I recently got to handle the sh-4-14 and i was impressed. Best chinese made turrets I've found and best sub $500 glass I've seen. If they track this might be a winner. Anyone gotten to play with one?
Rifle Scopes The Arken Optics Thread (merged)
- Thread starter Banango
- Start date
Yes. I have one on my grendel. Tracks really well and the glass is very clear. Also the turrets are very tacticle, and the zero stop is easy to implement. All reasons why I am going to be a dealer for them. BEst Sub $500 scope I have seen thus far.
HERE IS MY REVIEW:
Thought also I would expand on what I saw out of the Arken SH-4 4-14x44 FFP 30mm Optic.. Lets do a quick break down via important areas when it comes to scopes.
1. Initial first impressions: The Arken 4-14x44 comes in what I would consider a standard box in line with what you would see from any reputable optics company. Well packaged, and an added bonus I was unaware of is that the optic comes with a Sunshade ( nice!). Feel and finish wise it is your standard 6061-T6 matte black finish. I talked to the guys at Arken and they told me that the final version will have a look similar to what the razor HD has currently color wise. I am excited to see what that looks like!
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
2. Glass: Probably up there with the most important feature when I look at an Optic, Arken touts its Lanthanum Multi Coated glass as " providing better optical performance than similar products" ( took quote verbatim that right from the box). Now I don't know a whole a lot about Lanthanum glass, but I do trust my eyes to pick out good glass when I see it. So, I mounted this SOB onto my 6.5 Grendel and had some fun. First test was a basic test out in the arid desert near my house during mid day shooting hours. I wanted to see what the optic garner clarity wise out in the field. To my surprise, the glass was as advertised. The edge to edge clarity was as good as many optics I have seen costing twice this much, including the vortex viper gen 2, and the Midas/Ares line from Athlon ( more on that shortly). Good first pass... but I wasn't done!
I have a Midas TAC ( HD glass, comparable to a Nikon FX1000, PST GEN 2) and wanted to line these up at dusk to see what the low light level gathering was like. I felt like this was a good comparison as the Midas Tac has a similar setup ( 4-16x44, 30 mm tube). Side by side I focused on the same cactus at 500 yards later that evening... Here is what I saw:
15 minutes til sunset: No real difference in the clarity or light gathering, and not shocking, as light was still very available
Sunset: Oddly enough, expecting to see some difference, as I am get impressed with the Midas tac, the clarity of the object in focus and the amount of light both scopes produced was virtually identical.
10 minutes past sunset: With light almost gone, I rotated looking through both scopes back and forth for a good five minutes, and they both provided the same amount of clarity and light as the other. Now this is to say they are not on par with a S and B or other high end optic, but I expected the Midas to give me more since it retails for $590.. This left me intrigued.
3. Eyebox: In a phrase, very comfortable. Even at full zoom I did not have to fidget a whole lot to line up my target comfortably and fire away. The only downside I see for now is that Arken only has one reticle and one increment choice ( mil). For me this is not a big deal, but for some it may be a deal breaker. That being said, Arken tells me there are other scope configurations in the works, and I am excited to see what those look like. the SHR MIL reticle is simple to use, and I really enjoyed it, as I am not a huge fan of the Xmas tree style reticles that have become so popular.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
4. Turrets: Arken touts itself as having a "turret tracking guarantee". I inquired a bit more about this, and the fellas over there tell me that the turrets will track to a 99% degree of accuracy. Now I did a simple box test, as well as some range time dialing from 100, to 300, and 500 yards respectively, and the scope performed just fine. Also I will add that the turrets are very tactile and crisp.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
5. Price: If you are like me, you are always looking for a good deal on an optic that will perform without having to sacrifice your child's college fund. The $349.99 price point Arken offers is what had me intrigued. I was skeptical that the quality of the optic and available features would actually stack up to other optics in the same general price range. To my dismay, it performed neck and neck with my Midas Tac, and having spent plenty of time behind mid tier optics ( $600-$1000 price range) from Burris, Leopold, Sig, Vortex, among others, I truly believe that this scope will hold its own against any of them. Compared to optics in the same sub $400 price point? There isn't anything I have looked through that I would purchase other than this. I know, sounds crazy right? To my eyes, this is my stance.
Rating: 9.5
Summary: All in all, the Arken SH-4 exceeded my expectations in every category. For $349.99, I have yet to see an optic with this kind of clarity, eye box, turret crispness, and overall quality in this price point. Is it a S and B or Nightforce? No.. But they aren't trying to be either. I will be using more of these in my line up with out any doubt.
To learn more about Arken Optics go to there website:
https://arkenopticsusa.com
Thanks for your Time AOG
HERE IS MY REVIEW:
Thought also I would expand on what I saw out of the Arken SH-4 4-14x44 FFP 30mm Optic.. Lets do a quick break down via important areas when it comes to scopes.
