I recently purchased two new scopes made by them that Midway had on sale. They are both the Argos BTR 10-40x56 and both have the same issue, poor focus. The one scope on my 22LR is not real bad but the one I have been using on my .308 is so bad you can't see bullet holes in paper at 200yds. Getting worse the more I shoot it. The parallax is shifting to I think, at 200yds you now have to set it around 150. The best way to use the scope is to adjust both the eye piece and the parallax and you should not have to do that. Looks like they are going to have to be returned for repair and wonder what to expect from them.
Anybody ever deal with Athlon customer service?
- Thread starter Lefty Trigger
- Start date
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
Yeah service is great, nothing to worry about there.
Unfortunately, the Argos scopes are weak. I had issues with a 6-30x56 Argos not holding zero on a 6.5 Rem Mag (not much more recoil than a 308) and dry silicon was falling on the internal lenses. Called them up and they said to send it in. No questions asked. Had a brand new scope on my door step in less than a week. Tho Im scared to use the new one on any rifle with significant recoil.
Unfortunately, the Argos scopes are weak. I had issues with a 6-30x56 Argos not holding zero on a 6.5 Rem Mag (not much more recoil than a 308) and dry silicon was falling on the internal lenses. Called them up and they said to send it in. No questions asked. Had a brand new scope on my door step in less than a week. Tho Im scared to use the new one on any rifle with significant recoil.
Been a week tomorrow since I contacted them via their e-mail "fill out forum" service request and no response. Looks like calling them is next,... I will learn from this experience.
I called them today and got right in to speak with them, told them my problem and they want it back. The guy I was talking to was also talking to someone in the background and they was saying something about a loose lens in the scope moving around causing the focus problem. We'll see because its going back ASAP. Will update...
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
Yeah calling is always the best method with any company. Athlon will take care of you
I just want to add a comment, beel looking at Athlon for the last 2 yrs or so, i have mostly Sightrons S3's in 8x32x56, great optics. so i called Athlon about a few questions i had, the guy i spoke to suggested the new Midas Tac 6x24x50 after a week of shooting it, at first i was skeptical about the FFP for target shooting guy on phone was saying it has a nice dot and should be fine, i have to admit the glass is right on par with the S3 glass, clicks might be better, but overall I think this Midas Tac is going to be a hit with Athlon.
chet
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Nomojo65
I’ve had three! 8-32-56 was my favorite, but @ higher magnification a little dark?
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
I've read reviews where people had older model Athlon scopes with soft clicks. Said they called Athlon and they were happy to replace it with a newer model.
My original Argos 6-30x56 had small turrets with softer clicks, the new scope the sent me after it failed had the larger updated turrets with better clicks.
Worth a shot to at least give them a call about your turrets
I've been running four of Athlon's top-of-the-line Cronus 4.5-29x56 mil scopes for a couple of years - three on 40X/XB & V-22 22RF repeaters in matches, and the fourth on a Bighorn 6 Dasher, also in competition. Before buying these scopes, I'd been shooting all my LR comps with Kahles K624i AMR scopes, which I still have on three other Bighorns. So, compared to the Kahles (which I consider to be excellent optically & mechanically), the Cronus scopes have softer, less distinct click/detents on the turrets, though I've never had an issue with getting the number of clicks I want/need. Tracking has been excellent with the Cronus scopes - have shot tall target & box tracking tests with the three on the 22s, and all performed perfectly. The zero stop is extremely simple to set, and works well.
Optically - well, I'd like to believe that the Kahles scopes are considerably better, since I paid quite a bit more for them. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pleased with what I see while shooting behind any of the Kahles scopes, and don't believe I'd trade them for any other high-end scope I've used, including S&B, NF Beast, Leupold Mk 8, Premier, etc. They're just that good, although some of the glass snobs over on Snipers Hide carp about the amount of chromatic aberration they see in Kahles' glass. Whatever amount of CA my scopes have, it's so minor that it's never bothered me, and in fact, I had to go looking for it in worst case scenarios - after reading some of the above mentioned opinions - before I was even aware of it. Whatever - the optical quality of the Cronus scopes is also very good - maybe not quite as good as the Kahles, but there again, I'm very proud & pleased with my Kahles, and so am not going to claim I'm completely objective in evaluating the optics of the Austrian scopes against the Cronus. I do believe that once you get into the $1800-$3000+ price range in today's scope market, any improvement in optical quality becomes incremental, with small, almost unnoticeable steps up in quality as price increases. At least, that's the way it appears to my 67yr old eyes - and my vision has certainly slipped quite a bit from when I turned 40 & needed my first pair of reading glasses. In a nutshell - the Cronus is an excellent scope in my experience.
I've also bought several of Athlon's Ares 30mm 6-24x50 BTR & newer 34mm ETR scopes, both ffp mil versions. The early BTRs have somewhat soft click/detents, although again, I've not had any issues getting the number of clicks I need, without having to look at the knobs while I'm adjusting. The optical quality isn't quite up to that of the Cronus, but for less than 1/2 of the price, I didn't expect it would be. It's certainly adequate for the shooting I've done out to 600yds on the custom rifles they're mounted on. The new Ares 4.5-30x56 ETR OTOH, has much more distinct & audible click detents, and optically, is very, very close to the quality of the Cronus.
