Rifle Scopes Athlon Ares ETR, Cronus gen 1, Burris XTR II or Vortex PST2? Please help me decide

[razzle]

They are all in the same price range over here (the Cronus gen 1 is on sale), and intended use is long range and PRS so I want a christmas tree reticle.
The Burris is limited to the 4-20 model to get the Horus H59 reticle, but it seems like the sturdiest scope from I have read.
The Athlon Cronus ETR reticle is the one that looks best to me, really like that floating dot but haven't seen it in real life, so don't know how well it works. And with 4,5-30 it has the most flexible magnification range, slightly ahead of the Cronus.
The Cronus gen 1 4,5-29 might have the best glass of these scopes, but I have heard the turrets are mushy (comments?)
The Vortex PST2 is 5-25x and is probably a very good scope for the money, but is the glass good enough to compete with the others? Hopefully it has improved over the gen 1 PST I own.

Which one would you choose, and why?

 

[Tx_Aggie]

Out of those the Cronus would be an easy choice for me, assuming they are all selling at basically the same price. It's the only LOW (Japanese) built scope of the bunch. If by Gen 1 you mean Pre-BTR, it is a discontinued model and Athlon did upgrade the reticle, turrets, and parallax when they moved to the BTR. Still, the original Cronus was a value at the original street price, and if you can get one NIB for under $1000 it's a great deal. It will still have the same lifetime warranty from Athlon that you would get if buying the current model.

ETA: Here's a review of the original Cronus when it was released:

Athlon Optics' 4.5-29x Cronus FFP Rifle Scope Review

If you’re like me, you put a lot of time and effort into your passion for long-range shooting. You demand a lot from your equipment and...

jadeprecision.blogspot.com

And a review of the BTR discussing some of the changes made, so that you have an idea of the differences between the scope you're looking at and the current model:

Athlon Optics' Cronus BTR Initial Review

Long-range precision rifle shooting and especially competition is one of the fastest growing sports in the country right now. It is u...

jadeprecision.blogspot.com

 

[steve123]

Personally after using both the original Cronus and Cronus BTR, I found the BTR's reticle that transitions to .5's on the vertical crosshair to be annoying for holdovers. Also since I use 12x-15x most of the time I like the thicker reticle on the Cronus because it's easier to pick up. Though using the illume helps with the BTR.

The later shipments of the Cronus had the improved turrets. It's what I'd get, with reticle in all .2's.

 

[Jonnyb0381]

Id go with the Cronus Gen 1 out of all of those. Better glass, more adjustments, bigger tube.

 

[maverickasu]

I went ETR over Cronus due to turrets... Glass is DAMN close...

When they do the Cronus ETR it is going to be a winner

 

[260284]

I like my Ares ETR. The glass is great, really like the reticle, turrets are positive, zero stop is easy to set, and the locking windage is something they still haven't put on the Cronus.

 

[razzle]

Out of those the Cronus would be an easy choice for me, assuming they are all selling at basically the same price. It's the only LOW (Japanese) built scope of the bunch. If by Gen 1 you mean Pre-BTR, it is a discontinued model and Athlon did upgrade the reticle, turrets, and parallax when they moved to the BTR. Still, the original Cronus was a value at the original street price, and if you can get one NIB for under $1000 it's a great deal. It will still have the same lifetime warranty from Athlon that you would get if buying the current model.

ETA: Here's a review of the original Cronus when it was released:

Athlon Optics' 4.5-29x Cronus FFP Rifle Scope Review

If you’re like me, you put a lot of time and effort into your passion for long-range shooting. You demand a lot from your equipment and...

jadeprecision.blogspot.com

And a review of the BTR discussing some of the changes made, so that you have an idea of the differences between the scope you're looking at and the current model:

Athlon Optics' Cronus BTR Initial Review

Long-range precision rifle shooting and especially competition is one of the fastest growing sports in the country right now. It is u...

jadeprecision.blogspot.com

Thanks for the links, very helpful. The more I read about the pre-BTR Cronus, the more convinced I am it is the right scope for me. Being Japanese made doesn’t hurt, and I keep reading the glass is very, very good. And afterall, that is the main reason for upgrading from the 4-16 Vortex PST I currently have (also the higher magnification ofcourse). It works, but at x16 it gets blurry. So I never max it out, but it seems the Cronus is very clear even at max magnification.

