It is sexy, bout the best looking one out there honestly.
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New Arken Offering
- Thread starter fdkay
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Which Arken thread is this? They all are the same.
Arken should change their name to Argue.
...unfortunately that is true. Posts containing information that prospective purchaser's look for eventually get lost in the back & forth that has little to do with the scopes attributes but more with individuals "opinions"...
...there are probably more enthusiasts reading the SH forums that CANNOT afford the scopes costing $500+ - $5000+, regardless of the claimed superiority in glass, adjustment, etc., those brands may have. When a scope that they can afford hits the market, they look for unbiased info on the attributes and performance to determine if it might meet their REALISTIC needs and objectives. Digressing to the "poors" -vs- "not poors" dialogues doesn't do any good in providing the info sought.
I totally agree, any one who’s ever googled a scope, snipershide is usually top of the list. Then they click on it and it’s 200 pages of arguing. Then the new guy joins and the scope lickers tell him to go be poor somewhere else and he leaves the site usually for good.
I wonder how much nonmember traffic this site gets when a new scope comes out.??
Perhaps I missed it, but where did anyone claim for ppl to go be poor somewhere else in the past 2 pages?
If anything, the thread took a bit of a downward spiral when some “wild” speculations were made on components and potential suppliers was made.
There’s nothing wrong with people only being able to afford a 500$ optic. Get what you can afford. I was there when I first got into the LR game. But at the same token, there needs to be realistic expectations and information presented, when possible.
The wild speculation on parts/materials just clouds the actual truth for potential buyers. I admit, I mainly run 1800-3500$ optics, but I’ve got several 450-850$ optics. When I see speculation that just seems “too good to be true” about newer optics, I tend to immediately shy away. It just comes off as too much of a hard sell.
If you post speculation/unsubstantiated possibilities and ppl respond with a bit of disbelief or questions and your immediate response is to start with insults, that kind of seals the deal that whoever was trying to hard sell an idea realizing that they missed the mark…
If anything, the thread took a bit of a downward spiral when some “wild” speculations were made on components and potential suppliers was made.
There’s nothing wrong with people only being able to afford a 500$ optic. Get what you can afford. I was there when I first got into the LR game. But at the same token, there needs to be realistic expectations and information presented, when possible.
The wild speculation on parts/materials just clouds the actual truth for potential buyers. I admit, I mainly run 1800-3500$ optics, but I’ve got several 450-850$ optics. When I see speculation that just seems “too good to be true” about newer optics, I tend to immediately shy away. It just comes off as too much of a hard sell.
If you post speculation/unsubstantiated possibilities and ppl respond with a bit of disbelief or questions and your immediate response is to start with insults, that kind of seals the deal that whoever was trying to hard sell an idea realizing that they missed the mark…
If you guys don’t like Arken why come in the thread, I know why. It’s to stir the pot.
It’s a cheap scope that appears to be solid, guys who don’t own tier one optics are hoping for the best. Not sure why that triggers people. If you don’t like it compared to other optics, DONT go into a Arken thread because that’s exactly whats happening. I mean, there’s like three or four threads on Arken and they all are comparing it. It’s pretty easy to see that.
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You’re assuming. I don’t dislike companies/inanimate objects. I’m just looking for information. As one poster stated, “Arken reviews are all over the place”. I can kind of see where he’s coming from. A big part of that is likely people thinking a scope should compare to scope X based on forum posts/speculation, with some likely being accurate, and other speculation leading ppl to expectations that might not be there.
