganized so let me clarify.
Yes, I have the scope mounted and I am very happy with how I have the diopter adjusted as well as the eye relief.
I have been shooting it and love it so far - in spite of the fact that I have only been able to shoot it at 9 yards and it is a bit blurry. Yes, I can look at 10 yards in the house and it looks awesome (just no shooting)!
The video that I provided the link to, I found interesting. I have mounted many scopes before and just looked through them and slid them back and forth until they looked good. I found the flashlight thing to just be a cool thing to do.
Rob27

[Rob27]

So yesterday I was in the basement fiddling with the new scope - specifically with the scope caps. They are the metal flip up caps that came with this scope. They do not have springs, they have stiff hinges and stay wherever you open them to. I noticed that I was opening the objective lens cover just up to horizontal and it was sticking out straight forward from the top of the lens. I then wondered if this ever drooped a bit what it would look like. So I started partially closing the cover while looking through the scope. Some of you already know what happens and I should have if I thought about it, but I was in the mood for doing, not thinking.
I was expecting the image in the scope to start being obscured from the top, like looking out of the garage when the door is closing. I was initially very surprised when I realized that the scope cap was almost completely closed with only a sliver of light coming in and yet the whole image was still visible - just very dim. I took a couple shots and was amazed to see that I hit the target even though my brain was telling me that only the bottom part of the reticle should have been visible.
I know that this will not surprise many of you who actually know how lenses work, and I may have known this in an abstract way, but actually seeing it was cool.
I know, small things amuse small minds....
Anyway, here are a couple pictures of the scope cap almost completely closed yet the scope still completely usable.

[Dukemeister]

Well this new learning amazes me....
I have been printing my own scope covers with flip up caps for about a year, also making kill flash and other cool apparati to go with them... but today I will be playing with flashlights and covers.
I just had an idea, is there such a thing as a rotatable scope cover, I mean not one that flips up, but one that would rotate in the same plane as the AO adjustment on the objective?

[Rob27]

Interesting idea Duke.
This design eliminates the need for springs to keep the lid open, and by adding a couple detents you could make it "click" into the fully open and fully closed positions.
A couple of my spring-loaded caps frequently pop open when not wanted because the simple ridge and groove system that keeps them closed has worn down a bit.
You may want to eliminate the tab on one side and make them to just rotate one direction to allow for closer mounting to the barrel.
Cool idea!
Rob27

[Dukemeister]

Ha, already there and printing exactly as you have suggested. A bit crude at this point as proof of concept. I have a lot of 3mm neodinium magnets I am planning to use as detects, just attach to the top tab in one spot and add 2 steel disks on either side of the scope cover. The disks I can make by chopping a 1/8" dia rod, I have lots.

[SHD]

Next up: mechanical iris scope caps?

[Dukemeister]

Sorry this had become a thread hijack.
The prototype shows potential. The friction is sufficient to hold the cover in any position. I think for finesse, one tab at the bottom, and a magnet to keep it closed is what it needs. Maybe a magnet at the fully open position for security, bit may not be necessary. I'll start a new thread with the concept. Presumably, matching smaller cover for the eyepiece will follow.

[Rob27]

Looking great Duke!
I am ok with the hijack of my own thread.
I had another thought, how about rotate 90 degrees so the pivot is on the side. Could use a stop pin (came up with this before I read about your much fancier magnet!) to support the bottom in the closed position and another in the 180 degree fully open position. That way even if the screw pivot wears a bit it will still stay open or closed.

[Daryl]

My previous post was a bit rambling and unorganized so let me clarify.
Yes, I have the scope mounted and I am very happy with how I have the diopter adjusted as well as the eye relief.
I have been shooting it and love it so far - in spite of the fact that I have only been able to shoot it at 9 yards and it is a bit blurry. Yes, I can look at 10 yards in the house and it looks awesome (just no shooting)!
The video that I provided the link to, I found interesting. I have mounted many scopes before and just looked through them and slid them back and forth until they looked good. I found the flashlight thing to just be a cool thing to do.
Rob27

I suppose you know that lower power will give you a better focus at ranges shorter than the shortest focal range of the scope. Of course, this doesn't correct the parallax error.
This is more for those who didn't know.

[Uslanja]

Very intriguing idea: Mechanical Iris Scope Caps!