I have had a number of athlon scopes from the lower end (Talos and Argos BTR) to their mid and upper mid lines (Midas Tac and Ares BTR) and have liked them all.
As much as the Ares BTR has respectable turrets, decent glass, and a very nice reticle it is kind of lost in a sea of tight competition. The Talos BTR was a nice entry level scope with turrets that got me on target out to 600 yards many times but it is something that is just worth what they ask.
This brings me to the Helos BTR Gen 2 2-12x42. I got this scope because on another forum it was highly recommended for an AR, and i was looking for something to replace the Bushnell AR series scope that is adequate, but never blew me away. Well when i got it i had just got a Savage Ultralite in 6.5 Creedmoor and decided to throw the scope on since hunting season was coming. After opening weekend, i decided it would stay put. It is just a FANTASTIC hunting scope.
It has only adequate tactile feel on the turrets, but nothing that will prevent you from dialing accurately.
It has lockable caps and exposed turrets. great for those that like to bushwack while hunting.
It has a zero stop. I won't own another scope with one.
It has a wonderful 2-12 power range. At 4 power i took a deer along a woods line at 200 yards 30 minutes after sunset. That power range pretty much covers all of the bases for a hunting rifle.
It has a WONDERFUL reticle! i got the MIL version. It is a circle of death with a large dot in the center. It is super easy to acquire the target and at low power the outside circle morphs into a very visible dot because it is a FFP scope.
It is a FFP scope, so the drops are always accurate if you are at a high enough power to use them. at 5 power it is still usable in the daylight.
It has a ranging reticle based on the thickness of a deer's chest.
About the only things i don't really like is that the glass is just alright for a $650 scope and the turrets aren't as tactile as i am used to.
When i first got the scope i liked it, but once i used it in the field i got to love it. In low light it just shined, and the reticle is just fantastic.
It never made it to the AR, so i bought another. It turned out that i put it on my mom's 25-06 so she can hunt for the final time on her 80th year of life, then she plans to hang it up. She absolutely loved it over the pretty standard Bushnell Trophy extreme. EVENTUALLY it will make it's way to my AR.
If you are looking for a good all around scope, i say give it a try! i love mine!
https://athlonoptics.com/product/hel...x42-dmr-scope/
It should be noted that the center dot of the reticle does cover up a 3/4" target dot, so you aren't going to get an extreme precision scope... but that isn't really what its target buyer is. It is meant for hunting and close to mid range AR usage, and it does that very well.
I agree. It is a decent scope for hunting & the AHMR2 reticle in FFP is handy for fast target acquisition. Oh, want2… there’s no extra syllable in the brand name… It’s just Ath-lon my friend..LOL! J/K Seriously though, the Helos can be picked up all over for $530. At 11.8” long it works for a bolt gun or even a 16” or less length AR15. Good choice man. Glad you’re enjoying it so much.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks