Rifle Scopes The Arken Optics Thread (merged)

[MackDaddy1962]

Okay, I'll just drop some pics for now.

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"You're kill'n me smalls..."

Mine's FDE, but yours pushed me over the edge and ordered an SH4 6-24 MOA unit yesterday. Wanted MIL, but I'll make do. It was in stock ready to nab. Already shipped!

The Bushnell Match Pro got mailed back today. Wanted to like it, but CA & barrel distortion was a deal breaker. I'm only doing 50yrd 1" targets for now, so all the goodness the Arken should bring will be perfect (I hope.) All you hooligans with fantastic reviews & info are a blessing. Thanks so much!!!

My humble rig.. (added the spigot & pic rail today.) Pics below beforehand..

Pics when the new scope gets mounted to come

 

[AndyCDFW]

My Savage 10 with new Arken 6-24 Mil installed:

 

[fullsemiauto556]

"You're kill'n me smalls..."

Mine's FDE, but yours pushed me over the edge and ordered an SH4 6-24 MOA unit yesterday. Wanted MIL, but I'll make do. It was in stock ready to nab. Already shipped!

The Bushnell Match Pro got mailed back today. Wanted to like it, but CA & barrel distortion was a deal breaker. I'm only doing 50yrd 1" targets for now, so all the goodness the Arken should bring will be perfect (I hope.) All you hooligans with fantastic reviews & info are a blessing. Thanks so much!!!

My humble rig.. (added the spigot & pic rail today.) Pics when the new scope gets mounted to come

I sighted in my 10/22 with the Arken on Saturday after an NRL22 match I attended. I really enjoyed shooting the rifle as much as using the scope. I only used it at 50 yards with the magnification at about 18x-20x. It's easy to get behind, the image was very clear and bright. I love the reticle the most. I really like how much smaller the center dot is in comparison to the Match Pro, it made for a very precise aiming point. I did try the illumination against a dark background in the wooded area, in bright sunlight, with no success. I could not see illumination during that timeframe, YMMV. I might try a battery swap to see if it improves, but I'm not holding my breath and it's not a deal breaker at this point.

 

[MackDaddy1962]

Truthfully, illumination for me is no big deal at all. If it didn't have, I'd still buy. Glad to hear you're happy with yours!

Edit to add: I had the same issue with Match Pro turrets. They're nice, but almost too hard to turn with small increment detents. Not a deal breaker, but I think (from what y'all say) the Arken is MUCH better. Carry on..

 

[fullsemiauto556]

I sometimes use these little reinforcement labels that have a 1/4" open center as targets when I shoot for groups. That center dot on the Arken was swimming around plentifully inside that open center. I'll use smaller targets next time out for this scope.

 

[fullsemiauto556]

Truthfully, illumination for me is no big deal at all. If it didn't have, I'd still buy. Glad to hear you're happy with yours!

Edit to add: I had the same issue with Match Pro turrets. They're nice, but almost too hard to turn with small increment detents. Not a deal breaker, but I think (from what y'all say) the Arken is MUCH better. Carry on..

I don't always need illumination, but I think it has it's merits. One of the ranges I shoot at has a very dark area at 100 yards due to tree coverage and shooting the NRA style targets is very difficult for me without illumination. I don't normally use those kind of targets, but we had a friendly competition one time there and the illumination helped tremendously for that situation. I also used the illumination this past Saturday on my Match Pro during the event when there was cloud coverage. It helped me get on target faster and gave good contrast to steel targets that were already shot and "grey" from the bare metal showing. Could I have done it without illumination, sure. Did it help me, I think so.

 

[z71rat]

Make sure the battery compartment is clear of any oils. There have been reports of a light film inside where the contacts are located. Cleaning that area has solved all but 1 illumination issue that I am aware of so far.

DK

 

[fullsemiauto556]

Tried new batteries and made sure the compartment was clean, no dice, illumination still the same.

Unrelated, did I mention before this thing has 35.6 mil of total elevation? It's only supposed to be around 32 mil. I call that a win.

