HAWKE SPORT OPTICS FRONTIER 30 SF

A RIFLEMAN’S OPTICS

-  Patrick Meitin

After moving to the northwest and joining my father and his regular varmint-shooting partner, a Vietnam-era U.S. Air Force Pararescue (PJ) who provided sniper cover for pararescuemen while retrieving downed servicemen, I was regularly chastised for my “excessive” optics. I’d shrug and offer, “Can’t hit’em if you can’t see’em.” Of course, my optics choice reflects my shooting preferences – the challenge of surgically removing small varmints at ranges far beyond the abilities of the magnum rimfires those guys mostly enjoy shooting.

Twelve years later, I’ve seen their scopes grow in magnification, and more souped-up centerfires coming out of cases. Witnessing me shooting ground squirrels to the far corners of our shooting properties has no doubt influenced this change of heart, but there is no denying long-range shooting has truly blossomed during the past decade.

Today’s dedicated scopes generally include price points that inspire exclamations. They seem created mostly to serve the wellheeled, or people who make a living shooting distant targets. The rest of us can only look and covet, like perusing a catalog of fine English doubles. Hawke Sport Optic’s Frontier 30 SF, while not exactly a giveaway, offers a solution for the rest of us. For around $949, rifle shooters receive a rock-solid optic with 5-30x 56mm configuration and all the bells and whistles that make those more expensive scopes appealing.