Athlon Optics Scopes

[dmiller]

Does anyone have any knowledge about Athlons scopes (probably Talos)? I have been very interested in Hawke's scopes, but because of a limited amount of $$$, I have been waiting off.  I am looking to scope my Hatsan Torpedo 155, but am aware that it could "eat cheap scopes." I have even considered even going used, but haven't with Hawke because the warranty is not transferable (confirmed this with Hawke customer service.) However, Athlon seems to have very reasonable prices, lifetime transferable warranty, and side focus which I like the idea of. Does anyone know how they compare with Hawke? Hows the glass? Also, what is the difference between first focal plane and second focal plane? Is one better than the other?  Any help or opinions are very appreciated! Thanks!

[Joekrooz]

Hey Dale, I have an Athlon Argos 6-24x50.  I think I paid around $370 for it on Amazon.  Great scope for the money, I like it better than the Hawke scopes that I have but that is just my opinion fwiw.  Nice clear glass and first focal plane is a real nice option also.  The only gripe I have is the side focus yardage markings are off by 20-30 yards on mine, not a huge deal but it does annoy me. 

[WiseGuy]

I have the Athlon Talos on my Matador and I like it a lot.  Love the reticle with many .2 mil hash marks for holdover, making it very easy for precise shot placement.  I really like the FFP, what it means is that the reticle zooms in and out as you adjust your magnification so your holdover is always the same, I really like that.  I have had many Hawke Sidewinder and I love them, but the FFP on this Talos is great!  Here is the link to the one I got.  It's a great scope IMO.



Check this one out too, I also love this scope for the money and also FFP.  Has a very nice reticle as well, along with a zero stop.

[dmiller]

Thanks for the replies, guys! Another question for you- is a 6-24x50 ( https://athlonoptics.com/product/rifle-scopes-talos-6-24x50-atmr1-sfp-ir-mil/ ) too big of a zoom for only shooting out to about a max of 75 yds? I would prefer something in the 4x12 range, but I really like the ATMR1 reticle and illumination, which is not on anything other than the 6x24. Would this be a problem? Thanks!

[nced]

Does anyone have any knowledge about Athlons scopes (probably Talos)? I have been very interested in Hawke's scopes, but because of a limited amount of $$$, I have been waiting off.  I am looking to scope my Hatsan Torpedo 155, but am aware that it could "eat cheap scopes." I have even considered even going used, but haven't with Hawke because the warranty is not transferable (confirmed this with Hawke customer service.) However, Athlon seems to have very reasonable prices, lifetime transferable warranty, and side focus which I like the idea of. Does anyone know how they compare with Hawke? Hows the glass? Also, what is the difference between first focal plane and second focal plane? Is one better than the other?  Any help or opinions are very appreciated! Thanks!

I have no helpful info on the Athlon but I have bought a few Hawkes and the "glass" of models I bought does vary. I don't own the most expensive Hawkes but I found that the "glass" of the two 4-12x50 Hawke Vantages owned (one barfed and was replaced by Hawke) is no worse or better than my cheaper UTG 3-12x44 compact, BSA 3-12x44 "Tactical Weapon", or considerably cheaper 4-16x40 Center Point from "WallyMart".

I also own a 4-12x50 Hawke Airmax AO and the optics along with "scope rangefinding ability" is better than the other cheaper scopes but lacking "illumination" the thin AMX reticle does get lost on darl targets set in a dark lane. I recently took delivery of a 5-15x50 Hawke Panorama AO and so far it's a "perfect for me" scope for my HW95 break barrel. Set at 11x because the AO has a strange power labeling going from 11x to 13x skipping 12x all together I found that the Panorama glass is as crisp as my AirMax AO, plus the Panorama has an "illumination feature" for the AMX reticle.

Anywhoo......as mentioned, I have found "differences in glass" between the cheaper Vantage, the Airmax and the Panorama. When talking to the Hawke "tech guy" concerning the Vantage that barfed I was advised to only use the Vantage with 12fpe (or lower) power level springers. LOL....the HW95 that scrambled the Vantage internals (tech guy suggested that a lens had shifted) was tuned to only 12.5 fpe (7.9 grain CPL @ 850fps).

The 5-15x50 Panorama on my HW95......

The odd (to me) "power ring" without a 12x etching........

[addertooth]

I have an Athlon Argos 8-34X56 First Focal Plane Side Focus Etched Reticle Illuminated Reticle with Mil turrets and Reticle on order.  It should be here in about a week.  I will report back when it arrives.
It is replacing a CenterPoint 4-16X56 Side focus Second focal plane scope.  It should be a serious step up.  Looking at some of the "scope centric" sites out there, the only complaints I hear are some people feel the turrets are not as positive clicking as some people want. 

