I'd have thought the 4-20 would perform better due to 50mm obj.
My 2-12 was pretty terrible in low light, easily out paced by my 2.5-10x32 PST which in itself is not a great low light scope.
Athlon Helos BTR Gen2 2-12?
- Thread starter wcoats
- Start date
My 2-12 was pretty terrible in low light, easily out paced by my 2.5-10x32 PST which in itself is not a great low light scope.
Hoping to find out before long…..
I grabbed a 2-12 on Black Friday last year. Never mounted it.
Just cashed in a pile of Southwest points for Bass Pro cards. Probably gonna turn those into a Ruger Ranch .22 ARC.
Oughta be fun……
I grabbed a 2-12 on Black Friday last year. Never mounted it.
Just cashed in a pile of Southwest points for Bass Pro cards. Probably gonna turn those into a Ruger Ranch .22 ARC.
Oughta be fun……
I'm surprised I over looked this thread??
This Helos G2 2-12 is a unique FFP scope for sure. I've had one since they came out and then later owned two but sold that one to a friend for a rifle he'd just bought. Nothing has gone wrong with either.
I've used mine on my HFT pcp Pistol and it's so good for this type of competition that I've won this division every time so far, so 3 tries in state level comps. Why is it focuses close at 10Y, also ranges well when using a side wheel, and good enough in every other respect one would need to win with. This is why I'll always have at least one of these scopes.
But it usually lives on my Steyr ProX semi auto pcp bullpup. I can't describe how much fun I've had with this combo! Let's just say that this scope is great for fast shooting and this gun isn't a 1moa shooter past 75Y so that .3 mil CD has not hindered at all so on this gun it works great. When plinking with friends out to 125Y, most having a wide variety of 6-24's, 5-30's, etc, I can hit whatever they're going for and often do better than they. This includes shotgun shell hulls.
Okay okay the other one I had I used on a long range AR in 6mmFatRat and I could almost do as well with that combo at long range as with my 6mmBR bolt gun having the Cronus G2 4.5-29 on top. This was shooting at 1.5-2 moa steel from 300Y to 1143Y. Yeah sure it isn't the tool for 1/2 moa targets but why someone would buy a 2-12 for such small targets is beyond me. It turned out later on I felt the need for more magnification on that AR which is why I sold that HG2.
It belongs on guns that may not be 1 moa precise. On guns you need to see the reticle with in compromised lighting. Guns you might need to shoot fast with. Yeah it's just fine for a lot of general shooting and hunting situations.
Do I like my March DFP 1.5-15x42 more, yes I do, but not by much in a 'practical sense' and were talking 8 times the price for 'absolutely not' 8 times that better of a scope IMHO.
Even to this day the lowly Helos G2 DMR is a benchmark in this MPVO space and I never felt like mine were a let down at all in any, way, shape, or form. It's so versatile and just gets the job done.
Yesterday I ordered a gun the HG2 DMR would be a good fit for again and am hard pressed to come up with a affordable scope solution other than this one.
This Helos G2 2-12 is a unique FFP scope for sure. I've had one since they came out and then later owned two but sold that one to a friend for a rifle he'd just bought. Nothing has gone wrong with either.
I've used mine on my HFT pcp Pistol and it's so good for this type of competition that I've won this division every time so far, so 3 tries in state level comps. Why is it focuses close at 10Y, also ranges well when using a side wheel, and good enough in every other respect one would need to win with. This is why I'll always have at least one of these scopes.
But it usually lives on my Steyr ProX semi auto pcp bullpup. I can't describe how much fun I've had with this combo! Let's just say that this scope is great for fast shooting and this gun isn't a 1moa shooter past 75Y so that .3 mil CD has not hindered at all so on this gun it works great. When plinking with friends out to 125Y, most having a wide variety of 6-24's, 5-30's, etc, I can hit whatever they're going for and often do better than they. This includes shotgun shell hulls.
Okay okay the other one I had I used on a long range AR in 6mmFatRat and I could almost do as well with that combo at long range as with my 6mmBR bolt gun having the Cronus G2 4.5-29 on top. This was shooting at 1.5-2 moa steel from 300Y to 1143Y. Yeah sure it isn't the tool for 1/2 moa targets but why someone would buy a 2-12 for such small targets is beyond me. It turned out later on I felt the need for more magnification on that AR which is why I sold that HG2.
