With an 80mm objective lens, its big enough to handle pretty much any task you throw at it. Leupold Mark 5HD 5-25x56mm . Because the best spotting scopes represent a significant investment in money, durability and warranties are both prime considerations. How versatile do you want your scope to be? A smaller company than some others on this list, Athlon continually impresses me with their quality mid range products. At 60-power, the image will be largest, but because of the laws of optics, it also appears darkest and grainiest. Features: FFP, Illuminated, Lowlight-visible, CR2032, . Purpose-built as an aid to precision rifle shooters, the integrated reticle in the LMSS2 allows spotters to effectively call shots for their teammates on rifle. While theres no shortage of angled-body spotting scopes, its rare to find a premium straight-body-design like the MeoStar S2, and its ability to trade out eyepieces makes it extremely versatile. Much faster target acquisition (angled scopes can be intuitive to find what youre trying to look at because of the angle). Bushnell is owned today by Vista Outdoor, a large conglomerate of outdoor products companies. Demerits include the slippery, non-textured armor and the underwhelming glass, which makes images above about 45-power pretty dark and grainy with some distorted edge detail. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. A spotting scope helps you get crystal clear, up close views of birds, and can also help you take pictures of them. I have purchased 3 Athlon Argos BTR scopes, and zero issues with any of them. The question for the market: Is this spotter twice as good as the Argos HD, and is it worth double the cost? As a hunter who uses a spotting scope and binoculars in tandem, I dont worry too much about the field of view of my scope. Thread starter Wrencoforge; Start date Jan 20, 2020; Forums. The Hide Armory. You should see a set of numbers either in the products title or right away in its specifications that look something like 20-60x60mm. The CS.1 won our low-light test, beating a handful of 80 and 85mm scopes, which is a testament to its good-quality glass. Vortex got mentioned above a lot, and there are good reasons. much better than the Athlon and Vortex and on a close out sale now. I'll be honest I wasn't looking forward to reviewing Athlon optics. I use the binoculars to cover wide swaths of ground, and then use my scope to get really zoomed in on an animal that Ive found. 0 B bdzjlz Member At first sight, the Argos 10x42 is quite a compact binocular. We found the usable magnification range extended to about 54-power, which is higher than many of its peers. Only a few optics brands have new models, and those that are new for the year are product-line extensions, essentially new magnifications and sizes for an existing model. Observation & Sighting Devices . If you got sick of reading about scopes (or, lets be honest, you saw there was video and skipped ahead! You can read more about them here. The Mavens eyepiece is fixed, which means you wont be able to swap out eyepieces for different magnifications. At about 40 ounces, it isnt the lightest scope, but it gives you an excellent performance to portability ratio. The Vortex DB HD 10x42 are by volume the most sold pair of binoculars in . Most of their consumer scopes are affordable, and are great options. Maybe, but maybe not. Its a tough trade off, and has to be made based on your hunting style. If you're money-concience (i am too for the same reason! Get the Bushnell Match Pro over either. The Diamondback Tactical2 has much better glass than the ARGOS/HELOS at a cheaper price but the MIDAS has a slight overall edge in clarity image quality overall. Their HD-ATS-80 body is awesomely powerful when paired with a 20-60 power eyepiece. A cheerful little spotter that splits the difference between a binocular and a full-sized scope, this optic fits in a coat pocket and would make a great travel companion. Athlon Optics , Argos BTR, Riflescope, 6-24 x 50 First Focal Plane (FFP) 30 mm Tube, Illuminated APMR MIL Reticle, Black. These describe the zoom and the objective lens size. A product-line extension following Meoptas successful angled MeoStar S2, this 82mm spotter has the optical horsepower for just about any hunting situation, and the straight-barrel design makes it easy to slide into a backpack sleeve. Videos for related products. I'm looking at 6-24 versions and they seem similar. We bought and tested binoculars from Vortex, Athlon, Nikon, Leica, Swarovski, and others to help you find the best. Glass was pretty good for the price. And we were a little disappointed in the relatively narrow field of view. Vanguard Endeavor HD 82A. Note that the price varies widely on these different models of Razors, with the smallest scope costing half as much as the biggest. But at magnifications above about 18, youre going to want to mount this, because the shakes introduced by your hands, or an improvised support, blur the image. The first two, in the above case 20-60, are the zoom. I have an argos, I replaced it after less than a year. You can check the price here. Can the tripod adapter be used with a wide variety of tripod models and heads?