 

[z71rat]

More is ALWAYS better!! Well, most of the time that is…

It is very rare for me to use the illumination. Luckily, all of mine work.

DK

 

[MackDaddy1962]

I'll be sure and report what my illumination looks like. And you're right, It would be nice to have it useful. Most all my other scopes don't have any, but I'd certainly like to have it work when included. Also, I see quite a few of you all are using Arken rings too. I was hesitant to get them (planed on using Warne Mountain Tech) but for half the cost, I ordered Arken's. I really like Vortex rings as well, but when ya step up to 34mm they're pricey.

Mine is schedule for delivery this Friday. Oh so looking forward to trying it out.

 

[fullsemiauto556]

I'll be sure and report what my illumination looks like. And you're right, It would be nice to have it useful. Most all my other scopes don't have any, but I'd certainly like to have it work when included. Also, I see quite a few of you all are using Arken rings too. I was hesitant to get them (planed on using Warne Mountain Tech) but for half the cost, I ordered Arken's. I really like Vortex rings as well, but when ya step up to 34mm they're pricey.

Mine is schedule for delivery this Friday. Oh so looking forward to trying it out.

FWIW, I really like the rings. They are well machined, have good hardware and look nice too. They gave me no concerns or issues whatsoever. I have used cheap crappy rings before and these are most definitely not.

 

[rimfire22lr]

I like mine. Have shot it out to 200 meters on my T1x. EP-4, 4-16x50.

 

[DuneShoot]

Anyone have a suggestion for a good set of flip up caps for the 6-24 Arken?

 

[MackDaddy1962]

Mine came today, I thought the Bushnell Match Pro was a hefty little boy. Wow. This is a solid chunk of scope. Mounted up on the previously posted rig, on the tripod in the garage looking at various areas @ 25-100 yards looked good. A bit of CA at 24x, but that's to be expected. Back it down some it clears up fairly well for me at least. Eyebox was a bit tight in my short time behind it, we'll see what it really pans out to be once I get it out to the range. Still need to play with all the adjustments on the KRG Bravo to get my head where I need to be. But I want to do that on the bench.

I'm extremely impressed with the parallax adjustment turret. That thing is smooth as butter. Mag ring is okay, a very slight bit of grit on mine. Not bad, but it's there. No big deal. E/W Turrets are nice as everyone states, but they're HUGE. My lord. Can't miss those bad boys..

Arken rings.. not bad at all. Certainly worth $60 shipped no doubt.

Recovering from gallbladder surgery I had on Tuesday. I'm really pushing it doing what I did today. I freak'n hurt! Oh well, in a week or so I'll be back to normal.. I hope.

@fullsemiauto556 Also wanted to state WOW on your above post. Damn that's awesome! Those little reinforcement labels @ 50 yards? Holy smokes, that's unreal. I need to get to work and hone the skill-set. Job well done sir.

Oh, and illumination. Yeah, it's useless until you get to 4. even at 6 in bright light it's pretty much a no-go. I'd venture to say in low light conditions it would help, but bright light... not so much. Oh well..

More info as I get behind this gem an put some lead down the pipe.

 

[z71rat]

For anyone not wanting to wait, the 6-24’s are IN STOCK!!

As well as the Halo rings too!!

DK

 

[Ldecker81]

"You're kill'n me smalls..."

Mine's FDE, but yours pushed me over the edge and ordered an SH4 6-24 MOA unit yesterday. Wanted MIL, but I'll make do. It was in stock ready to nab. Already shipped!

The Bushnell Match Pro got mailed back today. Wanted to like it, but CA & barrel distortion was a deal breaker. I'm only doing 50yrd 1" targets for now, so all the goodness the Arken should bring will be perfect (I hope.) All you hooligans with fantastic reviews & info are a blessing. Thanks so much!!!

My humble rig.. (added the spigot & pic rail today.) Pics below beforehand..

Pics when the new scope gets mounted to come

You probably have time to cancel the MOA and order MIL. It appears they only ship on Fridays. My order arrived Monday and was actually a MIL version, though I ordered MOA and I sent it back Wednesday. It should arrive in Sugarland Tx tomorrow but I still haven't received a tracking number for a replacement. I could have traded you!

