I was hoping someone could put some real world experience to help my comparison. Can anyone do a glass to glass comparison of the vortex vs athlon glass? something like "diamondback tactical is around the same clarity as the athlon argos. The viper pst is similar glass to the athlon midas./ the razor uhd is similar to athlon unobtaineum" or whatever the case may be? I have limited experience but have looked through quite a bit of vortex glass so I am trying to determine if I should go with a long range scope from athlon this time. If you have experience, add in any other glass you might have used that could be useful comparisons
- Thread starter kramster
- Start date
When you're done comparing people's subjective opinions on the glass then check the robustness of the build, and the warranty.
Just a heads up we have all Athlon discounted on our Labor Day Sale which started this week www.cameralandny.com
This was my end result, I have more than a few dead scopes on the garage wall as decorations because the warranty was terrible, Vortex will fix or replace just about anything at no cost to you, they have replaced one scope of mine and repaired another, in both cases it was accidental damage in the woods caused by me. I think their glass is very good, I haven’t looked through another scope at the same price point and thought this is clearly superior.
Before you go counting out Vortex see what scott @LibertyOptics can do for you.
I run Vortex PST 1x4 on all my service rifles with good success. I tried the 1x4.5 Athlon (which is a relatively new offering from them). It did not track well. Then the erector assembly came loose. They replaced with out issue, but the new scope didn’t track well either. .25MOA clicks were mushy. I’ll probably mount it to a rim fire and not adjust it ever again. Just one data point to consider.
My Vortex Razor LHT 4.5-22/$1999 retail has IQ level that is similar to my Midas TAC 5-25. Overall I like the Midas TAC better. Though of course the Razor is light for its mag range and has illume which is why I bought it.
Did I expect better from the Razor, that is a hard YES. I got less than what I paid for.
Did I expect more from the Midas TAC, that is a hard NO. I got more scope than I paid for.
That being said the G3 Razor is reported to have very good IQ but its a nearly $4000 retail scope.
I just got a new Athlon Ares ETR 15-60x56 target scope last week. The IQ in it is absolutely killer for the price!!! It's as bright and clear as my S&B PM2 5-25x56 when both are set to 25x!
AND this ETR has superior IQ than my Cronus G2 4.5-29x56 at 29x!
I was truly taken back by this as I wasn't expecting this level of quality in the IQ!
I've spent about 8 hours using this ETR in the last week and every time I peer through it I am still impressed.
Those lower end scopes such like the Argos and the competing brand scopes at that price level you just can't expect much as far as IQ.
The Helos G2 is decent in IQ and when you get into the Midas TAC line the IQ is getting nice and by that I mean there is not much to complain about.
Did I expect better from the Razor, that is a hard YES. I got less than what I paid for.
Did I expect more from the Midas TAC, that is a hard NO. I got more scope than I paid for.
That being said the G3 Razor is reported to have very good IQ but its a nearly $4000 retail scope.
I just got a new Athlon Ares ETR 15-60x56 target scope last week. The IQ in it is absolutely killer for the price!!! It's as bright and clear as my S&B PM2 5-25x56 when both are set to 25x!
AND this ETR has superior IQ than my Cronus G2 4.5-29x56 at 29x!
I was truly taken back by this as I wasn't expecting this level of quality in the IQ!
I've spent about 8 hours using this ETR in the last week and every time I peer through it I am still impressed.
Those lower end scopes such like the Argos and the competing brand scopes at that price level you just can't expect much as far as IQ.
The Helos G2 is decent in IQ and when you get into the Midas TAC line the IQ is getting nice and by that I mean there is not much to complain about.
If you're in the price range, this would be an excellent option... I have one, and even at 30x the glass is still sharp and clear.
It's on sale right now, too... Pretty damn good price.
www.eurooptic.com
It's on sale right now, too... Pretty damn good price.
Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR III 5.5-30x56mm 34mm SCR 2 Mil Riflescope 201214
FREE SHIPPING on Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR III 5.5-30x56mm 34mm SCR 2 Mil Riflescope 201214
Athlon kills it in the sub 1k$ optics.
The helos gen2 6-24 has better turrets, eye box, and IQ (although close but slightly better) than the strike eagle 5-25.
The Midas tac and ares btr gen 2 looked better than the pst gen 2, i really didn’t get a lot of time behind the pst gen 2 to really compare. I think it’s all subjective and all the scopes in their respective price ranges will compare well, it’s really just a matter of which reticle you like better. Both companies have the same warranties, and they’re probably made in the same factories in China with the exception of the Philippine made pst gen 2.
The helos gen2 6-24 has better turrets, eye box, and IQ (although close but slightly better) than the strike eagle 5-25.
The Midas tac and ares btr gen 2 looked better than the pst gen 2, i really didn’t get a lot of time behind the pst gen 2 to really compare. I think it’s all subjective and all the scopes in their respective price ranges will compare well, it’s really just a matter of which reticle you like better. Both companies have the same warranties, and they’re probably made in the same factories in China with the exception of the Philippine made pst gen 2.