Rifle Scopes Athlon Argos BTR glass quality? For Savage FCP 308

[fastline]

Someone apparently bought this Athlon for me already so I am looking into it. I am looking to push the limits of the FCP rifle, hopefully out to 1000yds but will just see. Rifle was tested with handloads to hold about 1/4MOA at 500yds, ideal conditions. Regardless, I just want to optimize the rifle, extract its max ability, and just keep it in the fleet. I just don't want the glass to be the limiting factor.

One lesson I learned quick is IMO glass 'quality' should be at the front of the checklist. What sucks is I have yet to find an actual 'quantifying specification' for glass other than "it is clear". But I have used cheap 25-30x scopes where I could not even see groups at 100yd, but an old 6x Weaver had no issue there.

I was previously leaning hard towards SWFA scopes and have read several reviews saying Athlon is your typical budget China scope. Decent but nothing exciting? I know once we push the distance, that glass quality starts to stand out, and seems most scopes do pretty well on holding zero and such, just becomes a creature feature issue IMO.

 

[db2000]

what's your budget?

Here's an Ares

Optics - Reduced/Athlon Optics , Ares BTR , Riflescope , 4.5-27 x 50 First Focal Plane (FFP) 30mm Tube, Illuminated APLR3 MIL Reticle

Athlon Optics , Ares BTR , Riflescope , 4.5-27 x 50 First Focal Plane (FFP) 30mm Tube, Illuminated APLR3 MIL Reticle. Haven't even put a round down range with it yet, its been sitting on my Gap 300wsm. Really want to scratch my Glock itch with a new custom slide so something has to go, and I...

www.snipershide.com

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

I'm running an Athlon Argos BTR 10-40X56 on a Savage 10 FCP-SR in 6.5 CM. It's been a tack driver until the rail came loose. Again...I have shot it out to 1000 yards a very few times and the scope has never left my saying I need more yet.

Anyway the glass is somewhere between good and very good IMO. I have a Vortex Crossfire II and my brother is running a Vortex Razor and the Argos BTR glass is better than the Crossfire (cheap/entry level scope) and just not quite as good as the Razor. Still knocks my socks off for a $400ish scope. Personally I find tracking to be more important than sheer glass quality....never missed a shot because of mediocre glass.

I'd call my Argos BTR Glass Good+. Athlon, depending on which scope obviously, is better than your "average budget Chinese Scope" but like everything in optics the opinions are subjective. Every eye and every skill level and need will see it differently.

VooDoo

 

[Kevins750]

I had a BTR gen ll 10-40×56 and didn't like it at all, I sent back the first one because it wouldn't focus.
The one they sent wasn't clear at all, no use over 20x for me and that was pushing it. On 10x I will say it was
Pretty bright but that's it. If we are talking Chinese glass the Bushnell nitro scopess blow it away, to my eyes atleast.

Swfa 16x at 1k is much clearer than my athlon was. And my little AR scope a Burris fullfield E1 4-14x44 lrmoa is better than
The athlon and swfa I used. Of course I don't dial the Burris but for clarity of the 3, no contest

 

[steve123]

I've used the Talos BTR 4-14x44 and the Gen1 Argos BTR 6-24x50 to hit steel out to 1200Y. I rate the glass as okay. And BTW a friend and I did a side by side with a SWFA 3-15x42 against both the aforementioned scopes and both won out in clarity at 421Y on a black painted turkey. We could make out the hits "much" better with the Athlons. I sold two of my three SWFA's because of this.

 

[fastline]

Thank you guys! I am pretty curious now as to the "levels" of Athlon scopes vs actual glass quality, or other qualities that make them SO much better for the price? I hear things like "the knobs are more crisp"...And while if I was operating, this might be an itch for me, I can probably work through little issues like that at the range.

I am also pretty curious what system you prefer? MOA or Mil? MOA to me just seems so much easier and simpler, sort of like the metric system, but some people cannot make the conversion. I guess I do a lot of mental math daily so maybe mils for some is more straight forward?

 

[Mike Casselton]

If the metric system works better for your brain, remember that the mil scope is based on 1/10 division instead of 1/4.
(No, I'm not saying mils are metric)
I found mil very easy to understand, and most LR tactical shooters use mil.

The main thing is to shoot with others that also use the same (mil or moa) as you.
Trying to discuss come ups or wind hold with a person using a different value is near impossible.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I am also pretty curious what system you prefer? MOA or Mil? MOA to me just seems so much easier and simpler, sort of like the metric system, but some people cannot make the conversion. I guess I do a lot of mental math daily so maybe mils for some is more straight forward?

Remember this: the reticle (in modern scopes whether they are mil or moa) is a ruler. That ruler matches the turrets.

If you take a shot and you're .6mil low on the reticle, you either hold for correction or come up 6 clicks to hit POA.
It's that simple.

MOA scope would work the same way except each Minute would have 4 clicks for correction.

 

[steve123]

If you want the best scope per value get the FFP Midas TAC 6-24x50. It's not much more than the Argos but twice the scope.

Get a ballistic app for your cell phone and use mils.

 

[slickalaus12]

If you want the best scope per value get the FFP Midas TAC 6-24x50. It's not much more than the Argos but twice the scope.

Get a ballistic app for your cell phone and use mils.

I would agree. I purchased a Gen 2 Argos BTR after reading so many rave reviews. The glass was just okay, and I find myself not really using anything past 18x zoom. It is FFP and has good turrets, but it's heavy and the glass is just okay, at least on mine.

I ended up buying a Midas Tac, it's lighter, has better turrets and the glass is definitely an improvement.

 

[K3RRY]

I also had an Argos but the eyebox didn’t work for me wasn’t forgiving enough. I didn’t like to get behind her. Ending up with a Midas Tac 6-24 and I’m a happy camper. Just can’t beat it for the price

 

[Cavitation]

I have about 250 rounds using the 6x24 Argos BTR gen I. I have been able to fully use the magnification range at 100 yards while spotting hits. The glass is just OK but I paid under 300 bucks. The turrets are decent but could be a bit crisper, now don't get me wrong they are not mushy and the scope tracks perfectly. I have the MIL/MIL APLR version. The reticle is very good while the range of adjustment is lacking some. A 20 MOA base is recommended. you can get out 1200 yards or so but with fully adjusted and using the reticle is bunk. Again for 300 to 350 bucks it gets the job done. I would not pay any more for a Gen 2.

AL

 

[Southern Custom]

I own one, I’d say it’s exactly what you pay for. A $300 scope with $300 scope glass. Will it do the job? Of course. Will the picture be crispy at full mag? Not particularly. That being said I shoot paper at 100 regularly and it does the job just fine on my .22. On my long range gun I use an Ares BTR and the difference is readily apparent.