Scope for 12.5" 6mm ARC

[SMTGWKD]

My 12.5 shoots 108s over varget at 2335 fps. Supersonic to 950-1000.

I threw a Primary Arms 1-6 with raptor reticle on there as it was a spare scope laying around.

For all around lightweight/capability out to 900 yards and in and as a crossover hunting platform which option would you run given the following requirements:

About 12" in length
FFP
As close to 20 ounces as possible
Grid reticle for wind holds
Good quality glass

Thanks so much!

 

[godofthunder]

Razor LHT 3-15 would be a great option.

 

[SMTGWKD]

Not a bad idea - I have that same scope on my 16" Q Fix rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[FuhQ]

Kahles K318i...

 

[SBRSarge]

I have a NightForce 2.5-20 on my 12” ARC.

I think you have lots of scopes to choose from that will serve you well. Maybe choose a power range, a price range and then buy the reticle you like.

 

[SMTGWKD]

Good advice - which barrel are you running? Factory or hand loaded?

 

[SBRSarge]

I have a Monster barrel from the Grendel/6mm ARC forums. Strictly factory ammo for me. It’s been grouping about 1..25” with five shot groups at 100yds.

Not bad, but I might swap barrels and try to tighten things up a bit if the groups don’t shrink as the barrel gets seasoned a bit.

 

[TheHebrewHammer]

Steiner M7Xi 2.9-20x50.

 

[TheHebrewHammer]

I run a proof barrel in my 6 arc and it's more accurate than I am.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

About 12" in length
FFP
As close to 20 ounces as possible
Grid reticle for wind holds
Good quality glass

Budget?
I've got a similar build in 6.5 Grendel, it's a niche enough gun that I wasn't spending a lot on optics. The Athlon Helos 2-12x works out pretty great for me.

 

[fdkay]

Trijicon Credo 2-10x32 FFP

 

[SMTGWKD]

No real budget - however I echo the idea that this one may not be worth a budge t option like the helps or similar.

I have an 18" proof CF that is lights out
This is a 12.5" Faxon - if it doesn't get me sub moa I'll rebarrel to tighten things up as referenced above.

 

[SMTGWKD]

Looked hard at the Helos 2-12 from Athlon - wondering how that compares to similar optics like the Swampfox 2-12?

I have a Swampfox Arrowhead 1-10 that I've actually really liked on my Desert Tech MDRx, and I think I prefer the reticle of the Swampfox over the Helos.

Again - I'm completely fine with higher end optics as well, but won't frown on value options so long as they track well and have clear glass.

 

[david walter]

I have a Athlon Helos 2-12 on my 16”
ARC. My Mrs. has a SWFA 6x MQ in hers.

 

[fdkay]

Looked hard at the Helos 2-12 from Athlon - wondering how that compares to similar optics like the Swampfox 2-12?

I have a Swampfox Arrowhead 1-10 that I've actually really liked on my Desert Tech MDRx, and I think I prefer the reticle of the Swampfox over the Helos.

Again - I'm completely fine with higher end optics as well, but won't frown on value options so long as they track well and have clear glass.

That big ass center dot on the helos is a bit of a turn off for me.
The Primary Arms 2.5-10 Glx is worth a look as well. Much better, more usable reticle.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Looked hard at the Helos 2-12 from Athlon - wondering how that compares to similar optics like the Swampfox 2-12?

I have a Swampfox Arrowhead 1-10 that I've actually really liked on my Desert Tech MDRx, and I think I prefer the reticle of the Swampfox over the Helos.

Again - I'm completely fine with higher end optics as well, but won't frown on value options so long as they track well and have clear glass.

No experience with the Swampfox but it definitely appears to have a finer reticle. I could see it being preferable on a precision gun, but there's a case to be made for the coarser Helos reticle. For starters, the bigger dot and horseshoe makes it usable on 2x without illumination. Barely. I haven't looked through the Swampfox but experience with similar reticles at similar magnifications tells me it might not be usable. At higher magnification, if I'm using the big dot it's at something relatively close and I'm in a hurry, which is just the situation where a fat dot excels. If I'm shooting longer I'm using the tree to holdover and the dot is not a problem. The couple times I bothered dialing I still had to hold edge of target for wind (never get to hold center where I live) and the dot was still fine.
Again, on a high precision gun it's not ideal, but on my 12.8" Grendel it works great.

