Rifle Scopes What $500-ish mil/mil 4-16x with decent glass?

Yondering

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I haven't paid attention to optics much in the past 3-4 years, and am out of touch with what's good and available right now, so hoping for some recommendations. My requirements (ok really a wish list):

- $500-ish range. could maybe go a couple hundred higher.
- mil/mil, absolute requirement.
- about 4-16x-ish power is what I'm looking for.
- decent glass is a priority. Not expecting world class stuff, but something at least in the range of Leupold VX2/3 etc.
- consistent dialing is important, but my expectations are reasonable here, just don't want crap
- reasonably light weight. 20-25 oz is fine, ~30 is my max
- zero stop, locking turrets, throw levers, etc are all nice to haves, but won't make or break the deal

An example of one that I think would work well is the Sig Tango4 4-16x, which I've seen a few recommendations here in threads from ~2 years ago, and there are a couple on ebay in my price range but they seem to be discontinued? What's out there now that I should be considering?

I'm OK with Phillipine made optics, like some of the SWFA SS scopes I have now, but would rather avoid China if possible.
I do know the XTR II scopes are out there right now for about $1K, and I'm real tempted but trying to keep my budget more responsible on this one. Use case is mostly 600-1200 yard steel, but possibly hunting at closer ranges too.
 
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The Athlon Midas TAC 4-16x is also very nice for the money, but again, Chinese.

Short of an SWFA 3-15x, I think most options in the price range will be Chinese. You may get lucky and find a used Vortex PST2 3-15x for around that, but you may be waiting awhile…
 
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Thought I'd add these for consideration - l found mention of these three here on the hide. On the surface any of them seem like they'd fit my needs, but I'm interested in comments from those who've used them. I haven't handled or looked through any of these scopes, so no idea what the glass is like. Which one of these would you guys buy, and why, or would you get something else?

Sightron S-TAC FFP 3-16x42 Zero Stop - Mil-Hash-2

Vortex Viper PST Gen II 3-15x44 EBR-2C MRAD

Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 4-20x50 APRS6 FFP IR MIL

Which of these has the clearest glass edge to edge, particularly on really bright days or low light? Which one is most likely to be reliable for dialing? (I prefer to dial up and hold for wind, so I'm OK with a simple mil reticle like the Sightron.)

I don't have any experience with Sightron. Vortex - well, it's Vortex and in the past I've always found better options, but this one seems to be highly recommended. My only experience with Athlon was a Talos scope and the glass was pretty crappy IMO, but don't know about the Helos lineup.

It looks like the Sightron and Athlon have zero stops, but no mention of it on the Vortex so I'm assuming it doesn't - is that accurate?

I did look at the Arken stuff, but am not really interested in a 35 oz optic at this time.
 
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The Athlon Midas TAC 4-16x is also very nice for the money, but again, Chinese.

Short of an SWFA 3-15x, I think most options in the price range will be Chinese. You may get lucky and find a used Vortex PST2 3-15x for around that, but you may be waiting awhile…

Found a Midas TAC 4016x for $609, not bad. I'm guessing that's better glass than the Helos I linked above? How does either one compare to say a plain old VX2 for glass?

Athlon Optics Midas TAC 4-16x44 - APRS2 FFP MIL

I do have a bunch of SWFA scopes - 3-9x HD, and a handful each of 6x and 10x. I'd be happy enough with a 3-15x and it's on the radar too. They're just kinda big and those turrets stick wayyy out there; I figured for that kind of money I might find something a little sleeker maybe. But that reliability is hard to beat for the price.
 
Weaver tactical 3-15 if you wish to have a true mildot.

Thanks, but I tried that same one a number of years ago in 3-9x flavor and felt the optics were pretty sub-par, and that was only for 9x not 15. Compared to the little 3-9x Leupold Mark ARs on several of my lighter rifles, I couldn't see bullet holes (for example of clarity) when they were easily visible with the Leupolds. If that level of glass is all I can expect, I'd just pick up another SWFA and call it done.
Have they improved?
 
Maybe sell some of your “several lighter rifles” and use the money to buy something worthwhile. The scope you want and the price you want to pay doesn’t exist.

Feel free to look at the links I provided above for optics that do appear to do what I want, and offer your personal experience on them. Just keep in mind I'm looking at my requirements, not yours.

I'm not selling any rifles, or building a heavy bench gun right now.
 
Do not get the Tango4 4-16, had that for a review of budget scopes I did a few years ago and it was very poor mechanically and optically. Unless you can find cheaper somewhere else Euro has the PST II 3-15x44 for $590 which is the best choice in this price range IMO. Athlon makes some decent optics but I struggle with the made in China sticker and knowing it’s supporting the CCP.

