Rifle Scopes FYI - Athlon Ares ETR 1-10x28!

[gnochi]

I'm about to order a 1-10x Athlon Ares ETR. I'm new to the LVPO world and have a question to the experts if ya don't mind?

For a mid-range (100 - 500 yd) AR DM rifle setup, would you want a 20MOA built-in to your cantilever scope mount? Right now I have a Warne (0-MOA) on my 1-6x which I just started shooting, but am considering Athlon's cantilever mount....just don't know if I should get 0-MOA or 20-MOA.

Thanks!

I agree with @toeheadAR that 0moa is fine. 20moa is mostly used when dialing at longer distances; it’s not helpful for holdovers. This also keeps you near the optical center so the glass is slightly clearer and less distorted.

 

[Draftpick]

How would the glass on the Ares compare to the GLX line from PA?

 

[padom]

Im gonna throw mine in a ADM 0MOA 34mm mount for testing.

How would the glass on the Ares compare to the GLX line from PA?

Have you read this thread? Lol..

 

[zekers7]

Any updates on this/release?

 

[Blazin]

Any updates on this/release?

Not sure how accurate it is, but Midway shows an expected arrival date of late Feb.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Just spoke with Athlon and they are eminently arriving.

Get your pre-orders in so we can get one out to you from this 1st delivery

 

[zekers7]

Just spoke with Athlon and they are eminently arriving.

Get your pre-orders in so we can get one out to you from this 1st delivery

Already have one on order with you guys

 

[BuckTheSystem]

Any word on when these are shipping? I've got the MOA version on pre-order from CameraLand. Haven't seen much additional information surface on these, just anxiously awaiting some news!

 

[gr8fuldoug]

I have been told we will see some in the next 2-3 weeks.

Accepting pre-orders

 

[gbaby125]

Athlon told SWFA they have none in stock and there is no ETA on this scope.

I ordered one from them because they had an MOA version as "in stock". Emailed them as to the status and this was their answer.

I see Midway has the cheaper version 1-10x SFP as "available".

Anyone hear anything else?

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Spoke with Athlon and the Ares ETR 1-10's will be into us in 2-3 weeks

 

[padom]

Athlon told SWFA they have none in stock and there is no ETA on this scope.

I ordered one from them because they had an MOA version as "in stock". Emailed them as to the status and this was their answer.

I see Midway has the cheaper version 1-10x SFP as "available".

Anyone here anything else?

Spoke to my contacts at Athlon on Tuesday. Said mine will be shipping to me for review the 2nd or 3rd week of March. I assume this is when they will have received their shipment for everyone else as well but dont quote me on that.

 

[gbaby125]

Thanks for the updates.

I'll probably get one from Cameraland when I get me refund.

Canceled my order with SWFA. Not sure how swfa could not know when a reviewer and vender here already have an eta, but seems to me they are FOS at SWFA or just have no clue, or maybe just don't want to commit with an answer?

 

[Mk32784]

Anyone know how the illumination is?

 

[FunkyTownScout]

So is the weight 19 oz like most retailers have or 27 oz like athlon website says?

 

[Kickin45]

And, is it 1-10x24 like Athlon says or 28 like the retailers quote?
And will the MOA BDC work for .308?
Too many questions not enough answers.

 

[j_dub]

I'm curious about illumination as well. Any comments from Athlon?

 

[padom]

Since nobody has them yet other than early testers the answer is dont know. We should have them in hand next week or the following and will post full reviews.

 

[Blazin]

Athlon rep just told me we're looking at April.

 

[Kickin45]

 

[Greyswandir]

Athlon rep just told me we're looking at April.

Pretty much everything from China and overseas is being delayed due to shipping/docking/offloading being incredibly backed up.

 

[schlaiek]

is this a chinese made scope? I'll admit I'm not familiar with most of the Athlon lineup, but a $1k asking price is a lot for a chinese lvpo vs something made in Japan or the Philippines...

 

[gnochi]

is this a chinese made scope? I'll admit I'm not familiar with most of the Athlon lineup, but a $1k asking price is a lot for a chinese lvpo vs something made in Japan or the Philippines...

The Area ETR line is made in China, but it’s not chinesium. It’s a couple hundred bucks cheaper than the exact thing made in PH (save $300 on labor, add $100 in quality control) and about half the price of something comparable made in Japan (save $1000 in labor, add $150 in quality control).

 

[skl1]

Sure like the profile of the Primary Arms. The bubble look where the erector mech is setup on the Razor and the Athlon isn't aesthetically pleasing to me. Yes, I realize that if I was a real ninja I wouldn't care how it looks.

 

[Kickin45]

Those 3 scopes have nearly the same design aesthetically on the outside, especially the erector bubble.
Not sure what you mean otherwise.

 

[skl1]

Those 3 scopes have nearly the same design aesthetically on the outside, especially the erector bubble.
Not sure what you mean otherwise.

