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Arken Optics epl4 vs ep5

N

_newshooter

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 26, 2022
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Texas
Does anyone have experience with the new Arken optics? Mainly the Ep4. Wasn't too sure how much better the glass is on the ep4 vs the ep5. I was looking to get the ep4 because it can parallax down to 15yds (I have some comps with stages at 15-20yds). Is the glass quality the same? Only difference I'm seeing is that the ep4 is lighter due to a 50mm tube.

Any thoughts or suggestions help. I have an SH4 and just been happy with it so not sure if the EP line glass is such a big difference or not
 
Are you talking about the EP4L?There's already a thread on this and consensus is the EP5 glass is better than the EP4L. As far as the EP4, not sure if you're going to find as much info since it seems those were harder to get.

My buddy has a 4-16 SH4; he looked through my EP5 and was very impressed. Only SH4 I've looked through was his, and I can say for sure the EP5 is a noticeable step above the SH4....but tbf, I was really never impressed with the SH4(it was a good value but I'd only recommend it if someone had a fixed budget).
 
We are dealers for a number of "very good" optic brands, and recently added the Arken line. The value is amazing. It competes with scopes twice the price. The SH4 has been the budget line geared to bench rest and PRS type shooting, and the EP5 has a bump up in optics and quality of the mechanical parts. Both have 34mm tube, and the newer Gen2 of the SH4 is a big improvement, but the EP5 is still the star.

The EPL4 is a 30mm tube, and is targeted to hunters and those wanting lighter weight. The optics seem on a par with SH4, with slightly reduced travel due and eye relief, but considerably lighter weight: 24 oz v. 36 oz.

While our customers tend to favor mil, all are also offered in MOA. The only reason to get the new 4L is the weight.
 
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I’ve been running the EP5 on a 6.5 PRC for about a year. Very capable scope with value that’s hard to beat up to about 1K I believe. My son has the SH4 Gen II on a 6.5 CM. Big difference in glass quality there in my opinion. I just received the EPL4 6-25x50 for a lightweight hunting rig build and here is my comparison regarding glass quality: I believe the EPL has the Japanese glass. I think clarity and color are right there with the EP5, but the 56Mm objective lens on the EP5 gathers a little more light making the image brighter. The EPL4 image is better than the SH4 Gen II in my opinion. I also think the EPL4 windage turret is a downgrade from the other two models, but I understand shaving weight was the goal. Just don’t expect the same feel and sound of the clicks if you dial windage. Still a great value from the EPL4 and glad I saved dang near a pound of weight.
 
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longshot2000 said:
We are dealers for a number of "very good" optic brands, and recently added the Arken line. The value is amazing. It competes with scopes twice the price. The SH4 has been the budget line geared to bench rest and PRS type shooting, and the EP5 has a bump up in optics and quality of the mechanical parts. Both have 34mm tube, and the newer Gen2 of the SH4 is a big improvement, but the EP5 is still the star.

The EPL4 is a 30mm tube, and is targeted to hunters and those wanting lighter weight. The optics seem on a par with SH4, with slightly reduced travel due and eye relief, but considerably lighter weight: 24 oz v. 36 oz.

While our customers tend to favor mil, all are also offered in MOA. The only reason to get the new 4L is the weight.
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I found the eye relief to be slightly better than the SH4 on the EPL4.
 
_newshooter said:
Does anyone have experience with the new Arken optics? Mainly the Ep4. Wasn't too sure how much better the glass is on the ep4 vs the ep5. I was looking to get the ep4 because it can parallax down to 15yds (I have some comps with stages at 15-20yds). Is the glass quality the same? Only difference I'm seeing is that the ep4 is lighter due to a 50mm tube.

Any thoughts or suggestions help. I have an SH4 and just been happy with it so not sure if the EP line glass is such a big difference or not
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The EPL4 has a parallax adjustment down to 10 yds and that’s a pretty accurate claim from my estimation.
 
Here’s a little video highlighting the EPL-4. My .22 fell from 3.5 feet right on the concrete on the windage turret (bipods took brunt of the fall) and it didn’t even lose zero! I’m a pretty big fan for this price point to be honest. I’ve been able to shoot until about 35 min past sunset at my 125yd targets. For a .22 I feel like it’s hard to beat especially at that price point! And the parallax to 10 yards is accurate, I have about 8 yards in my house and it aalllmost focuses down to that.