It belongs on guns that may not be 1 moa precise. On guns you need to see the reticle with in compromised lighting. Guns you might need to shoot fast with. Yeah it's just fine for a lot of general shooting and hunting situations.
Do I like my March DFP 1.5-15x42 more, yes I do, but not by much in a 'practical sense' and were talking 8 times the price for 'absolutely not' 8 times that better of a scope IMHO.
Even to this day the lowly Helos G2 DMR is a benchmark in this MPVO space and I never felt like mine were a let down at all in any, way, shape, or form. It's so versatile and just gets the job done.
Yesterday I ordered a gun the HG2 DMR would be a good fit for again and am hard pressed to come up with a affordable scope solution other than this one.
I'll go peer through both of mine and post my thoughts.
Sorry for the delay.
It's a cloudy evening, the sun is behind the mountain, and it's barely past the red sunset colors, so I'm checking the scopes right now. With the illume on both are usable at 4x but of course it's easier to see the DMR reticle. I could make any reasonable long range shot on a deer with either scope.
Without the illumination on if I were shooting a blackbear , nope I couldn't see the 4-20's reticle well enough but probably could shoot a deer. I can still see the DMR reticle on my black plate though whereas the 4-20 mil reticle is getting tough to see. Such a huge difference in reticle thickness.
As far as brightness the 4-20 is a hair better in low light on 4x but if I don't have the illumination on, thus not seeing the reticle well, it's for not.
Don't get me wrong I like my HG2 4-20 but it wouldn't be my first pick for low light.
The DMR reticle has to be down to 2x for the reticles to be close to the same size, well it's still easier to see the DMR reticle on 2x if comparing.
I'd spend the extra money and go for the Ares BTR G3 2.5-15x50 if I was to decide between that and the 4-20. One wouldn't think .1 mil thicker would make a difference but it does and the illuminated cross in the BTR G3 seems faster to put on target more intuitively. I keep on saying it but this BTR is a killer scope and the IQ is nicer.
The DMR is the way to go for hunting IMHO. Gotta see the reticle at 4x without illum on this can't be beat and with illume on its even better.
The lesson here for me is one has to make out the reticle and Illumination on made the biggest difference by far.
Really too bad we don't have a higher end scope like the DMR!!!
Thanks for the the update. I almost ordered a 2-12 the other day but some local-ish folks were saying it didn’t give them much joy in low light. All I really wanted was something that sees as well or better than my Fury 5000 binos. I jumped on a deal today. Apex put their 3-15 Hunter ffp illuminated Center dot on for 25% off and free shipping for 3 days. $1350 instead of $1800. I will see how it works for me.
I had a bunch of 2-12 Athlons, but gradually they have been replaced by S&B 3-12 Klassiks. The Athlon is better at bad breath distance, and has a much better dialability.
The glass in the S&B is just better, and unfortunately a 20% improvement costs 300% more.
So be it.
What I'd like to see is the 2-12 made in Japan. They'd rule the world.
The glass in the S&B is just better, and unfortunately a 20% improvement costs 300% more.
So be it.
What I'd like to see is the 2-12 made in Japan. They'd rule the world.
I have a friend who had always wanted a Hensoldt 6-24x72 so he bought one of the remaining new ones at a dealer four years ago. This guy is a peculiar fellow to me because he buys nice things and never uses them and I bring that up because that scope is still brand new never mounted??!!
For the heck of it I should ask him to bring that scope over at dusk to see how the best of the best low light scope looks like in comparison.
For the heck of it I should ask him to bring that scope over at dusk to see how the best of the best low light scope looks like in comparison.
So you’re not typing your reply on something that includes parts from China? Your purchases never include anything from or that supports China?You nailed it. This is a great scope for the money, but again I can’t get over CHINA.
Bullshit. You and others that get on this high horse look like fucking morons posting shit like this. We all hate China. We get it. We can avoid supporting them as much as possible and to each their own but get off the podium. You sound like a Vegan that has to tell everybody about it.
You are right, we unfortunately can’t avoid using things made in China that we use daily. I just like spending my hard earned money on things made in other places like Japan whenever possible. That’s why I don’t buy Chinese made optics.
You make a really good point. We can't avoid made in China stuff, so we shouldn't bother trying.
Winning attitude, Dude.
