personal thoughts on sub $1000 scopes

[pighunter284]

i going to a long range class over the summer and want to upgrade what i have. looking at Athlon optics, the Leopold i have doesn't track all that well and i will be going out to 1000 yards. i know its been debated but i still would like to hear some of your opinions again. bushnell, athlon, arken and anyothers you may have ideas on. thank you very much

[jpx2rk]

I've got several Athlon scopes, a 6x18 on a 17hmr, several 6x24's on 20/22 caliber rifles and a 10-40 on a 6BR. They serve my purpose, but LR (over 600 yds) is not my game. I've never used my 10-40 over 300 yds, but it was clear at that yardage. Adjustments are good when I zero the scopes, or moving from 100 to 200, etc. and never had one lose zero yet.

[efm77]

For under $1000 I would recommend Sightron. They're hard to beat for their tracking and glass for the price range.

[celltech]

For $1000 you can pick up a used Athlon Cronus. Mine tracks dead on and the glass quality is fantastic.

[fayettefatts]

Look for a used Nightforce. Been shooting F-class out to 1000 for years with them and no problems.

[pdshooter2]

before you buy, figure out if the scope will have enough elevation or will with a simple 20 moa base.
check used
luepold will fix a scope..so take it off send it in and see what they say. all for one way shipping cost.
( not tracking or your load is not performing ??)
sightron has a good rep..i have 2
used lue LR scope..8.5-25
group shooting or just banging steel ??
25x is ok for steel but not for target work

[Blue Avenger]

2 starter scopes that work on a budget are Sightron and Vortec Viper PST
Don't get to sold on the biggest magnification, though you do need some. Hot sunny day, mirage "heat waves" may bring you down to 12x. Mirage interference increases with distance. Good, Clear glass is more important.
For the class, your ammunition has to be the same load! You need consistent performance from it to be able to dial the scope to the same setting and get the same expected shot.
do you need 100yd zero and the ability to go 1000yds? MATH! look at a chart for your caliber and load. see how much elevation you will need. then look at proposed scope and see what it offers. will a 20 or 30 moa base put you in the realm? most scopes with 20moa base wont zero at 100yds

[RCE1]

Some of the 4200 series Bushnell and the Bausch and Lomb Elite are very good. I just remounted a 4200 Elite Tactical 6-24 on a new .308 and it is very nice. I also like Sightron for long range shooting. The 10-50 SIII is very good. Leupold VX III are pretty bomb proof and sport a lifetime warranty.

[yobuck]

Cameraland in NY is having a big sale on Sightron scopes right now.
516 217 1000 www.cameralandny.com

[Dave Hoback]

I’m an Athlon fan. Been using a Midas BTR for a few years & its run perfectly! One of the better CHINESIUM offerings in the price category. I’m getting ready to pick up one of the Athlon Cronus before too long.

The recommendations are all good. I say think about the options you want & the price your budget falls in. And don’t be afraid of buying used...ESPECIALLY with something like Athlon, Cronus, Leupold, etc. the warranties are all transferable. I’m DEFINITELY looking for a used Cronus. Have to say, I’ve not found one for anywhere NEAR $1000! And I’ve been looking. But then, these are $1500-$1600 new, so.

[celltech]

I’m DEFINITELY looking for a used Cronus. Have to say, I’ve not found one for anywhere NEAR $1000! And I’ve been looking. But then, these are $1500-$1600 new, so.

They pop up regularly on the Hide...just keep looking.

[Full Chisel]

Used Sightron S3 8-32x56 owner here. Only used it out to 600 yards so far, but it's more than good at that range. Adjustments are dependable - I can dial between 100, 300, and 600 dependably and not get any "walking". When mirage is down and my target paper is flat to board. I can just make out 223 bullet holes at 300 yards. 308 holes are easy to spot at that distance. Also own an S-Tac 4-16, and it is pretty nice for the bucks for under 600 yard. Oh, and FYI, Sightron has the "MOA-2" and MOA-3". What I have surmised is that these are the same reticle - they are both 2 moa per hash at 24X. Why the different name, I have no idea.

