Rifle Scopes Cheap glass is expensive

[bradworley]

Hopefully I'm not making another mistake? But Arken has an awesome deal on the sh4. $300 for the scope and $20 for their accessories package which includes rings, throw lever, caps, and bubble level. The deal was just too good to pass up!
Unfortunately, this will be the third or fourth "budget" scope I've purchased. Could have had something pretty nice if I had more patience
My last mistake was a diamondback tactical that I really thought would serve my needs. It did not! Honestly, I have a monstrum scope that I bought for $150 that's comparable. (Okay, maybe it's not that bad)
But still, if anyone's in the market for a new Arken, they got a hell of a deal going right now!

 

[vinniedelpino]

I have an EP and it's really not bad for the money. I've put maybe 150 rounds down range with that scope/rifle combo. 98% of shooting is done with my primary rifle.

There's a reason for the "buy once, cry once" sentiment around here. It pays off in the long run.

Definitely not a bad deal though for what you get.

 

[MadDuner]

I just wish the Arkens were half the weight to go along with their half the price point deal. But if they did - they would be 4 times as good for the money!

 

[FuhQ]

For the $300 sale price, I don’t think you’re going to find anything that will even begin to touch it. But, IMO, the real value is in the turrets, tracking (and precision tracking guarantee), 34mm tube, elevation adjustment, and reticle. The glass is not always the absolute most important feature in a scope.

IMO, for the money (even at the retail price), the SH4 Gen2 glass is pretty decent. However, the EP5’s glass is noticeably better, IMO. I just wish they would offer it in a 5-25x50, instead of offering just the 56mm objective. The 50mm fits better on most options, and is slightly lighter weight.

 

[bradworley]

For the $300 sale price, I don’t think you’re going to find anything that will even begin to touch it. But, IMO, the real value is in the turrets, tracking (and precision tracking guarantee), 34mm tube, elevation adjustment, and reticle. The glass is not always the absolute most important feature in a scope.

IMO, for the money (even at the retail price), the SH4 Gen2 glass is pretty decent. However, the EP5’s glass is noticeably better, IMO. I just wish they would offer it in a 5-25x50, instead of offering just the 56mm objective. The 50mm fits better on most options, and is slightly lighter weight.

The turrets on the diamondback were pretty good too. Hopefully the glass quality on the Arken is better

 

[MadDuner]

The turrets on the diamondback were pretty good too. Hopefully the glass quality on the Arken is better

Night and day difference between the diamondback and my EP-5.
I haven't looked through a SH4 yet.

 

[FuhQ]

The turrets on the diamondback were pretty good too. Hopefully the glass quality on the Arken is better

From my personal experiences with my own Arkens, Vortex HST’s and Strike Eagle 5-25x56, through my eyes my Arken SH4 Gen2 scopes are on-par with my old HST’s, but with better FoV, and extremely close to the Strike Eagle 5-25x56 EBR-7C. And my Arken EP5 has better glass than my Strike Eagle and HST’s, and is on-par with the new PST Gen2 5-25x50. Another guy had a PST Gen2 5-25x50 at the range, so we compared them side-by-side, and everyone there looked tough them back to back, and agreed unanimously they were about as close to identical as could be.

Just what I’ve personally experienced with the limited number of specimens available. Not trying to sell you on anything, as I’m not affiliated with any optics companies.

Also, the turrets are going to blow you away Compared to the Diamondback, that I can almost assure you. Night and day.

 

[AznTactical]

I'll back your claim about the DB Tactical sucking balls. Everything about it sucks but it is the only light-ish weight FFP optic with exposed turrets and tree reticle I could get for my 7 & 9 year old's bolt action .22's. I've had 60-80 shots through an Arken. If that's all you can afford I'd say buy it.

 

[GhostFace]

I just bought an Arken SH4 to replace the DB tactical. It's definitely a better scope, for $300 these Arkens are tough to beat at the price point. IMHO they definitely punch above their price point.

 

[bradworley]

Just got the SH4 yesterday and mounted it to my Tikka.
Really impressed with the look and feel of it. It beats the vortex db at pretty much everything.
The only sort of negative is the eye box. You have to be perfectly lined up to get the sight pic. But I guess that could be a good way of insuring consistent cheek weld.
Either way I'm really happy with it... Especially for $300!