13 replies to this topic

[critterkiller]

Does anyone have any experience with the Nikon coyote special? I was thinking about mounting it on a howa .223 and this will probably end up being my new predator set up. I was also leaning towards the bdc retical how well does that work? I have never shot a rifle with that kind of retical on a scope. And of course last but not least clarity with that anti glare honeycomb?

[critterkiller]

Oh ya I forgot to mention I was thinking about buying the 3x9-40. And yes this is about my $ limit so if you anything comparable for the $ and better your suggestions would be appreciated.

[CA Desert Dog]

Howz about aHAWKE ECLIPSE 30, 4-16 X 50 SIDE FOCUS SERIES WITH ILLUMINATED MIL-DOT RETICLEThe side focus 30mm optical system in the Eclipse 30IR SF offers exceptional performance whether you are hunting or target shooting. All lenses are fully multi-coated giving crisp and bright images that have edge to edge clarity.Designed with the long range shooter as well as air gun enthusiasts in mind, the side focus parallax reliably ranges from 10 yards to 500+ yards. Turrets are calibrated to one click equals 1/4 M.O.A at 100 yards. The zero is held constant by a strong coil erector spring.The reticle is a Mil Dot calculated to be true at 10 power, with an illuminated centre dot. The dot illuminates in red or green, controlled by the ocular mounted rheostat. There are five red and five green illumination settings. 1 to 3 are for low light or dark conditions and 4 and 5 are brighter and designed for daytime.The ocular features a useful locking ring ensuring the fast focus eye bell is always kept constant to the user’s eye, even under the heaviest recoil. All models are nitrogen purged, making them waterproof and fog proof. The Eclipse 30 is also supplied with flip up lens covers.Features summary: Fully multi-coated optical system, side focus parallax, Mil Dot with center dot illumination, red or green illuminated reticle, 30mm matte black mono tube, 1/4 M.O.A at 100yds, resettable turrets, coil erector spring, locking fast focus, flip up lens covers supplied, Nitrogen purged, waterproof, fog proof and shockproof, all Caliber recoil rated and backed by Hawke’s Worldwide warranty.At $225.00 it is a great scope. Hawke Eclipse 30MMThe Nikon is a good scope but if you plan on making precision shots at targets, squeaks, or long range targets, the round rings in the Nikon will obscure the target. The Eclipse is also illuminated for fast night acquisition. If you are coming to the meet & greet next weekend, you can examine Hawke scopes on my rifles.

[OrneryOlMofo357]

For myself, I think that the Coyote Special is a marketing gimmick. It caters to new Coyote hunters. I have a Nikon scope and the glass is clear and the scope performs like it should. For my style of shooting, putting a target into a hole of a certain size"the reticle" may work for certain instances, but for precise aiming I dont see the value of it. For my rifles, at least for Coyotes they are all dual purpose rifles. When I go calling I call until i get tired and then I switch over to Ground squirrels. For me Id think it would be hard to sight in a squirrel at 200 yds and further trying to center him in a circle with no clear aiming reference. I have read numerous posts about these scopes but none have compelled me to even think about investing in one due to my style of shooting. The Coyote Special is supposed to help you aquire a target on running animals faster. So far the only Guys I see praising this scope are AR shooters that have a 10-20 round mag with ammo at their disposal. Give me a set of crosshairs anyday. PinPoint aiming is what shooting is about to Me. Im sure others will have different opinons, but for Accuracy I think you need a true aiming reticle. These are only My thoughts.. Good luck in your scope choice.

[BC9696]

It sucks...mounted it, went to the range, hated the reticle and exchanged it immediately.

[critterkiller]

CA Desert Dog where and when is the meet and greet?

[critterkiller]

bc9696 What did u exchange it for? And that Hawke scope sounds like a lot of scope for the money. Any one else have experience with the Hawke scopes? Thanks for the info guys

[Braz]

CA Desert Dog where and when is the meet and greet?

