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Athlon Ares etr gen2 15x60

Been waffling about scopes the last couple of weeks about a higher magnification scope

Pulled the trigger today on an Athlon Gen3 4.5x27x50 ( a 50mm objective is as large as I could go and before the/any tariff's kick in).

Read many reviews and 99% of them said it was a very nice scope, so we will see.

Unfortunately, I will not be giving a report back in the next couple of weeks I imagine ......... had back surgery yesterday, so will be recovering for a bit.
I think you`ll like the scope. Pretty dang good glass for the price.

Back surgery....ughhhh....been there an done that a couple times, and then neck surgery, i`m all plated up.
Take it real easy, get well real soon my friend, it ain`t never easy.
 
A little update:

Went out early this morning (sunup) to zero this scope for my 6x47 Lapua and shoot on my Shot Marker at 600.

Sighting and zeroing at 100 yds was near impossible with the shade on my target and sun barely up. Moved mag down to 40x and was able to make do (barely) and get zeroed and zero stop set.

First 10rd string at 600 my MR1-FC target was in the shade and it was difficult to see the floating dot at 50 or 60x. Dropped to 40x and it was passable but not good. 100/5x reflected that. Last few shots target was in sun and I moved to 60x w zero problems and scope stayed bright.

2nd string target was in full sun and scope shined. Had one flyer and the rest x’s with all 10 rds right at 2 inches high and 2 and 1/2 wide. 100/9x reflected that.

In summation with the sun all the way up this thing is great. In low light it’s practically not usable.

It will live its life on a gun I don’t compete with.

Those looking to buy this I’d save another $850 and get a NF Comp Demo at Bruno’s or elsewhere.
 
A little update:

Sighting and zeroing at 100 yds was near impossible with the shade on my target and sun barely up. Moved mag down to 40x and was able to make do (barely) and get zeroed and zero stop set.

In summation with the sun all the way up this thing is great. In low light it’s practically not usable.

It will live its life on a gun I don’t compete with.

Those looking to buy this I’d save another $850 and get a NF Comp Demo at Bruno’s or elsewhere.
Thanks for the report.

I use an Argos 10-40 on a Savage I shoot in a local informal league out to 300yds and I much prefer to shoot in low light or overcast conditions. But maybe that is because of the targets I use. Also my intention is to upgrade from the Argo to the Ares. They both use the same reticle and I like it the best out of all that I have looked through.
 
Thanks for the report.

I use an Argos 10-40 on a Savage I shoot in a local informal league out to 300yds and I much prefer to shoot in low light or overcast conditions. But maybe that is because of the targets I use. Also my intention is to upgrade from the Argo to the Ares. They both use the same reticle and I like it the best out of all that I have looked through.
I tried a new 10 X 40 Argos on my 30BR recently and took it out to 300 yds. couple days ago. Faired pretty good with it. Had quite a bit of mirage but managed O K. Actually shot a very tight 5-shot group with a swirling wind at times down the path.
 
I tried an Argos 10-40 but couldn't get it to focus at 600 yds or more. I contacted Athlon and received "That scope is designed for extreme short range shooting at high precision." I was disappointed and returned it. Shortly after the Ares 15-60 came out and I bought it. I really like it, especially the reticle with 1/2" subtensions. As stated above there is no comparison between the Argos and Ares lines. The Heras line is in between the two and offers a 15-60 that might be a good compromise.
 
If you`ve tried the Ares ETR Gen2 UHD, 15-60x56, you`d forget all about the Argos and never look back.
No I haven't yet but I do have now 2 seasons of league using the Argos and it serves me well for what we are doing. It is more than serviceable for the 100 to 300yds that we shoot to. Also of 21 members there are now 2 others using this scope.

At 100 &200 yards the Argos is phenomenal but does start to fall off at 300 and the parallax is finicky. Now I just hope to gain enough hours working at the range this summer to afford an upgrade to the Ares. At least that is my goal.

Now also I could get any one of the Vortex scopes for just over cost as the range I work PT is a Vortex retailer. I have just not found one that I like the reticle as much as I like the Athlon's
 
No I haven't yet but I do have now 2 seasons of league using the Argos and it serves me well for what we are doing. It is more than serviceable for the 100 to 300yds that we shoot to. Also of 21 members there are now 2 others using this scope.

At 100 &200 yards the Argos is phenomenal but does start to fall off at 300 and the parallax is finicky. Now I just hope to gain enough hours working at the range this summer to afford an upgrade to the Ares. At least that is my goal.

