• Athlon Ares ETR UHD 4.5-30x56mm Review

    Those who have been around our forum for a while may remember that when Athlon Optics first hit the scene back in 2014 I was pretty skeptical about them. At the time they were an unknown entity, and between the spec sheets, prices, and abundance of overwhelmingly positive reviews they were getting online it all just sounded far too good to be true. After all, Athlon Optics was just another brand that sprung up copying the Vortex business model of spec'ing out optics from Chinese manufacturers to hit a targeted price point and then market the crap out of them on social media to create a buzz. It clearly worked for Vortex, and over the last 10-15 years we've seen quite a few new optic brands come to market using that same business model (Athlon, Arken, Swamp Fox, Delta, etc.).

    However, after Athlon had been on the market a few years and the majority of feedback on them was still mostly positive I decided maybe it was time I check one out. I was in the market for a new high-power variable scope for a newly built rifle in 6x47 Lapua, so the timing was right. The only real question was which model line should I try? Athlon offers a wide array of rifle scope lines that covers the full range of price points. Only want to spend a couple hundred bucks? They have you covered with their Neos and Talos lines. Looking to spend a bit more but still not break the bank? Check out their Argos, Heras, Helos and Midas lines of scopes. Getting into the upper mid-price range they have the Ares BTR and Ares ETR lines of scopes. And then there is their premier series of rifle scopes, the Cronus line.

    So in June of 2019 I finally broke down and ordered an Ares ETR UHD 4.5-30x56mm FFP IR MIL with their APRS1 reticle. My expectations for this scope were realistic in the sense that I didn't expect it to be of the same level of quality as a Vortex Razor HD, a Leupold Mark 6, or any other "premium" optic. Given the price point of $1,150 at the time I expected it to be comparable or slightly better than my first generation Vortex Viper PST 6-24x50mm that has served me well since I purchased it in 2011 or 2012.

    As the name implies, the Ares ETR UHD line uses ultra high-definition lenses, or what most other makers call ED lenses. No matter what they want to call it, I found it to be extremely clear and crisp with only the slightest hint of curvature at the far outer edges. The image provided has a nice natural color to it with no hint of a colored hue from the lens coatings. The low-light brightness with the 56mm objective isn't an issue so long as you keep the magnification at a reasonable zoom level for the available light conditions.

    The Ares ETR line of scopes all feature a 34mm main tube, fast focus eye-piece, side-focus parallax adjustment (except the LPVO's), locking windage turret, and a precision zero stop.

    The turrets are what I would call mid-sized in that they're not as small in diameter or height as you would find on more budget oriented scopes at the lower end of the pricing spectrum, but they're not as big and bulky as the turrets you find on many of today's top tier tactical scopes like the Razor HD's or the Elite Tactical DMR's. Both turrets offer 0.1 MIL adjustments, and 10 MILS per revolution. Each has very distinct detents for each click of adjustment providing a very positive tactile verification, as well as a crisp audible click as well. The turrets move smoothly without being notably loose or stiff, and each click is very positive with nary a hint of play or slop in the movement.

    The windage turret is a locking turret to prevent accidental/unintended adjustment, and works as most locking turrets do by simply pulling out on the knob to unlock and pushing back in to lock. The elevation turret has a precision zero stop which is always a plus if you are going to be dialing up and down for distance on a regular basis.

    Running a series of box tests I found the turrets to be quite accurate and consistent. What little variant there was in those tests was more likely a result of the rifle moving slightly during adjustments than a fault with the scopes tracking. Even so, at 200 yards the largest deviation was less than 1/4 inch.

    Moving on to the side focus/illumination turret on the left side of the saddle, both worked as they should and the distance markings for parallax were pretty close to being spot on. The adjustment range is from 25 yards out to infinity which is more than sufficient, and the movement is nice and smooth with just the right amount of resistance without being too loose or tight feeling.

    The illumination dial offers six levels of brightness with an off position between each brightness setting. I favor this style with the off positions over those which require you to dial all the way around back to a single off position. The movement on the illumination dial is a bit stiff in my view, which isn't helped by the smaller diameter of the dial itself.

    And that would be my one significant complaint about this scope - the size of the side focus and illumination knobs. The side focus isn't too bad and I can easily live with it, but I do like a slightly larger knob there as it makes finer, more precise adjustments a lot easier with the larger diameter. The illumination knob is smaller yet, and that small size combined with it's movement being stiffer make it less easy to manipulate.

    While I'm not generally a huge fan of "Christmas tree" reticles, I must say that I find the APRS1 reticle in this scope to be quite nice. Yes it's a bit busy with all the hash marks and windage hold-offs, but the lines are a bit finer than most other's I have seen. According to Athlon's reticle manual. the central aiming point is a free-floating tiny little dot which measures just 0.03 MIL in diameter, or roughly 0.11 inches at 100 yards.

    Overall I've been extremely pleased and impressed with the Ares ETR UHR having used it for over 5 years now. It's held it's zero with no issues what-so-ever, it has tracked repeatedly and consistently without a hitch, the image it provides is crisp and sharp, and the APRS1 reticle is a little busy for my tastes but works great and has crip clean lines and dots. The zero stop works as it should, as does the locking windage turret, and as noted above the side-focus parallax is well marked and moves nicely. Other than the illumination dial there's really not much to complain about with this scope.


    APRS1 FFP MIL reticle at 4.5x and 30x magnifications

    For the money (I paid $1,150 in 2019) I think it's a very good value when compared to similarly priced and equipped scopes currently on the market. Comparing it side-by-side with my older Viper PST the Ares ETR UHD clearly has an edge in both brightness and clarity. The brightness could simply be a result of the 6mm difference in objective lens size so keep that in mind.

    One pleasant surprise with this scope was that is has a very generous eye relief, even when cranked up to 30x magnification. As you can see in the photo below, I had to mount the scope further forward than one typically would to get the proper eye relief at max magnification. This is a stark contrast to many high power scopes you will find on the market that have very short and finicky eye reliefs.


    Athlon Ares ETR UHD 4.5-30x56mm mounted on
    the authors custom 6x47 Lapua rifle


    Side Note:

    Since I purchased this scope in 2019, Athlon has released a "Gen2" version. The biggest change with the Gen2 is a new design for the elevation turret cap that now has markings for two rotations rather than just one rotation. Additionally, the Gen2 includes a removeable fast-throw lever and a sunshade - both of which were separately sold accessories for the Gen1. The reticle options have been updated as well to the APRS12 in your choice of MIL or MOA. As for any mechanical or optical changes (lenses, coatings, etc.), I haven't been able to find any specifics if anything was changed or not on the Gen2.


    Ares ETR UHD Gen2 .45-30x56mm

    Athlon is still selling the Gen1 version as well as the Gen2 version, and the price difference is only about $50 which is roughly the cost of the accessories included with the Gen2. So depending on whether you want those two accessories or not could save you a few bucks if you don't need them. How long the Gen1 will still be available is anyone's guess though.



    Contact Info
    Athlon Optics
    10817 Renner Rd.
    Lenexa, KS 66219
    Ph. (855) 913-5678
    www.AthlonOptics.com