junior88
Well-known member
I have no experience with these scopes. What are your thoughts? In particular the Argos BTR Gen2 6-24x50. Can't afford to break the bank lol.
Athlon riflescopes
- Thread starter junior88
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MThuntr
Well-known member
I have 3 AThlons:
Ares 2.5-15 Gen 1...optics aren't bad, adjustments a bit mushy. FFP MOA reticle is fun on my 6.5 Grendel but very hard to see a low zoom
Helos 4-20x50 Gen II...optics on par with most in the price range even a bit better. FFP MOA reticle is workable. Crosshair is a bit thicker which helps with visibility at 4x. Currently lives on 6mm ARC
Ares ETR 3-18 FFP...optics are exceptional, clicks are sturdy and consistent, HEAVY, zero stop and locking windage perfect.
My personal opinion is never go over 4x as a low on a hunting rifle. 6x is way too much especially if you're hunting thick brush. The 24x will suffer significantly and you'll be using <18x to see. The Argos is a copy/paste of a handful of different scopes that have that body design. I'd pick a similarly priced Vortex over the lower Athlons or of course spend more money on a better versions of the Athlons like the Ares or Helos. Of course, I'd strongly suggest looking into Trijicon (their lower end stuff beats the heck out of a lot of brands), Meopta, Zeiss, etc
Ares 2.5-15 Gen 1...optics aren't bad, adjustments a bit mushy. FFP MOA reticle is fun on my 6.5 Grendel but very hard to see a low zoom
Helos 4-20x50 Gen II...optics on par with most in the price range even a bit better. FFP MOA reticle is workable. Crosshair is a bit thicker which helps with visibility at 4x. Currently lives on 6mm ARC
Ares ETR 3-18 FFP...optics are exceptional, clicks are sturdy and consistent, HEAVY, zero stop and locking windage perfect.
My personal opinion is never go over 4x as a low on a hunting rifle. 6x is way too much especially if you're hunting thick brush. The 24x will suffer significantly and you'll be using <18x to see. The Argos is a copy/paste of a handful of different scopes that have that body design. I'd pick a similarly priced Vortex over the lower Athlons or of course spend more money on a better versions of the Athlons like the Ares or Helos. Of course, I'd strongly suggest looking into Trijicon (their lower end stuff beats the heck out of a lot of brands), Meopta, Zeiss, etc
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junior88
Well-known member
Thank you! This is very helpful. I appreciate it. Also looking at Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50. Looking to mount it on a Ruger Hawkeye LR Hunter in 6.5 PRC. Coues rifle.
std7mag
Well-known member
I had gotten a Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4-12 when they first came out.
It was the SFP model.
And i was pissed!!!
For spending almost double of a Crossfire II, I thought the Crossfire II was the better scope.
Certainly the optics were no better.
A call into Vortex and I got the "did you watch the videos of us shooting with it on YouTube?".
Sold it for a loss.
A much better scope can be had from Crimson Trace, without breaking the bank!!
It was the SFP model.
And i was pissed!!!
For spending almost double of a Crossfire II, I thought the Crossfire II was the better scope.
Certainly the optics were no better.
A call into Vortex and I got the "did you watch the videos of us shooting with it on YouTube?".
Sold it for a loss.
A much better scope can be had from Crimson Trace, without breaking the bank!!
I took a hard look at Athlon Optics but in the end, I chose the Vortex Viper PST 5-25X50 FFP with the EBR7C illuminated Reticle... Yes, it was more expensive than the Athlon line i was looking at, but for the features, i thought it was worth it. Save a little longer, buy quality the first time.
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You'd be better served spending a bit more and getting the Vortex Venom 5-25x56 than the DBT. Better quality glass and craftmanship on it. I have one and its awesome.
Wind Gypsy
Well-known member
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- Mar 12, 2017
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I'd try to get more quality for the $ by going lower magnification/features at the price point. I'd probably try to find a used SWFA 3-9 or 3-15 for around $500.