Best Scope for Long Range .22: Arken EPL-4
 
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I have an EP5 and SH4 Gen 2. I have not completely put them through the paces but so far they seem to track well and the glass is good enough. I was amazed at the build quality just going off of feeling. They are extremely robust feeling for the price..
 
The EP5 is still the King in my opinion. The EPL4 is nice is you are wanting the lightweight aspect of things. My EP5 will still ride on my comp gun, but my gas gun will be suited well with the EPL4 6-24. I think both of them are a Win/Win for what I am wanting to do with them. AND, they are still tough to beat simply because of the price!!
 
Elko42 said:
I have an EP5 and SH4 Gen 2. I have not completely put them through the paces but so far they seem to track well and the glass is good enough. I was amazed at the build quality just going off of feeling. They are extremely robust feeling for the price..
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Do you mind writing a follow up on how you think the EPL4 fairs against the EP5. I have a SH4 and thought it was great but seems like everyone says it sucks or is in no comparison to the EP5
 
Also just to put this out there. But if anyone has experience behind an EP5 and a XTRiii would love your input on this. I have an XTRiii and it’s a great scope but now considering if I should sell my XTR for 2 EP5s to scope up other builds
 
_newshooter said:
Do you mind writing a follow up on how you think the EPL4 fairs against the EP5. I have a SH4 and thought it was great but seems like everyone says it sucks or is in no comparison to the EP5
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I have 3 SH4 Gen2 6-24x50’s, and they’re not bad at all. I also have an EP5 and an EPL4. Also great scopes for their prices. I also own German glass, but there’s no comparison there. But the Arkens really do dominate in their price range, IMO.
 
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I purchased the SH4 G2 and the EP5. I sold the SH4 quickly as the glass just wasn't good enough for my eyes. I love the EP5. I might pick up a EPL4 if it has the same glass quality as the EP5. But its still a little heavy for a hunting rifles. I use Leupold's for those which are about 1/2 pound lighter.
 
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I stopped their booth at Shot and the scopes seemed good at that price point. I was getting ready to order from them and just wanted to ask a couple of question over the phone. So I emailed the and asked if someone could call me. The response was we don't have a call center but I could email my questions. My response was I won't order from a company that can't take 5 min to talk to me and answer couple questions before I spend my money. Very disappointed!
 
_newshooter said:
Also just to put this out there. But if anyone has experience behind an EP5 and a XTRiii would love your input on this. I have an XTRiii and it’s a great scope but now considering if I should sell my XTR for 2 EP5s to scope up other builds
Click to expand...
I know this is super old, but I took my bushnell xrs3 out today and shot with a friend who has a ep5, and I honestly prefer it over what I have, even though mine is $1200 more than his.
It was every bit as clear and had a much larger field of view.
 
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I just got a sh4 4-16 and I will say I am impressed with the glass on it. I compared it to my Bushnell dmrii, Burris xtriii and vortex razor. It will definitely hang with the big boys. I actually prefer it over my Bushnell dmrii, the one reason I wouldn’t switch it out is my Bushnell has been put through hell and runs perfect. The arken is still new to me. Overall am impressive scope for the money.
I would put it right up with athlons ares brt scopes. Have one of those too and it’s been rock solid, but the glass needs improvement and seem the arken is a bit better in that area.
 
Jmccracken1214 said:
I know this is super old, but I took my bushnell xrs3 out today and shot with a friend who has a ep5, and I honestly prefer it over what I have, even though mine is $1200 more than his.
It was every bit as clear and had a much larger field of view.
Click to expand...

Selling the Bushnell to buy a few Arkens? LOL
 
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Rob01 said:
Selling the Bushnell to buy a few Arkens? LOL
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We will see. I actually have a EP5 on my RPR rimfire, that I havent got to take out and try yet. I may buy another 1 and pocket the extra cash, or I might go the opposite direction and try the burris XTR PRO
 
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The arkens are nice enough for the money with some faro sharpeness for the dollar but the purple fringe chromab kills it for me, ep5 and epl4 examples.
If you like them don’t look at something on the horizon or white white paper on a dark background after reading this, you won’t be able to ignore it going forward.
 
