Wrecked my new hawke tactical (update scope working great)

[rdeady]

Purchased a Hawke tactical about 2 months ago to replace my UTG 3-9 scope which actually works great.   The scopes were put on my hw97 .   For the first couple of weeks the Hawke scope worked great and I absolutley loved it.  But it began to loose Zero over and over.  I adjusted the up and down turrets to get the spring centered and found that i needed to shim the scope ( must have barrel droop on the hw 97? )   I put some cardboard and a tiny piece of plastic under the rear ring for shims and after all that the scope still wouldn't hold zero.  I called Hawke and sent it in .  Received a call today with the news that my new expensive scope can now be used as a paperweight and will not be covered under warranty .  I apparently crushed the tube where the shim was.    That was an expensive mistake !  So The fellow (nice guy) said it wasn't holding zero before i shimmed it because the spring was loose  and then i shimmed it and crushed it a bit and that caused it to flex when i shot and wont hold zero anymore. He said if it was a PCP it would probably still work but now that its crushed it won't work with the springer.    Although I love shooting and shoot it every day in my backyard I am so perturbed off I think the gun is going to get boxed up and put in the attic.  By the way  i did not notice it was dented because i sent it to them with the rings on it. There is no way I feel like spending to replace that brand new scope!!!!! Sorry for the rant  I'm not happy at the moment and needed to blow off some steam!   
Russ

[Meann-Machine]

Although many praise Hawke scopes, I haven't had good luck either.  I'll save my money and buy one used off eBay I know will do the job.

[D14Jeff]

in this case luck (good or bad) had nothing to do with it . user error .
tip of my hat to you rdeady for manning up to your mistake .

[Meann-Machine]

Jeff,
   I beg to differ with you: the loose spring inside the scope is either "bad luck" or inferior manufacturing/assembly.

[Airgun.Sniper]

 On springers good models or whatever I usually mount a leapers scope on it. But now i mount FFP because all i own are pcps. Hope it works out for ya and hate to hear that

 Jay

[D14Jeff]

Jeff,
   I beg to differ with you: the loose spring inside the scope is either "bad luck" or inferior manufacturing/assembly.

it's all good dude , everything isn't for everybody . the spring would have been covered under warranty , every company puts out a mistake (inferior manufacturing/assembly) from time to time , none have a perfect track record . a company standing behind their product due to their mistake means a lot to me . the less folks have to use the warranty process the better though .

[Frank in Fairfield]

Same thing happened to me with a Hawke.
Shimmed it, crushed the tube.
Lousy Chinese &^^&.

I having been shimming scopes for years.
Never, ever done that before.

[rdeady]

 The guy at hawke said he had bad news and good news.  The bad news is that i crushed it and there is no warranty and the good news was that they would sell me a new one for $320 or so.   
Wasn't really the good news I was hoping for.  No way I feel like shelling out $300 plus for another scope . I wonder what the cost is on that scope for Hawke to manufacture? from what i understood he said the scope is flexing at the crush point with every shot and that is why the POI is moving.   

[Can-o-cide]

Did you really crank down on the scope ring screws? I use a scope mount with four screw holes on each ring, and I don't tighten the screws much past just snug. Never had a problem.

I know it's frustrating. I've bought stuff before and messed it up. My first Springer went unoiled for well over 10 thousand shots, and then when I did oil it I oiled the spring and blew it to pieces. Live and learn. Painful lesson though and I hate you had to scrap such an expensive item.

[rdeady]

can-o-side    I probably wouldnt have tightened it as much as i have been but since i couldnt keep it centered i always assumed something was loose

[Can-o-cide]

I can see that happening..... I've seen guys crank down so hard they broke the dovetail groves off their gun! And that was with a .22 rimfire!

[grauhanen]

It's a shame your new scope became damaged.  Those Hawke Tactical 30mm scopes are very nice.

The tubes on many scopes are relatively thin aluminum and as a result are easily deformed.  Scope ring manufacturers usually suggest torqueing the scope ring screws to about 15 inch lbs.  Too often scopes are installed with an attempt to tighten the top half of the rings as close to the bottom half as they will go.  That requires much more than 15 inch lbs and the result is compression of the scope tube.  When shimming a scope, even greater care is needed because the shimming causes the scope to be ever so slightly out of alignment in the rings and hence even more at risk of becoming deformed.

[anuthabubba]

I'd have them FIX THE SPRING and send the scope back. Use non-compressible shim material (in a different location), if needed, when remounting the scope.

[Not The Brightest Bulb]

I've had 2 Eclipse scopes replaced and the 2nd one was replaced with an Endurance. They had decided to phase out the Eclipse. Then the Endurance had a problem and they replaced it.

That being said we did have to pay shpg to Hawke, not complaining at all Geeze!! each scope was replaced within a week.

[rdeady]

Yrok  i'm with you man.   I will ask if they will fix what they can.  If it is flexing at the point i crushed it (for all i know its a tiny indentation as I have not seen it yet! )maybe i can make some outside support to wrap around it or splint it in that spot so it cant flex?  In any case i will get them to send it back. But I doubt they will go into and fix a spring or anything now that they said its damaged.

[anuthabubba]

Wouldn't worry about 'flexing' with two points of solid support from the rings. They will probably charge you for fixing it though. Still better than throwing it away and buying a new one.

[condor22]

 Been warning about shims damaging scopes and now here's proof, again! Doesn't matter what material is used, shims damage scopes.

[Geoff]

Been warning about shims damaging scopes and now here's proof, again! Doesn't matter what material is used, shims damage scopes.

Not always 

[condor22]

 

Been warning about shims damaging scopes and now here's proof, again! Doesn't matter what material is used, shims damage scopes.

Not always 

Yep, that attitude destroys good scopes, although it's good for business  ..   

[Airgun.Sniper]

 Now that you have some money...get a better scope for less money. With WAY better glass...and yes better then hawke. Go pick you up a Mueller 8-32x44 SF MD scope. Its long though but still better glass then the hawke