SX-2 Alpine HD Spotting Scopes | Leupold But I have had several of the midway BSAs, one primary arms, they all tracked well. Or is it to view in the bright light of midday?
Athlon 214061 Argos BTR 6-2450 Riflescope APMR FFP MIL | eBay Ahtlon vs Vortex (just glass perspective) - Long Range Hunting Forum All the money is going straight into the glass. Most of the above options will work just as well for any kind of wildlife viewing, but here are a few more options just in case you want them: Vortexs least expensive spotter series, the Diamondback is a top seller with great reviews. Full Member. I will test and be able to give better feedback as soon as I get to the range. They are young, and seem hungry to make a dent in the industry. Nikon is one of the most well known optics brands in the world. And if youre really a beast and can pack it in, youll be rewarded with great images. The 45-degree angled eyepiece is also a nice touch, as it allows for users to use it in a number of different stances. Ive been using spotting scopes for years and have used dozens of them in testing and in the field. Athlon Optics Argos HD 20-60x85 Spotting Scope - 45 Degree, Green/Black Customer reviews Customer reviews 4.4 out of 5 174 global ratings Athlon Optics Argos HD 20-60x85 Spotting Scope - 45 Degree, Green/Black by Size: 45 Degree Change How customer reviews and ratings work Top positive review Jack Holcomb Great spotting scope Which makes it a perfect option for hunters. Key Features. That and it was $120 less.. This means that objects will appear between 20 and 60 times closer than they actually are, depending on how you have it set. Since some of the most prime hunting hours are during low light dawn/dusk conditions, it can be tempting to get a scope with a larger exit pupil. Bushnell is one of the older players in the sporting optics world, having been founded in 1948. A 20-60x60mm scope at the lowest 20 power setting has an exit pupil diameter of 6020, or 3mm. If you want clear views, you want to minimize dispersion. On this review we are going to be using the Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 as the benchmark. If you divide the objective size by the zoom, you get the exact diameter of the exit pupil. You'll find a spotting scope useful for outdoors activities such as.
Athlon NEOS 10x42 vs. Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 A good spotter can help you see your shots from where you are shooting, eliminating the need to go down range as often. Leupold is one of the oldest names in the sporting optics world. Along with size, price varies dramatically. 1.5 #5) Leupold SX-2 Alpine HD 20-60x60mm. They offer some of the clearest scopes on the market, and while you definitely pay a premium, they have a very loyal customer base among bird watchers. Vortex Optics Diamondback HD Spotting Scopes. We measure and record the optical attributesfield of view, eye relief, weight, and other specificationsand mount every submission on a tripod suitable for that particular size and weight. Absolutely not, in fact some of the best scopes around carry the HD label. Clear glass combined with an oversized eyepiece and a rugged design will help you tag out season after season. 20-60x. The straight-barrel design will appeal to viewers who want to make quick target acquisition, instead of the hunting-and-pecking sometimes required with angled eyepieces. Spotting scopes work best from mid to far distances. The redesigned Diamondback HD spotting scopes have all the horsepower the long-distance hunter needs, and they excel in lowlightright when you need it most.
Is the Athlon Argos BTR Gen2 the Best Affordable Long Range Scope? The Ultima 80 is the definition of the intersection between quality and affordability. Learn more about it here. And you might be a little disappointed at how dark and grainy it gets above about 38-power. An ideal companion for long-range shooters and hunters, the angled viewing Vortex Optics Viper HD 20-60x85 Spotting Scope delivers bright and sharp high-contrast images with true-to-life color and crisp clarity at all . Budget is a very firm $500 or preferably less. Athlon Optics Argos BTR 6-24x50mm FFP Rifle Scope; Table of Contents. It also has a dual focus knob, one of our favorite features on any scope that allows you to focus it both quickly and precisely. The Hawke AirMAx is THE ONLY scope that has survived my Diana 34 springer. One of the lesser known technical specs that you may need to account for is eye relief.
