Hi guys, I apologize for asking a similiar question twice.
I am trying to upgrade my scope. I am pretty tight on budget. My wife and I have 4 young kids and life gets expensive Which would you buy if you were me?
I can purchase an Athlon Helos BTR GEN2 6-24x50 for $600 plus tax from Cabelas
OR
Vortex Optics Diamondback Tactical 6-24x50 for $450 plus tax from Amazon.
I am planning on putting the scope on my 20" barrel custom 22 CreedMoor rifle I am building. It will be used for western big game hunting, long range shooting and long range predator/varmint hunting as well.
What would you do if you were me? Is it worth it to spend the extra $150 for the Althon Helos BTR GEN2 6-24x56 Or would you buy the cheaper Vortex Tactical 6-24x50?
I think the Athlon is better than the Vortex, but both will do the job so save the money for ammo.
But I would question the 6-24x scopes. That’s a lot of base magnification. With a 6x, a coyote that chases up close to a call or a deer that pops up close will be TOO close in that scope. I might opt for a 3-18 or max a 5-25x.
The cheaper Discovery scope? I would have to put them head to head and I haven’t tested the Vortex in a few years. I can’t say which has the edge, but they certainly are very comparable and this one is much cheaper.
I have both, and I prefer the Athlon over the Vortex. Both are fine at the range in daylight, but the Athlon has better glass (in my opinion) at twilight
I exclusively shoot Vortex scopes simply because they offer the best glass and value for the money, not to mention the warranty which is fantastic. I have 3 Vortex Diamondback tactical 6 - 24 x 50 on three of my rifles. They are fantastic, good glass and track perfectly. The only downside to the Diamondback is there is no zero stop so once it’s sighted in you need to reset the turrets and mark the zero. Turret tags will be good for this. I would highly recommend the Diamondback Tacticals.
I have been a fangirl for diamond back tacticals for a few years. I had 2 of them on different guns and they were always my go to. I tried an Arken EP 4 and it has been phenomenal. I absolutely love it. I wish I could go back and buy all Arken. Cheaper and better in my experience
Thank you for the info. So @Tavintc you are saying you prefer the Arken EP 4 to the Vortex tactical. Correct? @backfire how do the Arken EP 4 compare to the Athlon Helos BTR GEN2?
I don’t think the EP4 compares well to the Helos, not at all. Lower grade/lower quality than the Helos. The EP4 compares more towards the Argos or Talos. The EP5 and the Helos are comparable in glass, but the EP5 is more precision scope than hunting scope, its 39 ounces.
I like Arken, I have the EP8 on my Jurrasic Park rifle. I went with the Helos as 20 magnfication is plenty to get me out to 800 yards which is as far as I can shoot at my range and 27 ounces is a fantasitc weight for my rifle set up.
Don’t give into Analysis Paralysis. Find the best scope you can afford and rock with that. Jim has a great list of scopes,
Thank you @BEN. How does the Athlon Argos compare to the Helos and the EP4? Would you say the Arken EP4 is better, equal, or worse than the Athlon Argos HMR 4-20x50 Riflescope? I would think the Arken EP4 because of the zero stop and exposed turrets?
Correct. I have no experience with athlon but I have heard great things from this channel and friends. My experience has been with the diamondback tactical. There are definitely better scopes at a better price point
Also, when you decide on what you want, I’ve had good success saving some $ by looking on https://gun.deals/ to see if anyone has it reduced. Of course, if it’s not a scope that is in the Backfire shop because you can get a discount there for being a member here.
Which would you buy if you were me?
I have been a member for months and bought quite a few items from Jim’s Backfire shop