Personally after using both the original Cronus and Cronus BTR, I found the BTR's reticle that transitions to .5's on the vertical crosshair to be annoying for holdovers. Also since I use 12x-15x most of the time I like the thicker reticle on the Cronus because it's easier to pick up. Though using the illume helps with the BTR.

The later shipments of the Cronus had the improved turrets. It's what I'd get, with reticle in all .2's.

You have a point, the APLR reticle in the pre-BTR Cronus is actually growing on me, every time I look at a photo of it I keep thinking it will be easier to count the hashes in a hurry because of the “wave” shape. Seems very fast to use, unlike the newer reticles in the BTR or Ares ETR where the markings are almost the same size and doesn’t really stand out. As for the turrets on the Cronus, I hope doing the so-called grease mod will make them alot better if they are mushy. If not, I can just send it back if I am too bothered by it.

Id go with the Cronus Gen 1 out of all of those. Better glass, more adjustments, bigger tube.

Thanks for the input, that’s the way I’m leaning

 

[steve123]

Thanks for the links, very helpful. The more I read about the pre-BTR Cronus, the more convinced I am it is the right scope for me. Being Japanese made doesn’t hurt, and I keep reading the glass is very, very good. And afterall, that is the main reason for upgrading from the 4-16 Vortex PST I currently have (also the higher magnification ofcourse). It works, but at x16 it gets blurry. So I never max it out, but it seems the Cronus is very clear even at max magnification.



You have a point, the APLR reticle in the pre-BTR Cronus is actually growing on me, every time I look at a photo of it I keep thinking it will be easier to count the hashes in a hurry because of the “wave” shape. Seems very fast to use, unlike the newer reticles in the BTR or Ares ETR where the markings are almost the same size and doesn’t really stand out. As for the turrets on the Cronus, I hope doing the so-called grease mod will make them alot better if they are mushy. If not, I can just send it back if I am too bothered by it.


Thanks for the input, that’s the way I’m leaning

Yes and the wave becomes somewhat like an optical illusion on the lower magnifications like 4.5-6x, APLR appears/seems to be larger than it is. It's actually usable whereas the BTR's reticle can hardly be seen at 4.5x.

The crossover is at the .5 mil mark so it's easy to see where .2 and .4 mil is, as well as where .6 and .8 is.

My beef with the H59 reticle is all .2's looks the same....

 

[Sutherlandsd]

I have the pre BTR Cronus the ETR and the PST2... Cronus all the way

When I first got the Cronus I thought the ETR glass was close.. and it was on the range. Then I took that rifle hunting and thats the last time it goes out in the field other than the range. Low light performance is no bueno, difference in really shaded wooded areas is like night and day. I may actually prefer the PST2 for real world use over the ETR (and I realize I may be the only person in the world that feels that way...).

I prefer the pre BTR Cronus reticle its really grown on me. The ETR reticle is not bad though. Locking turrets is really the only perk to the ETR for me.

 

[OwO]

imo Ares ETR. great glass and turrets, huge range of adjustment, locking turrets. have to decide if a floating dot reticle is for you, and most people like the floating dot i think.

 

[RNWRKNP]

Have the new Cronus with APRS1 reticle that I just bought because I wanted a scope with a little more feature than the Nightforce SHV. Admittedly a Nightforce fan boy and didn’t want to give up the optic quality of at least the SHV. Don’t have it mounted up and run through it’s paces yet but first impressions.......winner! Like @steve123 though, I really do wish they had incorporated the .2 hash marks throughout as they did with the Ares BTR. Would buy that scope in place of this one just based on that reticle but unwilling to compromise on glass quality. Getting older and know my eyes are not going to improve so glass is a must and the APRS1 is still a damn nice reticle and actually my first for a tree?

