Rifle Scopes Athlon Scopes

[darthnugget]

I say they have a shoot-off! My money is on... they will meet and become best friends over beers.

As for the subject, just got an Athlon and Sightron delivered today. I am impressed with the initial overall quality and clarity of both. They don't have many of the features of my NF Beast or even my Bushnell XRS and the Athlon glass is lower in quality than my NF or Bushnell. The Sightron glass is on par with the NF and Bushnell, which is amazing since it was half the price of the Bushnell and a quarter price of the NF Beast. I will know more tomorrow if these new ones hold up when we take them shooting.

As for looks, the Athlon and Sightron are not flashy or "Tacticool" (I hate this phrase FYI) looking like other scopes but I don't mind since functionality is king to me. On some level there is some enjoyment in having a nicer looking scope but for this price I am satisfied with them. I am looking forward to the new Athlon Ares but I think their stated pricing will move it into a range where other scopes are better, like the XTR II. Ooh, speaking of the XTRII, the Athlon is similar in glass quality to it from my limited experience with it today looking outside in the overcast winter. It might look better in more light but in overcast/dim you clearly see the difference in quality.

 

[PHXScorpion]

I say they have a shoot-off! My money is on... they will meet and become best friends over beers.

As for the subject, just got an Athlon and Sightron delivered today. I am impressed with the initial overall quality and clarity of both. They don't have many of the features of my NF Beast or even my Bushnell XRS and the Athlon glass is lower in quality than my NF or Bushnell. The Sightron glass is on par with the NF and Bushnell, which is amazing since it was half the price of the Bushnell and a quarter price of the NF Beast. I will know more tomorrow if these new ones hold up when we take them shooting.

As for looks, the Athlon and Sightron are not flashy or "Tacticool" (I hate this phrase FYI) looking like other scopes but I don't mind since functionality is king to me. On some level there is some enjoyment in having a nicer looking scope but for this price I am satisfied with them. I am looking forward to the new Athlon Ares but I think their stated pricing will move it into a range where other scopes are better, like the XTR II. Ooh, speaking of the XTRII, the Athlon is similar in glass quality to it from my limited experience with it today looking outside in the overcast winter. It might look better in more light but in overcast/dim you clearly see the difference in quality.

Which Athlon model did you get? I've ordered the Ares which is supposed to have HD glass so hoping that glass quality is on par with the XTR II.

 

[WyomingShooter]

Which Athlon models have zero stop? Is ZS only on the Chronus? Confused in the Big Empty...

 

[steve123]

The new Ares BTR which should be available in a month or so and the Cronus line.

 

[pell1203]

Which Athlon model did you get? I've ordered the Ares which is supposed to have HD glass so hoping that glass quality is on par with the XTR II.

PHXScorpion, don't think you need to worry about beating the glass quality of the XTR II if that is your main concern. It's the XTR II's weakest point!

I sent a pair of XTR II 5-25s back. First one for illumination and excessive chromatic aberration (color fringing). On the second one, I could not get scope image sharp across the full width of the reticle regardless how ocular was focused or parallax was set. Scope was again sent back and replaced. When new one arrived, it was sold unopened in original packaging.

I've since ordered a Cronus BTR 4.5-29x56 to replace it.

 

[Triple D]

I hope to get a side by side comparison with the XTR II and the ARES. I was not impressed with the glass in the XTR II when I used it several months ago. Going just from memory about the XTR II, I think the ARES glass is much clearer and probably brighter too.

 

[basshusker]

I would agree. Nothing stands out in mind about the scope except mine has a parallax issue. Not trying to dump on teh thread but passing word that the dealer I spoke to said he has heard of 4 with the same problem. The cross hairs move if you move your eye behind the scope. I have been chasing accuracy issues with a CZ and I think most of it came from the scope. I can get the cross hairs to move 2 inches at 100 yards by moving my head around.

Anyhow athlon wants me to box her up and send it back in for repair or replacement. Just to be clear, this is the 6-24X50 in MIL FFP one.

What steps did you take to dial the parralax out?

 

[SuperSneakySniper]

I'm holding out until reviews come in for the Ares. There's a lot of speculation, and there are maybe one or two people that have used both, but until more people can confirm that Ares glass is definitely better than XTR 2 glass in the field, then I have to wait.

