I’ll certainly contact him before the next purchase but currently their price is more than other places I’ve looked.
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Rifle Scopes Athlon Midas Tac - High Value Glass
- Thread starter JCIII
- Start date
I’ll certainly contact him before the next purchase but currently their price is more than other places I’ve looked.
Yeah, but you get Doug working for you for a few dollars more...the lowest bid is absolutely the cheapest bid. One needs to balance support and solidarity with "cheap". Doug's price might not be the lowest ever but his service and support are well worth an extra 10% or more. The guys acts as an advocate for people who didn't even buy the scope from him. See that kind of integrity anywhere else?
Doug is Family here at Snipers Hide.
VooDoo
I've had 2 of the 6-24's for about a year now. One has the APRS2 reticle, and the other an APRS3. Both have performed flawlessly out to 1100 yards (the furthest distance I've had available). I'm more likely to add a 5-25 to the stable than I am to retire them in favor of anything else.
Won’t be more expensive after you talk to him. Guaranteed
I have read pretty much nothing but great things from the upper tier Athlon scopes. Is the Cronus worth the price over the Tac or Ares?
I'd go with an Ares ETR for $1050. Cronus might be a little sharper but also $300 more.
Love the Midas Tac 5-25 on my 22LR. Great scope for the money.
In the last month I've bought a Midas TAC 5-25 and ETR 4.5-30 from Doug @CameraLandNY. Great service, great price and I have been more than satisfied with both scopes. Moreso than I expected. Are they Kahles or Mark Vs - no, but they certainly are feature rich and will give them a run for there money when it comes to the glass. This coming from a guy that owns a Kahles K525i and a couple Swaro X5s.
Both Athlons are mil/mil, with the floating center dot; the ETR being illuminated. As someone pointed out earlier in this thread or another, the illumination can be viewed as a 'crutch'. I DID find it useful when I swapped the ETR to my Vudoo. The Vudoo shoots so well, that locating/seeing the black, floating center dot in the Midas TAC on a target that has basically been center punched can be a challenge for my older eyes. Aiming at a black hole with a black dot just doesn't work. Not the case with the ETR and illumination.
Both Athlons are mil/mil, with the floating center dot; the ETR being illuminated. As someone pointed out earlier in this thread or another, the illumination can be viewed as a 'crutch'. I DID find it useful when I swapped the ETR to my Vudoo. The Vudoo shoots so well, that locating/seeing the black, floating center dot in the Midas TAC on a target that has basically been center punched can be a challenge for my older eyes. Aiming at a black hole with a black dot just doesn't work. Not the case with the ETR and illumination.
2Barrels - I just swapped out a Gen 1 Ares BTR for a new 5-25x56 Midas TAC on my custom M700 in 223AI. I zeroed the new 5-25 this afternoon, using one of the old Snipers Hide 100yd challenge targets, and was trying to hold on the previous bullet hole with that floating dot - kind of a bitch - and found myself wishing for either the + aiming point of the Cronus BTR, or illumination. The Midas glass is plenty good enough to make it super easy to see a good sharp image of a .224 bullet hole on paper at 100yds, but even in good sunlight, I couldn't see the aiming point in this situation.
While it’s not a bad optic at the price point. It’s not “remarkably” close to the other glass you mentioned.
Let’s not skip out on reality.
Let’s not skip out on reality.
While I'm not about to trade the three Kahles K624i scopes on my Bighorn rifles for Midas TAC 5-25x56 scopes, you need to keep in mind that individual vision/perception varies widely, and if someone who owns Kahles and Swarovski scopes is still very pleased with the optical quality of the Midas 5-25x56, and the distinct turret clicks/detents, I think that's more of an indication of the value Athlon is offering than it is of someone skipping out on reality.
No, comparing Midas Tac glass to kahles, swaro, or evening Cronus glass is no reality.
All glass looks great at 300yds with good light.
