Help me choose a new optic for my AirForce Talon Project

[Senor Ramon]

Help me choose a new optic please for my Talon SS (talondor project).

It has a .22 24” barrel, and will soon have a condor valve, hammer and spring allowing me to stretch its effective range.

I use it now mainly for 50 yards or less, target and pesting, but would like to stretch it out to 75 or maybe a 100 yards with a new optic and condor valve, parts, etc.

It currently has a UTG 3-12 SFP scope, which I use primarily between 6 -10 power. Since it is a SFP scope, I mostly just set the scope at a fixed value (where it is sighted in 10X), so I won’t need to figure out different holdovers when the magnification changes.

It is important to me to have a nice eye box, clear glass and good tracking. From what I can tell my choices should all match the criteria. Minimum focusing distance should be less than 20 yards. I have never used any of the scopes below, but have watched many of Joe Rhea’s videos. My budget is $350 (not including rings). I have narrowed down my choices as follows:

SWFA SS 6X42 (non-hd)

SWFA SS 10X42 (non-hd)

Arken SH4GEN2 4-16X50 (FFP)

Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44 (FFP)

Which would you choose and why?

 

[beerthief]

Athlon Talos BTR 4-14x44 (FFP) this has good glass , great warranty just send to Kansas city and quickly you have a new scope .
I have all but one of my scopes are Athlon , thought i would try a Hawk , as of now i think the Athlon is better.

 

[JungleShooter]

Here's a Scope Spec Table for a few more options to drool over....!

Happy shopping!

Matthias


Scope Specs Table:
4-16x, 3-18x, 4-20x, 3-15x

View attachment SCOPE Specs Table. For 4-16x or 3-18x or 4-20x Scopes.pdf

 

[Senor Ramon]

Here's a Scope Spec Table for a few more options to drool over....!

Happy shopping!

Matthias


Scope Specs Table:
4-16x, 3-18x, 4-20x, 3-15x

View attachment 301490

Matthias,

Thank you. Super comprehensive and very helpful as always. I have been meaning to ask you, since you love spreadsheets and tables, are you an accountant?

 

[JungleShooter]

Matthias,

Thank you. Super comprehensive and very helpful as always. I have been meaning to ask you, since you love spreadsheets and tables, are you an accountant?

O, that's a good one. Thank you Ron for your words of appreciation.

And for the really good joke...!
Accountant? ACCOUNTANT?!?!

➔
■ I am about as far away from the stereotypical mentality of an accountant as a "Karen" is away from an airgun hunter....! ■


What it was that brought me to making specs tables was their ease of
• communicating a lot of information,
• communicating only relevant & useful information,
• communicating it in a way to help the user learn something about a topic and make good use of his/her learning.


➔ Now.... — if that sounds more like a teacher rather than an accountant — yupp, that's about right!

Matthias



PS:
Looks like I'll be teaching some classes at our local airgun club soon.
I wonder if there is any interest here at AGN in some classes or coaching via video conferencing (zoom)....:
• How to use Strelok Pro, ChairGun, or GPC Ballistic Applications
• How to decide what scope to buy
• How to decide what gun to buy
• How to decide what projectile to shoot
• ......

 

[jmohme]

I have a Vector Optics Veyron 4-16x44 on my TalonP and shoot it out to 85 yards.

The Veyron is affordable, but has great optics, and holds zero 4 through max magnification.

 

[Senor Ramon]

I have a Vector Optics Veyron 4-16x44 on my TalonP and shoot it out to 85 yards.

The Veyron is affordable, but has great optics, and holds zero 4 through max magnification.

Is this the ultra short version of the Veyron?

 

[jmohme]

Is this the ultra short version of the Veyron?

I didn't know there was an ultra short version. I thought the Veyron line were all compact.
Here is a link to it on Amazon, and yes they refer to it as an ultra short version.

Amazon.com : Vector Optics Veyron 4-16x44 First Focal Plane (FFP) Ultra Short Riflescope, 30mm Tube, 1/10 MIL Per Click Adjustment, Turret Lock System, Free Mount Rings, Lens Caps, Honeycomb Sunshade : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Vector Optics Veyron 4-16x44 First Focal Plane (FFP) Ultra Short Riflescope, 30mm Tube, 1/10 MIL Per Click Adjustment, Turret Lock System, Free Mount Rings, Lens Caps, Honeycomb Sunshade : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[Senor Ramon]

I didn't know there was an ultra short version. I thought the Veyron line were all compact.
Here is a link to it on Amazon, and yes they refer to it as an ultra short version.

Amazon.com : Vector Optics Veyron 4-16x44 First Focal Plane (FFP) Ultra Short Riflescope, 30mm Tube, 1/10 MIL Per Click Adjustment, Turret Lock System, Free Mount Rings, Lens Caps, Honeycomb Sunshade : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Vector Optics Veyron 4-16x44 First Focal Plane (FFP) Ultra Short Riflescope, 30mm Tube, 1/10 MIL Per Click Adjustment, Turret Lock System, Free Mount Rings, Lens Caps, Honeycomb Sunshade : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

Thank you. I was just concerned it would look funny being so compact on an af talon.

 

[c_m_shooter]

I like the simplicity and solid clicking of the SWFA SS models.

 

[Senor Ramon]

I like the simplicity and solid clicking of the SWFA SS models.

c_m_shooter, Given the data I provided, what SWFA SS model would you recommend?​

 

[c_m_shooter]

c_m_shooter, Given the data I provided, what SWFA SS model would you recommend?​

10x

 

[Senor Ramon]

10x

Thank you all for your responses.

 

[mercado]

For 100y + shooting if you don't have 35 years or less n you Are past 40 .. nothing will beat the arken 4x16 .. or there new 6x24x50 .. for the price n quality.. it all depends on your eyes .. right now me at 47.. only 24 n up magnification will do for long shoots.

 

[Chichi]

Thank you all for your responses.

So. What was your choice?

 

[Senor Ramon]

So. What was your choice?

I still have not made a decision. I want the SWFA 3-15 FFP but the price is over my budget (eve on sale now). I like the Arken 4-16 FFP but don't like the 25 yard minimum focus distance. The Athlon Talos doesn't seem to get very much praise. This leaves me undecided.

 

[steve123]

I haven't regretted charging nicer stuff on the CC then paying it off as soon as I could. Its much better to pay some interest than suffer what you didn't want to buy(within reason, lol) You're talking a few hundred bucks here not thousands, right?!

My wife and I often use zero percent CC's and pay the balance off before the due date when the interest is charged. This summer we got about $400 off the normal price on lumber, etc, at Home Depot by taking advantage of the discounts offered when applying for a CC.

A friend and his wife takes this to the next level by charging on CC's in which they have a rewards program. His wife pays the balance off soon, sometimes right away, and by the end of the year they have about $1000 that they use to buy their kids Christmas presents by playing this particular CC game.

That being said the Talos is not a bad scope at all. I still kept one even though I have transitioned to higher grade scopes across the board.