Since Athlon turrets are said to track pretty darn well, and the warranty is top notch, if the glass is better than the XTR2,... that eliminates the XTR2 from contention doesn't it? On top of that, the Ares gives you illumination at the price of a non-illuminated XTR2.

 

[CWPHIL]

I am not a dealer, nor am I affiliated with Athlon. I am just a shooter that is always looking for additional scopes with great features and repeatability, at a good price point. I have two additional precision rifles that need glass on top of them and I do not have a combined $5000 or even a $2500 budget for glass. I contacted Athlon back in September to inquire about their products and what was due out in the upcoming months. Athlon was generous enough to give me an opportunity to review one of the pre-production Ares 2.5-15x50 MIL scopes. I will be giving it a fair review to include zeroing, setting the zero stop, a box test, long range tracking out to 1000 yards, and usage in a precision rifle match. I will be putting out my findings good, bad, or indifferent along the way. I was not given this scope as a form of payment for a favorable review, and I have to return it to them upon completion of my review. I will be posting here and other places along the way.

Initial unboxing and mounting of the test Ares 2.5-15.

Initial impressions: Immediately noticed the clarity of the glass, no distortion around the edges. No blemishes or debris inside tube or glass

Fit and finish was very nice, the power ring and focus ring were not too tight, elevation and windage knobs Knurling feels good and not too aggressive. Clicks for windage were distinct and audible, clicks for elevation were noticeable but a small amount less positive and less audible.

Reticle is very usable in design, no cant to the reticle, very crisp in appearance. Illumination is for the full reticle, off position between settings is a nice feature, the higher two levels are almost too bright.

Eyebox is forgiving, fell into position behind the scope easily.

My favorite feature was the ability to focus down to 10 yards or even a little less. With other scopes this is not possible. This is a great feature to have as I dry fire practice in my basement, garage, and limited yard space.

These are just my initial hands on impressions. I have a range day scheduled for the 26th and a match on March 4th with the scope. I will have video and additional photos after that.

 

[CWPHIL]

I'm holding out until reviews come in for the Ares. There's a lot of speculation, and there are maybe one or two people that have used both, but until more people can confirm that Ares glass is definitely better than XTR 2 glass in the field, then I have to wait.

Since Athlon turrets are said to track pretty darn well, and the warranty is top notch, if the glass is better than the XTR2,... that eliminates the XTR2 from contention doesn't it? On top of that, the Ares gives you illumination at the price of a non-illuminated XTR2.

I can speak to the Burris XTR II vs Athlon Ares. I have a Burris 5-25 SCR MIL and I am currently evaluating the Ares 2.5-15. Looking at them side by side I see no noticeable difference. I was surprised to see how clear the glass was. I am by no means a glass expert. I own the burris, had a PST 6-24, have been behind SWFAs, peered through but not owned a GenII, NF, or S&B. I would say that my Burris glass was superior to my PST and that the Ares is as good if not a but better than the Burris glass. When comparing side by side in the features department the list is tight.

Burris XTR II

Tube: 34mm

10MIL Per Rev: Yes

Mechanical Zero Stop: Yes

Illuminated (Off in Between): Yes (A bit Dim)

Tactile and Audible clicks: Yes

Wide Power range: Yes (5X)

Eye Box: Ok

Reticle: SCR or H59

Athlon Ares

Tube: 30mm

10MIL Per Rev: Yes

Mechanical Zero Stop: Yes (Elevation Only)

Illuminated (Off in Between): Yes (Almost too bright)

Tactile and Audible clicks: Yes

Wide Power range: Yes (6X)

Eye Box: Better(My Opinion on My Test Piece)

Reticle: APLR3 (Christmas Tree Style)

 

[IanHusaberg]

I think there are some cry babies that have to stick up for their brand loyalty because they paid top dollar for their awesome scope. I own a Athlon Cronus, Its a great scope. I own a Vortex Razor Gen 2 4.5-27x56 it's an even more awesome scope. Some people just can't stand to see a new company come out and give value to the people for their money. Everybody must overpay for quality right?!? Just let it go. Give it a rest. But then we'd have nothing to argue about!!!!!!!!!

IanHusaberg out

 

[mattc51]

They don't have a half mil mark on those ares turrets?

 

[SuperSneakySniper]

Thanks for sharing your experience between the Burris/Athlon. Im glad to hear the glass is at least similair.


Its also good to see the eyebox on the 2.5-15 Ares seems better than the 5-25x Burris, but could that be due to the fact that its only a 2.5-15?

