It has been a long time coming, but Hawke Optics has just released what I think is an excellent value in a fully loaded hunting riflescope available today, the Hawke Endurance 30 2.5-10x50 LR Dot #HK6410. The retail price is $349.99. This scope was designed in the UK and produced overseas.

By fully loaded, I mean it has a 30mm tube, a 50mm objective that nets you a generous 5mm exit pupil at to ten power, eye relief around four inches and the LR Dot illuminated reticle has a new, smooth, infinitely adjustable rheostat to give you the dot brightness you prefer under all conditions. In addition, the reticle is beautifully etched and the elevation and windage adjustments click in 1/4 MOA increments.

Right out of the box, you have excellent pre-installed flip-up scope covers, a sunshade extension and the fast and easy to use LR Dot reticle give you three holdover points calibrated for long range shooting. It uses the common ballistic profiles of rounds such as the .30/06, 7mm magnum and .300 magnum. It also has a quick focus eyepiece that works smoothly and the power ring is well-machined and exceptionally smooth.

Features

• 30mm Monotube
• 14.66 inches in overall length
• Weighs 29.8 ounces
• Glass etched Red Illuminated LR Dot Reticle
• Glass etched Red Illuminated LR Dot Reticle
• Coil erector spring, no shift in zero
• Fast focus ocular; set the diopter in seconds
• 1/4 M.O.A. positive click low profile fingertip turrets
• Tactile high performance rubber grip zoom
• Supplied with sunshade
• Waterproof and Shock proof; all caliber rated
• Nitrogen purged: fog proof, for use in all conditions
• Transferrable Hawke Worldwide Warranty

I've long felt that the 2.5-10x riflescope is one of the most practical scope configurations. Up a tree for black bear, for example, set it to 2.5x and you're done. The red illuminated dot is a huge help, when placing the shot on a black blob against a dingy, gray background deep in the woods.

At the other end, high magnification in low light does nothing for you if the image is crippled by a tiny exit pupil. With the 5mm exit pupil at the high end of the Endurance 30, you have usable hunting magnification throughout the range of the scope. As second focal plane holdover reticles only work at the upper end, 10x is a good area where you can still keep the rifle steady from a rest or leaning against a tree. The 30mm tube is stronger than 1 inch tubes (if the tube alloy is of the same quality) and allows more windage and elevation adjustment, so you have a potentially tough main tube.

There are several things that combine to make this a standout optic. The eye relief ranges from 4 inches at the low end to 3.8 inches at 10x, the field of view is 37.2 feet at low power to 9.4 feet at 10x and the internal adjustment range is 135 MOA which should be able to accommodate even the hardest to scope rifles. The infinitely adjustable red dot reticle is a delight to use and the holdover points are always there if you need them, without the overly busy look of some other reticles. It is the best all-purpose riflescope released to date by Hawke Optics.