Very fair point, I don’t think guys checking out Arken are expecting Nightforce quality, but the two 34mm models that are out, and the serious testing on them by guys who use top tier scopes compare them to about 90% of the Nightforce type of durability and glass, why couldn’t one speculate about the next model, especially since every new model that comes out, is always better than the last. There’s enough data out there to make a educated guess. I just can’t see the controversy here, guys give their opinion on a scope, but if that scope is a 500$ scope, then they are instantly dismissed as a shill. Most will tell you the difference between a Nightforce ATACR and a strike eagle glass wise Is about 15 minutes of light at dusk. If the Arken is tracking across several units tested to average of about one tenth of a percent, then what’s the beef? I just don’t get it. I think it’s because the gap is closing and people are realizing how overpriced optics are for the little bit more clarity and light gathering and it pisses them off a poor boy might have a good scope that cost several thousand less.
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I’ve seen that posted before and that’s a very oversimplified statement. Contrast, color, resolution, eye box, depth of field ….the list goes on, all better on the ATACR than the Strike Eagle.
But you did hit on what I would personally be touting if I was an Arken affiliate. The tracking. If the glass is good and tracking is spot on, those would be the selling points I’d highlight against other optics at its price point.
This stuff is so rich -
Correct me if I am wrong, but ED means the glass places in a certain area of the Abbe Index - however this is a refractive index that really just judges the ability of the glass to refract at two wavelengths. Scopes, bino's, etc are superior to others because of the design of the optic, not because they spec'd slightly better glass than another one. Please tell me, how large is the team of engineers designing Arkens scopes? Seems to me like a group of guys spec'ing standard scopes from outsourced manufacturers and putting their names on it, but please correct me if I am wrong.
According to people who nerd out on this way more than anyone on this forum other that Koskhin, ED is really nothing more than a marketing term at this point, and there is higher quality Chinese HD glass these days than Japanese ED glass - if you were to pay for it. If you guys want to learn more about this stuff, the info is out there - birding and astrology forums are good places to go.
Arken put Japanese glass in its scope so that it could market that it has Japanese glass, which will incite people such as in this thread to speculate widely as to its quality as compared to brands like NF.
Oh and why are people in here? You guys keep bumping the damn thread, so we click on it.
Correct me if I am wrong, but ED means the glass places in a certain area of the Abbe Index - however this is a refractive index that really just judges the ability of the glass to refract at two wavelengths. Scopes, bino's, etc are superior to others because of the design of the optic, not because they spec'd slightly better glass than another one. Please tell me, how large is the team of engineers designing Arkens scopes? Seems to me like a group of guys spec'ing standard scopes from outsourced manufacturers and putting their names on it, but please correct me if I am wrong.
According to people who nerd out on this way more than anyone on this forum other that Koskhin, ED is really nothing more than a marketing term at this point, and there is higher quality Chinese HD glass these days than Japanese ED glass - if you were to pay for it. If you guys want to learn more about this stuff, the info is out there - birding and astrology forums are good places to go.
Arken put Japanese glass in its scope so that it could market that it has Japanese glass, which will incite people such as in this thread to speculate widely as to its quality as compared to brands like NF.
Smartest post in this thread.
Dude you went out of your way to troll the S&B thread for like 3-4 days, and readily admitted it was trolling. Fuckin hilarious you would then take this stance in here.
Oh and why are people in here? You guys keep bumping the damn thread, so we click on it.
I think you’re not getting my attitude on scopes, I’m not partial to scopes, I really don’t care. Maybe I’m not coming off like I think i am, but my trolling and trashing only happens when my cage is rattled, I don’t go looking for fights. It’s just a tool. If it wasn’t for the scope lickers, I would just have a normal conversations. Im a member of several other forums and non of them are as brutal as this one. This place has a lot of egos, and lots of clashes. You’re talking about the S&B trash thread? Well that turned to shit early and not from me. We had fun over there and everyone got along for the most part. Are you implying I shouldn’t be here because I was in that trash thread? Why? Am I supposed to stay out of a budget thread because I also said S&B isn’t junk? Because all that shit I posted about S&B was all jokes, I admitted several times I think they are one of the best. Oh..wait…. Maybe it’s because I don’t take non of it seriously, and you guys totally take it seriously. Guys need to lighten up, it’s a Internet forum, with serous discussion and total shit shows.This stuff is so rich -
Correct me if I am wrong, but ED means the glass places in a certain area of the Abbe Index - however this is a refractive index that really just judges the ability of the glass to refract at two wavelengths. Scopes, bino's, etc are superior to others because of the design of the optic, not because they spec'd slightly better glass than another one. Please tell me, how large is the team of engineers designing Arkens scopes? Seems to me like a group of guys spec'ing standard scopes from outsourced manufacturers and putting their names on it, but please correct me if I am wrong.