Im a scope noob but ive heard that lower powered magnifying scopes generally have better eye boxes.

 

[IanHusaberg]

I owned a Burris XTR2 5-25x50 and I sold it with my Ruger RPR. I think you guys are comparing apples to oranges with two different scope magnification powers. All scopes on high power have a tight eye box at 25x , over the top power 15x. Just saying!!!!

 

[CWPHIL]

I owned a Burris XTR2 5-25x50 and I sold it with my Ruger RPR. I think you guys are comparing apples to oranges with two different scope magnification powers. All scopes on high power have a tight eye box at 25x , over the top power 15x. Just saying!!!!

In reference to this I can not give you scientific facts and numbers but I am mostly on 12-15x on my Burris during matches. It is more forgiving on the eye relief in that range than my PST, the Ares seems to be a bit more forgiving in the same range or 12-15X.

 

[darthnugget]

Which Athlon model did you get? I've ordered the Ares which is supposed to have HD glass so hoping that glass quality is on par with the XTR II.

I have the Argos 8-34 but I also have an Ares on order. The Argos has better glass than the XTR II, IMHO. Everything I have seen in articles and posts about the Ares looks good but the price is getting up there with a $850 street price.

 

[Triple D]

They don't have a half mil mark on those ares turrets?

The production models are supposed to.

 

[texasplinker]

I would agree. Nothing stands out in mind about the scope except mine has a parallax issue. Not trying to dump on teh thread but passing word that the dealer I spoke to said he has heard of 4 with the same problem. The cross hairs move if you move your eye behind the scope. I have been chasing accuracy issues with a CZ and I think most of it came from the scope. I can get the cross hairs to move 2 inches at 100 yards by moving my head around.

Anyhow athlon wants me to box her up and send it back in for repair or replacement. Just to be clear, this is the 6-24X50 in MIL FFP one.

I've experienced slight parallax issues with my talos btr 4-14. On every scope I've owned with parallax adjustment I've been able to totally dial out the parallax. The range marking may have been very wrong, but the parallax was gone.

I can't seem to 'weld' these cross hairs to the target. The best I can get is a nearly perfect vertical weld and about a 1/10 Mil horizontal wobble.

For the price, I'm probably still ok with the slight parallax wobble... It checks a whole lot of other boxes. But man, my $60 tasco can get rid of parallax.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Iron Worker]

I received the 4.5x27x50mm Midas Athlon scope. I scoped through it to many known distances out my backdoor.Compared it to SWFA 5x20x50 and Zeiss HD5 5x25x50mm . That was like comparing apples to oranges. Then my 20 year old B&L elite 4200 6x24x40mm and it's optics were significantly superior to this Athlon Midas scope. So I sent it back and was promptly refunded.

 

[IanHusaberg]

I don't know what is wrong with you guys? I own a Athlon Cronus. I drank the cool-aid. I didn't think i was buying a Vortex Razor gen2. I received a $1700 scope that I paid for. It was better than the Burris XTR2 5-25x50 I paid $1,250 for. Value wise is based upon the scope itself and not what it compares too. Vortex, Burris, Athlon and I think Sig Sauer scopes all deliver value! Nothing more and nothing less. When you go down in price, I think you go down in value. Looking out the back door and not actually shooting the scope, giving it a fair chance is a shame or maybe you just did't do your homework to begin with. I don't ever buy a scope thinking its going to be better than another. Sometimes it just works out that way and delivers more than promised. Thats what Athlon is and are all about.

IanHusaberg out

 

[flatland1]

I've got three Cronus 4.5-29x56 mil scopes - two on custom 22LR bolt repeaters, and one on a custom 223AI bolt rifle. I had a Bushnell 6-24x50 ffp G2DMR on the Stiller 2500XR/Krieger, and thought it was a decent scope for its intended use - 50-200yds, mostly on 3,4,6,&8 inch steel gongs. But when the first two Cronus scopes arrived, I put one on the Stiller 22, knowing I'd be shooting the rimfire rifle a lot more often than the 223AI. After a few range sessions with the Cronus, I was spoiled - and when I got my Jelrod-converted 40X repeater's Benchmark bbl finished & the bbl'd action bedded in its B&C #2015 stock, another Cronus was ordered (and received the day after I ordered it) & mounted, and I'm not going back. The glass is good, and that first scope tracked perfectly during a box test at 100yds. I replaced the original O-rings on the knobs with the supplied ones Trent sent out, and have been pleased with the click detents since then.