 
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Do not get the Tango4 4-16, had that for a review of budget scopes I did a few years ago and it was very poor mechanically and optically. Unless you can find cheaper somewhere else Euro has the PST II 3-15x44 for $590 which is the best choice in this price range IMO. Athlon makes some decent optics but I struggle with the made in China sticker and knowing it’s supporting the CCP.


I appreciate the info. I've generally avoided optics and electronics made by Sig, but read a couple reviews here that liked that Tango4, so it's useful to hear your feedback that they aren't that good. I've read some of your other reviews but there's always more to read than I have time for in the day, so apologies if I missed that one.

The PST does look good, and is at the top of my list for now. Any thoughts on that Sightron I linked above, in comparison to this PST? While we're at it, have you compared either one to the SWFA 3-15?
I have other SWFA stuff so it'd be more of a known quantity for me, only thing I don't like is those huge tall turrets.
 
I've used the SWFA 3-15x and was wholly unimpressed by it. By rep it'll probably track, but the glass was miserable to my eye and I wouldn't own one.

I'm a huge fan of the PST Gen 2 3-15x (not the 5-25x sibling) for the excellent glass. Everything else about the scope is meh but works. But for the $, it's really nice at the sub $750 price point. Definitely box test and if it's out of spec, contact Vortex and they will help you. (I'm not a shill for V, just someone that appreciates their consistently good CS)

I've never used Arken.

My limited experience with Athlon was good overall. There was an issue with one low end scope, they shipped me a new one to replace it.
 
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Eurooptic is blowing out several models of Trijicon scopes. Most are SFP, which may be a deal breaker for you. But here is a 4-16x option which might work if you're willing to go to $600. https://www.eurooptic.com/Trijicon-...Center-Dot-30mm-Matte-Black-Riflescope-2.aspx. Also comes with red instead of green illumination. https://www.eurooptic.com/Trijicon-...nter-Dot-30mm-Matte-Black-Riflescope-290.aspx. Several other models if you're willing to spend a little more.

I believe it's Japanese glass. I have a similar model and the glass is excellent.
 
Thanks, but I tried that same one a number of years ago in 3-9x flavor and felt the optics were pretty sub-par, and that was only for 9x not 15. Compared to the little 3-9x Leupold Mark ARs on several of my lighter rifles, I couldn't see bullet holes (for example of clarity) when they were easily visible with the Leupolds. If that level of glass is all I can expect, I'd just pick up another SWFA and call it done.
Have they improved?
The 3-15 is a well made Japanese optic, they have been out of production for about 5 years. Weaver no longer does optics.
There are few scopes that meet your criteria these days that aren't made in China.
Bushnell was using South Korea for a while and put out some very nice optics, they have moved that production to China though.
Sightron only makes scopes in two countries, the Philippines and Japan.
Midway has the PST II on sale right now, they are Philippine made and quite nice. They are just over your budget, but a steal at this price.
 
I appreciate the info. I've generally avoided optics and electronics made by Sig, but read a couple reviews here that liked that Tango4, so it's useful to hear your feedback that they aren't that good.
I believe there has been positive experience with the 6-24 Tango4 but the 4-16 is a different animal it would appear. A lot of scopes get by for the price, but the Tango4 was very underwhelming for the price. I have an Athlon Helos BTR Gen2 that is significantly better than the Sig Tango4 (optically and mechanically), granted it is a 2-12x42 scope so not apples to apples, but for the price I expected a lot more from the Sig.
I've read some of your other reviews but there's always more to read than I have time for in the day, so apologies if I missed that one.
I never put out an official review, but tested the Vortex PST II 3-15, Bushnell LRTS 4.5-18, Sig Tango4 4-16, Tract Toric 4-20, Burris XTR II 4-20. It was about 4 years ago but I remember the poor experience with the Tango4 well.
The PST does look good, and is at the top of my list for now. Any thoughts on that Sightron I linked above, in comparison to this PST? While we're at it, have you compared either one to the SWFA 3-15?
I have other SWFA stuff so it'd be more of a known quantity for me, only thing I don't like is those huge tall turrets.
Unfortunately I haven't had much experience with either Sightron or SWFA as their reticles never excited me, I would see if @koshkin can chime in as I know he does have experience with those brands and if I recall had a pretty positive experience with them.
 
Thanks for all the great input above! I don't want to try to quote everybody but there are some great suggestions and input there.

The Trijicon Credo suggestion is a good one that I hadn't seen or considered. SFP is not a deal breaker, I'm used to it and am OK with either way. Most of my uses will be at either 4x or 16x anyway.

