On the bright side

Hawke has evolved significantly over the last few years, and the brand that was so easily assumed to be for air gunners has really stepped up to present kit that meets functional and styling needs more commonly associated with expensive brands on centrefire rifles.

The Sidewinder has always been a big seller, albeit to my mind with slightly clunky appearance. Yet the name has now evolved into an optical highlight of 2020, specifically the Sidewinder 30 range, seen here in 6-24x56 First Focal Plane format. Second focal plane variants are also available in varied magnification options to suit your needs, but first focal plane, with a reticle that grows as the image zooms up, is just the job for me.

It was once seen as the older-fashioned factor in zoom magnification scopes, then became increasingly uncommon as finer etched reticles and mechanics improved for proven zero retention of second focal