Are these scopes as nice as my Kahles K624i AMR models? - not quite, since I still feel the clicks on the Kahles' knobs are the gold standard I compare all others to. But the optical quality of the three Cronus scopes I've got is close to that of the Kahles IMHO, and it handles mirage very nearly as well. The zero stop is easy to set too. Very pleased with all three of these scopes so far, and that includes a lot of shooting behind them on the two 22RF rifles. Once I've taken the 223AI out to 1000yds & back to 600 with the Cronus, I'll report on it. I've shot that rifle quite a bit at 600 with the Cronus, and have had no issues with it so far.

Still waiting on an order of Ares 4.5-27x50 scopes - wanted to try one of them on a couple of custom Krieger barreled AR15s, and may even pull a Cronus off one of the 22s & put an Ares in its place to really wring it out.

 

[pell1203]

Just got my hands on a 4.5-29x56 Cronus BTR and have taken it out of the box and played with it some off of the rifle. Here are my first impressions. Unfortunately, not sure I will have a chance to mount it and get behind it this weekend.

1. Glass is excellent and on par with the non BTR version of the scope. I believe the glass is identical in both versions.
2. Turrets line up perfectly on the hash marks and have discernible and precise clicks pronounced enough to be able to count clicks blindfolded (especially on elevation turret).
3. Yay! For older eyes, numbers on turrets are larger than before and are much easier to read!
4. Parallax distance markings corresponded to distance labels on dial and I was able to focus down to the advertised 25 yards (or very close to it).
5. Illumination is daylight bright and battery cover/illumination switch is ergonomically improved over previous model.
6. Reticle is very easy to read and was sharp edge to edge at all magnifications. A little thin at 4.5x, but excellent as you dialed up.
7. As expected, eye box and eye placement at higher mags is more critical. However, even hand held, with scope off rifle I was able to look through it without much issue.

Did I mention the glass was excellent! I was only able to look through it through very late afternoon/early evening light and scope was clear, sharp, bright, and easy to focus. Color rendition was good and I did not see any chromatic aberration during the short evaluation period. View through scope did get somewhat darker at higher magnifications (22x+), but image quality held together very well even at the highest magnifications. Very usable throughout entire upper end of magnification range.

The numbers on the reticle do not light up when illumination is turned on, as shown on online reticle diagram, but there was a very slight light leak into one or two of the numbers that showed up as pinpricks. Not really a problem for me but it was noticeable. Overall, I would rate the illumination as excellent!

Dialed it up and down several times and hash marks on turret stayed aligned throughout its entire 30+ mils of travel and returned to initial alignment each time. Windage turret seems to be a bit softer as far as how distinctive the clicks are but they are nevertheless repeatable.

 

[6172crew!]

I've experienced slight parallax issues with my talos btr 4-14. On every scope I've owned with parallax adjustment I've been able to totally dial out the parallax. The range marking may have been very wrong, but the parallax was gone.

I can't seem to 'weld' these cross hairs to the target. The best I can get is a nearly perfect vertical weld and about a 1/10 Mil horizontal wobble.

For the price, I'm probably still ok with the slight parallax wobble... It checks a whole lot of other boxes. But man, my $60 tasco can get rid of parallax.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

The one they sent me is still in the box but they said they would check it before sending it out. The old one was really bad, I could get the cross hairs to move 2 inches at 70 yards by moving my head and the knob did nothing to change that. Only bad part about the deal is I had to pay to send it back to them and I was chasing a .17 hornet accuracy issue for 2 weeks and I think it was the damn scope lol.

 

[Birddog6424]

Hilarious, you went back 3-4 pages to bump this thread just to call me out. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, not go "there" and get rude, which I hate to do anyway, I'm not that way normally. Believe me, there are a bunch of volleys I could come back with but this time I choose to take the high road.

Just don't read my posts, skip me over, that is if you can find the strength to. Put me on ignore, whatever it takes.

Buy the product, make up your own mind and act accordingly. You'll see the value in them or you won't. There's other scope Co's and other threads. Why not go and call out Rob with Vortex or Birddog with Burris and harass them.

Haha....no fair..

I already get my fair share of harassment despite the fact that I try hard to stay in my lane. Don't send me more ")

I guess its just the nature of the Hide.

No one screws with Rob because he's a moderator....