I have a gen ii razor and a nikon fx1000 and the difference in glass is barely noticeable. Turrets and tracking, different story. So if I can get a scope that may be barely less glass quality and the same tracking as my $2000 scope....You have to take into account many of these people are sponsored by top brands that are going to push the why behind the $$$$. Other shooters look up to them and go, I need that because he/she is badass and must be the reason they are so badass.
After being in the PRS game for only a short min, it seems to be about "brand name" recognition like we are back in high school again.
A better comparison is why pay $500 for a cooler when a $100 will meet your needs? Just to say you have one..I will say most shooters give two shits about what you are running unless you are in the top tier..
Just talking generalities here and generally I'm matching the internals and functionality to the price.
$300 - $400 scope, eh glass is iffy but it works.
$600 - $800 scope, glass is acceptable, not complaining.
$1000 - $2000 scope, I could live with this glass for the rest of my life if need be.
$2000 - $3000, a touch better but man this glass isn't as good as I thought it would be compared to next tier down. !@#$, dang I could of had two of those $1000 scopes for that much.
The most expensive scopes money can buy - I can see the difference but man that's a fortune!
Diminishing returns.
Then there are the little quirks that it seems every brand has. CA in Kahles, TT toolless zero turrets turning by accident on barricade, weight of Razor - can be good or bad, dumb reticles, Blurris glass, the list goes on.
But keep in mind that ALL scopes, no matter the cost, can and do break. Though yes, usually the more expensive scopes break less frequent.
Also most of us own a bunch of factory and semi custom rifles that we don't want to put a $$$$ scope on.
I'm mostly sure I won't be spending the big money on scopes again if I can get all the features I want in a $$$ scope.
No I'm not pretending a Ares BTR Gen2 is a ZCO, on the other hand it gets the job done at 98% success. If I was rich, yeah sure, why not.
I'll stay with the old hottness, which used to be the PM2, all payed for, and mounted on the expensive rifles.
Eh, these Gen2 Ares BTR's are "just" what I need.
$300 - $400 scope, eh glass is iffy but it works.
$600 - $800 scope, glass is acceptable, not complaining.
$1000 - $2000 scope, I could live with this glass for the rest of my life if need be.
$2000 - $3000, a touch better but man this glass isn't as good as I thought it would be compared to next tier down. !@#$, dang I could of had two of those $1000 scopes for that much.
The most expensive scopes money can buy - I can see the difference but man that's a fortune!
Diminishing returns.
Then there are the little quirks that it seems every brand has. CA in Kahles, TT toolless zero turrets turning by accident on barricade, weight of Razor - can be good or bad, dumb reticles, Blurris glass, the list goes on.
But keep in mind that ALL scopes, no matter the cost, can and do break. Though yes, usually the more expensive scopes break less frequent.
Also most of us own a bunch of factory and semi custom rifles that we don't want to put a $$$$ scope on.
I'm mostly sure I won't be spending the big money on scopes again if I can get all the features I want in a $$$ scope.
No I'm not pretending a Ares BTR Gen2 is a ZCO, on the other hand it gets the job done at 98% success. If I was rich, yeah sure, why not.
I'll stay with the old hottness, which used to be the PM2, all payed for, and mounted on the expensive rifles.
Eh, these Gen2 Ares BTR's are "just" what I need.
Hope someone could help. I have an old bushnell elite tactical. 6-24x50 it used to be the ERS, now being marketed as tac ops:
www.bushnell.com
It lives on my Rimfire. More than happy with the glass, Ret and parallax. It’s a great scope, especially as I picked it up for a good price years ago it owes me nothing. Now I am pushing my .22LR out to range, it’s annoying it only has 5mils per rev and no zero stop. I could do with 10 mils per turn and looking at the 6-24x50 Midas Tac. I’m sure it share a lot of it’s DNA with each other.
Does anyone know how it’s compares. I don’t want to step down in glass quality (take with pinch of salt due to .22LR only) to get the feature set.