Try this.

[Karl]

bc9696 What did u exchange it for? And that Hawke scope sounds like a lot of scope for the money. Any one else have experience with the Hawke scopes? Thanks for the info guys

I have the basic Hawke 3x9x50. ( I ordered the 3x9x40 but Red was out and upgraded for free).It holds true. Clear all day and low light works well and the price was right. I will be ordering the HAWKE ECLIPSE 30, 4-16 X 50 SIDE FOCUS SERIES WITH ILLUMINATED MIL-DOT RETICLEas soon as the funds roll in.Definitly recommend. You should also get some of those finger lights he has as well. They are cool. Karl

[CA Desert Dog]

Thanks for your input Karl. I handed that same scope to a guy at a seminar in the Oceanside area and had him examine it and look through it. I asked him what he thought a scope like that would cost. He said around $300.00. When I told him that the Hawke HD scope he was holding cost under $75.00, he immediately bought it.For those of you that have never seen Hawke scopes, I'll have a few of my rifles with me at the meet & greet. There will be a 223 RRA AR with a Hawke Sidewinder Tactical 4-16 X 44. A 6.5 Grendel topped with a Hawke Sidewinder 30, 4-16 X 50 and a Hawke Sidewinder Tactical 4-16 X 38 on my new Savage Predator Max 1.

[OrneryOlMofo357]

After owning a few scopes, "this is not meant to be any reflection on you Red" But I wont buy another prior to looking through one.And Im glad that you are offering people a chance to look through the Hawkes. Point being that when you spend your dollars you want the best your money can get. Does this mean I need a $600 scope for a $300 dollar rifle? Maybe, maybe not. Im a cheapo.. and I havent brought myself to the fact that an expensive scope is going to improve my, and my rifles shooting ability. Much the same with reloading ammo, You need to be certain that the product that you are researching will indeed help your groups. My shooting abilitys may/may not reflect the validity of a product. So you just need to select an item and try it. Look before you Buy. Ok thats my opinion..

[fakawee]

I have a Nikon Coyote Special on my Savage Predator 22.250 and it works great! I have the 4.5-14x40 side focusing model. I've only shot at one coyote on a dead run and you still have to lead them. The thing I like about it is that it doesn't have a crosshair for your eye to focus on which would be good if the coyote were standing or sitting. The only thing I can complain about with the scope is that to use the BDC, you have to use the bullet weights they suggest. In my case, it's 55gr. sighted in at 200yds. The BDC works okay for me but I've spent several hundred rounds learning it's uses all the way out to 450yds (last circle). I prefer to shoot 50gr but because of the differences in bullet impacts, I've chosen to stay with the 55's. The difference isn't a big deal under 250yds but push the envelope out to 450-500yds and we're talking inches. The scope is nice and clear. It's weight is not an issue. The Mossy Oak Brush matches the rings and rifle almost perfectly. I still have mixed feelings about the plastic Anti-Reflective Device that screws onto the end but it doesn't seem to obscure the optics. It's still on my Savage and probably will be unless (Heaven forbid) I drop it and ruin the scope then, I'll mount up one of my more pricey scopes. critterkiller I'm bringing my Savage to the meet n greet if you want to look thru the scope, you're more than welcome.

[CA Desert Dog]

I understand completely Ornery. The hardest part about running a net based store is the fact that people can't see and touch the product. This meet next weekend will change that aspect for the guys that are interested. I welcome them to take a look at the Hawke glass and compare it to any other scope. I am confident that, dollar for dollar, Hawke packs a lot of value into the product. Customer service is excellent too.In addition, I am my customer's advocate and I will represent them if problems should develop. The Hawke folks are great and I will always be there to take the lead and git er done.

[JimT.]

I have one on my Kimber .223 and I've been very satisfied with it. I am opting to put a Leupold LPS in the 3.5-14x50 on the Kimber .223 to better match the quality of the rifle.