Hawke Optics Endurance 30 WA 1.5-6x44mm

Hawke Optics is based in the United Kingdom, with its products built in China. And as wise modern consumers know, that last part is not some kiss of death. Many of today’s optics are made in Asia, including some of the better brands out there.

The Endurance 30 WA is the company’s mid-price line, with suggested retail prices ranging from the mid-$400s to the mid-$500s. I tested the 1.5-6x44, which retails for $469.

The “WA” stands for wide angle, but don’t be thinking it’s like the old Redfield Widefield with its “TV screen” ocular eyepiece. The Endurance 30 WA’s eyepiece is normally proportioned, and the lens system does provide a wider field of view. I can’t quantify it, but I compared horizontal fields of view at 4X with the Hawke and a couple similar scopes I had on hand, and it is a bit wider.

The “30” in the name is of course the tube diameter in millimeters. I’m not a fan of 30mm tubes on midrange-power hunting scopes. Since I’m not a “long-range hunter,” I don’t need a ton of elevation adjustment and would prefer the lower weight and less bulk offered by a scope with a one-inch tube.

But 30mm tubes are popular now, and the Endurance 30 WA does provide more than 130 m.o.a. of elevation adjustment by my click count. Weight is 21 ounces, and overall length is a shade under 13.5 inches. Thankfully, it does buck one of today’s annoying riflescope trends by supplying a decent mountable tube length of 57⁄8 inches. Coupled with a generous four inches of eye relief, you shouldn’t have any problems getting it set up just right for you on a wide variety of rifles.

Adjustments are 1/4 m.o.a., and a box test showed them to be accurate and repeatable. The capped, low-profile turrets reset by turning out the center screw, rotating to zero and then tightening the screw. Not a great system, but it works.

The reticle is the L4A dot. Only the wires at three, six and nine o’clock have thicker outer portions. Save for the thick-to-thin transitions, there are no additional reference lines for windage or elevation holds. The wires terminate just shy of the dot, which helps draw your eye to the dot quickly. The dot is powered by a CR2032, which is secured by an O-ring cap screw. There are six intensity settings, with an Off position between each.

The ridged, rubber power ring moves with just the right amount of tension, and the eyepiece adjusts quickly and easily. The scope is waterproof (checked it), fogproof (checked it) and shockproof. The Endurance 30 WA’s fully multicoated lenses produce a clear and bright image.

Other than the tube diameter and maybe the reset procedure, I can’t think of any reason a hunter or recreational shooter would not want to consider the Hawke Endurance 30 WA.

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