[pighunter284]

thank you all for the advice i greatly appreciate it. is the perfomance that different between the athlon cronus and helos?

i think am down to the arken, athlon cronus (used) or helos and the sightron s3. i need to find somewhere that has both to be able to look through.

[Dave Hoback]

Yes, the a Cronus & Helos are light years apart. But then, so are their price tags!

[gbflyer]

SWFA SS. There are several different magnification options from fixed to variable HD glass. A straight 10x would be pretty sweet for your class. If you do your homework on them, you’ll find a few complaints about a narrow eye box and maybe not the best glass. Both of those issues don’t take away from its serviceability as it is not a spotting scope. And it’s one of the very few, regardless of cost, that passes some pretty grueling drop tests with no zero shift.


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[jkv45]

SWFA SS. There are several different magnification options from fixed to variable HD glass. A straight 10x would be pretty sweet for your class. If you do your homework on them, you’ll find a few complaints about a narrow eye box and maybe not the best glass. Both of those issues don’t take away from its serviceability as it is not a spotting scope. And it’s one of the very few, regardless of cost, that passes some pretty grueling drop tests with no zero shift.

I have a standard 12x42 SWFA on my Savage .308 FCP HS Precision, and recently had a chance to take a long range class out to 1000 yards.

While not optimum at 1000 yards, I wasn't straining to see the target.

The turrets track true, they can take heavy recoil, and the glass is bright and sharp. Not quite World Class, but pretty decent for the price.

To the OP - What rifle are you using for your LR class?

[Dave Hoback]

I had one as well, years ago. It was the 20x42. They aren’t bad. Glass was decent, and yes, they are tough as any scope! Eye box was a bit small though, & I prefer AO on any scope. I like my Athlon much better. Better glass, better reticle, AO & tracks true. Now the SWFA does have an HD version 5-20x50 with AO, but it’s like $1500, putting it in the upper echelon price category, so.

[J.Baker]

I'm still on the fence with Athlon. Nice glass, but both models I own have left me a little weary of buying another. My Ares ETR 4.5-30x56 has excellent glass, but twice now I've gotten to the range to find my zero had shifted significantly (4-6 moa @ 100yds). Once rezeroed it seems to hold fast for awhile, but I don't put much faith in it at this point. The Argos BTR 10-40x56 I have seems to hold zero fine, but it's got some quirks with the fast focus eye-piece that I don't care for in that over it's full range it varies the magnification by roughly 4x and doesn't seem to have much effect on the reticle sharpness which is the primary purpose of a fast focus eye-piece. I also find that the optical clarity goes to pot once you get above 24x or so, which really wasn't a huge surprise given it's a $400 scope.

As for other suggestions, if you can find a used Bushnell Elite Tactical DMR-I, II or III 3.5-21x50 for a good deal they're well worth jumping on. Probably one of the best scopes I've had the pleasure of reviewing in the last 4-5 years to be honest. Great glass, plenty of internal travel with a 34mm main tube, and reliable turrets. Looking around at resellers it appears they may have been discontinued as I can't find new one's listed anywhere, but Bushmell may have just discounted them last fall to blow out inventory to make room for a new updated version for 2022. Bushy is always slow to update their website and haven't seen any new product releases on them, so it's kind of a wait and see thing until after SHOT Show.

[pighunter284]

im using a savage 10 in 260 in an mdt lss-xl gen 2. with some basic but functional furniture

bushnell ok ill check that out as well.....adding to the confusion lol

thanks again to all

[Dave Hoback]

Yes, the Bushnell Elite Tactical are very nice! Only thing is brand new even the 3.5-21x50 is over $1650 where it can still be found, & the
6-36x56 is over $1900! So these are pretty $$ scopes. Good luck finding one used. I’ve not seen any. People tend to hold onto them, LOL!

Also sure, sometimes Athlons don’t come through. But they do have an awesome warranty with no questions. Always gonna be some bad examples...just with the incredible amount sold. Vortex, Arlen & even Toric are in the same boat. But *most of us have decent scopes from these companies that sell a combo of Chinese & Japanese scopes. I’m one of the lucky ones. My Athlon has been perfect. Tracks well, clear glass & all. So, I’m a fan of Athlon.