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spife7980 said:
The arkens are nice enough for the money with some faro sharpeness for the dollar but the purple fringe chromab kills it for me, ep5 and epl4 examples.
If you like them don’t look at something on the horizon or white white paper on a dark background after reading this, you won’t be able to ignore it going forward.
Click to expand...
My EP5 has very little CA, but my EPL4 has it bad. The first EPL4 had it bad, and the replacement scope does to. Shame, because the glass is very clear and bright. Which is why my EP5 and EPL4 are both sitting on the table and not on a rifle... The EP5 is only sitting there because I put my Zeiss LRP S3 on that rifle, and now the EP5 has no home. But the EPL4 is probably going to get sold...Maybe the EP5, too. I have tons of scopes that I need to sell off just to get out of my way and recoup some of the money spend on mid and alpha-tier scopes over the last few months.
 
FuhQ said:
My EP5 has very little CA, but my EPL4 has it bad. The first EPL4 had it bad, and the replacement scope does to. Shame, because the glass is very clear and bright. Which is why my EP5 and EPL4 are both sitting on the table and not on a rifle... The EP5 is only sitting there because I put my Zeiss LRP S3 on that rifle, and now the EP5 has no home. But the EPL4 is probably going to get sold...Maybe the EP5, too. I have tons of scopes that I need to sell off just to get out of my way and recoup some of the money spend on mid and alpha-tier scopes over the last few months.
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I wish they would provide more details on their glass and coatings. They provide very little.
 
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Mongoose67 said:
I wish they would provide more details on their glass and coatings. They provide very little.
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Honeslty, at this point I don't care where they source it from...I won't be buying anymore Arkens. I've sent back an EP5 and a EPL4 (both alpha runs when first released, so I understood there could be QC issues), but the fact they didn't fix the issues with the EP5 in order to not repeat those issues in the EPL4 release a year later, is not boding well. I no longer have much faith in their initial releases... Fool me a 3rd time, then, I'm a glutton for punishment...And that's not happening.

I do plan on keeping all 3 of my SH4 Gen2 6-24x50's as I really like the reticles, and the glass is actually pretty damn decent in those (they were all early SH4 Gen2 production). The turrets have no spring-back, and are very solid and smooth. I honestly think my 3 SH4 Gen2's are higher quality than my EP5 and definitely above my EPL4. The EP5 might have slightly sharper glass, but other than that, the SH4 Gen2 is more than clear enough to use on targets at distance.

Cheapest scopes I'll buy now are Burris XTR-II's made in the Philippines. The glass is slightly sharper and clearer than my EP5, with virtually no discernible CA (to my eyes).
 
I think the Arkens are great entry level options for guys getting started in long range. Grab a savage and throw a Arken on it and go out and connect steel at 1000 yards no problem. But once you start really getting down to the nooks and crannies and compare them with some other sub 1k$ offerings but are slightly more in price, you really do see the separation. If someone starting out doesn’t know what to really look for in comparison, you’d never see it. Once you get some side by side and start comparing eye box, CA and parallax sensitivity you see even some of the older 30mm scopes like the Midas tac and ares btr, pull away in several regards. Like spife said, once you see it, you can’t unsee it, it then becomes a distraction and hinderence.
 
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Gohring65 said:
I think the Arkens are great entry level options for guys getting started in long range. Grab a savage and throw a Arken on it and go out and connect steel at 1000 yards no problem. But once you start really getting down to the nooks and crannies and compare them with some other sub 1k$ offerings but are slightly more in price, you really do see the separation. If someone starting out doesn’t know what to really look for in comparison, you’d never see it. Once you get some side by side and start comparing eye box, CA and parallax sensitivity you see even some of the older 30mm scopes like the Midas tac and ares btr, pull away in several regards. Like spife said, once you see it, you can’t unsee it, it then becomes a distraction and hinderence.
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The reason I was so excited about them at first, was because I had never seen an entry-level optic bring so much to the table, AND to do so with that decent of glass. It just took me by surprise. Like I said, I still think (glass aside) that my early production SH4 Gen2's are overall better scopes than my EP5 and EPL4. The glass in all 3 of mine are actually pretty damn good. I have never had an issue with my SH4 scopes, but have had to send back BOTH of my EP series scopes for replacements due to glass issues.

Now, I don't think they're bad scopes at all...Except maybe the EPL4 is kind of shit (at least, both of mine were/are). I honestly don't think they're worth the money over the SH4 Gen2, unless you just NEED a lightweight scope, but that's just my opinion having put combined thousands of rounds down range behind all 5 of my Arkens. But I'm now at a financial place in life where i'm able to upgrade my rifles to mid, upper-mid, and alpha tier glass, so...Why not just upgrade them? You know what I'm saying? 🤷🏼
 
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FuhQ said:
Honeslty, at this point I don't care where they source it from...I won't be buying anymore Arkens. I've sent back an EP5 and a EPL4 (both alpha runs when first released, so I understood there could be QC issues), but the fact they didn't fix the issues with the EP5 in order to not repeat those issues in the EPL4 release a year later, is not boding well. I no longer have much faith in their initial releases... Fool me a 3rd time, then, I'm a glutton for punishment...And that's not happening.

