Been checking these out on Amazon and a fairly decent price. Enough variable power to take some critters at a good distance and paper and steel at any distance I can get to here. I want the MOA version in ffp. Don’t trust reviews from most places and they are reviewing about 70% on the exceptional side. I do trust the people on here though and was wondering if anyone has experience with the lower end Athlon. Would move up to the Helos but an extra 200. I’ll only use it in summer months and switch back to 3.5x10 Leupold for deer hunting.
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Athlon Argos on my Tikka 6.5
- Thread starter Wendyj
- Start date
Ive ended up with two lower end Athlons (not sure at the moment which ones- I'm at work). One is on a springer air rifle, and the other is on a CZ527 in 7.62x39. I'm very happy with the durability and clarity of mine. I have come to find that I'm not nearly as happy with the ffp thing as I thought I'd be. I guess I'm just too accustomed to sfp scopes to get over that reticle changing sizes on me. On a side-by-side test, I would place it over a Redfield 3-9 I bought when they first came out, and also over the Mueller 4-14 tactical scope. The Athlon is springer airgun rated, so I guess that means it's guts are fairly durable.
Don Fischer
New member
I've never even heard of them before. But my thought would be there's a price range with them from about $150-$1800. I don't think anyone making high end scope's has a $150 scope! Not being able to see it first I'd be Leary of spending to much on it. Of course with Amazon you can send it back. Leupold will have scope's in a wide price range too but They have a well deserved reputation and I'd go with them.
This is Athalon Argos. Ectched reticle in glass and Argon purged. I think that’s same stuff Leupold uses. It’s a 6.5x20x50. I was just buying a new trigger for my 10-22 and the Leupold vx3i cds is 499. It’s 4.5x14x40. Duplex reticle. Worries me it has no adjustable objective it being over 10 power. Only reason I considered the Athlon is it’s from Amazon where I could return it. Still Leary of one I can’t look through. I do like the reticle since it looks a lot like the one on my Nightforce shv. I didn’t think of crosshairs getting larger in ffp. Making me reconsider. Maybe back to Vortex or something else with more magnification.
I looked at them at the Harrisburg Outdoor Show last year.
Of course i also looked at a scope that had everything but a windmeter built into it, that cost almost $3K.
I ended up with a Sightron STAC 4-20X50.
I could have gotten a lower end Vortex Viper for a little more money. But i like the reticle on the Sightron better.
Doesn't seem to flare out quite as easily either.
Don Fischer,
Sightron makes a 3-9X40 SI that can be had for $100. They also make $1,800+ SIII target scopes that compare with others more expensive. Namely Nightforce, and Vortex Razor line.
Of course i also looked at a scope that had everything but a windmeter built into it, that cost almost $3K.
I ended up with a Sightron STAC 4-20X50.
I could have gotten a lower end Vortex Viper for a little more money. But i like the reticle on the Sightron better.
Doesn't seem to flare out quite as easily either.
Don Fischer,
Sightron makes a 3-9X40 SI that can be had for $100. They also make $1,800+ SIII target scopes that compare with others more expensive. Namely Nightforce, and Vortex Razor line.
For me, it's not a matter of them getting larger with higher power- it's when they get smaller. Once I turn the magnification down below the half-way point, they are too small for me to be comfortable with. And at the scope's lowest power- they are all but worthless to me. That's not to say someone with more experience with ffp's wouldn't like them, I just have such limited experience with them. I like my reticle's to stay the same- I'm old school and funny that way I guess.I didn’t think of crosshairs getting larger in ffp.
I have an argos on a savage 10 in 223 and im very pleased with it, especially given the price point. I have 3 ffp scopes for comparison, a burris veracity 5-25, and a bushnell xrs2 4.5-30. I have only used at 100 yards so take this for whats its worth. Its clarity is very good all the way to the edges amd brightness is also very good, both all the way to 24x. It certainly places 3rd of the three ffp scopes i have but from a lens quality (at 100) its not that far from the burris. The tracking is excellent and very repeatable. Parallax is right on. Click adjustments are positive. The only gripes i have is it feels like a $350 scope, not as high quality as the others and its ugly. The lens caps are crap. Functionally its very good for the money. I would definitely buy again if i were in the market for something less expensive. I cant really speak to the durability as it rides a 223.
Wendy I have a argos btr with the mil reticle. Only have it a few months. I like it clear glass,tracks well. Got it on ebay under $250 new in box. I have a friend that knows some match shooters that are using them. Weight wise they are heavy. For the money I don't think you can beat them.
If you are looking at the Athlon Argos line make sure you grab the BTR versions. Turrets are good, the grease issue is easily fixed and the newer ones don't seem to have this issue ( Athlon listens to feedback and has shown very quick and eager to respond)
Feature wise as you noticed its amazing. Solid glass and shines up to 20x. After that it suffers the same as many up-in-comers and begins to wash out ( much like the Vortex Viper line and Gen 1 PSTs) Reticle selection is awesome and in both MiL and MoA. I got a 6x24 BTR in the MiL xmas tree style FFP to put on my 308 bench beast. It was my first MiL scope and it was a very pleasant surprise. It hasn't moved off its home and until I win the lotto it probably wont. I also acquired the non BTR version in SFP MOA in 5x30 ( I think ). Reticle is nice and clean, non xmas tree but I don't get the same warm fuzzy when I use it. Its construction is different from the BTR line and the chassis of it is not as appealing to me. Function wise it seems to be the same...Good up to 20x, turrets etc...just looks off to me. It is my backup scope and stop gap safe queen scope. Low Light performance on the NoN BTR is not anything special so I would be hesitant to use it on a normal hunting rifle. Good for Rimfire work above 100 though and I wouldn't hesitate to contribute to the reduction of Prarie Dogs during the day.
Feature wise as you noticed its amazing. Solid glass and shines up to 20x. After that it suffers the same as many up-in-comers and begins to wash out ( much like the Vortex Viper line and Gen 1 PSTs) Reticle selection is awesome and in both MiL and MoA. I got a 6x24 BTR in the MiL xmas tree style FFP to put on my 308 bench beast. It was my first MiL scope and it was a very pleasant surprise. It hasn't moved off its home and until I win the lotto it probably wont. I also acquired the non BTR version in SFP MOA in 5x30 ( I think ). Reticle is nice and clean, non xmas tree but I don't get the same warm fuzzy when I use it. Its construction is different from the BTR line and the chassis of it is not as appealing to me. Function wise it seems to be the same...Good up to 20x, turrets etc...just looks off to me. It is my backup scope and stop gap safe queen scope. Low Light performance on the NoN BTR is not anything special so I would be hesitant to use it on a normal hunting rifle. Good for Rimfire work above 100 though and I wouldn't hesitate to contribute to the reduction of Prarie Dogs during the day.
Got it today and it’s built like a tank. Turrets really nice. No mush and ver audible. Going back though. They sent mil instead of moa. Only thing I didn’t like is I had to get close to 12 power in order to see the reticle. Maybe going to go up to next model but going to Cabela’s to look through them first. Turrets are metal and it came with flip up scope caps and plastic washers to set zero stop. Weight sucks. Weighs as much as my GP 100 pistol.