[dmiller]

Thank for the replies, guys! So I gather that a 6-24x50 would not be to big of a zoom for my needs? Also, does anyone have a definition of the difference between first and second focal plane scopes? Is one better than the other? Thanks for the replies so far...I really appreciate them!

[addertooth]

DMiller,

Second focal plane (SFP): Your Reticle always stays the same size, the MIL dots or MOA is only accurate at one magnification, pretty typically (but not always 10 X magnification). At other magnification 5X or 20X, the mill dots are double/half their actual value.  One of the advantages is the thinness or thickness of your reticle is constant, so if you like your reticle when looking through the scope at a store, it will never change.  Will require some math at different magnifications to calculate for holdover at longer ranges (or a chart you calculate and write inside your lens caps for reference).  I tend to keep my magnification set to the value where my MIL dots actually accurate on second focal plane scopes.  However, I realize this reduces the usefulness of variable magnification. Inside the scope, the reticle is towards the rear of the optics package.  It is less expensive to make a scope SFP

First Focal Plane (FFP):  Your reticle gets bigger at high magnifications and smaller at low magnifications.  The MIL dots or MOA is accurate at all magnifications.  I.E. one MIL dot of correction is the exact same REAL correction at all magnifications.  At high magnifications, your reticle gets bigger/thicker.  At low magnification your reticle gets smaller/thinner.  Requires no math, holdovers require no calculations to correct for magnification.  Commonly found on sniper scopes.  Inside the scope, the reticle is towards the front (typically in the front Bell) of the scope.  Tends to make scopes with this feature more expensive. 

As for whether it is the "right scope" for your gun is a tough question.  First of all, I (almost) never spend more on a scope, than a gun is accurate.  So for example, on my Crossman Trail NP2, which can repeatedly hit a penny at 25 meters, but is less accurate at 50 meters and beyond, sports a 200 buck UTG scope, anything more is simply a waste of money.  My Maximus has a nice BSA on it, but it is hole in hole at 25 meters with just a touch of feathering at the edges of the hole.  My Marauder is currently "underscoped" with a $330 etched reticle UTG (one of their best, but it is still UTG).  At 50 meters, I can literally push a tack half-way into a target and drive it home with the Marauder (tack driver).  The Athlon Argos is for my Benjamin Bulldog, which is in the process of having it's accuracy worked on.  At the moment it has about a plus and minus 1.5 inch error at 100 Yards (3 MOA center to center pattern).  For the moment the Athlon is a bit "overscoped" for that gun, but I hope to improve the actual gun's accuracy through other improvements. 

The Hatsan Torpedo 155 is a notorious scope-eater.  The "vortex" version of the gun is ever so slightly more gentle on scopes than the original mechanical spring version.  The warranty and service for Athlon products is very good, and may be needed with any brand of scope on the 155 torpedo.  I came really close to getting the vortex version of that gun, but the reviews scared me a bit (that and the delivery date kept slipping by weeks/months).  Those who got a good one, absolutely loved it... but usually the love was brief and they didn't post much about it after a few months.  Those who got a bad one got a REALLY bad one, and in some cases disassembled it and sold the parts off, as their ethics would not allow them to sell it to another person.  I ended up making the tough decision and going PCP for power shots, instead of with a Super-Magnum springer. 

[dmiller]

Thanks for the reply, Todd. That helps to explain my question, I really appreciate it! Yes, I have read that my 155 is a notorious scope eater- this is why I am somewhat limited to getting a scope- making sure that it is lifetime warranted! My opinion of getting a scope for this gun is that if this is the only airgun I will ever own, get a cheaper scope; however, I would like to get some bigger guns someday and I know that when/ if that happens, this scope will go off this gun and onto that one! Thanks for the answers!

[dmiller]

Another question- I see and read about a lot of people having scopes from the Argos line- is the Argos much better than the Talos line? Thanks!

[addertooth]

I will step out on a limb here; the Talos cost less than the Argos.  Both are from the same company.  I would bet the Argos either has more features or has other enhancements not found on the Talos product line.  I already have "feature rich scopes" with average to poor glass (UTG).  I wanted a scope which had the same feature set (or more), with better glass.  Based upon dozens of online reviews, they rate the Argos glass a "B" on a scale of AA, A, B, C, D, F.  Everything which was AA rated, was over 1500 dollars.  Most of the A stuff was over 1000 dollars.  B grade was most the stuff which was 600 to 1000 dollars.  This made the $389 dollar Argos 8-34X56 Argos a comparative bargain.  The other great bargain out there, which has good glass at a great price is much of the SWFA product line.  However, most SWFA are not as feature rich. 

