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Rifle Scopes Gen2 razor 4.5-27 vs Cronus Btr

btstrohfus

Private
Minuteman
Dec 8, 2017
46
2
Found a great deal on a New Gen 2 Razor today, ebr-2c mil/mil for $2,125.. I have been quoted a new Cronus Btr for as low as $1,350, which is also a super deal.. Just wondering what you would choose for beyond up to 1,400 yard shots and why.. thanks guys
 
If you can get a Cronus for $1350 new, then this is a no brainer. I don't see how you can get that price since MAP on them is $1799. I've had both and Dsparil said it right, are locking turrets worth the difference......
 
imo, the razor is worth the difference in cost. I bought a BTR NIB here for $1400 and after one range trip decided the Razor II is worth the upgrade. I prefer the turrets on the Vortex, and I think the glass is slightly better to my middle aged/novice eyes. if you want a killer deal on a BTR in mil/mil hit me up via PM, I'm selling mine to fund another Razor.
 
imo, the razor is worth the difference in cost. I bought a BTR NIB here for $1400 and after one range trip decided the Razor II is worth the upgrade. I prefer the turrets on the Vortex, and I think the glass is slightly better to my middle aged/novice eyes. if you want a killer deal on a BTR in mil/mil hit me up via PM, I'm selling mine to fund another Razor.
I find this very surprising. Like the majority has said the real differential is locking turrets. At the price you've been quoted for the Cronus it's an easy choice. Glass is identical. FOV is within 3%. Glass is nearly identicsl. Cronus has a better reticle. Razor has better knobs. Warranty is a wash.
 
I find this very surprising. Like the majority has said the real differential is locking turrets. At the price you've been quoted for the Cronus it's an easy choice. Glass is identical. FOV is within 3%. Glass is nearly identicsl. Cronus has a better reticle. Razor has better knobs. Warranty is a wash.
Oh and if youre a big giner the athlon is about 5.8lbs lighter.
 
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Oh and if youre a big giner the athlon is about 5.8lbs lighter.

A slight exaggeration on the weight difference, lol, but we get your point.

The only other scope I own that I like better than the Cronus BTR, and for a variety of reasons, is the good old S&B 5-25 PM2 with H59 reticle. Of course it was more than twice the price.

I like the NF 7-35 but I'm not spending that kind of money on a scope anymore, well not for an S&B either.
 
I’ve got a gen I Cronus and a Gen II Razor. Both will work well shooting steel but where you’ll see the benefits of the better scope and better glass is when shooting on a cloudy day and when the paint gets knocked off of the 1 moa or less targets. There are times when better glass is useful.
 
I’ve got a gen I Cronus and a Gen II Razor. Both will work well shooting steel but where you’ll see the benefits of the better scope and better glass is when shooting on a cloudy day and when the paint gets knocked off of the 1 moa or less targets. There are times when better glass is useful.

I suppose it's obvious to someone more informed but I'm not right now and some other newby may not be either. Which one has the better glass?
 
Actually a lot of times it isn’t obvious until you’re trying to pick out a target that is hard to see or Cranking the power up to max and watching your view get blurry. Most of the time glass isn’t as important as repeatability.
 
I find this very surprising. Like the majority has said the real differential is locking turrets. At the price you've been quoted for the Cronus it's an easy choice. Glass is identical. FOV is within 3%. Glass is nearly identicsl. Cronus has a better reticle. Razor has better knobs. Warranty is a wash.

Show me the majority you are talking about. Because I don’t see it. Your reply sounds like pure confirmation bias to make yourself feel good about going with the Cronus.
 
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I think the Cronus represents outstanding value, the features and quality per dollar is outstanding. that being said, the extra cost of the Razor is worth it to me, and I suspect many others. heck, the Razor itself is a value proposition compared to S&B, Hensoldt, Kahles, etc. I think it's great that another manufacturer is sorta copying the Vortex methodology - the folks from Wisconsin have been a market disruptor for years and I think (hope) Athlon follows suit.
 
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I personally hate .2 mill reticles. No idea if athlon will be around in 5 years. When making purchases, emphasis on allotted budget is paramount.

If you have the money and no one will miss a meal in your household, purchase the Vortex. Pretty rare to see a post that says I’m glad I sold my gen 2 razor to buy a athlon.
 
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To touch on that video where he says he can't see the Razor II reticle in daylight conditions, he needs to change his battery. Just mounted up a Razor II this morning and it was nice and bright in the daylight. My others are too.
 
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To touch on that video where he says he can't see the Razor II reticle in daylight conditions, he needs to change his battery. Just mounted up a Razor II this morning and it was nice and bright in the daylight. My others are too.