Best Spotting Scopes of 2023 | Outdoor Life Athlon BTR vs Vortex Diamondback - Long Range Hunting Forum Models that have both designs typically have identical glass, magnification ranges, and components, so theyll likely deliver an identical image. Objective Lens Diameter. ), then I'd go vortex. $329.99 - $399.99. Its a testament to the Hawkes spotter that it adequately handles all that magnification. If youve ever been to a rifle range, you know youre in for some walking. I am a fan of vortex but the diamond back not so much . I got ahold of Athlon's entry level ARGOS to compare to their higher . The downside is that the scopes I have are all SFP, but they do make an FFP model. You can think of it like the limits of your peripheral vision. Spotting scopes are good from fairly close to nearly infinity. Its affordable and the glass is super high quality. After consulting with other experts I compiled this guide that includes information about spotting scopes, how to choose the best one, and reviews of our favorites on the market right now. The point is..if you buy a Vortex, you have to check if the reticles are wire or not. There is no easy answer on which is best as there are tradeoffs. Field of view is a measurement of how wide of a picture you will see when you are looking through a scope. The importance of the exit pupil diameter directly relates to how our eyes function.
Opinions about between Athlon Helos and Vortex Diamondback Tactical Fully multi-coated lenses increase light transmission and a silver-coated K9 glass prism . A nice feature it has that I wish more scopes would include (especially angled scopes) is a sighting line to help you line up with what youre trying to look at.
The Best Spotting Scopes in 2023 - Buyer's Guide - Bino Expert In case you want to know about the scopes, in brief, this comparison table below is tailor . In short: IGNORE THE TERM HD. Select which one you want here. But for someone on a budget, it will do the job. Get as big of a scope as is practical for your use. Itll cost you, but man does it make scopes easier to use. Celestron may have started out targeting astronomers with their products, but theyve expanded into a full sporting optics line suitable to all sorts of activities. I have had a couple of Argos's in the past with excellent tracking and good-enough glass. Apart from its compact design, it is also ergonomic. By Max Mutter and Benjamin Hickok. . And at nearly $4,000, most of us arent willing to subject the Harpia to the indignities and dings of the field. They also allow most of their products to be fully customized, so you can even get them in the exact color you want! Big 80 and 85mm scopes from premium brands can cost upwards of $3,000. Athlon Optics / RIFLE SCOPES / ARGOS BTR GEN2 / ARGOS BTR GEN2 6-2450 APMR FFP IR MIL. The Maven has especially good manners. Thats our opinion of how much of a bargain or a rip-off each binocular is. Most spotting scopes have whats called a variable zoom, meaning you can adjust how close you are zoomed into what you are looking at. Strike Eagle has a ton of elevation and nice features. The first spotter from this direct-to-consumer is a versatile powerhouse. New. Athlon submitted two full-sized spotters for this years test, but the Argos HD version (as opposed to the Argos G2 UHD) version represents the best combination of price and performance. The more powerful it is, the narrower the field of view. Vortex has become a staple in the optics world recently, and for good reason. Carefully consider exactly how youre going to use it. It offers very impressive light transmission and gives unbelievable image quality to its viewer. They sent me a prepaid label without a fight. I chose these based on features and because the retail price is low enough to keep the rifle in NRL22 base class. The Vortex strike eagle 5-25x56 FFP The Athlon Midas TAC 5-25x56 FFP Are there people who have been able to compare these 2 scopes? In fact, those factors increase substantially as you go up in objective sizes. Superdoo. Athlon Cronus is up to 60 power but still have a reasonable size. This dot is what is often called the exit pupil, and refers to the actual dot of light that gets transmitted to your eyes through the lenses.