 

[MackDaddy1962]

You probably have time to cancel the MOA and order MIL. It appears they only ship on Fridays. My order arrived Monday and was actually a MIL version, though I ordered MOA and I sent it back Wednesday. It should arrive in Sugarland Tx tomorrow but I still haven't received a tracking number for a replacement. I could have traded you!

Too late. It came yesterday, already installed. I'll give it a shot, if need be I'll ask Arken for a MIL swap. No worries brother!

 

[MackDaddy1962]

Lil piggy all mounted up. Also had a chance to install the new Summit Precision matte black carbon fiber barrel today. Good reviews on RFC, one guy states it shoots as well as his Kidd ULW (that's what I took off.) If that be the case, winner, winner!

 

[Ldecker81]

Too late. It came yesterday, already installed. I'll give it a shot, if need be I'll ask Arken for a MIL swap. No worries brother!

I've never used MILs so I considered keeping it to learn the system. But everything I own is MOA, and my shooting buddies are MOA So I sent it back. My initial impression of the optic was good though.

 

[Ldecker81]

Lil piggy all mounted up. Also had a chance to install the new Summit Precision matte black carbon fiber barrel today. Good reviews on RFC, one guy states it shoots as well as his Kidd ULW (that's what I took off.) If that be the case, winner, winner!

That is sharp!

 

[AndyCDFW]

I took my new Arken 6-24x50 Mil scope out today - what a great time! It was hot and humid as balls, so at times it was challenging with sweat in my eyes.

I'd boresighted it before I went out and easily got it dialled in at 100:

For fun, I started shooting quarters taped to paper at 100 yards:

Then it was off to the 400 yard range:

I wanted to see if I could use my previous comeups on the tiny 4" plate at the left - yep, solid hit first shot:

Excellent scope, very repeatable clicks and good glass - only downside I've found so far is the eyebox is quite unforgiving; you have to be spot-on.

 

[MackDaddy1962]

Awesome AndyCDFW! Great shoot'n.

 

[CK1.0]

Excellent scope, very repeatable clicks and good glass - only downside I've found so far is the eyebox is quite unforgiving; you have to be spot-on.

Sounds/looks like you know how to work a scope... but might be worth rechecking your eye-relief: I found the eyebox very forgiving, even at 24x (fucking great at ~16x where I run my scopes 90% of the time), once I rechecked my eye relief and moved it back a bit from where I put it at first. As I got used to it, and got the eye relief right, it became super easy to get behind, even switch/support-side it was easy to get behind shooting 1moa targets out at 750 yards off of tank traps and shit. Its got a more forgiving eye box than a 4.5-27 Razor HDG2 or at least it's neck and neck IMO.

edit: (I don't even think I bothered to slide it in the rings/mount, I was off by more than that, I just came back one whole pic notch or two, and don't think it matters, but FWIW I shoot both eyes open mostly.)

 

[AndyCDFW]

Sounds/looks like you know how to work a scope... but might be worth rechecking your eye-relief: I found the eyebox very forgiving, even at 24x (fucking great at ~16x where I run my scopes 90% of the time), once I rechecked my eye relief and moved it back a bit from where I put it at first.

I will have to try that, thanks! I'm pretty new to precision rifle so I'm learning as I go along.

 

[AndyCDFW]

Awesome AndyCDFW! Great shoot'n.

Thank you so much! This scope makes a noob like me look better than I am.

 

[CK1.0]

I will have to try that, thanks! I'm pretty new to precision rifle so I'm learning as I go along.

...aren't we all learning as we go along?

Seriously though, it's worth a try, you might even get lucky and not even have to touch your zero (think I had to add/subtract 1 click of elevation IIRC).

Just the other day I read something somewhere where a guy far more knowledgable than me said something to the effect of: "most people have their eye-relief setup wrong and don't even know it, even experienced shooters, it's not just coincidence that if one's rifle fits them correctly their ocular will land in the middle of, or about even with, the backstrap of their grip..." - as far as I can tell dude is onto something here... I wish I could remember who said it..?