1. Initial first impressions: The Arken 4-14x44 comes in what I would consider a standard box in line with what you would see from any reputable optics company. Well packaged, and an added bonus I was unaware of is that the optic comes with a Sunshade ( nice!). Feel and finish wise it is your standard 6061-T6 matte black finish. I talked to the guys at Arken and they told me that the final version will have a look similar to what the razor HD has currently color wise. I am excited to see what that looks like!
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
2. Glass: Probably up there with the most important feature when I look at an Optic, Arken touts its Lanthanum Multi Coated glass as " providing better optical performance than similar products" ( took quote verbatim that right from the box). Now I don't know a whole a lot about Lanthanum glass, but I do trust my eyes to pick out good glass when I see it. So, I mounted this SOB onto my 6.5 Grendel and had some fun. First test was a basic test out in the arid desert near my house during mid day shooting hours. I wanted to see what the optic garner clarity wise out in the field. To my surprise, the glass was as advertised. The edge to edge clarity was as good as many optics I have seen costing twice this much, including the vortex viper gen 2, and the Midas/Ares line from Athlon ( more on that shortly). Good first pass... but I wasn't done!
I have a Midas TAC ( HD glass, comparable to a Nikon FX1000, PST GEN 2) and wanted to line these up at dusk to see what the low light level gathering was like. I felt like this was a good comparison as the Midas Tac has a similar setup ( 4-16x44, 30 mm tube). Side by side I focused on the same cactus at 500 yards later that evening... Here is what I saw:
15 minutes til sunset: No real difference in the clarity or light gathering, and not shocking, as light was still very available
Sunset: Oddly enough, expecting to see some difference, as I am get impressed with the Midas tac, the clarity of the object in focus and the amount of light both scopes produced was virtually identical.
10 minutes past sunset: With light almost gone, I rotated looking through both scopes back and forth for a good five minutes, and they both provided the same amount of clarity and light as the other. Now this is to say they are not on par with a S and B or other high end optic, but I expected the Midas to give me more since it retails for $590.. This left me intrigued.
3. Eyebox: In a phrase, very comfortable. Even at full zoom I did not have to fidget a whole lot to line up my target comfortably and fire away. The only downside I see for now is that Arken only has one reticle and one increment choice ( mil). For me this is not a big deal, but for some it may be a deal breaker. That being said, Arken tells me there are other scope configurations in the works, and I am excited to see what those look like. the SHR MIL reticle is simple to use, and I really enjoyed it, as I am not a huge fan of the Xmas tree style reticles that have become so popular.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
4. Turrets: Arken touts itself as having a "turret tracking guarantee". I inquired a bit more about this, and the fellas over there tell me that the turrets will track to a 99% degree of accuracy. Now I did a simple box test, as well as some range time dialing from 100, to 300, and 500 yards respectively, and the scope performed just fine. Also I will add that the turrets are very tactile and crisp.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
5. Price: If you are like me, you are always looking for a good deal on an optic that will perform without having to sacrifice your child's college fund. The $349.99 price point Arken offers is what had me intrigued. I was skeptical that the quality of the optic and available features would actually stack up to other optics in the same general price range. To my dismay, it performed neck and neck with my Midas Tac, and having spent plenty of time behind mid tier optics ( $600-$1000 price range) from Burris, Leopold, Sig, Vortex, among others, I truly believe that this scope will hold its own against any of them. Compared to optics in the same sub $400 price point? There isn't anything I have looked through that I would purchase other than this. I know, sounds crazy right? To my eyes, this is my stance.
Rating: 9.5
Summary: All in all, the Arken SH-4 exceeded my expectations in every category. For $349.99, I have yet to see an optic with this kind of clarity, eye box, turret crispness, and overall quality in this price point. Is it a S and B or Nightforce? No.. But they aren't trying to be either. I will be using more of these in my line up with out any doubt.
To learn more about Arken Optics go to there website:
https://arkenopticsusa.com
Thanks for your Time AOG
Last edited:
Did you run a box test or any form of paper tracking test? If so have pictures or video of it?
I did and it tracked fine although I didn’t take photos of it.. sorry. Shoot me a pm please I can discuss this in more detail privately pre launch..
Considering they are new wouldn't it be best any and all information you have for these be public for anyone else that wants to learn about them?
You don’t know the secret Chinese handshake.
ha!
Yes I agree in short time I will, can’t at the moment until the folks that run the show at Arken give me the blessing.. stay tuned
Compared this past weekend to my Sig Tango 4. 4-16 devl moa
Arken wins the following battle
Glass clarity
Turret crispness
Full zoom clarity
$349 price point ($330 less retail than Sig)
Sig wins the following battle
Marketing payroll
Arken is no joke!
Arken wins the following battle
Glass clarity
Turret crispness
Full zoom clarity
$349 price point ($330 less retail than Sig)
Sig wins the following battle
Marketing payroll
Arken is no joke!
Very interested.
I have some rimfires that need some scope upgrades.
The reticle looks good.
This price places is solidly with the Vortex Diamondback tactical 4-16.