 

[digrazir]

I have an AI AT that I shoot probably 75 percent of the time. I have a S&B on my AT. I have a couple of other rifles I would like to upgrade the optics on. The S&B is just not in the budget and I don't want to switch optics between rifles. I already have 4 barrels on the AT. The 4.5-29 Athlon Cronus at $1500 to1600 would make sense to me if I could I feel confident it was up to the job. Or would I be better off with the Vortex Razor..Ray

 

[flatland1]

The newer BTR version of the Cronus dealt with the only real issue I have with my older Cronus scopes - the very small font they used on the knobs makes it difficult for my 65+yr old eyes to see easily. Sure, if I'm wearing my bifocals, I can tilt my head back to read them, but I much prefer the easy-to-read large numerals on my Kahles K624i scopes, which I can read with my shooting glasses - and in dim light. There are two rows of numbers on the Kahles turrets, the upper row being used for the 2nd revolution, just like the Cronus. Even with the parallax ring sitting under the elevation knob of the Kahles, those turrets are still shorter than the ones on the Cronus scopes, so any argument that the Cronus designers might put forward about saving space with the smaller numbers doesn't carry any water IMHO.

Other than that, I'm very pleased with my Cronus scopes, and will probably order one of the BTR models for a Bighorn TL2-LA I'm building in 6.5x55AI.

 

[steve123]

Haha....no fair..

I already get my fair share of harassment despite the fact that I try hard to stay in my lane. Don't send me more ")

I guess its just the nature of the Hide.

No one screws with Rob because he's a moderator....

Sorry about that. I think highly of yourself and Rob and respect your contributions here on the Hide!

Pell1203, since you got yours that hopefully means I'm getting my Cronus BTR soon, that is if I made it in the first shipment. I'd sure like to use it at the Battle Royale next month if possible.

 

[JackShiloh]

Just to share my 2 cents on the Athlon Cronus. I purchased one in May 2016 to put on a new 260 Rem w/24" barrel build for tactical rifle competitions. I was shooting (and still am) a 280 AI with a 28" barrel in club level long range competitions. I wanted a lighter, softer recoiling rifle for movement, etc. After mounting and zeroing, I did a tracking test. I've performed tracking tests on about a dozen scopes and only one (a Kahles K624i) was so right on out to 40 MOA that I couldn't even justify entering a scope correction factor into my ballistics calculator. To my surprise, the Athlon Cronus performed just as well.

Next range session I brought out my Kahles to compare side by side with the Cronus. In my opinion, and the opinion of two other random guys at the range that day, the Cronus had a slightly sharper image quality than the Kahles. I know that will be blasphemy for some,,,just sharing my experience.

Since then, I've put 1500+ rounds through the rifle/Cronus in various competitions, practice, load testing, etc. The tracking has remained true and I haven't had any issues. I did replace the O-rings and add some different grease to improve the tactile feel of the turrets, but it's a great scope for my purposes. So much so that I sold my Kahles and now run an Athlon Cronus on my 280 AI also.

Is it perfect. Of course not. The parallax and magnification rings are way too tight. Even after 9 months of hard use, they have not loosened up. The clicks are mushy compared to Kahles, ATACR, and others. The parallax markings are meaningless. However, I did like it enough to sell my $3K Kahles, buy a second Cronus for $1600, and use the remaining funds for other fun stuff. Not a fan boy, just a happy customer and pleased with the performance and value.

 

[ICU22250]

I know it's not the high end Athlon, but I stopped in at a dealer yesterday and looked at a Talos 4-14 and the parallax knob was so damn tight I couldn't hardly move it... I'm glad I didn't order one of these online...
​​​​​

 

[texasplinker]

I went back to my air gun field target roots and looked up the A Team parallax elimination process. Seems to have worked. The 1/10 Mil wobble is gone. Work was done in the back yard, so I haven't had a chance to shoot it again yet.

Guide reference below

Https://www.bcsportsmen.org/ft/A_Team_Parallax_adjustment_procedure.pdf

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[dhamby]

Sorry about that. I think highly of yourself and Rob and respect your contributions here on the Hide!

Pell1203, since you got yours that hopefully means I'm getting my Cronus BTR soon, that is if I made it in the first shipment. I'd sure like to use it at the Battle Royale next month if possible.

Whenever you're ready to pick one up let me know. I'll be happy to get you taken care of sir.

