Athlon Talos 3-12x40 vs Clearidge Ultra 3-9x32

Well looknup the fact that no one has much of any experience with the Athlon as they are brand new means you will likely not get much feedback on them yet. 

I have a clearidge that I am happy with. I bought it because I wanted something lightweight and adjustable which is not very easy to find.

If you don't care about weight, there are plenty of scopes with reasonable glass for less money than the Clearidge but few that were light.

The scope you are comparing it to is a larger heavier piece that has tons of competition in the same price range. I think they both serve different purposes. Clearidge RM is not what I would choose for long range bench rest competitions. The weight saving makes a big difference to me when shooting off-hand with one of my bullpups for hunting though. My accuracy is affected when my arms are tired.

I should add that the Clearidge glass is more than clear enough for the vast majority of air gun hunters. It is certainly a noticeable step up from the $150 Leapers I had on the gun before. Most air guns Are not used passed 100 yards so you really don't need a NASA telescope weighing you down imo. 

I also considered a Leupold vx2 ultra lightweight scope for $400 and various pistol scopes (some of which came in at 8oz). The search showed the Clearidge to be the best option for my needs. It was a good compromise between weight, features and quality (of glass). Michael recommended it to me. I hadn't heard of them before. If the Athlon is better for your needs, what else matters?

I have no experience of warranty claims with Clearidge yet so I can't comment. I have never broken any scope though so I am not too worried. Even the scope that came free with an $80 springer from Walmart 10 years ago still holds a zero...

How are the turrets on the Athlon? All china turrets I have felt (3 and then no more) have been poop. One UTG and 2 Hawke, all mushy and horrible. So how abvout the Athlon?

Ok, cool.

I have the clearidge and it is light and clear. The reticle is great and turrets adjust with solid clicks. My gripe is it ranges poorly and the ao ring is is not smooth at all. My overall impression is it is great glass in a poorly constructed mechanism. The Nikon efr air rifle scope would be my favorite scope if it had a mil dot reticle and it is inexpensive.

I am interested in this Athlon, thanks for the review.

Well, I just mounted and sighted in my Talos 3-12 x 40 on my Falcon .22. Literally took 3 shots to sight it in at 30 yards. Glass is super clear and the reticle is very thin so I can hold dead-center and see the bullseye. I really like the side focus and will say I will not be using my Vortex or Bushnell scope anytime soon. My accuracy has improved greatly and my first outing was a complete success. Weight was not really an issue as my rifle is quite light. If I had to be picky, I would say the turret, although it had definite clicks, was quite stiff compared to my Aeon and Hawk HD scopes (which moved smoothly). This scope was for a plinking rifle for under 75 yrds so my expectations were not high, however, it has exceeded my expectations and hands down out performs my Vortex 3-12 x 40 scope which was more money and no warrantee. 

Here is the scope mount on my Falcon. I shot mostly dimes and nickel groups at 30 yards with some wind. This is a 16 FPE rifle. I was not able to do this with the other scopes. Here is also a picture of my best 5-shot group of the morning. I was quite pleased for a vintage rifle at sub 20 FPE!

[url="http://i.imgur.com/f4AvMKV.jpg"][img]http://i.imgur.com/f4AvMKV.jpg[/img][/url] 

[url="http://i.imgur.com/zAK1GGz.jpg"][img]http://i.imgur.com/zAK1GGz.jpg[/img][/url]

LookNup hello, I would like to know how has gone so far with the talos 3-12x40, because I want to buy one for my nitro piston rifle, but I read in another article that the look is descalibran easily and want to know if it is true.

The AO is a little stiff to adjust on my Clearidge RM but it is fairly accurate for estimating range. When I measure 50 yards on my range finder, that is almost exactly where it goes into focus with the AO. When I say stiff, I don't mean I can't turn it easily, it's more that it is slow to adjust. That could be annoying when you want to adjust it quickly before your prey escapes.

If you don't need lightweight then there are definitely better scopes for the money but I couldn't find many that are better in a similar weight range. I think a lot depends on what air rifle you have and what you use it for. For me, the Clearidge RM is a great bullpup scope because I really feel the weight saving and the benefit of it being less top-heavy. 

If you have a front-heavy rifle, the weight saving of the clearidge might not be enough to make a meaningful difference. I.e. You couldn't shoot off-hand before, you still can't with the Clearidge. 

There is a new 18oz Hawk scope that I want to check out when my Ataman Ultra Compact arrives. 

Still using the Talos 3-12x40? How has it help up and worked out? Like you user name. Me too. ;o) Brian Smith