Athlon Folks help me pick a scope

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Florida_Man

Florida_Man

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Jun 7, 2021
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Fort Pierce, fl
I want to try an Athlon scope. I currently have an Element Helix 6-24 SFP that I am not that happy with. I feel the eyebox is lacking.

Now for use.
FX Maverick Compact 177
Shooting 15-30 yards
Pesting and Benchrest paper punching are my primary use. Pesting is done mostly from support, so weight isn't a concern.
Budget up to a ARES ETR UHD

What would you get?
I know I know, just get the best scope in budget. But I'm not shooting out to long distances, so do I need that much scope?
 
If you don’t need IR, I would go with the Midas tac 4-16 or 6-24 depending on how good your eyes are. For 30yds and in, 16 power would be plenty for me, but some like to magnify the crap out of every shot. Lol.

If you want IR, helos 2-12 or 6-24 would be my recommendation.
Both these models have great glass with the helos being heavier from the IR. I had a 2-12 helos on a 22 leshiy 2 for a long time, and it was a stellar performer. Especially if you like a modified horseshoe reticle. For finer reticles, the helos 6-24 or the Midas tac options.
 
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beerthief said:
i only have one unused scope and that is because it is not an Athlon. I shoot as you say pest in yard and paper . I would buy the the higher power because you can always turn it down . and high power for paper targets lets you see exactly where your misses hit .
Click to expand...
Only down side of the higher power scopes for in close, is the mag only goes down to 6x and the field of view is tighter. I tend to use my low power to scan with the larger field of view. Then zoom in for the kill.
 
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I just picked up the 6-18x44 SF neos. Cheap, no frills, it's what I wanted. Went with the X reticle because its easier to locate on the fly for me.

I have a westhunter 4-16x44 that the athlon replaced, and I find that to be a good scope too, just thin reticle. The athlon is more clear, and has a nice eye piece like the WH. No tunnel to look through.

I cant justify all these scopes with the crazy reticle or FFP, when most air gun shooting is literally 50 yards and under for most pesting shots. Everything added is just more added weight.
 
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beerthief said:
i only buy scopes that focus down to 10 yards , side focus parallax 10 yard to infinity ,
NOW IF they made a 6 yard to 60 yard focus 4x45x56 scope i would do that .inn a heartbeat !
Click to expand...
The Athlon Midas Tac 6x24 focuses down to 10 yards.

Original poster wanted to try Athlon - its going to be hard to beat a Midas Tac 6x24 with any scope under $1,000.
 
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I owned a Midas Tac 6-24 and loved it; what a great scope!

The reason I eventually sold it was that it was FFP and no illumination. I can deal with one of these issues but together this made the lower third of the magnification range basically unusable. That just doesn’t work for me that needs that lower magnification in many hunting/pesting situations. For this reason might I suggest the new SFP Athlon Heras 6-24?
If you are pesting and a chipmunk pops up at 20’ you need to see your reticle clearly at any magnification and especially the lower end.
 
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I have the Helos BTR G2 4-12 and really like it. It’s my first FFP scope.
Yes at lower mag the reticle gets pretty small, but with the IR on it’s easy to see even in sunlight.
But I usually camp @ 10x for most of my paper and pests.

I also ,have the Argos 5-20 SFP and find it to be an excellent scope. I will likely pick up a Heras later on if I ever see them on sale.
 
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Florida_Man,
I have limited experience with Athlon. I do have a Helix and an Ares ETR 3-18x50. Yes, the Ares ETR is a bit more money and weight than (most) of what is below it in Athlon's lineup, but you say weight is not a factor and you are willing to spend this amount.

I wish I could compare it to the M-Tac and the Helos, but I have not owned either.

The Ares ETR is pretty nice, and the 10-yard parallax works well. At 3x you get a nice FoV (better than the 6-24 M-Tac), only surpassed by the low-power Helos and M-Tac models (1-10, 2-12, etc.). Also, the reticle is distinguishable early in the power range. I can see the hash marks fairly well at at least 5x, and a bit lower, even on a dim day (like today in NH), and my eyes are older ones. I just put it to the test for this post's purpose. Does it equal a SFP scope in reticle visibility? No, of course not. That's your call.

To be fair, people do rave about their Helos's, and often, their M-Tac's. S7

Edit: As I reread your post, Florida_Man, 15-30 yards is something to consider. I will let others guide. S7
 
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madeintheuk said:
If you don’t need IR, I would go with the Midas tac 4-16 or 6-24 depending on how good your eyes are. For 30yds and in, 16 power would be plenty for me, but some like to magnify the crap out of every shot. Lol.

If you want IR, helos 2-12 or 6-24 would be my recommendation.
Both these models have great glass with the helos being heavier from the IR. I had a 2-12 helos on a 22 leshiy 2 for a long time, and it was a stellar performer. Especially if you like a modified horseshoe reticle. For finer reticles, the helos 6-24 or the Midas tac options.
Click to expand...
I like that horseshoe reticle. I don't own it, but I like it. S7
 
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Sanctify7 said:
Florida_Man,
I have limited experience with Athlon. I do have a Helix and an Ares ETR 3-18x50. Yes, the Ares ETR is a bit more money and weight than (most) of what is below it in Athlon's lineup, but you say weight is not a factor and you are willing to spend this amount.

I wish I could compare it to the M-Tac and the Helos, but I have not owned either.

The Ares ETR is pretty nice, and the 10-yard parallax works well. At 3x you get a nice FoV (better than the 6-24 M-Tac), only surpassed by the low-power Helos and M-Tac models (1-10, 2-12, etc.). Also, the reticle is distinguishable early in the power range. I can see the hash marks fairly well at at least 5x, and a bit lower, even on a dim day (like today in NH), and my eyes are older ones. I just put it to the test for this post's purpose. Does it equal a SFP scope in reticle visibility? No, of course not. That's your call.

To be fair, people do rave about their Helos's, and often, their M-Tac's. S7

Edit: As I reread your post, Florida_Man, 15-30 yards is something to consider. I will let others guide. S7
Click to expand...

S7, is your ETR illume daylight bright? Maybe you've done it but is the reticle easier to see on 3x with the illume all the way up?

Just curious is all.
 
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Hi, Steve.
I have not used the illumination much yet. It's dim today and drizzly, but on 3x the reticle is all there with the illumination on the highest setting. I'd have to check on a bright day. Now, it would depend who was doing the looking to determine how usable it was. But I can see all reticle details without glasses.
Anytime. S7

Edit: I will check the reticle as soon as a clear day arrives in NH.
 
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steve123 said:
S7, is your ETR illume daylight bright? Maybe you've done it but is the reticle easier to see on 3x with the illume all the way up?

Just curious is all.
Click to expand...
Steve,
I had to wait quite a while for a (mostly) sunny day in NH to test the illumination for daylight brightness. I would say the reticle is nearly daylight bright on the highest magnification (6) on 3x, depending on what’s in the background. Yes, the reticle is generally easier to see on 3x with the illumination on 6, but again, smaller reticle details would depend on background.
Two things to bear in mind: one, if I point at the sky, the illumination is gone; and two, I still do not have a fully sunny day. I don’t mind at all checking things out again when it’s very sunny. S7
 
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