 

[Larry Jones]

Ive owned 3 different versions of the PST Gen2, and I've been super happy with all of them. Track great, and for hunting purposes, low light visibility is acceptable.

Bang for buck, a great optic. If they had locking turrets, it would make me much happier.

 

[OwO]

what's your budget? the razor gen 2s can be had for very cheap these days (relatively).

 

[razzle]

what's your budget? the razor gen 2s can be had for very cheap these days (relatively).

I'm in Norway so in most cases there is only one vendor on each of the scopes, and often the pricing is way off compared to the US. Also we have a 25% tax on everything.

The Ares ETR would cost me $1550
Cronus pre-BTR $1530 (actually $1650 on sale but I haggled )
Cronus BTR $2340
Vortex Razor HD 2 4,5-27x56 $2600
Vortex PST 2 5-25x50 $1530

My budget is $1700, I could have bought used but the market on these scopes is very limited here, finding the right scope with the right reticle at a fair price is like winning the lottery.

So I ordered the pre-BTR Cronus, as glass quality is my main concern. Can't wait to see how it is, especially the turrets. Now I just need to buy a mount/rings, probably a 2nd hand Spuhr.

 

[patriot07]

I liked the pre-BTR Cronus I had, but sold it due to really bad turrets and the pre-updated parallax knob that had nothing between 250 and infinity, and didn't seem to focus very easily. But I loved the reticle, mag range, and the glass quality.

The XTR II glass doesn't hold up well in this price range IMHO.

PST Gen 2 is fine, but it's probably the next worse if you're comparing to the Ares ETR and Cronus pre-BTR.

I have a mental issue with paying this much for a Chinese scope, so the Ares would probably be out for me.

I think you should at least consider the Delta Stryker 4.5-30. It has better glass than the Cronus and I really love the reticle. Not sure how it stacks up price-wise with the rest of your options, but if it's in the ballpark of the rest of these scopes, I can say with certainty that it's a better option. I tried out probably a dozen or more different scopes to find something I liked better than my SWFA HD 5-20, and never could convince myself to give it up until I tried the Delta. JMHO though - I will say that I didn't like the reticle much on paper, but I love it in real life.

 

[Steel head]

I have the original Cronus and I definitely don’t regret buying it.
Good glass and elevation, usable reticle and turrets aren’t bad if you replace the grease in them.

 

[Paul_R]

I've had several PST's, both Gen 1 and Gen 2. The Gen 2 is better in every way except weight. Turrets are so-so on both but the zero stop is excellent on the Gen 2.

I just got a brand new Cronus BTR and it's in a whole different category above the PST's. Since someone mentioned turrets, I'll say that they're excellent on this scope.

 

[OwO]

I'm in Norway so in most cases there is only one vendor on each of the scopes, and often the pricing is way off compared to the US. Also we have a 25% tax on everything.

The Ares ETR would cost me $1550
Cronus pre-BTR $1530 (actually $1650 on sale but I haggled )
Cronus BTR $2340
Vortex Razor HD 2 4,5-27x56 $2600
Vortex PST 2 5-25x50 $1530

My budget is $1700, I could have bought used but the market on these scopes is very limited here, finding the right scope with the right reticle at a fair price is like winning the lottery.

So I ordered the pre-BTR Cronus, as glass quality is my main concern. Can't wait to see how it is, especially the turrets. Now I just need to buy a mount/rings, probably a 2nd hand Spuhr.

holy fuck dude, those prices.

 

[Steel head]

holy fuck dude, those prices.

I have a few friends in Norway.
Stuff is pretty damn expensive there.
You should see what they pay for fly fishing lines and rods.

 

[razzle]

I think you should at least consider the Delta Stryker 4.5-30. It has better glass than the Cronus and I really love the reticle. Not sure how it stacks up price-wise with the rest of your options, but if it's in the ballpark of the rest of these scopes, I can say with certainty that it's a better option. I tried out probably a dozen or more different scopes to find something I liked better than my SWFA HD 5-20, and never could convince myself to give it up until I tried the Delta. JMHO though - I will say that I didn't like the reticle much on paper, but I love it in real life.