 

[z71rat]

I took my new Arken 6-24x50 Mil scope out today - what a great time! It was hot and humid as balls, so at times it was challenging with sweat in my eyes.

I'd boresighted it before I went out and easily got it dialled in at 100:

For fun, I started shooting quarters taped to paper at 100 yards:

Then it was off to the 400 yard range:

I wanted to see if I could use my previous comeups on the tiny 4" plate at the left - yep, solid hit first shot:

Excellent scope, very repeatable clicks and good glass - only downside I've found so far is the eyebox is quite unforgiving; you have to be spot-on.

That is awesome!!

DK

 

[jLorenzo]

Any plans for something with a smaller than 50mm objective? Would be cool to have something a little slimmer for rimfire and ARs. Orderd a 6x24 SH4 today.

 

[jLorenzo]

Got a 6x24 SH4 yesterday. Glass, turrets and reticle are nice. Those are what I bought the scope for. Unfortunately the sunshade only goes in about half way then makes a horrible noise and binds. Something is wrong with the threads (I am not cross threading), also some kind of heavy duty glue was dripped on the mag ring, the windage/parallax knobs have some small rashes and knicks on them. It would appear they are really rushing production to meet demand. Luckily I almost dont care about the marks but the sunshade bothers me a bit. I just want to shoot and will probably just keep it to avoid more hassle.

 

[CK1.0]

Got a 6x24 SH4 yesterday. Glass, turrets and reticle are nice. Those are what I bought the scope for. Unfortunately the sunshade only goes in about half way then makes a horrible noise and binds. Something is wrong with the threads (I am not cross threading), also some kind of heavy duty glue was dripped on the mag ring, the windage/parallax knobs have some small rashes and knicks on them. It would appear they are really rushing production to meet demand. Luckily I almost dont care about the marks but the sunshade bothers me a bit. I just want to shoot and will probably just keep it to avoid more hassle.

That doesn't even look like a new scope man, mine looked better after ~1.5 barrels, 3000 rounds and IDK how many back and forth range trips.

I'd email Arken and ask for an exchange, IMO don't even bother mounting that thing...

 

[vegashelipilot]

I got my hands on an SH4 Gen 2 yesterday and I wanted to add my thoughts about Arken. I have owned an EP-4 for a little over a year. I run it on a DMR AR15 that I use in local gas gun PRS-style matches. I've shot about 6 matches with it and several long practice sessions and its never skipped a beat.

I have been a big Vortex fan-boy since I bought the Viper PST Gen 1 when it first came out many years ago. I've owned the Diamondback Tactical, Strike Eagle 5-25, PST Gen 1 and 2, and Razor Gen 2. But personally I don't think you can buy a better optic for under $500 than these Arken scopes. I sold off all of my Vortex optics except my PST II and Razor II. A common problem I found with the lower to mid-tier Vortex scopes is that the turrets feel very mushy and the hash marks on the turrets don't line up. On my Strike Eagle 5-25, they got progressively more 'off' the further you got away from your zero. It might not be a big deal for someone plinking at the range, but when shooting matches it really sucks when you can't trust the visual reading on your turrets and you have to literally count every click you dial.

When my uncle put together a .308 this month and asked for advice on a scope I didn't hesitate to recommend the Arken SH-4 gen II. It tracked perfectly, and it looks like Arken addressed all of the issues I had with the EP-4. The zoom ring is not as tight as the EP-4 (a good thing, the EP-4 is ridiculously tight), the parallax turret has yardage markings on it, and I like the reticle a lot more. I did not compare the glass side by side to my EP-4 but it looked great to my eyes. I know the EP-4 is supposed to have the better Japanese glass, but I would gladly trade my EP-4 for one of these new SH-4's.

I think any time you're buying a scope with this many features for under $500 you're taking a chance. I've been lucky with the 2 Arken scopes I've purchased. I haven't been as lucky with Vortex. Both companies have great warranties. Arken's dealing with some growing pains, but so did Vortex.