Vortex Riflescopes | Buy Vortex Scopes - EuroOptic.com However, it can be hard to get your scope on target with an angled eyepiece because the 45-degree angle means the eyepiece isnt pointing at your target, like a straight-body spotter, so target acquisition occurs much faster. I didnt think the turrets, lack of zero-stop, and mediocre glass would bother me. 6 Best FFP Scopes.
Spotter-Vortex Viper vs. Athlon Ares | Rokslide Forum If the exit pupil diameter of your scope is smaller than your eyes pupil, the image you see through them will appear darker than it does with the naked eye. If you want to take your photography game to the next level, particularly if photographing animals you dont want to disturb or things that are dangerous to get to close to, a spotting scope with a digiscoping setup can make all the difference. This spotter makes an excellent choice for a hunter who wants a versatile spotting scope without paying a months wages. Athlon Optics . The upside: Its especially weather- and moisture-proof. It requires little equipment, can often be done from your home, and offers unlimited opportunities for expanding on the hobby with trips to see exotic birds.
All high magnification rifle scopes with at least 24X under $750 The 27 to 55-power is the sweet spot for combining magnification with a reasonably bright image.
Opinion on athlon scopes. | Shooters' Forum This scope gives some of the crispest images around. In all, the Meopta compares favorably to premium spotters from Swarovski, Leica, and Zeiss at a lower price. All these attributes make it an ideal budget option for hunters. The glass itself in the lenses of your scope is what will determine how much dispersion is happening, and getting glass with lower dispersion is one of the primary differences in cost between different brands and models.
The 5 Best Binoculars of 2023 | Tested by GearLab The CS.1 is built around the same mid-level class of glass that Maven uses in its C Series binoculars. When budget isnt a limitation, I tend to recommend Swarovski.
Athlon Optics Spotting Scopes - ARGOS vs. ARES - YouTube If youre sitting beside a buddy, you can frame a distant deer, and by simply rotating the barrel, turn the eyepiece to your buddy so they can view the deer. Again thanks for everyones input, truthfully I had been leaning towards the Diamondback but the Athlon supporters swayed my decision. Thats too bad, because its durable and well-balanced for just about any tripod work. Its their higher end scope offering, but is still affordable. (Argos 6-24x50, Talos 4-14x44) Last weekend I mounted both of these . Spotter-Vortex Viper vs. Athlon Ares. https://athlonoptics.com/product/rifle-scope-argos-6-24x50/, Looking for the best budget optic for my sniper rifle. Many buyers are looking for a scope to take to the range to verify hits on distant targets, whether paper bullseyes or steel plates. tlav21; Nov 5, 2021; Optics; Replies 5 Views 2K. They are well known for supplying many of the high end scopes used by military snipers and special operations units. . They are going to stop rifle optics but Nikon isnt going anywhere. The optical quality, overall . It can be had with three different sizes of objective lenses, so you can choose just how big your scope is going to be. They have been used and recommended by a lot of the most influential people in the industry, like Steven Rinella from Netflixs Meat Eater. These fit with the maxim 'you get . Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. But if you want to make it easy, the winner from all this testing and analysis (as of March 2023) is the Athlon Argos HD 20-60x85mm the best scope for most uses. Vanguard is a smaller, more specialized company than many on this list, and they deserve your consideration for their quality products.
Vortex Diamondback vs Hawke Endurance ED vs Vanguard Endeavor ED Compared with the HD model, which was also submitted to this years test, the UHD version has much better glass and produces an image thats on par with spotters costing significantly more. Well, Athlon kept that in mind, and that is why they brought out the Ares ETR in different reticle styles. If youre spending close to (or upwards of) $1,000 for a spotter, make sure it has either ED (extra-low dispersion) glass. The average user who uses them primarily during the day wont have an issue with almost any scope sold on the market, since the exit pupil will be large enough to work effectively during full light conditions. You can buy it here. The Athlon HELOS uses what appears to be ARGOS GLASS if that matters to you at all. This Hawke is classified as a mid-sized unit, with its 68mm objective lens diameter, though it has a magnification range more in keeping with 80 and 85mm scopes.