Now also I could get any one of the Vortex scopes for just over cost as the range I work PT is a Vortex retailer. I have just not found one that I like the reticle as much as I like the Athlon's
I have MANY upper end Vortex scopes, and now i`m buying the Athlons. It is of my own opinion, i think the better bang for the buck, hands down, is Athlon. I do agree with you about the reticle`s, i like the Athlon vs Vortex, better.

I have that Argos BTR Gen2 10-40x56 #214071 just like yours, and i have moved up into the Ares ETR Gen2. Night an day difference. My eye`s are much older now, and getting much harder to see these days, the Ares ETR Gen2 UHD 15-60x56 was a god send, for me.

I hope you can get one.
 
Anybody compare a Gen 2 to an Golden Eagle,throw in both BR NF's and a couple of BR Sightrons?
The Gen I know of one personally that I looked through ,seemed brighter than my GE, at our semi covered dim BR-50 matches,but had issues with focus/parallax past 600.
My GE really shines past 600 on bright day,not so when lighting degrades.
 
Page 1 of this thread has a bit of that. It smokes the GE in clarity and brightness.

Both GE and the new Athlon don’t perform for me if sun is not on target. Both DARK from 30-60x
 
For me the price difference between the Argos and the Ares is the Ares is about twice the price. Quite a step up. Have looked through a few NF bench scopes and I don't think the again doubled cost in my case would be that beneficial. At some point one still meets diminishing returns.
 
Today while working the 300yd range I had a regular customer come in and they just happened to have a new 15-60 Ares Gen2 on his rifle. So of course with this thread in mind I asked to look thru it.

He had a target set up at 200yds. At the time it was about 9:30am and the sky was clear with bright sun. I was able to adjust parallax and My first impression is that this is still just as finicky as my Argos 10-40. Though the picture was clear. bright and sharp. Even to the berm which is 350yds.

I do believe in my eyes the sight picture was sharper than my Argos. But then this scope also was not adjusted to my eyes and my sight with glasses on. Still I believe this will be on my upgrade list.
 
Today while working the 300yd range I had a regular customer come in and they just happened to have a new 15-60 Ares Gen2 on his rifle. So of course with this thread in mind I asked to look thru it.

He had a target set up at 200yds. At the time it was about 9:30am and the sky was clear with bright sun. I was able to adjust parallax and My first impression is that this is still just as finicky as my Argos 10-40. Though the picture was clear. bright and sharp. Even to the berm which is 350yds.

I do believe in my eyes the sight picture was sharper than my Argos. But then this scope also was not adjusted to my eyes and my sight with glasses on. Still I believe this will be on my upgrade list.
The 15-60 Gen2 comes with really nice metal flip up lens covers, sun shade, and a 5 inch parallax wheel.
 
I shot mine today at 600 yards using the big wheel for parallax control. Same as before it was not usable with a good degree of precision UNTIL the sun got up over the floodway foliage. Then it cleared up and the 9, 10 and x on MR1-FC target were easy to see with no mirage.

The big wheel helped a little but it is still frustratingly persnickety. That and the night and day bipolar difference between a shaded target and one in full sun just leaves me scratching my noggin.

I hate it and love it
 
I shot mine today at 600 yards using the big wheel for parallax control. Same as before it was not usable with a good degree of precision UNTIL the sun got up over the floodway foliage. Then it cleared up and the 9, 10 and x on MR1-FC target were easy to see with no mirage.

The big wheel helped a little but it is still frustratingly persnickety. That and the night and day bipolar difference between a shaded target and one in full sun just leaves me scratching my noggin.

I hate it and love it
So why don`t you buy a scope you`re more happy with. It`s not like there aren`t a gazillion options out there.
 
Like everyone else out there I’m looking for a scope that performs like a March HM, NF Comp, Kahles, SVSS ED etc without the $2000 -$3500 price tag.

Not all rifles need/deserve a scope like that
That plays into my comment on diminishing returns.

Upgrading from an Athlon Argos 10-40 to an Ares 15-60 might pay off. But then from an Ares to a NF or such maybe not as much. I don't know that my old eyes could distinguish the difference.
 
It’s BECAUSE of my old eyes that I have March’s and Comps.

Like Lance told Vincent “when you shoot it you WILL know where that extra money went.”

If the tier ones get me an extra X when conditions aren’t perfect they’re worth the extra $6-800

In my humble opinion
 
If the tier ones get me an extra X when conditions aren’t perfect they’re worth the extra $6-800
I can understand that but for me that $6-800 for an extra bull isn't going to add $6-800 value of fun to my shooting. I understand it does foe some. but I am not one of them.
 

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