Keep in mind the Athlon Argos 8-34X56 BTR has the following features:
Decent Glass (there are better lenses, but not in this price/feature range.
First Focal Plane (normally you have to get above $600 to find this).
Mill dot reticle and 1/10th Mil turrets.  Frequently you get Mil dot reticle with MOA turrets, and that really makes no sense.
Illuminated "Christmas Tree" reticle.
Etched Reticle, increases ruggedness, gives (me) a clearer image of reticle than a wire-type.
Side focus/parallax adjustment, down to 15 meters.
Lots of magnification, quite frankly, more than what most people will use on an air rifle.  I find about 24 power verging on excessive.  You won't be shooting 1000 meters with an air rifle.

If I was more of a minimalist, the SWFA SS 10X42 would have won this decision, without variable magnification (and the extra optics that comes with it), it should be a better overall image.

 

[TerryH]

No direct experience with Athlon but I'm a member of a few FB groups where there are lots of guys with them including specific Athlon users groups. As far as I can see virtually every one that has them likes them. They have the same unconditional lifetime warranty as Vortex. Most put the glass on the same plane or above similar Vortex scopes. Given that and the warranty, don't see how to go wrong with Athlon. I plan to try a Athlon Ares or Cronus on my long range powder burner at some point.

The FFP vs SFP debate seems to me like it comes down to usage. FFP excel in ranging using the reticle since it grows and shrinks in unison with magnification. SFP scopes excel at known distances and longer range small targets as the reticle is usually small and remains the same no matter the magnification. FFP reticles can grow to a size that they may obscure all or part of the intended target depending on distance. Thee factors are minimized at normal air gun distances but become very pronounced at true long range distances so perhaps not so much of a factor on an air rifle.

Some places like Anarchy Outdoors usually have the lowest prices that Athlon allows with rebates or store credit included that can be used for rings or shades or whatever.

http://www.anarchyoutdoors.com/

[dmiller]

Thanks for the replies! As of now I think I am mostly interested in the Talos BTR, mostly because it is more affordable for me- i'm just not sure it is practical for me to put a $350-400 scope on a $350 springer... however, I don't want  to go really cheap on whatever I get.  I guess I will just continue to wait for some sales on these... or till I can afford the retail. Also, by the way, does anyone know what BTR stands for? May not be anything in specific.  Thanks for the help!

[TerryH]

Thanks for the replies! As of now I think I am mostly interested in the Talos BTR, mostly because it is more affordable for me- i'm just not sure it is practical for me to put a $350-400 scope on a $350 springer... however, I don't want  to go really cheap on whatever I get.  I guess I will just continue to wait for some sales on these... or till I can afford the retail. Also, by the way, does anyone know what BTR stands for? May not be anything in specific.  Thanks for the help!

Clueless on what BTR means but sales on Athlon stuff is unlikely. Athlon sets a lowest possible price that cannot be discounted by their dealers and virtually all of them sell at that price point. That's why you see Athlon dealers adding store credit when you buy higher end scopes from them because they cannot have a sale price.

[dmiller]

Yes...sorry I forgot to mention part of what I meant by sales....I watch eBay quite frequently and wait for new auction "deals." Monday I was three seconds away from owning a Talos 6-24x50; however, made a mistake in my max bid and lost the auction...but, that's just how it is. (: Sold new for $148, so my hope is that more will come along! Thanks for the clarification on Athlon sales! DMiller

[TerryH]

BTR = Bright Tactical Reticle per the marketing director at Athlon.

[TwiceHorn]

The one thing I would consider about a 6-24x.  Usually, those high-mag/high-range scopes are heavy and long.

As you are no doubt aware, the Torpedo is one heavy rifle.  Add a couple of pounds to it and you're getting to downright unwieldy.

Look at what the various scopes you are looking at weigh and take that into consideration. 

Also, length can be an issue and a big bell probably means high rings, so you are looking at a fairly unwieldy package all the way around. 

YMMV.

[dmiller]

Yes... I am aware of the weight...it may be excessive. I am young, weight is not a huge problem as of now, but definitely something to consider. I would really like to eventually get a good light and laser for it also....but, a 15 pound gun is a beast. (not to mention it already is . Would having high rings create a problem? I would probably end up getting something like the Hawke 1 piece high mount (https://us.hawkeoptics.com/match-mount-1-1-piece-9-11mm-high.html). Thanks!

[addertooth]

Depending upon the air rifle, a large scope does not look too far out of place   And no, the scope currently on the Bulldog is a CenterPoint, the Athlon will be smaller.

Post note, picture of the same gun with the Athlon Argos.

[TerryH]

Depending upon the air rifle, a large scope does not look too far out of place   And no, the scope currently on the Bulldog is a CenterPoint, the Athlon will be smaller.

Too much scope? lol...never.