Athlon Optics Argos BTR 6-24x50mm
http://i.imgur.com/VxN2KRj.png
Yeah, my scope costs more than my gun...before embellishments, I mean.
If one imagines the world of scopes as depicted by Internet comments, there would be a small but steep mountain range inhabited by species of the "Buy Once, Cry Once" variety surrounded by a vast and seemingly undifferentiated plain populated by lowly "Cheap Scopes". But no mountain range is without foothills, and it is in these highlands where a third genera of scopes has evolved.
http://i.imgur.com/0v3JR7a.png
Plenty of room beneath that two inch objective even in medium rings.
The best known of these "Great (for the Money)" scopes is probably the Primary Arms 4-14x44mm FFP scope, which likely rolls off the same assembly line in China as the BSA scope of the same specifications. Athlon is a comparatively new entry in this category, though its products seem to share many of PA and BSA's features as well as its price point. They produce a 4-14x44mm FFP model called "Talos", but this review will focus on its larger (though not largest) sibling, the 6-24x50mm Argos. Unlike PA's offerings, Athlon scopes all have illuminated reticles.
http://i.imgur.com/VXGNAfk.png
It was stupid hard to get this shot. It was the best I could do.
The Argos runs about $370 most everywhere it can be found. It sports a one piece 30mm tube with a familiar oval-faced turret base. Athlon's crenelations on the turrets and power ring are smaller and a bit more understated than Primary Arms'. Neither style strikes me as better than the other, and the aesthetics are arguable. The fit and finish is as good or better than the basic PA scopes I've handled. A nice bonus is the inclusion of front and rear flip caps for the lenses, though I'm still probably going to be replacing the rear cap with a Butler Creek push button model. The box is an interesting affair with a hinged lid, magnetic closure, and form-fitting foam: a classy touch but it's not the kind of thing I'd plan on keeping. The turrets suffer the same mismatch as PA's. The hashmarks on the turrets don't correspond with the stator on the scope itself. The clicks are also a bit soft but remain positive.
http://i.imgur.com/RU3X136.png
Like many cheap scopes with soft clicks, this one suffers from turrets syndrome.
The scope works really well. I had this one on my 6.5 Creedmoor Axis with an EGW 20 MOA rail and Vortex medium rings. This setup joined me at my recent trip to MTC where it proved itself competent on steel, delivering accurate fire out to 1000 yards. The glass is clear and bright at maximum magnification. This is my first scope with a 50mm objective, so some of that may be due to the wider glass. The weather also helped with mostly clear skies both times I had the scope out. I will say the lenses did fog up going from my air conditioned home to one of the hottest, muggiest days of the summer. There is some expected optical rather than humidity related fuzziness at the highest power, but not enough to impede its use.
http://i.imgur.com/G0zet1S.png
Not as good as the one turned in by my PA and .243 Winchester Axis, but it was still pretty good.
The tracking on the scope is very good. As I mentioned, hitting steel at 1000 yards was no problem after dialing the solution provided to me by the Shooter app. A box drill performed at home delivered some great results as well. I could only shoot the box at 100 yards, dialing only up to the first mil. The composite group shows the scope and rifle were putting Hornady ELDs one on top another.
http://i.imgur.com/TUXbsFB.png
Eight shots that would have been under an inch if they'd all been shot at the same target.
I didn't think to try the holdovers built into the APMR-mil reticle when I was at the long range, but the reticle is pretty straightforward. I would have thought the numerals on the reticle would have cluttered up the view, but it turns out they're not obtrusive. I would like to see the 0.2 mil graduations closer to the center of the reticle, because they are nearly invisible at maximum power. The reticle has a solid center crosshair. A better choice for an FFP scope with higher magnification like this would be a hollow center. It isn't bad, but it would help to elevate this scope.
http://i.imgur.com/yiIA6Jn.jpg
From OpticsPlanet.com.
The bottom line: the Athlon Argos 6-24x50mm is a promising new entry in the realm of Great for the Money scopes. It's a feature-rich scope with repeatable adjustments and clear glass. There will probably be at least one more of these in my cabinet.
I'd be interested in side-by-siding this scope with Primary Arms' forthcoming 6-24x50mm FFP scope, though PA's reticle choice is a bit disheartening. Similarly, I'd like to try the Talos 4-14x44mm against the much loved PA 4-14x44mm.
