Hawke Optics Nite Eye Scope Review
This is a Community Review of the Hawke Optics Nite Eye Scope by Stuart Nesbit. The author of the following review are in no way affiliated with Airgun Depot. The views expressed below are personal opinion only. Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any gun store nor any optics manufacturer or their website. I am strictly an end user. I own one air rifle and a dozen or so powder burners. I am an avid hunter and sportsman and enjoy target shooting in the off season to keep my skills honed. I am not being paid for this review through cash or other means. My first impression upon opening the box was wow. The construction was spot on. The welds are smooth, ocular variable movement smooth, turrets low-profile with smooth finger movement and a positive click. A Side focus that was simple and repeatable, adding sharp focus at any distance.
So now it was time to mount this precision instrument and put it to work. The first thing that you will notice about this scope is that it will add a little over a pound, (21oz) to your rifle. Add your rings, mount and you have a solid platform for helping to calm down recoil in any air rifle or rifle. I ordered a UTG drooper scope rail and Leapers Premium 1 medium rings to install on this rig. The rings came in cross threaded, so I had a pair of Cross Point high rings that I put on the rig instead. Unless you prefer the high set of rings, the mediums would have worked well. I centered the reticle and used a bore sight to get things going in a positive direction. Now it was time to see what would happen on paper. Everything came together very quickly. This scope does not disappoint. Mine came equipped with the SR6 glass etched reticle and lots of eye relief, (3.25in). This is the first air rifle scope that I have found with accurate eye relief. I have seen some numbers that look good and you are still riding the scope for a full view, not so with the NiTE Eye from Hawke. The photo shows me holding with a full view of scope, both eyes open as I prefer to hunt this way. This reticle is very well thought out and comes with software. I quickly downloaded the BRC software and noticed all the work was done for you. As a hunter, I am always leery of ballistic plex reticles. Is the ballistic plex going to be on for the grain / weight or velocity that my rifle is using / producing? This is what I found... The cool thing about this SR-6 reticle is that it allows you to use your rifle in two different ways. Let's take a look at the first, the SR-6 ballistic plex reticle. With the BRC Program it is very easy to change parameters from caliber, velocity, ballistic co-efficient, scope height, zero range, to magnification. Putting you in ultimate control of every shot. I guess you just can't blame the scope anymore. LOL.
You will notice from my great reticle photo that there are horizontal subs. Just choose your caliber and put in the known velocity and B.C. for the projectile that you are using and bam you have a printable trajectory for your rifle, scope, and bullet combination. Also look closely at the subs. Are they adjusted for wind? I could not find information either in the BRC program or the Hawke website that supports how much or little windage those subs support. Clearly an over site that they will clear up, I hope. However, looking through the glass, you will find very sharp images, clearly defined detail, with no dead spots or edge distortion at any magnification. This is some very nice polished glass. I couldn't find where the glass is from, but check out my comparison below.
Now let's talk about the same scope set yet another way. In the bottom left you can also just make out the range finder that can also be used for hunting. Now that range finder and the BRC software when used together can put your second rig in the same rifle. I will use my Gamo Rocket IGT for example. I hunt rabbits with this gun at 40yards or less. But you could also use the BRC to set a 8 target, the size of a medium cotton tail rabbit or possum, for ranging, and a magnification of 8x, giving you a range of 44 yards and beyond quickly. You can now quickly range, set side focus parallax, and get on target quickly. Giving you the ability to change up your rig and get on target quickly is what the Hawke NiTe EYE Digi 4-16-50 is all about. This scope could be used just as easily on my son's Remington 22-250 and really shine. What makes this scope important? Why do you need something like the Hawke Nite EYE Digi 4-16-50? Well, if you're like me, you're hunting / playtime is getting shorter by the minute. I don't have time to guess. I don't have time nor a right leg to track. I am an amputee on the right side. You can't shoot what you can't see. I owe the animal that gives its life to me, a humane kill shot. I feel like this scope will give anyone that opportunity. Stuart Nesbit
August 16, 2012 Helpful Links: 