I am sure that's the case. I've handled the razor gen ii and it is definitely a tremendous optic. I have not handled a cronus and I posted the comparison video for the OP in hopes of helping him decide. Interestingly enough he hasn't responded to any of the conversation, but it's all good.
 
Where did you find a Cronus BTR 4.5-29x56 for $1350? I've been thinking of selling my Gen 2 to buy a Cronus and XLR Element stock, but upon reading the above posts about the lower glass quality of the BTR, it is making me think twice.
 
I've heard reports from several shooters that say the quality of the optics between the two is a wash. I have the Cronus BTR I get a beautiful target picture at 600+ yards. Prairie Dogs of Montana hate my scope.
I have no experience with the BTR, so hearing from someone who has one helps. Thanks.
 
I've had both scopes. The glass quality seems to be the same. If not the exact same, then close enough for my eyes not to be able to tell the difference. The Vortex seems just a bit beefier, maybe because of the weight. I prefer the turrets and reticle of the Vortex, but not almost a $1000 better. The Cronus is nice because is matte black. I can't stand the color of the Vortex.
 
I've had both scopes. The glass quality seems to be the same. If not the exact same, then close enough for my eyes not to be able to tell the difference. The Vortex seems just a bit beefier, maybe because of the weight. I prefer the turrets and reticle of the Vortex, but not almost a $1000 better. The Cronus is nice because is matte black. I can't stand the color of the Vortex.
Yeah, I am with you on the color; but if I keep it I'll probably Cerakote it so it looks as good as it performs. Thanks for your input; I appreciate it.
 
I’ve run both and personally go with the chronus at that price point. To me the glass on both I can’t see a difference. I’m not big on locking turrets just because I’ve never had any accidental move on their own in any situation hunting through the thick brush down here.
 
I just got a Cronus BTR, and have only ever handled and looked through a Razor Gen 2, but i'm pretty happy with the Cronos. Glass is very good, eyebox is very good, and it tracked 100% and returned to zero perfectly when I did a tracking test up to 10 mils. I've read that some don't like the turrets, but the turrets are fine. The clicks are positive and tactile, not mushy at all, and I don't expect to have any issues under time situations in matches. Plus, its not overly big scope and fits nicely on my Howa HCR.
 
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I did a write up last year on a comparison between a Vortex AMG and an Athlon Cronus BTR. The Photobucket images disappeared but I updated them with Imgur so they are visible again. They were through the scope pics using a cell phone camera.....too bad I don't still have the AMG or I could have used the new scope adapter and gotten much better pics.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...nus-btr-reticle-pics-and-impressions.6465657/
 
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I’ve run both and personally go with the chronus at that price point. To me the glass on both I can’t see a difference. I’m not big on locking turrets just because I’ve never had any accidental move on their own in any situation hunting through the thick brush down here.
I wouldn't be hunting with this scope (BTR) if I bought one, so the non-locking turrets is no concern for me, either. The Cronus BTR is definitely cheaper. Thanks.
 
I just got a Cronus BTR, and have only ever handled and looked through a Razor Gen 2, but i'm pretty happy with the Cronos. Glass is very good, eyebox is very good, and it tracked 100% and returned to zero perfectly when I did a tracking test up to 10 mils. I've read that some don't like the turrets, but the turrets are fine. The clicks are positive and tactile, not mushy at all, and I don't expect to have any issues under time situations in matches. Plus, its not overly big scope and fits nicely on my Howa HCR.
I read a little (or maybe heard on a YouTube video) that the older Cronus (not a BTR) has mushy turrets, but that the newer version (the BTR) has solved that problem. I have tried to find a store that had one in stock, and no luck so far; so hearing that they click positively is very encouraging. If you have a match in the near future (or just shoot it long distance, I'd love to hear what you think of the BTR's performance. Thanks.
 
I did a write up last year on a comparison between a Vortex AMG and an Athlon Cronus BTR. The Photobucket images disappeared but I updated them with Imgur so they are visible again. They were through the scope pics using a cell phone camera.....too bad I don't still have the AMG or I could have used the new scope adapter and gotten much better pics.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...nus-btr-reticle-pics-and-impressions.6465657/
Hey, thanks for your observations and conclusions; I appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time to find the link and send it over.
 
I read a little (or maybe heard on a YouTube video) that the older Cronus (not a BTR) has mushy turrets, but that the newer version (the BTR) has solved that problem. I have tried to find a store that had one in stock, and no luck so far; so hearing that they click positively is very encouraging. If you have a match in the near future (or just shoot it long distance, I'd love to hear what you think of the BTR's performance. Thanks.
Yes, I heard the same thing about the older version mushy turrets. I have the BRT and the turrets are nice. I'll get a match or two in this summer hopefully, and i'll report back.