 

[Ldecker81]

My SH4-G2 has been everything I wanted it to be. Tracked true at 100 yards (shot a box test) and the reticle quickly became my all time favorite. The turrets are so precise and clean they are a treat to dial. I enjoyed the hell out this optic today. I shot a variety of 22lr ammo, from Eley match to CCI quiet which forced me to dial everywhere from 4 to 18+ MOA. The glass was great at this range on a sunny day so I don't yet know how it will handle 500+ yards. The parallax adjustment not only lined up well with the markings, but also eliminated parallax and focused the image equally throughout 25-100 yards I used it at. The illumination is not the brightest I've used, and was only faintly visible against a black target (sunny day). The image was bright and clean at 16 power, so I decided to crank it up to 24x to test the eye strain and functionality of the higher end. Not only is it capable, this is the first optic I've owned that was easy for me to shoot at max magnification ( that reticle is perfect). I'm not a well seasoned shooter with decades behind high-end glass, but I really enjoyed shooting this scope today and as a humble amateur, I highly recommend it.

 

[ChrisAU]

Anyone able to measure the mounting length on a 4-16 SH4 Gen 2?

 

[z71rat]

I am not sure specifically what you are asking for? I have my SH4 4-16 that I can measure for you, but not sure what you are wanting?

DK

 

[ChrisAU]

I am not sure specifically what you are asking for? I have my SH4 4-16 that I can measure for you, but not sure what you are wanting?

DK

The max outside to outside your rings could be, F in this photo:

Toying around with the idea of putting it on a bolt gun that is a range toy.

 

[z71rat]

Dead nuts on 5.875” for the 4-16.
Dead nuts on 6.25” for the 6-24.

DK

 

[ChrisAU]

Thanks!

 

[z71rat]

Absolutely!

DK

 

[Ozarkcop]

I had an extended EGW base and had to cut the cantilevered portion off to fit my 4-16 to get proper eye relief.

 

[z71rat]

On all of my extended bases I cut off the front ends as well, but it’s so I can remove the barrel nut without removing the base.

And, depending on the scope, it does help to clear the objective as well! It just makes life easier for me!!

DK

 

[MackDaddy1962]

@jLorenzo I'd contact Arken, that looks like a bad copy. Mine was nothing like that delivered a few weeks ago.

 

[DuneShoot]

After reading the rave reviews here I ordered an Arken.
I got a 6-24 a few weeks ago, Looked great at the house compared to a Nightforce, I was amazed.
Also looked great at 100 yards when sighting it in.
Took it to 1K on 2 different weekends and at max mag or even backed down a bit it seems slightly blurry. Tried the parallax adjustment and got it the best I could. Still shot great at that distance but the image leaves a lot to be desired. The throw lever was also slipping when used to change magnification.

Emailed Arken asking to send it in and they suggested that this is the way it is with scopes under $1K. Asked if I set the parallax and diopter which I'm pretty sure I did correctly.
He also said he uses his Akren at 12-18x out to a mile.
Basically said "this is how a sub $1K optic is". I replied back that I still feel I got a bad example of this scope and would like to send it in. Will see what he says next. He is sending a new throw lever.

Anyone else feel at or near max magnification it's not very clear? If this is 'normal' then I will need to sell this scope.

 

[AndyCDFW]

My throw-lever was slipping on my 6-24x - emailed Arken and they sent a replacement that arrived in 2 days and works perfectly.

 

[Ldecker81]

After reading the rave reviews here I ordered an Arken.
I got a 6-24 a few weeks ago, Looked great at the house compared to a Nightforce, I was amazed.
Also looked great at 100 yards when sighting it in.
Took it to 1K on 2 different weekends and at max mag or even backed down a bit it seems slightly blurry. Tried the parallax adjustment and got it the best I could. Still shot great at that distance but the image leaves a lot to be desired. The throw lever was also slipping when used to change magnification.

Emailed Arken asking to send it in and they suggested that this is the way it is with scopes under $1K. Asked if I set the parallax and diopter which I'm pretty sure I did correctly.
He also said he uses his Akren at 12-18x out to a mile.
Basically said "this is how a sub $1K optic is". I replied back that I still feel I got a bad example of this scope and would like to send it in. Will see what he says next. He is sending a new throw lever.