According to people who nerd out on this way more than anyone on this forum other that Koskhin, ED is really nothing more than a marketing term at this point, and there is higher quality Chinese HD glass these days than Japanese ED glass - if you were to pay for it. If you guys want to learn more about this stuff, the info is out there - birding and astrology forums are good places to go.
Arken put Japanese glass in its scope so that it could market that it has Japanese glass, which will incite people such as in this thread to speculate widely as to its quality as compared to brands like NF.
Smartest post in this thread.
Dude you went out of your way to troll the S&B thread for like 3-4 days, and readily admitted it was trolling. Fuckin hilarious you would then take this stance in here.
Oh and why are people in here? You guys keep bumping the damn thread, so we click on it.
You click on it because your ego can’t take it. You gotta make sure you tell the Arken guys your way more superior than them. I think that’s why you showed up here now.
Worst case scenario, you'll look through and say, "Yep, that's a $550 scope..." and still not be disappointed. And if it exceeds expectations, even better.
Just tried them, #GoBrandon is no longer valid. But you can still get that $170 Precision Pack for free with that Save$170 code. It still works, just tried it as well.
Maybe that’s the code someone said was still working. My memory sucks.
Lol, it’s the dudes who used to lick their fingers and wipe the dirt off of their air Jordan’s in high school. They just do it with their scopes now. They buy top tier and we never know how durable it is because they lick the dirt off of it, and treat it like it’s a dozen eggs.
Why are they idiots? How much longer can they stay at dusk compared to the low tiers?
Dude, don’t mess w/my new Jordans.
Lol.
Forget dusk, my buddy’s strike eagle looks like a thoroughly licked window compared to my NF 2.5-10x42 in broad daylight but its also like 1/3rd the price so its not surprising. There’s less of a difference between the NF and my SBs but its still noticeable. Contrast, color, sharpness, all quite a noticeable difference.
My SBs look lesser when compared to TT, in line with expectations given price point differences. Only alphas I haven’t spent any time with are Hensoldt’s 3-26 and a ZComp but I imagine they are similar to the TT optically.
The strike eagle is functional and does work just fine but to say its glass can go toe-to-toe with a NF or Vortex Razor is a silly thing for people to say.
Dont get so emotional over scopes, frankly who cares. As long as the scope works and meets one’s needs is all that counts.
I think you and I feel the same about scopes. It’s just a tool. If the tool you chose isn’t doing the task, then you have to get a better tool. But the tool that didn’t quite work for that task might work for something else.
If you kept on reading, you would have learned he originally ordered a SH4 before the EP5's were released. He emailed them and wanted to change the order. They changed it, but accidently printed a shipping label for the SH4, that's why he got the notification.
Trolls will be trolls. I suspect these are the same people that interject their opinion on social and in life in general regarding issues they know little about or have 1/2 the facts. Just like running their mouth…or in many cases their keyboard.
There's a bunch of them on here, that's for sure. Mention Arken, and their chains get rattled. I try to avoid threads of things I have no interest in, or don't know anything about. Wish more people would adopt that mentality.
Just as many shills, and no I have never bashed the scope, I have yet to see one at the range to be able to look through one. So until I actually look through one I will not pass judgement. I have questioned the intentional or unintentional outlandish claims of how good the scope is, could very well be misleading potential buyers.
