Thinkin about a New scope

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ToddGeddes63

ToddGeddes63

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Aug 15, 2020
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Boise Idaho, United States
Hello, I have been using a discovery 4-16x44 scope on my Benjamin Cayden, for about 9 months. target distance 20 to 100 yards, shooting from bipod and tripods. I have been lookin at higher magnification scope 6-24x44 with Illuminated reticle. I have never used a scope with Illuminated reticle, or a scope with higher magnification. and was wondering what other shooters options are? 
 
illuminated reticle is basically a gimmick and not a criteria to base anything on .. once you get up to 24x therabouts yoir going to want a more quality scope with a nice reticle .. in other words spend about 4-5 on it if its going on something serious .. a buck fifty one will work but its going to feel cheezy and the site picture wont be nice ...
 
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Hello having an illuminated reticle can be a nice thing but to get one daylight bright you will be spending a lot and probably still not all that happy for the brightness you get and the money you spent.( My Leupold MARK 4 and the Nightforce ATACR I have used are not as bright as I would like. Some of the IOR stuff comes close) If you dial up you may like the Meopta Optkia6 with an illuminated center dot only on the reticle. I have been using a 3-18 on an RTI priest out to 45 yds and am very pleased with it.(I only do hold over/under 2 inch deviation and have no issues ) I hope this helps Eric 
 
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Just so you know most less expensive illuminated riflescopes only offer enough brightness to see the reticle in low light so these are not daylight bright like most red dot optics. 

While shooting during nicer sunny days I was able to use the daylight bright illuminated reticles in the Athon Ares ETR and Athlon Cronus riflescopes. This comes especially handy when shooting on black targets and steel painted black as well as in shaded areas. But these are $1000-ish to $1500-ish street price scopes. Also nice when the reticle is on the lower magnification because it appears to shrink in a FFP scope.

I'd go to a local GS, Bass Pro, or Cabelas, and ask if you can step out the door to see how all the scopes you might want compare to each other.


 
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Buy scopes is like buying shoes. They all work but there is an extreme difference in quality most of the time directly proportional to price. BUT there is also a huge personal preference factor. I really think it boarders on impossible to advise someone regarding optics. There are just way to many variables. I find scopes under $500 disappointing most of the time but I DO understand that most people are not going to spend thousands for an air rifle scope. On the other hand I know some of the serious competitors are shooting top end Nightforce scopes . I think you can get spoiled real quick with optics. Once you try the high end stuff the others kinda lose their luster. I don’t particularly need illumination and I prefer a very simple reticle. Personal preference.
 
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The Aztec Emerald and Element Helix scopes are both very good for the $400-$500 range and a step up from the Discovery. But there are many good scopes out there in that price range. I believe you can get either scope with or without an illuminated reticle

I love the reticle on the Aztec and have three of them

https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/aztec-optics/

I don't have a Helix but it will likely be my next scope purchase.

https://utahairguns.com/element-optics/
 
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To the OP, if you are pesting in low light conditions in and around buildings an illuminated reticle helps immensely. So much so that I won't pest without one, had to pass up too many shot because of black crosshairs blending in with dark rats or birds indoors so I couldn't take sure shots. I have an Aztec Emerald and an Athlon Helos, both in the magnification range you want. Good scopes, thousands of rounds down range, and they have been both great. Would buy them again, but give the nod to the Helos.
 
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To the OP, if you are pesting in low light conditions in and around buildings an illuminated reticle helps immensely. So much so that I won't pest without one, had to pass up too many shot because of black crosshairs blending in with dark rats or birds indoors so I couldn't take sure shots. I have an Aztec Emerald and an Athlon Helos, both in the magnification range you want. Good scopes, thousands of rounds down range, and they have been both great. Would buy them again, but give the nod to the Helos.
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As Luis said above, an illuminated reticle is necessary if shooting in any low light conditions or a very dark target area (like rats with dark fur for an example). Just make sure to purchase a reticle that you like and can use properly. FFP scopes are much more versatile to me than SFP scopes.
 
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If you shoot early in the morning or late in the evening, an illuminated reticle can be nice to have and far from a "gimmick". Generally, higher magnification would probably correlate to higher price if you value clarity.
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I shoot in the forest with lors of trees that have shadows, dark spots, I have been shooting reactive "rat on a stick" targets, I set them at different distances and heights as a course type of range. For the most part I do good with the setup at hand, but with fall/winter coming and darker conditions I thought it would be useful. 
 
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You seriously cannot go wrong with an Arken scope. A bit heavy, but built like a tank with amazing glass and turrets that are as good as those on any scope, no matter how expensive.
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Hello fellow idaho shooter! I have looked at some online, but it is not easy for me to pick a scope, I like the post about trying them local, 
 
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I'm in my 70s and am finding that I need more help from my scopes these days. I like the illuminated reticle when shooting into the shade or early/late in the day, and a not-too-thin reticle. The thin-lined reticles "disappear" against dark objects.

Something in the 4-16x range works well for me out to 40 yards. Beyond that, I need to pump up the magnification. 

I have had good success with Athlon.
 
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illuminated reticle is basically a gimmick and not a criteria to base anything on .. once you get up to 24x therabouts yoir going to want a more quality scope with a nice reticle .. in other words spend about 4-5 on it if its going on something serious .. a buck fifty one will work but its going to feel cheezy and the site picture wont be nice ...
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I have not used a illuminated scope, I would think that it would be a nice addition, for darker/low light target conditions that I run into shooting in the forest. I would like to hear from others on illuminated scopes pros and cons 
 
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My wife & I both like the IR feature on the Hawke 4-16 x 44 mm scope which has 6 brightness settings. The only problem I have is forgetting to turn it off after a shooting session. The IR is great when the target is in shadows and it is bright sunlight or early and late in the day. No problems after about 2K shots with the HW95L.

https://us.hawkeoptics.com/airmax-30-sf-compact-4-16x44-amx-ir.html
 
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ToddGeddes63 said:
Hello, I have been using a discovery 4-16x44 scope on my Benjamin Cayden, for about 9 months. target distance 20 to 100 yards, shooting from bipod and tripods. I have been lookin at higher magnification scope 6-24x44 with Illuminated reticle. I have never used a scope with Illuminated reticle, or a scope with higher magnification. and was wondering what other shooters options are?
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Update on the new scope
I got the Athlon talos SFP 6-24x50 from Amazon. The reticle is crisp and clear, has the holdover/under marks and windage marks for more accuracy. The magnification is great! but I haven't gone past 16x, focuses down to 10 yards just fine, and ranges well from 10yards - infinity. It came with bikini Lense covers, not a deal breaker for me, but I would have rather had caps. Overall, a really good scope very happy with it.
 
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jps2486 said:
My favorite magnification is 6-24. Of those, I like the Athlon Midas-Tac or Arken.
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I'm very happy w the 6-24 also. at further distances the extra magnification is sweet, doesn't get fuzzy or distorted edges. Also, at 16x I find it to be clear even in low light conditions. Both scopes you like are nice indeed. My budget was tight, but I feel that I got my money's worth and an upgrade with Athlon.
 
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