I'll also reiterate that yeah, $600 or so is within my range. When I said $500-ish I'm thinking maybe $400-$600, although I've been looking more at the higher end of that range.
 
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As I look at it more, I'm starting to really like that 4-16x Trijicon Credo. I'm guessing they don't sell well in this market because they're SFP, but that's honestly not an issue for my uses. I'm fine with that reticle, weight is in the right ballpark, and I've read that it uses great Japanese glass. Seems like a great deal at $600.

Only question I haven't seen a good answer to is how well they dial and track. That's pretty important, but it's Trijicon so I'm guessing they're at least decent in that regard.

Other than being SFP, does anyone have anything bad to say about this Credo? Any reason I should choose something else instead?
 
I believe there has been positive experience with the 6-24 Tango4 but the 4-16 is a different animal it would appear. A lot of scopes get by for the price, but the Tango4 was very underwhelming for the price. I have an Athlon Helos BTR Gen2 that is significantly better than the Sig Tango4 (optically and mechanically), granted it is a 2-12x42 scope so not apples to apples, but for the price I expected a lot more from the Sig.

I never put out an official review, but tested the Vortex PST II 3-15, Bushnell LRTS 4.5-18, Sig Tango4 4-16, Tract Toric 4-20, Burris XTR II 4-20. It was about 4 years ago but I remember the poor experience with the Tango4 well.

Unfortunately I haven't had much experience with either Sightron or SWFA as their reticles never excited me, I would see if @koshkin can chime in as I know he does have experience with those brands and if I recall had a pretty positive experience with them.
I also love my Helos 2-12 Gen2. If they could upgrade the glass on the 4-20 and make it a wee bit lighter it would be such a good long range hybrid scope
 
Midway USA had a Leupold mark 4 with mildot reticle on sale for $699 I think. Might be worth looking at the specs. I wasn’t interested so I skipped right over it but remember seeing it just the other day.

I'm guessing you mean this one?
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1362173644?pid=936654

I do know from experience that I'd be completely happy with the glass, if nothing else.
But the one thing that kills this one for me is the mil/moa setup - I'm good with math and could make it work obviously, but mil/mil math is just 1=1 and I have no real desire to deviate from that.
But aside from that, it'd be a top contender for me. Thanks for the heads-up.
 
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Do not get the Tango4 4-16, had that for a review of budget scopes I did a few years ago and it was very poor mechanically and optically. Unless you can find cheaper somewhere else Euro has the PST II 3-15x44 for $590 which is the best choice in this price range IMO. Athlon makes some decent optics but I struggle with the made in China sticker and knowing it’s supporting the CCP.

If it has a China sticker it could be made in Taiwan not communist China...Taiwan is our friend!
 
Well.......
I am a Vortex fanboy, I have five of their scopes, various models, no issues in 15 years, yet....
My 1000 yard 308 Howa is decorated with a Venom.
Every thing else here is either too expensive, or does not have the features I want.
Off topic, spending ten or twenty times more is not going to make me a ten or twenty times better shot )-:
 
I haven't paid attention to optics much in the past 3-4 years, and am out of touch with what's good and available right now, so hoping for some recommendations. My requirements (ok really a wish list):

- $500-ish range. could maybe go a couple hundred higher.
- mil/mil, absolute requirement.
- about 4-16x-ish power is what I'm looking for.
- decent glass is a priority. Not expecting world class stuff, but something at least in the range of Leupold VX2/3 etc.
- consistent dialing is important, but my expectations are reasonable here, just don't want crap
- reasonably light weight. 20-25 oz is fine, ~30 is my max
- zero stop, locking turrets, throw levers, etc are all nice to haves, but won't make or break the deal

An example of one that I think would work well is the Sig Tango4 4-16x, which I've seen a few recommendations here in threads from ~2 years ago, and there are a couple on ebay in my price range but they seem to be discontinued? What's out there now that I should be considering?

I'm OK with Phillipine made optics, like some of the SWFA SS scopes I have now, but would rather avoid China if possible.
I do know the XTR II scopes are out there right now for about $1K, and I'm real tempted but trying to keep my budget more responsible on this one. Use case is mostly 600-1200 yard steel, but possibly hunting at closer ranges too.
for that kind of money, I would look at Athlon optics. Check cameralandny, or eorooptic for any demo or open box deals. At that price range, most will be made in China, though.
 
If you're willing to go 6-24x the Match Pro could be a good fit. The tracking and reliability on these is extremely good.


