UPDATE ARKEN - QUALITY & DEPENDABILITY ?
- Thread starter Bill Norris
- Start date
jxb
Gold $$ Contributor
Yeah they were slow shipping mine so I don't think that's anything new. I would say that lots of places are slow to ship this month, maybe there's that many orders or maybe they just have staffing issues. I ordered one from Tract and it was nearly a week before it shipped with several other places nearly as bad, then the wait on the shipper but I don't really care so long as I get it eventually. They had a sale and I've been looking at it for a while so I figured might as well get it because down the road it will likely cost more and I wanted to see if all the hype was warranted (quality for that price point). It's a big heavy brick like the Arken, but they are intended for stuff we're not packing around anyhow so heavy is fine.
Well, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the FFP doesn't seem to be hurting your groups at all. I think the real distance will come at distance, since you can't hold over on the reticle unless you're at full power.
In my case I do plan on using it for 0-300 yards, so don't see any issues. I only have 8x on my EP-8, but that should get me out to about 400 or 500 yards if I need to.
Would like to ask you folks. Anyone moving to the new thermal Zulus that Arken came out with? I have been on the fence as the digital seems like it could be newer technology for the future, but in California we can't hunt at night, and that is where I see the thermal being the most useful. It says day/night, but not sure if that will be ground breaking for daytime. The other scope I was eyeing is the LH4-24x50 FFP, as it is intended to be a lightweight hunter. Just not sure I need 24x on my hunting rifles. I don't plan to hunt over 400 yards, the very max.
You are thinking sfp. You can use the reticle on any power with ffp.
Oh yea, I had zero issues Saturday morning up at a friends range. We shot 600 yds. and I was very comfortable with the EP-5 5 X 25 X 56 MOA @ full power. After taking a peep at the target in another brand of scope (much more expensive) I remain very content with all my Arkens.
You can use FFP at any power also, as long as you use the center illuminated dot, center is always center.
My plan is not to tell the pigs what type of focal plane I'm using.
You can use FFP at any power also, as long as you use the center illuminated dot, center is always center.
My plan is not to tell the pigs what type of focal plane I'm using.
I think you are confused. FFP the whole reticle can be used on any power. It’s sfp that is calibrated for one power. Usually the max but not always.
On paper it looks like that, but if you use the center dot on the reticle, it's always center. For me the biggest difference is that you can only use the holdovers accurately if you use the FFP on full power. Both work just fine using the center dot.
At the end of the day it doesn't matter too much for what I'm doing as I don't plan to use holdovers for the hunting I plan, and even so, I'm only talking about 8x on full power.
You do not have to use a FFP on max power to use the reticle. You are thinking about SFP. You need to look into it more. You are confusing the two. All I use is FFP and use the reticle for holds all the time on any power I want.
Someone else want to chime in and square him away?
This is exactly why I use the center dot. He states you can always use the center dot not matter what.
My other LPVO is only 1-4, but it is SFP. One of my scopes is MOA and one is MIL. I have a 2.5-10 Viper PST scope that is FFP and MIL. The Arken is MOA and FFP, the PST LPVO is SFP, and my 4-14x44 is Mil and FFP.
Because of all of this, I just use the center dot. If you have a better/easier way, I'm all eyes/ears. So far I haven't seen anything that works as well as the center dot.
EDIT: I think I did say FFP needed to be on full power above, and I meant SFP, but it matters not because the only way I can get my scopes to work correctly by using the center dot.
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I am not talking about just using the center dot. Of course either can do that. I was talking about your statement that ffp has to be on max power to use the reticle. That’s not true at all. That is sfp.
I just edited the above and said the same thing.
It matter not, the only way I can use all of my scopes easily is to use the center dot.
That’s a training issue and not a scope issue. You can use the reticle on any of those. I’ve owned about half of them and have used the reticles for holds.
Yeah, I don't "train" too much.
I do like to shoot about 30-50 rounds a month to keep my skills up, but other than that I'm pretty sure I can hit center mass on the game I plan to hunt within 300 yards.
Arken seems to have released a new digital scope today with a rangefinder.
www.arkenopticsusa.com
ZULUS HD 5-20R Day/Night Digital With Laser Rangefinder And Ballistic Calculator
The ARKEN ZULUS ZHD520R features an integrated Laser Rangefinder and patented ballistic app with a detachable IR illuminator on top of the standard high-definition 1920x1080 Micro-OLED HD display and cutting-edge Sony STARVIS 2 chipset for unparalleled performance in a lightweight, compact...