 

[SMTGWKD]

That big ass center dot on the helos is a bit of a turn off for me.
The Primary Arms 2.5-10 Glx is worth a look as well. Much better, more usable reticle.

I actually just sent a GLx Apollo 4-16 back to Primary Arms for warranty review due to really poor glass resolution. Couldn't get solid resolution while zeroing the rifle at 100 yards no matter the diopter/parallax combo.

Here are images of the GLx, then a PST Gen 2 3-15

 

[FuhQ]

I actually just sent a GLx Apollo 4-16 back to Primary Arms for warranty review due to really poor glass resolution. Couldn't get solid resolution while zeroing the rifle at 100 yards no matter the diopter/parallax combo.

Here are images of the GLx, then a PST Gen 2 3-15View attachment 7814029
View attachment 7814030

My Arken EP5 is worse than that...And it's going to USPS on its way back today... From 5-10x it was beautiful, from 10-16x it had horrible CA, and from 16x-25x it was completely unusable. At max mag, mine was showing 2 bullseyes left & right, but still conjoined in the middle, like a double-vision effect... And you couldn't even read the big numbers on a black Shoot-N-See 8" target @ 100 yards. No amount of parallax or diopter would clear it up. One of my SH4 Gen2's was sitting on the bench beside it, and it looked like a damn tier-one optic compared to how bad the EP5 was.

Those Primary Arms scopes look very similar in design to the Arkens... I wonder if they're built out of the same plant in China? If so, I wonder if the plant got a bad batch of glass...

 

[fdkay]

My Arken EP5 is worse than that...And it's going to USPS on its way back today... From 5-10x it was beautiful, from 10-16x it had horrible CA, and from 16x-25x it was completely unusable. At max mag, mine was showing 2 bullseyes left & right, but still conjoined in the middle, like a double-vision effect... And you couldn't even read the big numbers on a black Shoot-N-See 8" target @ 100 yards. No amount of parallax or diopter would clear it up. One of my SH4 Gen2's was sitting on the bench beside it, and it looked like a damn tier-one optic compared to how bad the EP5 was.

Those Primary Arms scopes look very similar in design to the Arkens... I wonder if they're built out of the same plant in China? If so, I wonder if the plant got a bad batch of glass...

No. The GLX series are made in the Philippines and are usually better than that.

 

[FuhQ]

No. The GLX series are made in the Philippines and are usually better than that.

My old Viper HST's are Philippines made, and they're pretty decent. Not very bright glass, and the FOV is kind of restricted, but pretty decent overall.

 

[fdkay]

I actually just sent a GLx Apollo 4-16 back to Primary Arms for warranty review due to really poor glass resolution. Couldn't get solid resolution while zeroing the rifle at 100 yards no matter the diopter/parallax combo.

Here are images of the GLx, then a PST Gen 2 3-15View attachment 7814029
View attachment 7814030

that is ugly.
Is that your range bag?

 

[SMTGWKD]

that is ugly.
Is that your range bag?

Lol - it's my son's lunch bag in the backyard.

I opted for the Glx specifically because it was manufactured in the Philippines and I've had good luck with Vortex, Nikon, etc glass from there. Typically the minimum quality I like to have.

So far the Glx is worse than the SLX I had a while back.

 

[ormandj]

ZCO 420 on my 10.5” 6mm ARC. Why not, right? Kidding, the weight doesn’t fit your requirements.

I’ve tried out the Vortex Razor LHT 4.5-22 and it’s a nice scope for the weight. I wouldn’t say the glass is great compared to something like a ZCO, but it’s not awful. That’s about as close as you’ll come - that weight requirement is tough. I just don’t like the turrets very much, and durability is yet to be seen.