Matchpro_MP6245BF8_Lifestyle_DSC6054_sml.jpg
 
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Yondering, haven't done a box test with the Trijicon, but on a recent trip to the range shooting out to about 500 and making the necessary elevation changes to get out that far and then back in to 100 tracking was spot on. Illumination is decent if full daylight, at least at the brightest settings and glass is very clear and excellent in low light settings. And because it's made by Trijicon I have a lot of confidence it can stand up to some abuse.

My guess is that no one really thinks of Trijicon when it comes to long range scopes, SFP is a deal breaker for some users, and it's tough to find a lot of reviews. Plus at full manufacturers retail price (or even a 15-20% discount) you have a lot of choices. But for $600 it's tough to find another scope with similar glass and features.
 
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Thanks for all the input, fellas. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a 4-16 Credo. As pointed out above the only downside appears to be SFP, but that doesn’t bother me and sometimes is useful at low power. Seems like an excellent price on these; I’m glad I came here for suggestions.

It occurs to me that if other people read this thread looking for similar options, maybe it’d be useful to keep the suggestions coming for what you guys like.

One thing that has stood out to me while reading a lot of reviews and threads on scopes, is how many people feel “daylight bright” illumination is important on a scope like this. I get it on a LPVO, but not sure I understand the need on a mid power like this; I’ve certainly never needed it myself. What am I missing out on?
 
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Thanks for all the input, fellas. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a 4-16 Credo. As pointed out above the only downside appears to be SFP, but that doesn’t bother me and sometimes is useful at low power. Seems like an excellent price on these; I’m glad I came here for suggestions.

It occurs to me that if other people read this thread looking for similar options, maybe it’d be useful to keep the suggestions coming for what you guys like.

One thing that has stood out to me while reading a lot of reviews and threads on scopes, is how many people feel “daylight bright” illumination is important on a scope like this. I get it on a LPVO, but not sure I understand the need on a mid power like this; I’ve certainly never needed it myself. What am I missing out on?
I've personally liked it for when a steel target's mostly had the paint shot off and it becomes dark, it helps to give the reticle some contrast so you can see it against the dark background. Even during the day the reticle can become hard to see in certain situations like that.
 
One thing that has stood out to me while reading a lot of reviews and threads on scopes, is how many people feel “daylight bright” illumination is important on a scope like this. I get it on a LPVO, but not sure I understand the need on a mid power like this; I’ve certainly never needed it myself. What am I missing out on?
On a SFP scope the reticle always stays the same, and usually is pretty thick; however, on a FFP scope the reticle can become quite thin at low magnifications which is greatly benefited from having bright illumination especially with busy backgrounds like brush, scrub and shadow/bright.
 
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I've personally liked it for when a steel target's mostly had the paint shot off and it becomes dark, it helps to give the reticle some contrast so you can see it against the dark background. Even during the day the reticle can become hard to see in certain situations like that.
When is illum coming on the new LHRS or the DMR ? I have the money and would rather save and go with the LHRS than buy an ATACR 4-16x42
 
I strongly recommend the Trijicon Credo 4-16x50 MRAD from Europtic that was already mentioned above. I have the Credo 2.5-15x42 and have been very pleased. The 4-16x fits your wishes to a T if you are ok with SFP. And BTW, the SFP MRAD Center Dot reticle of the Credo line is pretty fine and has a small center dot, so it is very conducive to precision aiming at long distances. I was just shooting mine last week at 500 yards and the scale of the reticle relative to the target was still excellent.

Very durable scopes too. At the price they are clearing them out at on Europtic, it’s a steal
 
Arken just dropped their new EPL4 series, that has the same features as their other scopes, but is lightweight (23.7 oz), has a 30mm tube, BUT it has the Japanese ELD glass like in the EP5 scopes.

And they're on sale for $379.99 right now... Just throwing that out there since someone else revived this thread, incase anyone else is looking for this same type of scope with the same features as the OP.

 
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Why hasn't anyone recommended the PA GLX 4-16?
Made in Philippines, excellent construction, decent glass, mil/mil, locking turrets, ZS, pretty feature packed in general.
 
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Why hasn't anyone recommended the PA GLX 4-16?
Made in Philippines, excellent construction, decent glass, mil/mil, locking turrets, ZS, pretty feature packed in general.
I have the GLX 4-16 with Athena reticle. Only thing that stands out, that I like, is the reticle. Besides being kind of "mushy," the turrets only "lock on zero." It replaced(regrettably) an Athlon Helos BTR Gen2 2-12x that was on my M&P10; if the Athlon had a smaller center dot I would've kept it. In my opinion, a lot of the scopes recommended here just offer better value than the GLx(not to mention my GLx also cost more than $500). I have an Arken EP5 and Midas TAC that are around the price of the GLx, and they simply blow the GLx away as far as turrets and optical quality goes.