The erector box on the primary arms has squarer edges with a chamfer vs a full round case. Maybe it's just the fact that the PA pics posted are profile shots.

 

[chopit]

Anybody heard an update?

 

[padom]

Nothing

 

[Twistid]

Really want to like this scope, hoping it has the "razor effect" where the scope/turrets disappear at 1x, daylight bright, and a forgiving eyebox up to 10x. I'm ready to spend the money if it's good to go.

Between this and the PA 1-10 made by JOLusa.

 

[Kickin45]

Well I bought a Swampfox 1-10. Got tired of waiting.
DLO gave a great review on the Arrowhead, so I’m willing to try it out. Apparently it has fantastic glass.
still curious about the Ares, but tired of delays.

 

[gbaby125]

Well I bought a Swampfox 1-10. Got tired of waiting.
DLO gave a great review on the Arrowhead, so I’m willing to try it out. Apparently it has fantastic glass.
still curious about the Ares, but tired of delays.

I had a couple of Arrowhead 1-10's and I liked them quite a bit. Used them as a placeholder for when the Gen lll's finally came out. I like them so much I ended up keeping one and selling the other. I really was surprised at how nice the glass was and it held zero on a AR308.

Very little fisheye on 1x just at the very edges, and I could make out the detail on tree bark at 170 yds.

 

[Twistid]

Called Athlon today, they said they got pushed back ~45 days from original forecast due to some issues. I'm taking that as a positive note that when they are fully released they will be 100%. They are taking pre-orders for expected ship/arrival in late April.

I'm gonna be a guinea pig and sell off one of my LOW scopes to pay for this so hopefully I'm not shooting myself in the foot!

 

[gnochi]

Called Athlon today, they said they got pushed back ~45 days from original forecast due to some issues. I'm taking that as a positive note that when they are fully released they will be 100%. They are taking pre-orders for expected ship/arrival in late April.

I'm gonna be a guinea pig and sell off one of my LOW scopes to pay for this so hopefully I'm not shooting myself in the foot!

For clarity, “issues” is almost certainly the harbor backlog that means some stuff I bought from Taiwan for my day job is going to be ~6wk late.

 

[drewthebrave]

For clarity, “issues” is almost certainly the harbor backlog that means some stuff I bought from Taiwan for my day job is going to be ~6wk late.

This is my expectation, too. EVERYTHING coming from overseas is backed up, and we're seeing crazy increases in literally all of our supplies. If it was a "quality" issue with the scopes themselves, we'd be looking at a delay of many months -- not weeks.

 

[j_dub]

Saw an updated ETA on MidwayUSA: 5/21/21

 

[zekers7]

did we ever confirm 19 vs 27 oz?

 

[Vicdiesel]

I wager that it is 27 oz. Given that the Midas BTR Gen 2 is a 1-6 and a 30mm, it comes in at 18.1 oz...

 

[Cswedeen]

The new Helos BTR 1-10x28 has a 34mm tube as well and is listed as 16 oz, so hopefully closer to 19 than 27. I wouldn't imagine FFP vs SFP would add that much weight?

 

[Neurotic]

The Cronus BTR 1-6 has a 30mm tube and is listed at 18.8 oz but they actually weigh 21.5ish oz.

 

[Cswedeen]

Ya I have a hard time seeing 27 oz when the 2.5-15x50 ares btr is near that with 50mm glass. Time will tell I guess.

 

[Joeg26er]

anyone have actual weights for these yet?

 

[toeheadAR]

I think we will need to wait until someone has one to weigh.

 

[toeheadAR]

Almost another month...anybody have any release date or weight updates?

 

[zekers7]

Any updates?

 

[gbaby125]

Emailed Athlon this weekend and they said Late July.

 

[db2000]

Correct, made by JOL in Japan.

Fairly certain Philippines for the GLx line. PLx are the only Japanese and SLx is Chinese. They’ve clarified that on here before.

 

[everready073]

It is made in Japan. Marshall has confirmed that several times.

Also the tiers don't necessarily correlate with were they are made. What you said is a good guide, but the glx 2x prism scope is china and the 1-10 is Japan

 

[Kickin45]

Do we know if late this month is still happening?

 

[Twistid]

For clarity, “issues” is almost certainly the harbor backlog that means some stuff I bought from Taiwan for my day job is going to be ~6wk late.

This is not correct, when I made that comment earlier this year the person I spoke to said they did not like the first batch and had some things to correct (that's why I said when it's finally released it "should" be 100%).

I obviously never went through with the order and settled on a Gen3 Razor instead. Hopefully they give an update, in my opinion the silence does not bode well. Just my two cents.

 

[Blazin]

Do we know if late this month is still happening?

Late July is the last I heard from Athlon rep, but there's been so many delays another wouldn't surprise me.