You're passing judgment by calling us all shills who own them. I have bought all 4 of mine, and have no association with any company. I'm not a shill. Shills have ulterior motives...I don't. I want people to see that good capable scopes don't have to cost $2,000. Are they $2000 scopes? Absolutely not. But are they just as capable at allowing you to shoot just as far? Yes. They're just not quite as good on the glass quality.
If my life depended on it, or if I made a living shooting guns, then maybe I could justify buying $3,500 scopes, but since I do this for fun, I have to live within my means. And after the last 2 years, so do MANY other Americans. I like finding the diamond in the rough...That underestimated product that really does punch above it's price point. And if I do find something worthy of starting a thread over, I do.
Why is it that as soon as someone does this about anything, everyone screams the sky is falling. Have we all been so conditioned to believe that nothing is truly as good, or better, than what it costs? If so, that's sad... We, as a society, need to change our mindset, and be more openminded.
Whats ironic is people talking shit about this scope through their Apple devices. This scope is made in china in an Arken facility with Arken having total control over production. Would I prefer this scope be made here? Of course. What if the company takes off and in the future maybe it will?
Wait, you're telling me that Arken has their own factory in China, as in they own it?
I really thought Arken was a little American start up using an OEM to build their scopes to spec on contract. But you're saying they have their own production facility in China?
I don't understand why Arken scopes are being compared to scopes that cost $2,000 and up in the first place. They are not in that market.
I compare them to the Athlon Argos, Athlon Helos, Bushnell Match Pro and Vortex Diamondback Tactical. That's the niche they are in.
Does an Arken suit my needs better than other scopes in their price range? Yes. So I bought some.
I compare them to the Athlon Argos, Athlon Helos, Bushnell Match Pro and Vortex Diamondback Tactical. That's the niche they are in.
Does an Arken suit my needs better than other scopes in their price range? Yes. So I bought some.
I dunno if they own it, but Apple doesn't own it either. Thats what their marketing guy said in an interview.
You're right, Apple uses a variety of companies to manufacture and assemble their product under contract, some of which are Chinese, or at least located in China.
Maybe it's just more "creative marketing," but the phrase "made in china in an Arken facility with Arken having total control over production" suggest something different to me than using an OEM to build a scope to spec, like for example Athlon or Vortex might do with their lower priced scopes.
It suggests either that Arken partly owns the facility, or maybe that Arken is just a brand name being used by a larger, possibly Chinese owned company to sell their product in the US.
Point is, I was under the impression Arken was a small American based start-up that was having scopes build by a Chinese OEM. That doesn't seem consistent with having their own factory in China.
Arken optics?
Anyone out there using Arken optics? What’s your thoughts? Are they really manufactured in the USofA?
My understanding is it took Chinese optics companies (such as Celestron and Vanguard) years to build to the point they could control all parts of the production process "under one roof" for their lines that they determined necessitated such control. And these are Chinese companies manufacturing in their own country (and much larger companies than Arken). Its very hard to believe that an American start-up with just 6 optics offered for sale has already done the same. But that would be very cool. Please post the info publicly.
Yeah I’m not sure.
I can only repeat what Arken said.
I have no reason to doubt them, everything they have said has been true about their products
What the Arken Rep says in the advertisement that 918v posted is contradicted by the text that appears when he's finished talking.
At around 2:00, Michael tells "cyclops" they design, build, assemble, and qc everything "in house" and that they don't order OEM scopes like their larger competitors do. And then text appears saying "they order everything to their specs."
Problem is, the two statements seem contradictory. If you're doing everything "in-house" in China, then you should not be ordering everything 'to your spec" as you're manufacturing them "in-house." And the implication is that you own and run the factory in China. And the EP5 with "Japanese glass" complicates that even more.
It's also dishonest to imply that companies like Athlon and Vortex don't design their own products, just because they're made overseas.
I really don't understand why "we have everything made to our specs by other vendors, so we can sell you a great scope at the cheapest possible price" isn't good enough. Because I would believe that.