I've just ordered one of the new Midas TAC 6-24x50 scopes to try out on a new V-22 22RF sporter that I'll be putting together in the next couple of weeks. These are also ffp scopes, in mil or moa versions; I went with mil, as that's practically all I shoot anymore. This line of scopes supposedly has the same HD glass as the Ares BTR, but don't have illumination, nor a tree reticle. Running any scope on a precision 22RF is an excellent way to find out how well they track, as the elevation knobs get a pretty good workout when shooting from 50 out to 300yds.
As far as Athlon's customer service goes, the only scope I've sent back was a Cronus in what they advertise as 'brown' color anodizing. I'd ordered it in for a customer, who didn't much care for the bright bronze-tone color, so we exchanged it for a matte black one, which took about two days, and cost us only the return shipping charge. The new Ares ETR's 'brown' color is a much more subdued tone, reminiscent of the tone Vortex used on their Gen 1 Razors. I have one on a custom M700 in 7-08 Improved 30* that's CeraKoted in McM tan, and I like the color of this scope much more than the brown Cronus.
Optically - well, I'd like to believe that the Kahles scopes are considerably better, since I paid quite a bit more for them. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pleased with what I see while shooting behind any of the Kahles scopes, and don't believe I'd trade them for any other high-end scope I've used, including S&B, NF Beast, Leupold Mk 8, Premier, etc. They're just that good, although some of the glass snobs over on Snipers Hide carp about the amount of chromatic aberration they see in Kahles' glass. Whatever amount of CA my scopes have, it's so minor that it's never bothered me, and in fact, I had to go looking for it in worst case scenarios - after reading some of the above mentioned opinions - before I was even aware of it. Whatever - the optical quality of the Cronus scopes is also very good - maybe not quite as good as the Kahles, but there again, I'm very proud & pleased with my Kahles, and so am not going to claim I'm completely objective in evaluating the optics of the Austrian scopes against the Cronus. I do believe that once you get into the $1800-$3000+ price range in today's scope market, any improvement in optical quality becomes incremental, with small, almost unnoticeable steps up in quality as price increases. At least, that's the way it appears to my 67yr old eyes - and my vision has certainly slipped quite a bit from when I turned 40 & needed my first pair of reading glasses. In a nutshell - the Cronus is an excellent scope in my experience.
I've also bought several of Athlon's Ares 30mm 6-24x50 BTR & newer 34mm ETR scopes, both ffp mil versions. The early BTRs have somewhat soft click/detents, although again, I've not had any issues getting the number of clicks I need, without having to look at the knobs while I'm adjusting. The optical quality isn't quite up to that of the Cronus, but for less than 1/2 of the price, I didn't expect it would be. It's certainly adequate for the shooting I've done out to 600yds on the custom rifles they're mounted on. The new Ares 4.5-30x56 ETR OTOH, has much more distinct & audible click detents, and optically, is very, very close to the quality of the Cronus.
I've just ordered one of the new Midas TAC 6-24x50 scopes to try out on a new V-22 22RF sporter that I'll be putting together in the next couple of weeks. These are also ffp scopes, in mil or moa versions; I went with mil, as that's practically all I shoot anymore. This line of scopes supposedly has the same HD glass as the Ares BTR, but don't have illumination, nor a tree reticle. Running any scope on a precision 22RF is an excellent way to find out how well they track, as the elevation knobs get a pretty good workout when shooting from 50 out to 300yds.
As far as Athlon's customer service goes, the only scope I've sent back was a Cronus in what they advertise as 'brown' color anodizing. I'd ordered it in for a customer, who didn't much care for the bright bronze-tone color, so we exchanged it for a matte black one, which took about two days, and cost us only the return shipping charge. The new Ares ETR's 'brown' color is a much more subdued tone, reminiscent of the tone Vortex used on their Gen 1 Razors. I have one on a custom M700 in 7-08 Improved 30* that's CeraKoted in McM tan, and I like the color of this scope much more than the brown Cronus.
Well since the weather went to shit for shooting outdoors I have sent them both back at the same time. They should have received them either yesterday or today so it will take some time for them to check them out. I kinda hope they do find something wrong and fix them as I do really like the scopes but they both focus so poorly they are just about worthless beyond 150yds, I mean you "can" see the target but making it out with any clarity is hopeless. I have a better sight picture out of a Bushnell 18 power rimfire scope.
Larryh128
Silver $$ Contributor
That's on them to honor their lifetime warranty. Discontinued or not they are covered.
Well I don't know what was done but it appears that they are on their way back. Got an email with tracking info and they should be here on Friday. I hope something was done....
I received the scopes back on Friday and to my surprise they were both replaced with new ones? I don't mind that they replaced them but I wish I could have got a reason. I would really liked to have know there was an issue and replacement was the best option. I have one new scope mounted and going to the range soon to see how it does, hope they hold up as I really want to like this brand.
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