Way out of the price range but another PA scope I have is the 1-8x PLx compact. It simply blows the GLX away; I'd say if you're considering PA, skip GLx and just go for the SLx or PLx. Generally, their biggest selling point is their reticles.
 
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Have you looked at the Athlon Helos BTR GEN2 4-20x50 APRS6 FFP IR MIL? With the upcoming holiday pricing (you can call us and get that pricing now)
  • First Focal Plane Reticle: First focal plane design allows you to fully utilize specially designed reticles that shrink or grow along with your target as you zoom in or out. These reticles offer quick target engagement at low power while offering precise holdover positions with finer details.
  • Locking Turrets: Locking feature on both elevation and windage turrets allows you to simply pull up the turrets to dial and push down the turrets to lock them in place. This feature gives you a peaceful mind whether you are moving from one station to next during your competition or putting them away for your next hunting trip.
  • Illuminated Reticle: The illuminated reticle provides greater visibility during dusk and dawn and other low ambient light environment.
  • Etched Glass Reticle: Reticle etched on the glass that provides excellent backing support for complex reticle design and offers great durability and much higher shock resistance to recoil
  • Advanced Fully Multicoated: Fully Multicoated optics effectively reduces reflected light and increases the transmission of light giving you a brighter image than normal single coated lenses
  • 6061 T6 Aluminum: The 6061T6 aircraft grade aluminum tube that has exceptional strength and superior mechanical integrity will protect these world class optics no matter what punishment you throw at it.
  • Heat Treated One Piece Tube Construction: Heat treated one piece tube gives the scope extra strength over multi-piece tubes. A one piece tube also is better at keeping moisture out thus keeping your scope fog proof for the life of the product
  • Waterproof: Waterproof to protect the scope in the harshest weather conditions or if accidentally submerged underwater
  • Fog proof: Fog proof to allow you to immediately engage your target when you take your rifle to cold ambient temperature from warm inside
  • Shockproof: Robust mechanical system with special designs on both control and erector system that give you the ultimate recoil resistance to withstand 1000G recoil for 1000 times.
  • Argon Purged: Argon Purging uses the inertia gas with bigger size molecules to purge any moisture out of the tube giving you better waterproofing and thermal stability .
 
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Have you looked at the Athlon Helos BTR GEN2 4-20x50 APRS6 FFP IR MIL? With the upcoming holiday pricing (you can call us and get that pricing now)
That Athlon looks interesting.
Have you looked at the Athlon Helos BTR GEN2 4-20x50 APRS6 FFP IR MIL? With the upcoming holiday pricing (you can call us and get that pricing now)
  • First Focal Plane Reticle: First focal plane design allows you to fully utilize specially designed reticles that shrink or grow along with your target as you zoom in or out. These reticles offer quick target engagement at low power while offering precise holdover positions with finer details.
  • Locking Turrets: Locking feature on both elevation and windage turrets allows you to simply pull up the turrets to dial and push down the turrets to lock them in place. This feature gives you a peaceful mind whether you are moving from one station to next during your competition or putting them away for your next hunting trip.
  • Illuminated Reticle: The illuminated reticle provides greater visibility during dusk and dawn and other low ambient light environment.
  • Etched Glass Reticle: Reticle etched on the glass that provides excellent backing support for complex reticle design and offers great durability and much higher shock resistance to recoil
  • Advanced Fully Multicoated: Fully Multicoated optics effectively reduces reflected light and increases the transmission of light giving you a brighter image than normal single coated lenses
  • 6061 T6 Aluminum: The 6061T6 aircraft grade aluminum tube that has exceptional strength and superior mechanical integrity will protect these world class optics no matter what punishment you throw at it.
  • Heat Treated One Piece Tube Construction: Heat treated one piece tube gives the scope extra strength over multi-piece tubes. A one piece tube also is better at keeping moisture out thus keeping your scope fog proof for the life of the product
  • Waterproof: Waterproof to protect the scope in the harshest weather conditions or if accidentally submerged underwater
  • Fog proof: Fog proof to allow you to immediately engage your target when you take your rifle to cold ambient temperature from warm inside
  • Shockproof: Robust mechanical system with special designs on both control and erector system that give you the ultimate recoil resistance to withstand 1000G recoil for 1000 times.
  • Argon Purged: Argon Purging uses the inertia gas with bigger size molecules to purge any moisture out of the tube giving you better waterproofing and thermal stability .
That Athlon looks promising.