Arkon EP-5 Question

[Noles77]

Without going back through and reading 1,000 threads whats the general opinion on this optic?
Thinking of trying one on a 6.5cm. Is the glass and light gathering good enough to be used in hunting situations? Not looking for an optic im gonna beat the hell out of but i do want it to perform when the time comes without spend 2K plus. Any real world infor is appreciated

 

[FuhQ]

Without going back through and reading 1,000 threads whats the general opinion on this optic?
Thinking of trying one on a 6.5cm. Is the glass and light gathering good enough to be used in hunting situations? Not looking for an optic im gonna beat the hell out of but i do want it to perform when the time comes without spend 2K plus. Any real world infor is appreciated

Don’t waste your money. Had 2, first was a lemon, and after several hundred rounds, the replacement eventually got replaced with something better (Zeiss LRP S3 6-36x56), then sold. The Arkens are heavy, bulky, and will NOT be a good hunting scope. You’d be much better off buying one of these…. Bang for your buck for a hunting scope, this is about the best out there.

Zeiss Conquest V4 6-24x50mm ZMOAi-20 Illum #89 Ext. Elev. Turret Ext. Locking Wind. Riflescope 522955-9989-090

Zeiss Conquest V4 6-24x50mm ZMOAi-20 Illum #89 Ext. Elev. Turret Ext. Locking Wind. Riflescope 522955-9989-090 For Sale at EuroOptic.com! | Call (570) 368-3920

www.eurooptic.com

Yes, it costs more, yes it’s only in MOA, yes it’s SFP, but for a hunting scope, you want sharp glass, and this thing works great. I run these on almost all of my dedicated hunting rifles (lightweight). With a 20MOA base, you can still retain most all of the internal adjustment, which will get you pretty far out there with most cartridges.

 

[db2000]

Seem fine for $400 optic. 5-25x glass is good to 20x then shows some degradation IMO. QC can be hit or miss but they stand behind it and pay shipping both ways with quick replacement if you have an issue. Buy in the PX and avoid common issues as long as the buyer vouches for their sample.
Plenty of others will come along and offer varying opinions, which is why there’s a 1000 posts
Weight is a con to hunting IMO. Illumination is fine for dusk/dawn hours. If you don’t like it you can resale for $$375- 400 in the PX. People do it all the time.

 

[striped1]

For the price point, they are feature rich and track exceedingly well, beating out a number of much higher priced scopes - see Frank's list.
Except for the size / weight it is a fine hunting scope. I have taken a few animals with one on a 6,5. I also use one on a 6.5 comp rifle and it gets plenty of abuse and has never lost zero or had any other issues.

 

[db2000]

Offer $400. Realistically that’s what they’ve all sold for recently I’d tell him that and offer $400.

Optics - Arken EP5 mil full setup

Full setup Mrad Arken EP5 34mm Arken rings Level Scope caps 500 shipped in original box

www.snipershide.com

 

[Watch_this71]

Used one on my M110(ish) clone and ended up replacing it a year later in favor of a higher end optic. It's not a bad optic, but if you're going to build a rifle, then get quality to start with so you don't end up regretting wasting $500.

Second the suggested Zeiss listed above and I'll throw out this one since its what I have on my above rifle.

https://www.primaryarms.com/primary-arms-glx-4-5x27-ffp-rifle-scope-acss-athena-bpr-mil-reticle

 

[db2000]

Used one on my M110(ish) clone and ended up replacing it a year later in favor of a higher end optic. It's not a bad optic, but if you're going to build a rifle, then get quality to start with so you don't end up regretting wasting $500.

Second the suggested Zeiss listed above and I'll throw out this one since its what I have on my above rifle.

https://www.primaryarms.com/primary-arms-glx-4-5x27-ffp-rifle-scope-acss-athena-bpr-mil-reticle

That GLx is way overpriced per multiple reports on here if that’s the Phillipino model they were selling. There’s tons of better options.
It’s not “wasting $500” when you buy it for $400 and resale it for $400 if you don’t like it. People do this all day in the PX. It’s spending $25 to ship it to whoever you sell it to. It’s $25 on finding out for yourself instead of believing 100 different opinions on here.

 

[beretta_man11]

I'm a big fan of the Arkens. Own several, and still recommend them all the time. HOWEVER- it's not a zeiss, swaro, ect when you're talking low light hunting situations, but they're a fraction of the price. It's plenty usable, and in the same price range, I haven't used anything better.

 

[Noles77]

Thanks for all the replies i have alot of other optics such as Steiner TX5i, SB PMII, trijicons and Burriss XTR-II’s even an SWFA 6x so ill have a fall back i realky just wanted to try a cheaper option just in case my kid doesnt really fall head over heals into shooting. If its reliable and tracks well at the price point i think i will give one a shot worst case i can resell as stated above

 

[Watch_this71]

My Glx runs fine for coyotes and pigs in my area. He asked for an optic to be used in HUNTING scenarios. I use the Glx for hunting because it stood up better to repeated and quick shots with a .308 gas gun than the Arken did. I offered up my insight with the Arken I had, that’s it. Sorry if I offended you db2000

 

[hafejd30]

I own two EP5’s. Here’s a comparison I did between a NF/ZC. Threw the Arken in for comparison as I was curious how it stacked up. Long story short, for low light hunting, it doesn’t

I use mine on a couple precision .22 setups. Daytime shooting. For that they work very well

ZCO527 vs NF ATACR 7-35 vs Arken EP5- (Last Light Comparison)

First, Im not an optics snob. Reliability is my #1 concern. But I have wondered what my 527, 735 and EP5 would look like against each other at last light. Both the 735 and 527 have been used for the same application. Even though it’s mounted on a Vudoo here Primary use for my high end optics is...

www.snipershide.com

 

[FuhQ]

@Noles77 Honestly, if you want to stick around the $500-600 price range, and are looking for a tactical 5-25x scope that would be lighter and better in hunting scenarios... This one is on sale. It's built in the Philippines with higher quality Japanese glass... I replaced almost every Arken I owned with them because the glass was better, the controls were smoother, and the tracking was just as good.

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 Illum SCR Mil Scope 201051

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 5-25x50 SCR Mil Scope 201051 | Only at EuroOptic.com!

www.eurooptic.com

If you want less magnification for a hunting scope, this is the 3-15x50 version... Also on sale...

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 3-15x50 SCR Mil Scope 201031

Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR II 3-15x50 SCR Mil Scope 201031 | Only at EuroOptic.com!

www.eurooptic.com