Where did you get it?
I have some rimfires that need some scope upgrades.
The reticle looks good.
This price places is solidly with the Vortex Diamondback tactical 4-16.
Where did you get it?
6-24 model coming soon. Possibly with locking windage. 34mm tubes also in the works from what Im told
Correct.
I get my info from caleb jackson at cjsprecisionoptics.com hes been woking with them to get the tracking issues under control and try and increase the desireable features.
I know Caleb. I am also working with with Arken directly.. almost on a daily basis. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any questions..
Hoping they offer a tree reticle - would make a nice rimfire varmint scope.
Genuine question, and I’m not trying to stir the pot. But, what exactly does this scope bring to the market that Primary Arms (and others) do not? I’m all for improvements, but PA already has a decent rep for Chinese scopes at an even lower price point. I have no horse in this race - am I. Issuing something revolutionary/evolutionary about this offering?
How do these compare to Quigley-Ford?
Because that’s the road I see this thread going down...
Because that’s the road I see this thread going down...
Aside from zero stop, similar feature set, but I’m hoping they execute better on image quality and turrets because they are a newer iteration. For $350, I’m willing to roll the dice. That said, I prefer the PA R-Grid tree reticle for rimfire varmints.
Can you post a video of the turrets in action?
Man I was thinking the same thing.
Thanks for posting this review. I've been looking at getting the Vortex Diamondback Tactical recently and just saw the Memorial day sale Athlon has going on. This Arken looks good to considering the lower price and what looks to be better turret tactile feel than the Athlon Ares BTR mil that is on sale...
So many choices! LOL
Thanks guys!
So many choices! LOL
Thanks guys!
Yes I’d be happy to
It’s a good question.. in fact I think we may have to do a side by side comparison at some point. I have not personally handled a PA 4-14 FFP before..
They do on some optics. They have been moving toward covering all of their optics with a lifetime warranty.
As far as comparing the Arken to the PA, I can say that the Arken is going to have better turrets and better tracking than the PA optics. PA has been improving them, but they still rely heavily on the reticles to do the work. It's not a terrible idea, especially if you're using an ACSS or gridded reticle, but many of us still want a scope that tracks properly. Arken's claim is to track at a % far better than other optics, not just in this price range.
This is capitalism at its finest. Possibly a better scope than primary at a better price. Next year there will be another player and yet another the year after that. Gotta love it!!
What size rings and height would you recommend for this scope? I am looking at the Burris XTR signature rings.
30mm, but your height will entirely depend on what you're mounting it on.
The "new player" is already on the market... Check out Blackhound optics...
Well i ordered one for a rimfire.
@Kevins750
Any updates on the scope?
Interested to hear reviews.
Seems there are Vortex SE 3-18/4-24 (SFP) and Vortex Diamondback tactical 4-16 (FFP) as well as closing in on Athlon Midas scopes for price and feature so I am very interested to see what you think.
Any updates on the scope?
Interested to hear reviews.
Seems there are Vortex SE 3-18/4-24 (SFP) and Vortex Diamondback tactical 4-16 (FFP) as well as closing in on Athlon Midas scopes for price and feature so I am very interested to see what you think.
Should be here Monday. I will try a review on the initial look. And maybe try my hand at an in depth review.
BTW---IF you search "arken Amazon" there is a little video on the turret clicks by someone.
BTW---IF you search "arken Amazon" there is a little video on the turret clicks by someone.
Sweet! Can’t wait for your review.
Went to cabelas today looking for a new scope for my boys RPRr (the 3-12 vortex diamondback HP isn’t cutting it with the heavy reticle for rimfire shooting), and remembered this thread and that you had bought one.
The scope looks similar to the PA 4-14 scope but that might be where all the similarity ends.
I don't have a primary arms 4-14 but I will compare it to a 10x SS, Weaver tactical 3-10. They are close to the price and I think most people are familiar with them.
Perfect thanks
Still waiting for shipment
That sucks
Hopefully soon.blackhound optics-looked em up nothing on you tube except a "factory tour",1 dealer here in fl,chinese made,some web stuff.only review was on a site yoiu had to "sign up for a free month deal"-NOT! wonder how these will fair. sound too good to be true.
Still waiting
Still waiting
Damn it.
Oh well. Just ordered a strike eagle 3-18 today...... mixed reviews on the scopes but hell with the lifetime warranty I can send it back and maybe upgrade if it goes tits up.
Damn I really wanted to see this new scope
Still waiting
Ordered my Arken Optics scope back on May 13th.. still waiting also! Sent a few messages inquiring when shipment would be fulfilled. Back on May 25th, I was advised they were expected to ship that week. Still waiting. Sent out an email this morning, hopefully I will have my hands on one of these scopes soon...
I have heard the" ship this week "also........I have emailed them several times.......
Mine is from Ebay handle is arken optics place in texas.
Similar threads
Rifle Scopes So I bought a “Just As Good”, Burris XTR3
