I've been seeing a lot of folks taking about running the Arken EP5's for .22 comps lately. They seem to be happy with them. I have had an EP5 since they came out last year, and it's been a great scope. I also have a Strike Eagle 5-25x56, and while they both have their merits, the Arken EP5's glass is better. And the turrets are more robust and tactile. It also has tons of elevation travel, and I really like their VPR reticle, with the floating dot in the middle.
I also own quite a few of the older Vortex HS-T 6-24x50 scopes, which are the same scope as the PST Gen1, minus the FFP and illuminated reticle). They even have the same glass, turrets, and scope body. And I was impressed that my Arken SH4 Gen2 6-24x50 scopes are better than the old HS-T's when it comes to brightness, clarity, and field of view throughout the magnification range, and they're on sale for $299 right now. You can literally buy 2 of them for what one HS-T cost.
Just my thoughts having owned and compared tons of scopes. I'm unbiased, but facts are facts. Technology is getting cheaper to build, and better quality, all at the same time. And Arken, Vortex, Athlon, Primary Arms, Riton, and other similar scopes are proof of this. Just because something cost more, doesn't mean it's always better. It's not like it was 10, 15, 20 years ago...Where optics cost was a more accurate indicator of quality and precision. Back in the day, the old saying was "Spend twice on your glass, what you did on your gun." and that was a correct thing 10-20 years ago. But things have changed drastically in the last 10 years as far as optics technology goes. You no longer have to spend $2-3K to get a decent LR scope. Now companies are packing features and quality glass into $500-$1000 scopes, that 15-20 years ago you couldn't even get until you hit the $2,000 mark.
I know people love to hate on the Arkens because they're built in China, but that doesn't automatically make them shit. Would I prefer if they were made somewhere else? Sure. But those same scopes would cost 2-3x what they do now. But I'm also not one of idiot hypocrites that acts like China is the antichrist, while typing on a Chinese-built smartphone or computer, and watching a MiC TV, and using an internet modem built in China, and all the other odd & end shit around my house that was probably made in China, too. It just is what it is, whether we like it or not. The world governments have made us all dependent on China for cheap products and labor.