I do plan on keeping all 3 of my SH4 Gen2 6-24x50's as I really like the reticles, and the glass is actually pretty damn decent in those (they were all early SH4 Gen2 production). The turrets have no spring-back, and are very solid and smooth. I honestly think my 3 SH4 Gen2's are higher quality than my EP5 and definitely above my EPL4. The EP5 might have slightly sharper glass, but other than that, the SH4 Gen2 is more than clear enough to use on targets at distance.

Cheapest scopes I'll buy now are Burris XTR-II's made in the Philippines. The glass is slightly sharper and clearer than my EP5, with virtually no discernible CA (to my eyes).
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I've never owned an XTRII. I almost bought one based on the sale prices. I did just buy an XTR III when I found it on ExpertVoice and the glass is excellent. The EP5 appears to look good until I look through the XTRIII. Now obviously the price point is way different. I think Arken is suffering from all the early on hype about out they compared to $1000+ scopes. My EP5 does everything I need on my CZ457.
 
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Mongoose67 said:
I've never owned an XTRII. I almost bought one based on the sale prices. I did just buy an XTR III when I found it on ExpertVoice and the glass is excellent. The EP5 appears to look good until I look through the XTRIII. Now obviously the price point is way different. I think Arken is suffering from all the early on hype about out they compared to $1000+ scopes. My EP5 does everything I need on my CZ457.
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Well, I think a lot of that is because there is a very large quality gap from 500-$1,000. A lot of scopes with MSRP’s of $500-850 (Venom, Strike Eagle, Viper HS/HST) and $850-1,000 (Athlon Ares, Vortex Viper PST) are NOT worth the money. Therefore, it blurs the lines of the quality comparisons, making it very hard to distinguish what a $1,000 optic should really look like when looking through it.

IMO, the best glass in a ~$1,000 optic is the Zeiss Conquest V4’s. And the EP5 doesn’t even come remotely close.
 
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K2e2vin said:
Are you talking about the EP4L?There's already a thread on this and consensus is the EP5 glass is better than the EP4L. As far as the EP4, not sure if you're going to find as much info since it seems those were harder to get.

My buddy has a 4-16 SH4; he looked through my EP5 and was very impressed. Only SH4 I've looked through was his, and I can say for sure the EP5 is a noticeable step above the SH4....but tbf, I was really never impressed with the SH4(it was a good value but I'd only recommend it if someone had a fixed
Click to expand...
 
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So basically if you were to buy an ARKEN today which model would you pick for targets out to 1K ?
 
I don't have any experience with the Arken EP series scopes. I do have a couple Arken SH-4 6-24 scopes. Two scopes are the Sh-4 Gen II with Chinese glass and 1 SH-4J with Japanese glass. There is definitely a big difference between the two when it comes to clarity, This is especially true when you zoom in at 16X and above at longer distances. The SH-4J does not have the discoloration around the edge at 16X and above like the SH-4 does. The SH-4J is also better in low light.

When it comes to Arken scopes, I will suggest getting ones with Japanese glass, it definitely makes. difference. The SH-4J is $100 more than the SH-4 and well worth it. While Arken scopes are more of a budget level scopes, they are pretty good for the money.
 
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If you buy the Arken SH-4J and the combo kit which includes everything to mount and use the scope. along with Arken's 25% off code, then you can get everything for right around $500. My total cost was $508 after tax.

And yes the SH-4J is worth the extra $100 over the SH-4. Mine are all the 6-24 MIL reticle versions.

Arken is definitely not top tier but they are a good value for those on a limited budget or just dipping their toes into long range shooting.
 
What really surprised me was Rex reviews Tiborasaurusrex couldn't find any quantifiable difference in image quality between the new SH4J and SH4 Gen 2 in regards to image quality.

My own eyes appear to be sensitive to low quality glass and get eyestrain and oftentimes annoying headaches from them including their EP5. On the other hand my eyes seem to like the Chinese HD glass used in the Athlon Midas Tac and Ares BTR G2 and of course only recommend buying them when they have a very good sale under $500 for the Midas Tac and under $600 for the Ares BTR G2.
 