Thanks in advance. Mark
Tac Optics LRS Riflescopes - 6-24x50
The Bushnell Tac Optics 5-15X40mm scope is one of the world's very finest scopes for long range. Designed by 3-Gun competitors & law enforcement experts.
www.bushnell.com
It lives on my Rimfire. More than happy with the glass, Ret and parallax. It’s a great scope, especially as I picked it up for a good price years ago it owes me nothing. Now I am pushing my .22LR out to range, it’s annoying it only has 5mils per rev and no zero stop. I could do with 10 mils per turn and looking at the 6-24x50 Midas Tac. I’m sure it share a lot of it’s DNA with each other.
Does anyone know how it’s compares. I don’t want to step down in glass quality (take with pinch of salt due to .22LR only) to get the feature set.
Thanks in advance. Mark
Mark,
I had one of Bushnell's ET6245FG 'ERS' scopes mounted on my first precision .22RF bolt rifle, which I built around a Stiller 2500XR action, with a Krieger sendero contour blank that I chambered with an EPS reamer, bedded into a Manners T4A stock (which was an extra made for Euro Optics' 'Supreme Trainer' (or whatever they called it back in 2015 when they were announced). The scope had what I considered 'decent' optical quality at the time, but compared to today's scopes in the $600-$700 price range, it doesn't stack up that well. Still, I could've lived with it if it weren't for the 5 mil/revolution elevation turret w/o zero stop, which was a killer on a .22RF rifle. It's now mounted on an AR15 in 22PDK, which has high enough velocity so that the lack of zero stop & 5 mil turrets isn't quite so bad.
Whatever, Athlon's Midas TAC 6-24x50 beats the ERS on optical quality, and does have 10 mil/rev turrets plus a zero stop, and I like & trust the Midas' elevation turret's click detents better, and its windage turret is capped. The reticle thing is a toss-up, depending mostly on how much you like the Bushy's G2 compared to the Athlon's with floating dot aiming point, but which lacks the G2's Christmas tree. I've got Midas TACs on a couple of my .22s, as well as one two custom-barreled Howa Minis, and like them very much in both applications.
I had one of Bushnell's ET6245FG 'ERS' scopes mounted on my first precision .22RF bolt rifle, which I built around a Stiller 2500XR action, with a Krieger sendero contour blank that I chambered with an EPS reamer, bedded into a Manners T4A stock (which was an extra made for Euro Optics' 'Supreme Trainer' (or whatever they called it back in 2015 when they were announced). The scope had what I considered 'decent' optical quality at the time, but compared to today's scopes in the $600-$700 price range, it doesn't stack up that well. Still, I could've lived with it if it weren't for the 5 mil/revolution elevation turret w/o zero stop, which was a killer on a .22RF rifle. It's now mounted on an AR15 in 22PDK, which has high enough velocity so that the lack of zero stop & 5 mil turrets isn't quite so bad.
Whatever, Athlon's Midas TAC 6-24x50 beats the ERS on optical quality, and does have 10 mil/rev turrets plus a zero stop, and I like & trust the Midas' elevation turret's click detents better, and its windage turret is capped. The reticle thing is a toss-up, depending mostly on how much you like the Bushy's G2 compared to the Athlon's with floating dot aiming point, but which lacks the G2's Christmas tree. I've got Midas TACs on a couple of my .22s, as well as one two custom-barreled Howa Minis, and like them very much in both applications.
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You pay a little more for it, but the APRS3 reticle in the TAC is a Christmas tree. I have one of each of the APRS2 & APRS3.
I took a gamble after reading this thread, and wow! What a great scope for what it costs, I haven't gotten a cheaper scope in a while. Definitely a winner when it comes to a ffp scope on a hunting rifle.
I should've mentioned the APRS3 reticle for the Midas TAC - I've bought six with the APRS2, but just received one with the APRS3 a few weeks ago, and haven't put it on a rifle yet. That's what I get for staying up late instead of getting the sleep that I need...
IMO, you'd have to spend more money to get a Vortex that compares. The glass and turret quality can't be beat at their price point.
Most people find the TAC to be neck-in-neck with the Gen 2 Viper in terms of performance. I have one, and I love that scope.
