Buddy has been wanting a .300WM mostly for hunting Mulies out west. He got a Browning fitted with a Hawke Scope. I am not familiar with Hawke optics so what is yalls opinions?

Personally, I wouldn’t have chosen either one. The cartridge or the scope.

Hawke is an English brand made with Asian components. I say Asian because some are Japanese some Chinese and some probably leftovers from a crackerjack box. Your buddy's scope may be just fine or a waste of money. As far as a 300 mag if he's happy I'm thrilled for him but the old '06 is plenty for mule deer. Maybe not the opinion you wanted but that's my two cents.

"old '06 is plenty for mule deer"
If that's true, then why did they even invent the .300 WM, much less the newer, even better calibers?.
Please, if you don't care to keep up with modern tech, it's your business, but don't mislead people who come on here to learn a thing or 2. Next thing you know, some fool will claim a .270 will kill an Alabama whitetail as dead as a 6.5 Creed..
Tongue firmly in cheek.

If I was spending the coin to go out West, I'd invest in the best glass I could possibly afford.

I favor my 7mag over the 300mag . But as for the last few years I'm liking the 35whelen more

I wouldn't go with one gun either

Well excuuuuussseee me.

He only wanted the .300wm because that is what I shoot out west and he killed with my gun our last trip. The ask was for opinions on Hawke optics because I had never heard of them. I would agree on the best you can afford on optics. I told him to order a Vortex and put on it if he wanted to stay economical. The scope was already on the gun. Wasnt asking for a debate on the caliber or gun model. Thanks for the info.

^^
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I hav no experience either with that scope or i would give my opinion

This place will throw down on a debate in a heartbreat 😀

Hawke isn't the worst optics on the market but definitely not the best or even close and there isn't anything wrong with a 300 mag.

Helll , aint really nothing wrong with most guns .

Heck, I shot my mule deer with a Remington Model Seven SS in 7-08 and a Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40. I’ll shoot my next elk with that rifle, but it’ll be wearing a SWFA 6x42 scope.

I would recommend the SWFA scope line for a reliable and economical scope. They’re very hard to beat.

The hawke is a scope that is generally Chinese, come on look at the price. I'm sure he will want to practice a bunch at different distances before he goes, here are the limitations on the hawke, you will find if it will hold up after you've run a few boxes through it. I'm not sure it will keep up with the abuse from a 300 wm., but shooting it a bunch before he goes you will find out if he has a good scope or not, it's Chinese they are all that way, hit or miss. I'm not sure it will keep up with the abuse it may get being carried and possible dropped, banged, etc. where y'all will be walking, that can be said for all cheaper scopes. These type scopes are a crap shoot. It's on the gun, it's free. If you got a good one, it will fill your bill, unless your eyes need more optics, then, you wouldn't be asking about a hawke anyway. You would have already replaced it. No, they don't advertise like some others, but neither does Meopta, they make a pretty good scope without paying for advertising. You're going out west, I would take another gun/scope combo you are familiar with just in case.

Now to those dissing on the 300 wm. that is too popular of a caliber that has some backbone. Yes, the 30-06 is older, yep the .270 will be fine, yep you 6.5 creedies can laugh at the magnum guys. The 300 wm. just works. I've shot a 300 wm. for a long time (24ish years) and before that a 300 whby., and before that a 7 mag. and before that a .6mm remington (I still have). They all kill deer, hogs, coyotes, etc. Shoot what you like and are comfortable with shooting. These guys on here may bust on you for carrying "too much gun," but that nice muley sure won't. Get your gun/scoped doped, find a hair on the upper part of the shoulder, put the reticle on it, get your breathing under control, and pull the trigger like you practiced, then go pick him up. Now, the fun begins. Then, post your pictures on Aldeer of that great muley, you will still have some on here busting your chops, you didn't use their favorite gun/scope/caliber combination, so they aren't happy their choice wasn't venerated by your success.

red rider iron sights

Deer hunting in the south with a 300wm is like having a 1 ton 4wd truck to drive back and forth to the office in the city. Both have their places and uses most times it’s not needed. Unless you believe Goatkiller, a 243 will kill a southern whitetail or any whitetail for that matter just as dead as a 300wm. But I will say that if that’s what you want more power to you. Just don’t get a 300wm and cripple it by shooting 150gr bullets. Use the rifles full potential and shoot the heavies in it.

You’ve done it now marshmud

You said 243 now if you say Barnes 3x he will appear

He reminds me a lot of my old grandfather. He was a world of information and really knew what he was talking about. When he would explain something to you, or how to do something, that was the only way it was. My brothers and I used to tell him things that he could do to make things easier or more simple knowing the whole time that what we were telling him was just going to get him mad and fuss that that’s not how it’s done. That’s how I think of Goatkiller. He’s a world of knowledge and is ALWAYS willing to share it but you have to know how to see past his inability to do it without sounding like everyone else is dumb as a rock. I bet he’s an old fart that’s rough and gruff in appearance and just melts like a chocolate candy bar when he’s around his grand kids and possibly great grand kids.

Second using heavier weight bullets in the 300 Win.

Barnes!

Light bullets in the 300 will kill them deader than Elvis I'll save the heavies for 600+ steel targets.