 

[locked&loaded]

Pulled the Bushnell G2DMR off and got the Cronus BTR mounted up on the Badger. Testing to come.

 

[spyder90]

Ive got an argos btr 6-24x50 on my ar grendel build and i like it a lot so far. Its my first setup like this so i am still learning, but compared it to others and seems pretty good for the money. We will see how it holds up in the long run.
​​​​​

 

[PHXScorpion]

Anyone had a chance to use the Ares? Trying to decide if I want to wait until May or fork up a few hundred more for a vortex pst gen2.

 

[Shelbyk7]

heres a quick reference here for the Ares vs Viper pst Gen2

I am still taking pre-orders on the Ares. The Ares has been gaining momentum here recently. This is going to be a big deal, a lot of scope for the money.

 

[earthquake]

Anyone had a chance to use the Ares? Trying to decide if I want to wait until May or fork up a few hundred more for a vortex pst gen2.

Been using the 4-27x Ares for a month. Did a tracking test on it and have made hits on steel with it in dim lighting. Will be using it in a sniper match this weekend.
Depending on when I have to send it back to Athlon, I will write up a fuller review and video. I don't do quick reviews right outta the box. I like to abuse stuff for a while.

 

[digrazir]

Been using the 4-27x Ares for a month. Did a tracking test on it and have made hits on steel with it in dim lighting. Will be using it in a sniper match this weekend.
Depending on when I have to send it back to Athlon, I will write up a fuller review and video. I don't do quick reviews right outta the box. I like to abuse stuff for a while.

I am looking forward to your review. The specs look good. Thinking about the 4-27 Ares or the new Vortex 5-25. I actually like the Burris xtr II also. Ray

 

[Triple D]

Been using the 4-27x Ares for a month. Did a tracking test on it and have made hits on steel with it in dim lighting. Will be using it in a sniper match this weekend.
Depending on when I have to send it back to Athlon, I will write up a fuller review and video. I don't do quick reviews right outta the box. I like to abuse stuff for a while.

How'd the tracking test go? I was hoping to run a test last weekend, but the wind was gusting too much for an accurate test. I was able to put the Ares heads up vs a Sightron SIII and a Vortex PST though. Hoping to get them out together one more time to capture some video.

 

[earthquake]

How'd the tracking test go? I was hoping to run a test last weekend, but the wind was gusting too much for an accurate test. I was able to put the Ares heads up vs a Sightron SIII and a Vortex PST though. Hoping to get them out together one more time to capture some video.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1119823708146335&id=1115849755210397

 

[6point5CM]

How'd the tracking test go? I was hoping to run a test last weekend, but the wind was gusting too much for an accurate test. I was able to put the Ares heads up vs a Sightron SIII and a Vortex PST though. Hoping to get them out together one more time to capture some video.

How was it compared to a SIII? That's one of my biggest questions. SIII glass and tracking are very good for the money. I figured the Ares would be very close, but with some added bells and whistles?

 

[Triple D]

To me and those with me, the SIII glass was better. Brighter, better contrast and increased resolution when evaluated at the same magnification. The brightness could be due the 56mm objective, but I really think it's the overall glass package in the SIII's. I no longer have their 50mm offerings, but when I did, I didn't see a huge variation between it and the 56mm version under good lighting conditions. The eye box seemed to be more forgiving with the SIII.

When the mirage picked up, the difference in the glass really stood out. When the Ares washed out the SIII had less distortion and required less magnification reduction to obtain a clear image.

The Ares has good glass for its feature set and price point, but it's a step below the SIII glass, imo. Both had better glass than the Gen 1 PST. You certainly get more features with the Ares vs the SIII, and you get better glass with the Ares vs Gen 1 PST.

 

[6point5CM]

To me and those with me, the SIII glass was better. Brighter, better contrast and increased resolution when evaluated at the same magnification. The brightness could be due the 56mm objective, but I really think it's the overall glass package in the SIII's. I no longer have their 50mm offerings, but when I did, I didn't see a huge variation between it and the 56mm version under good lighting conditions. The eye box seemed to be more forgiving with the SIII.

When the mirage picked up, the difference in the glass really stood out. When the Ares washed out the SIII had less distortion and required less magnification reduction to obtain a clear image.

The Ares has good glass for its feature set and price point, but it's a step below the SIII glass, imo. Both had better glass than the Gen 1 PST. You certainly get more features with the Ares vs the SIII, and you get better glass with the Ares vs Gen 1 PST.