Scopeye said:
What really surprised me was Rex reviews Tiborasaurusrex couldn't find any quantifiable difference in image quality between the new SH4J and SH4 Gen 2 in regards to image quality.

My own eyes appear to be sensitive to low quality glass and get eyestrain and oftentimes annoying headaches from them including their EP5. On the other hand my eyes seem to like the Chinese HD glass used in the Athlon Midas Tac and Ares BTR G2 and of course only recommend buying them when they have a very good sale under $500 for the Midas Tac and under $600 for the Ares BTR G2.
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Everyones eye sight is different. It also depends on if you have the ocular sense properly adjusted for your eyes. I know that I noticed a big difference between the SH-4 and SH-4J.

I did tests of the SH-4 and SH-4J looking at road signs at distances from 100 to 300 yards in bright sun light at dusk and after it was dark enough for street lights to come on. For me the Sh-4J was definitely clearer at all distances and in all light conditions. Heck I was reading graffiti on a passing train at 350 yards at dusk without a problem.

I have also tested both scopes against a Swampfox Optics Patriot 6-24 scope, an older Bushnell Elite 4500 6-24 scope and a couple of Primary Arms 4-14 scopes in the same conditions.

From best to worse was the Bushnell Elite 4500 (no surprise there), Arken SH-4J, tied for third was the Swampfox Patriot and PA scopes, and then the SH-4.
 
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Swampfox Patriots are the same Chinese scope as the Vortex Diamondback Tacticals but typically cheaper priced.

Just really too bad Bushnell veered off their quality "made in Japan" path after their Elite 4500 6-24x were discontinued. Their new Korean Elite 4500's aren't as good quality and the rest of the sub $800 scopes are now mostly Chinese.
 
I have not used any Vortex scopes so can't comment. And it really wasn't a far comparison between the Swampfox Patriot and the Primary Arms scopes. The PA scopes are 4-14 while the Patriot is 6-24 just as the Arken scopes and my Bushnell Elite 4500 scope is.

The Patriot is definitely better than the SH-4 once you get to 16X and above but still has slight discoloration once you get to 20X and above.

The only gripe I have with my Bushnell Elite is the adjustable objective. I have gotten spoiled with side parallax adjustment knobs. What I do really like is how the MIL-DOTs are calibrated on the Elite 4500. The dots are a true 1 MIL at 12X, 2 MIL at 6x and 1/2 MIL at 24X. That makes doing my math easier.
 
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12Bravo20 said:
I have not used any Vortex scopes so can't comment. And it really wasn't a far comparison between the Swampfox Patriot and the Primary Arms scopes. The PA scopes are 4-14 while the Patriot is 6-24 just as the Arken scopes and my Bushnell Elite 4500 scope is.

The Patriot is definitely better than the SH-4 once you get to 16X and above but still has slight discoloration once you get to 20X and above.

The only gripe I have with my Bushnell Elite is the adjustable objective. I have gotten spoiled with side parallax adjustment knobs. What I do really like is how the MIL-DOTs are calibrated on the Elite 4500. The dots are a true 1 MIL at 12X, 2 MIL at 6x and 1/2 MIL at 24X. That makes doing my math easier.
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My Japan made Bushnell Elite 4500 6-24x has a side focus with 25 yard minimum while my older Japan made Elite 4200 6-24x40 has a front AO and 10 yard focus parallax. It's interesting to know they made a Japan made front focus AO in their 6-24x Elite 4500 series.
 
FuhQ said:
Well, I think a lot of that is because there is a very large quality gap from 500-$1,000. A lot of scopes with MSRP’s of $500-850 (Venom, Strike Eagle, Viper HS/HST) and $850-1,000 (Athlon Ares, Vortex Viper PST) are NOT worth the money. Therefore, it blurs the lines of the quality comparisons, making it very hard to distinguish what a $1,000 optic should really look like when looking through it.

IMO, the best glass in a ~$1,000 optic is the Zeiss Conquest V4’s. And the EP5 doesn’t even come remotely close.
Click to expand...
Totally agree regarding overpriced Chinese made scopes. The Athlon Ares BTR G2 4.5-27x50 however is a decent option to consider currently on sale for $565.49 though but not for their typical $869.99 selling price. I recommend only buying Chinese made scopes when they have a great deal when they go on sale for significantly cheaper and never pay regular price for anything made in China. They're meant for profits first and foremost not for quality.
 
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