But "we do everything in house, and the scope is $500, and is better than a NIghtforce" is impossible to believe.
I’d email Michael and have him clarify it if you guys are really concerned. He’ll clarify I’m sure.
It doesn’t bother me that much because at the end of the day, if I’m buying a 500$ scope, I expect it to be made in the pacific rim somewhere. Looks to be a solid Chinese made scope, with steel mechanisms and good enough glass to take advantage of the supersonic capabilities of the cartridges I’m using them on.
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.....this is the age of "globalism" & "outsourcing".... it's not unrealistic for companies to source some of the parts in their product from foreign/offshore countries which they then assemble into the parts they produce in-house to make the final/finished product. The sourced parts when purchased in bulk can be a significant cost-savings in the total cost of the finished product, which can be passed on to the consumer, hopefully. Also, IIRC there is a federal "labeling" law that requires that foreign made finished products have to be labeled as to the country of origin, there are no such labels evident on my Arken scope or the packaging it came in, unlike my other optics that do have labels stating the country of origin as did their packaging. Some companies source all of the parts and components of their product from multiple sources and then assemble them into the finished product(s) they sell, allowing for that loose claim of "Made in XXtheirlocale".
...to add to this seemingly never-ending discussion, consider this: The big 3 USA auto companies vehicles are all built (or assembled really) in good ol` USA and advertised as "Made in USA".....but they contain a myriad of parts and components sourced from outside of the USA, like electronics, engines, etc. It is pretty much that way for the majority of products available for the consumer market world-wide. Kinda like those US scope brands "Made in the USA" but they have Japanese/European lenses/glass....
...in the end, all that matters is if the scopes work as advertised and if the purchaser feels they received the value for the money they spent.
...to add to this seemingly never-ending discussion, consider this: The big 3 USA auto companies vehicles are all built (or assembled really) in good ol` USA and advertised as "Made in USA".....but they contain a myriad of parts and components sourced from outside of the USA, like electronics, engines, etc. It is pretty much that way for the majority of products available for the consumer market world-wide. Kinda like those US scope brands "Made in the USA" but they have Japanese/European lenses/glass....
...in the end, all that matters is if the scopes work as advertised and if the purchaser feels they received the value for the money they spent.
It doesn't bother anyone else either - why we are wondering is 2 fold: It seems far fetched & it keeps getting stated as fact, although nobody seems to actually know.
It would be a positive step if this is the case, not just for Arken but for the lower end, Chinese source optic industry in general.
I got my ep5 in today. First impressions are split so far. Some of the things I liked. The glass seems pretty damn good for what they cost! I really enjoy the reticle, layouts good and I like the thicker center cross for hunting. Overall the scope seems pretty well built. Some of the more ehh stuff. The eye box is tight at max range but does get better the lower you go, so its acceptable. The illumination gets washed out but I didn't expect much either. the turrets remind me of a gen 1 pst which aren't my favorite but light years better than the diamondback tac its replacing. My only big complaint is my elevating turret seems like it has an unnecessary amount of play in it. Like a half click movement of slop. I won't get it out till this weekend to see if it's actually trying to adjust it that much or if it's just the turret body. wouldn't be as concerned but the windage is perfect so Its a little disappointing. overall though I think I'm gonna be happy with it for the 450 it cost, even if it just ends up on a hunting rifle.
Check the turret screws, I had a swfa like that, I contacted them to return it, I was just about to box it up and I decided to check the turret screws and two were loose allowing it to be sloppy.
That’s abnormal for the turret with the 5 Arkens I’ve had. One EP4 returned for parallax issues and they promptly replaced it with a newer black version. It was the original dark gray. I’m returning an EP5 as the parallax works but doesn’t match to the yardage on it. More for in case I sell it later on. I did notice a statement on their website about a 30 day return policy for defects so keep that in mind.
Edit 2/16/22:
Mailed out 2/19/22 and got a brand new one today and parallax issue seems fixed fyi.
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