Anyone else feel at or near max magnification it's not very clear? If this is 'normal' then I will need to sell this scope.

At max magnification my SH4G2 looses some light and requires a tighter eye placement to prevent the "milky wash" some people speak of. I don't feel it's any different than any other scope I've owned in this price point or a little higher. My parallax is able to focus well out to a tower that's 450 yards away and closer, and I can still dial further out and the tower begins to blur..meaning my parallax seems to work realy good. I will say that this is my second SH4, Arken mistakenly sent a MIL version that I immediately returned for the MOA I actually ordered and the glass in that MIL scope worried me. I didn't mount it so I'm not sure if the issues I noticed were caused from poor alignment by holding it by hand, but the image would easily go blurred and doubled with crazy thick CA if I wasn't looking perfectly centered. The current MOA version I have doesn't do that and maybe the MIL one was ok??? Either way the glass is better than my Argos btr but not as sharp as 4-16 crimson trace

EDIT: I should add that this is the pickiest diopter setting iv ever used. If it's not setup perfectly, any movement creates double vision and CA. Which may have been the issue with my MIL version

 

[Ldecker81]

Just curious, did you send it back? I'm really enjoying this SH4G2. It's not a Razor HD clone, but Arken doesn't claim it is.

 

[vegashelipilot]

After reading the rave reviews here I ordered an Arken.
I got a 6-24 a few weeks ago, Looked great at the house compared to a Nightforce, I was amazed.
Also looked great at 100 yards when sighting it in.
Took it to 1K on 2 different weekends and at max mag or even backed down a bit it seems slightly blurry. Tried the parallax adjustment and got it the best I could. Still shot great at that distance but the image leaves a lot to be desired. The throw lever was also slipping when used to change magnification.

Emailed Arken asking to send it in and they suggested that this is the way it is with scopes under $1K. Asked if I set the parallax and diopter which I'm pretty sure I did correctly.
He also said he uses his Akren at 12-18x out to a mile.
Basically said "this is how a sub $1K optic is". I replied back that I still feel I got a bad example of this scope and would like to send it in. Will see what he says next. He is sending a new throw lever.

Anyone else feel at or near max magnification it's not very clear? If this is 'normal' then I will need to sell this scope.

I zero'd my SH4G2 at 100 yards with max magnification and it looked plenty sharp. I took it out to 1,035 yards that day as well and did not notice any loss in clarity, but I was only at about 18x.

This might be a stupid question but are you sure you weren't seeing mirage? How does max magnification look at closer distances?

 

[DuneShoot]

I messed with it more yesterday looking out a window because it was hot AF outside. At about 400 yards it looks decent but still not great. Compared to a Nightforce ( unfair I know) it showed more details

It very well could be mirage but the NF didn’t have it near as bad at 400 or at 1k.

I’ll try it again at the range.

 

[ChrisAU]

I messed with it more yesterday looking out a window because it was hot AF outside. At about 400 yards it looks decent but still not great. Compared to a Nightforce ( unfair I know) it showed more details

It very well could be mirage but the NF didn’t have it near as bad at 400 or at 1k.

I’ll try it again at the range.

Adding a nice thick dirty lens to the equation is a bit unfair when judging glass quality, which I'm sure you know but just saying.

 

[Ldecker81]

I messed with it more yesterday looking out a window because it was hot AF outside. At about 400 yards it looks decent but still not great. Compared to a Nightforce ( unfair I know) it showed more details

It very well could be mirage but the NF didn’t have it near as bad at 400 or at 1k.

I’ll try it again at the range.

I'm sure it's driving you nuts trying to decide if yours is defective. There was such a variation in glass quality reviews, and what's considered acceptable is subjective.

 

[vincent7]

That's exactly the problem. I had one that I could not get parallax free. Haven't read many complaints about the turrets, but from reading the reviews the glass quality and parallax issues are far from uncommon, too common actually for me to try them again right now.