Athlon Cronus BTR 4.5x29 thoughts

[AdventureOne]

Hey everyone! I have read SH threads for a while, but I finally signed up and this is my first post! I have been hunting for a very long time, and have a few years into long-range shooting. I only recently started competing (fairly casual matches, but there are some PRS shooters with great skills and gear). I have been running the Leupold LRP 6.5-20x50 for a long time and it absolutely gets the job done out to 1000 yards. Now that I started shooting matches, I am feeling the need for a bit more magnification to get on smaller targets at 800+ yards, and I definitely want more than 5 mils per turret rotation. (I want to still be competitive, not just "gets the job done").

I am on a limited budget, but I don't want to buy junk either (I won't consider Chinese-made optics, and am still skeptical on stuff from the Philippines). I am looking for mil/mil FFP, around the 5-25x range, 50 or 56mm objective (I don't care too much about illimunation). The matches I shoot are not PRS, but I am looking for something well within production class limits.

The Chronus BTR 4.5-29x56mm seems to check all of the boxes, but I have never shot Athlon - I was hoping to gain some wisdom from this crowd! For those who have it, to do you like it, and is it a good fit for my application? For those who got rid of it, Why? I have a NF SHV series, that I think is made in the same factory. Can I expect the glass quality on the Cronus to be similar to the SHV?

Just for some reference, I shoot 6.5 Creedmoor, steel matches 100-1000 yards (may push a bit further if I can improve my ammo) generally daylight conditions, with a bit of dawn and dusk. I dial distance and hold wind. I don't love christmas tree reticles (I like the Leupold TMR and NF MIL-R) but that is not a deal break as long as it is fairly clean.

Thanks for the help!

 

[FLguy55]

Here's a thread all about the new-ish Cronus BTR Gen 2. https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/new-release-cronus-btr-gen-2.7046029/

The Gen 2 (vs the G1) brought more tactile & firm turrets and a new reticle (APRS6). Aside from that, identical to the G1.

I've owned a G1 and ran it for around 8 mths in PRS specifically. I currently own a G2 and run it on my 22LR PRS/NRL rifle and it's honestly overkill for that rifle, but I had it so it's getting used. I current run a ZCO on my main PRS rig, have 2 x Mark 5 HDs, and had & sold a Razor Gen 2. To be honest, to this day I still think the Cronus is probably the best bang for the buck optic out there (at least certainly under $1500), being priced at $1450. The Mark 5 HD is also a huge bang for the buck and does have ever-so-slightly better glass than the Cronus (in lower light especially) but it's nothing most would notice without shooting both side by side a lot, and only on a range day (not on the clock in a competition). I do like the covered windage turret on the Mark 5 but in all my time running the Cronus G1, even with its turrets that turned relatively easily, I never had an issue of one accidentally moving on me. Between the Cronus G2 and the Mark 5 I really think it comes down to reticle choice. I don't like Leupold's in-house reticles but my Mark 5 has the H59 which I'm OK with. Some folks love Leupold's reticles; especially the new PR2. On the Cronus side, the Athlon reticles are all very similar, not super busy for an xmas tree, and I appreciate the additional .2 hash marks they added all the way down the vertical stadia in the APRS6 compared to just the 1st MIL in the APRS1. Note that Athlon's reticles are quite thin though. If you like shooting on a little higher magnification that's fine, but I found it actually unusable around 10x because I couldn't see marks in the reticle. I always ran mine 16-20x. On my ZCO, for instance, I'm at 10-12 all the time without issue. With my Mark 5s and Razor I always found 12-15 to work well. As for the Razor, again I think the glass is a slight step up from the Cronus, and the ebr-7c reticle is pretty nice though the main horizontal stadia is oddly busy to me. I'm actually not a fan of the Razor G2's turrets (mushy) but many people like them, and I absolutely hated the zero stop in the Razor which was one of the main reasons I sold it. There are a LOT of top class competitors that run that optic though, of course, so it's not holding anyone back.

Those three optics, in my opinion anyway, are the three to consider if you're in that 1500 - 2000 dollar range. Razor G2s and Mark 5 HDs go for 1600-1750 all the time in the PX here on the hide. You'll see an occasional Cronus G2 pop up but they can be had new for 1450. Used Cronus G1s can be had for as low as 1100, which is a crazy low price for an optic of that quality frankly.

 

[BoulderE89]

I agree with FLguy55. I’ve owned razors, mark 5s and the Athlon Cronus. I tend to lean razor on my competition rifles mainly because I shoot well with the EBR-7C reticle, but I think of all 3 the mark 5 has the best glass by just a hair and the turrets are stellar. But as was said, up until recently their reticle choices were abysmal. Between the razor and the Cronus, razor has better turrets I think but Athlon is killing it in price. You can get used G1s for $1100 and that’s insane when you’re realistically comparing it to two scopes that are both going used for around $1600-$1800.

 

[spife7980]

No one has ever regretted paying for a cronus that I’ve seen. They may prefer a different reticle or a locking windage etc at the end of the day and move on but the cronus is the best value going.

I prefer it to the few samples of the other scopes mentioned above that I’ve fiddled with so I’ve bought a few now.

 

[Big Bo]

I own 2 Athlon Cronus scopes, and am very happy with them. That extra $1000 buys a hell of a lot of ammo, or?

 

[steve123]

I liked the reticle in the 1st Gen Cronus, didn't so much like it in the Cronus BTR but thought the scope was a good improvement over the 1st Gen, and absolutely love my G2 Cronus scopes. I honestly can't fault it in any way and I find it much improved over the BTR version, especially the APRS6 reticle, and turrets are about as good as it gets.

I feel like selling most of my less expensive scopes to replace them with the G2 but that'd be a pile of cash. At least it's a fantasy that is not out of reach like it would be with $3000 scopes.