The Delta Stryker is a bit more expensive at $2000, and as far as I know it is also made by LOW in Japan. It is not a scope I have considered because of my budget but if I end up returning the Cronus I will have to check it out.

 

[wapiti16b]

razzle, I do not know what import restrictions affect you but the hides used optic section could be worth checking out GEN II Razors sell for way less than the numbers your vendor is quoting you and carry the same warranty as new!
Being as you are in Norway what about Meopta Optica6 when it becomes available in May or so they say?

 

[razzle]

razzle, I do not know what import restrictions affect you but the hides used optic section could be worth checking out GEN II Razors sell for way less than the numbers your vendor is quoting you and carry the same warranty as new!
Being as you are in Norway what about Meopta Optica6 when it becomes available in May or so they say?
[

There are no import restrictions on scopes, but we have a 25% import tax on both new and used items. So a 2nd hand Razor HD 2 import would break my budget by quite alot anyway. The Meopta doesn’t seem to come with a christmas tree reticle, and I’m betting it will be far too expensive here anyway as Meopta generally is overpriced here. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[Skok3y]

Agree with severa here that I would choose the Original Cronus, as I have done a couple times. I owned the Ares ETR and the glass was close, but I still preferred the Cronus. I really like the original Cronus reticle. I got the ETR with the dot reticle, which is not for me at all. I also liked that the Cronus was more compact of a scope as well. They weight nearly the same but the ETR was longer.

 

[razzle]

The Cronus came in the mail today, and I have to say the first impression is pretty damn nice! Very clear glass (to me), impressive build quality and the turrets are not all that bad. The elevation turret was a bit mushy, so I removed the grease and applied a thin layer of Slip 2000 Extreme Weapons Grease, that improved it quite a bit. It feels crisper and more pronounced, but also a little lighter to turn but not too much. My Vortex PST gen 1 feels much looser. Tried doing the same with the windage turret, but had less luck. Not sure it made a difference as it is still very tight to turn. But I’ll keep it that way so it is harder to accidentally turn it. I also love the grip on the turrets, and the size is perfect IMO. This scope looks and feels much more expensive than it is, atleast equal to the Nightforce NXS 5,5-22 I sold a while ago. And I’m pretty sure the glass on the Cronus is better eventhough I can’t compare them side by side. The reticle is quite thick, but I like the look of it. Just whish the numbers were also illuminated, but I’ll survive. Now I just need to perform a tracking test, and if that checks out I am very happy with this purchase.

 

[OwO]

I have a few friends in Norway.
Stuff is pretty damn expensive there.
You should see what they pay for fly fishing lines and rods.

i feel like everything is more expensive in europe really. the thought of living in europe was really appealing to me for a while until i realized everything i like (guns, video games, anime) is just way more expensive or less prevalent.

back to the topic, the cronus btr would be my #1 choice if not for the lack of locking turrets. it has a great weight, parallaxes close enough for rimfire, has a large adjustment range and tracks well, made by LOW in japan, etc...

 

[sleeplz]

Not sure how the rules work, but what if you were to buy used and just claim in customs that you got the product for a cheaper price. What kind of proof do you have to provide customs?

 

[supercorndogs]

Tracking on the original Cronus is off by about 5%. I would pass for something tracks better.

 

[spife7980]

Tracking on the original Cronus is off by about 5%. I would pass for something tracks better.

On yours or all of them?

 

[Steel head]

On yours or all of them?

Mine checked out fine.

 

[Sutherlandsd]

I should send mine in for some reason it tracks perfectly.

 

[Paul_R]

Not sure how the rules work, but what if you were to buy used and just claim in customs that you got the product for a cheaper price. What kind of proof do you have to provide customs?

In the USA, the seller/sender fills out the customs forms and declares the value. You can put whatever you want on the form, no proof required. The buyer/receiver may have to fill out forms as well depending on their country, just have to be sure the numbers match.