www.arkenopticsusa.com
nakneker
Gold $$ Contributor
I’ve commented on this thread a couple times. I ended buying 6 Arken scopes, different models including their new light weight offering. After using them for a year I have some feedback that may or may not be helpful. This summer I was shooting with a group of family and friends, all shooting 6.5 PRC Tikkas, standard factory rifles, supervarmints and rough techs. This group of guys are new to shooting at longer distances, it was their first foray into it, they are all tight wads too, not being critical it’s just how they are. Everyone was shooting the Arken EPL, I bought one too so I could shoot the same optic and experience what they experienced. We shot several sessions all summer long and a couple things were common in all the scopes. The positive is they tracked well and did what they what they were designed to do. The negatives are their ability to handle heat and mirage, they definitely were inferior to other scopes I brought out to compare, those were a Leupold Mark5, MeoOpta Optika6 and NF ATACR. The Arkens image quality was noticeably inferior to all three, still usable but not great. The other negative was the turret caps, everyone had their elevation cap come lose a couple times, it’s frustrating when your turret caps start free spinning because the screws loosened up, not a big deal when you know where you were in the rotation and have an Allen wrench handy but it would be frustrating if you were in the field and didn’t have the wrench to fix it. Everybody carrys an Allen wrench in their case now and they are tightening the screws a bit more which very well could be our fault to began with. These rifle got used a lot this summer, 600+ round over several sessions and they aren’t the kind of guys who baby their rifles. Btw the Tikka 6.5 PRCs performed very well, amazing factory rifles.
I still consider them an amazing value, they track, their optics are just fine until there is some heat, they still work but don’t handle the mirage as well as the other scopes mentioned. I got over the whole Chinese thing a long time ago, Arken is owned and operated by USA vets, they offer a niche that we need which is usable optics at a price point guys can afford, there’s a lot of value in that. I continue to use them. I will admit to switching the Arken on the Tikka to Mark5 before hunting season but that was my personal preference.
I still consider them an amazing value, they track, their optics are just fine until there is some heat, they still work but don’t handle the mirage as well as the other scopes mentioned. I got over the whole Chinese thing a long time ago, Arken is owned and operated by USA vets, they offer a niche that we need which is usable optics at a price point guys can afford, there’s a lot of value in that. I continue to use them. I will admit to switching the Arken on the Tikka to Mark5 before hunting season but that was my personal preference.
I don't think they're top tier scopes, but consider the one I have to be better than bottom tier. Their current offerings (the higher end ones with Japanese glass) are probably a $500-$750 scope, and they seem to be headed at that price point.
I have been on the fence on buying the LH-4 6-24x50 while it's on sale, but I honestly don't really need it. It would provide me more magnification than the Viper PST 2.5-10, but the that's about the longest range I would hunt at.
I guess I'm getting too old, I keep remorsing over it. But the way I get over it is knowing that I would replace it one day...I have a Viper PST 1-4 that is actually a decent scope for what I need, the EP-8 will be used for the same task.
I have no problem with them and have bought a scope, but hope they might come out with a higher cost scope made in America at some point, or that I will have an American replacement at some point. Nothing against their product, I like what I have. It's more a problem with me, than them. I'm worried that we're heading into a war with China and if we do it will put product made there in jepeordy. Until then I'm perfectly fine owning the scope I have.
That said, the digital is interesting. Also the ballistics and range finding in the scope seems like a logical most. The new ZulusR could be a paridigm shift, but even if so, the scopes I have will work for the hunting I do.
I did ponder over the LH-4 6-24x50, but I have 2 other scopes I would use for the same purpose. I don't really need anything other than time to do some building...
dusterdave173
Silver $$ Contributor
Bought an EP5 for a pal to put on his CZ
With the 25% off tax etc to us for just under $500
After three weeks with it I ordered me one
I use Tract Torics on my other rifles and feel like there is Nothing that will touch those in their price range but...for 1/3 the $$ of those the EP5 is a stunner--In my opinion it is the #1 best value out there--crisp, bright, tracks as good as I need--zero issues here just smiles!
I install a LOT of scopes for folks--The EP5 is a LOT of scope for the $$ period!
I have seen no diff when it comes to mirage as mentioned before--zero
With the 25% off tax etc to us for just under $500
After three weeks with it I ordered me one
I use Tract Torics on my other rifles and feel like there is Nothing that will touch those in their price range but...for 1/3 the $$ of those the EP5 is a stunner--In my opinion it is the #1 best value out there--crisp, bright, tracks as good as I need--zero issues here just smiles!
I install a LOT of scopes for folks--The EP5 is a LOT of scope for the $$ period!
I have seen no diff when it comes to mirage as mentioned before--zero
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I have a dipshit brother that knows nothing about optics. He thinks that Arkon optics are good bc he heard a SEAL owns the company, he's a "Fan Boy"....... SMH. Anyway, he caught our father alone and convinced him to buy this scope-value-pack-sale that Arkon had about 2 years ago. I put it on my father's 280 AI and I really like the reticle and the glass is fine but other than that.... It is junk. The elevation knob just came off so the tracking was terrible even when i put it back on. It's JUNK IMO
I heard a few people say that they were going to sell some of their other scopes (IMO better scopes) to buy Arkon scopes bc they were THAT impressed.... Well, I have a 6-24 x 50 MOA to trade for one of those scope if you want back up what you said.
Cheers Boys,
I heard a few people say that they were going to sell some of their other scopes (IMO better scopes) to buy Arkon scopes bc they were THAT impressed.... Well, I have a 6-24 x 50 MOA to trade for one of those scope if you want back up what you said.
Cheers Boys,
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