Good info. Thanks for the response.

 

[frostyline]

Hi, the production run of the Ares BTR 2.5-15x50 MOA will be ready for shipping by April 20th, and Mil version by April 30th. ETA for Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 currently still set on May 15th if everything runs smoothly. So far we have got great feedbacks from those who have been testing all the first round demo units and we are implementing some minor changes, such as adding half mil mark and increasing the size of fonts. Stay tuned...

 

[BallisticSam]

Just purchased the Argos 6-24x50 mil/mil wont get it until next week. Will post some feed back after I take it to the range.

 

[justiw]

Hi, the production run of the Ares BTR 2.5-15x50 MOA will be ready for shipping by April 20th, and Mil version by April 30th. ETA for Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 currently still set on May 15th if everything runs smoothly. So far we have got great feedbacks from those who have been testing all the first round demo units and we are implementing some minor changes, such as adding half mil mark and increasing the size of fonts. Stay tuned...

Any word on the Helos line? I think I like the Helos reticle better, but obviously the Ares line has lots of upsides. Can you clarify if there are changes to the Ares reticles?

 

[BallisticSam]

Well balls......I got the Argos in and have to send it to Athlon for a Wind-age knob fix or what ever they do. Scope came in today took it out of the box which came from MidwayUSA via UPS and pulled it out of the plastic then immediately noticed that the wind-age knob was canted. So I put the scope in the rings on the rifle to "hold it" and went to tighten the knob set screw but everything was nice and tight. I can grab the knob and wiggle it around a considerable amount. But! the rest of the scope including the Elevation knob is Awesome! Man that glass and reticle are bad F'n ass! I like the weight of it, feels solid and the clicks are audible not super "fancy scope" great but they will work. I have it mounted on a Ruger RPR "like everyone else...ever" and its sitting in the really nice "sleeper product" AR Stoner 30mm one piece scope mount w/0moa. I say sleeper b/c I now have two of the mounts for under 80 bucks each and I have used, shot, dropped, and hammered the shit out of the one I have on my .223 AR. I have taken that mount off maybe 4 times now "from the AR" and it has always went right back to Zer0! Also the mount set the Argos just right on the rifle, no neck strain to see through and no weird check rest height, just right. Anyways Total PRS production class rifle "budget" is the correct term I guess. So I hope to get the scope back or a new one but really hope something different isn't wrong with the next one b/c I could live with this turret like this just to keep the rest of the scope free of defects like it is. I'll see what happens. Also again very surprised by the glass and reticle!

 

[BallisticSam]

Called Athlon and they are sending me a New Argos with some updates. Talked to Jason "the man in the Athlon videos" on the phone and He couldn't have been any nicer. They emailed me a shipping label and the scope will be off to them today. This is good customer service. Can't wait to get it the new one back and go shoot.

 

[Ravenyzf-r6]

I have an Ares on order, good to know they are taking care of you.

 

[digrazir]

I received my Athlon Cronus BTR 4.5-29x56 today. Just looking through the glass off the deck it looks super clear. I have it mounted on an AX338 Lapua. I am going to take it out Sunday and do a 100 yard sight in. I am bringing one of my other rifles with a 5-25x56 S&B. I will be able to do a kind of a non scientific comparison with me and some of the other guys at the range. Ray

 

[digrazir]

I received my Athlon Cronus BTR 4.5-29x56 today. Just looking through the glass off the deck it looks super clear. I have it mounted on an AX338 Lapua. I am going to take it out Sunday and do a 100 yard sight in. I am bringing one of my other rifles with a 5-25x56 S&B. I will be able to do a kind of a non scientific comparison with me and some of the other guys at the range. Ray

Just back from the range...The glass on the Cronus is awesome...every bit as good as the S&B according to my eyes. Great eye relief. I was only able to zero at 100 yards today because because a service rifle match was going on the longer range...The turrets and zero stop is straight forward and easy to setup..On my S&B scopes, one has the DT turrets and the other has the MTC locking turrets...which I do like better than the Cronus..Considering the super good deal I got from on the scope from one of the other hide members who ordered it directly from Athlon, paying less than half of what another S&B would cost I am very satisfied. Just to be clear I am in no way promoting Athlon scopes, because other than Cronus BTR I just purchased, I have never seen one before..After talking to the boys at Athlon a few times on the phone I decided to take a chance..Just wanted to share my experience is all....Ray