 

[supercorndogs]

On yours or all of them?

According to Athlon it was from the design of the erector. Mine was 5% .5 buy 10 mils. There was no fix I was told to adjust my ballistic calculator. So I would venture a guess it all of them.

Great glass thought....

Mine checked out fine.

According to what?

 

[Sutherlandsd]

Thats odd... Mine tracks spot on perfect. In my shooting circle there are several gen 1 Cronus's never had one person complain about tracking on them. We shoot out to 1500 yds if not weekly then several times a month. Dont get me wrong I hear lots of whining but its almost always about wind not about the tracking of their Cronus.

 

[supercorndogs]

Thats odd... Mine tracks spot on perfect. In my shooting circle there are several gen 1 Cronus's never had one person complain about tracking on them. We shoot out to 1500 yds if not weekly then several times a month. Dont get me wrong I hear lots of whining but its almost always about wind not about the tracking of their Cronus.

Whats odd? What the scope manufacturer told me about them?

I think its odd to call Athlon and be told, "yep they are about 5% off, no fix. The BTR is less than .1% though." Then come online and see a bunch of people saying they are tracking perfectly.

 

[Steel head]

According to Athlon it was from the design of the erector. Mine was 5% .5 buy 10 mils. There was no fix I was told to adjust my ballistic calculator. So I would venture a guess it all of them.

Great glass thought....



According to what?

According to the tall target test I did using a Horus target my buddy gave me.

 

[Sutherlandsd]

I would venture to guess that Athlon probably wouldnt sell a scope that retailed for almost $2k originally and all of them would be 5% off on tracking, especially given the fact the Gen1 Cronus was basically their first venture into that price range. Like I said I own one, there are at least 3 or 4 that shoot frequently with me and thats been the case with mine or theirs.



they oddly dont mention the 5% in this video.

 

[supercorndogs]

According to the tall target test I did using a Horus target my buddy gave me.

Lets see it.

I would venture to guess that Athlon probably wouldnt sell a scope that retailed for almost $2k originally and all of them would be 5% off on tracking, especially given the fact the Gen1 Cronus was basically their first venture into that price range. Like I said I own one, there are at least 3 or 4 that shoot frequently with me and thats been the case with mine or theirs.



they oddly dont mention the 5% in this video.

You could quit guessing and give them a call, and find out thats exactly what they did.



Are all them 5%? I guess not. That one is only 2%. Are all 4 of them you are referring as "perfect" MOA scopes? You shoot with 3 or 4 of them? Thats really not a very big number to have to waffle on.

MIL and MOA have different erectors.

 

[supercorndogs]

Allow me to amend my first statement to say. I was told the 5% error I was seeing in my scope was normal and acceptable in the first gen Cronus. 2% is fine for what they sell for now. For the 1800 I paid, even 2% leaves a bad taste.

 

[TriggerHappy0125]

In the USA, the seller/sender fills out the customs forms and declares the value. You can put whatever you want on the form, no proof required. The buyer/receiver may have to fill out forms as well depending on their country, just have to be sure the numbers match.

This is only true for an individual selling and shipping something internationally. Even then its un-ethical and any shipment can be flagged for audit and at that point you will need proof. Individual shipments of these types of goods would rarely be flagged because customs has bigger issues to worry about like drugs and human trafficking.

If a business ships product internationally the value of the shipment is declared in the commercial invoice which has to travel with the product. Mis-representing the value of the goods is fraud. In those cases customs has the ability to review all shipments made by the company for the last ten years. Dealing with customs is like dealing with the IRS, your best bet is to not piss them off.

Finally, the amount paid in duties, taxes, VAT, etc., is also based on the tariff code the product is shipped under. The rates can vary from 0 to 20% or more. Again misrepresenting the product is fraud, which not only carries significant risk for the company, but you as an individual can also be personally liable.

The moral of the story? Don’t try to save a few $$ by committing fraud, it’s just not worth it.