I had a Diamondback FFP and I sold it immediately. The downside is that in order to do so, you will have to either sacrifice zoom power, or get much larger objective lenses (and therefore increase weight). I'm looking at 6-24 versions and they seem similar. That glass is good, but its not quite as bright and sharp as that Japanese S-series glass. The Athlon HELOS uses what appears to be ARGOS GLASS if that matters to you at all. I have an argos, I replaced it after less than a year. This Japanese scope uses pure fluorite crystal lenses, which is unique in the industry and gives them excellent optical clarity. We rate the tightness and precision of their controls, how comfortably the scopes fit our hands and eyes, and then assess their style, versatility, and durability. Easier to switch between binos and spotting scope. However, at 4.5 pounds, this is a beast to pack, which makes it a better choice for a back deck or base camp optic. 2 models Athlon Optics Argos 20-60x85mm HD Spotting Scopes $487.49 $389.99 Save 20% Best Rated. The optical quality, overall . This isnt the spotter for everyone, but for buyers on a budget who want decent performance and all the reach that a 60-power can deliver, its a very good choice. They especially are a good choice for astronomy if you need your optics to be compact and/or you want to use them for more than just stargazing. At first sight, the Argos 10x42 is quite a compact binocular. In that price range, you're not getting something that is top tier. The average user who uses them primarily during the day wont have an issue with almost any scope sold on the market, since the exit pupil will be large enough to work effectively during full light conditions. They just work as advertised. The Ares G2 placed second in our low-light rankings and turned in very good resolution scores. It is used solely as a marketing hook by companies to make their optics seem very high quality. While this is likely the first spotter that a hunter or shooter may buyowing to the approachable priceit wont be the last. Its optical shortcomings are evident in low light conditions, but thats to be expected at this bargain price. This scope has extra low dispersion glass, and is one of the least expensive options that has that critical spec. They produce quality optics that are simple and straightforward, and they stand by them 100% with their lifetime warranty. One of the lesser known technical specs that you may need to account for is eye relief. I regularly shoot out to 300 yds with my ar and have shot to 1k with a friends equipment. Still, the new spotters for 2022 offer plenty of choice and talent for hunters, shooters, and anyone who likes to see wildlife up close. I've checked the specs and features of both and there are things I like about each. And the rubber armor is as grippy as it is protective. Half felt it implied a lack of durability. Emarth 20-60x60AE Angled Spotting Scope (Spotting Scope Under $100) Athlon Optics Argos HD 20-6085 Spotting Scope. Not sure how good it is but the cronus rifle scope line has a good reputation. Athlon Optics Argos BTR and Helos BTR scopes - Made in China to Athlon specifications. The integrated reticle allows spotters to communicate to their shooting partner specific holds and call shots with precision and clarity. Like most scopes, the Athlon Argos BTR Gen2 does not come with a mount and rings included. But we also assign a Price/Value score to each submission. It has extra low dispersion glass, a key in the world of high end optics. Are you going to pack it deep into the backcountry? . Vortex is a well-known manufacturer of optical material such as binoculars, spotting scopes and rifle scopes. Vortex Optics Viper HD Spotting Scopes. You can learn more about them at VortexOptics.com. The Argos HD is one of the best spotting scopes under 300 dollars that has a robust 20-60x magnification, 85mm objective, and is perfect for . We were able to arrive at a consensus on the optical talents of this spotter. . Athlon Argos Spotting Scope 20-60x85. The Vortex Optics Diamondback is the best spotting scope for 300 dollars as it has 20x-60x magnification and a 60mm lens diameter. All else being equal, you want the biggest lens possible. The straight-style tactical spotter is built like a tank, with double-tough armor and attachment points for Picatinny rails, so you can add accessories like thermals or lights to the optic. much better than the Athlon and Vortex and on a close out sale now. Field of view is obviously heavily influenced by the magnification power of your scope. Any feedback on these two scopes? Athlon Optics , Argos BTR, Riflescope, 6-24 x 50 First Focal Plane (FFP) 30 mm Tube, Illuminated APMR MIL Reticle, Black. You will pay a pretty penny to get your hands on one of their scopes, but if you want the best there is no substitute. We test spotting scopes the way you use themby subjecting them to the rigors and insults of the field. While some scopes fall into the trap of giving more magnification while sacrificing clarity, this scope hits it perfectly at the max end of its range. The optic with the highest Price/Value score wins our Great Buy award. The Harpia 95 has a little sister, the Harpia 85, thats a little more portable and only slightly more affordable. All in, theres a lot of scope here for $800, a price that represents the savings possible from the direct-to-consumer optics brand. The size of that beam of light is directly derived from two of the factors mentioned above: zoom and objective lens size. Budget is a very firm $500 or preferably less. View Quote. The inexpensive Argos BTR and less expensive Talos BTR work surprisingly well for the price. The more powerful it is, the narrower the field of view. The controls are tight, and we especially liked the two-speed focus and the fingertip sensitivity of the fine-focus knob. There is a massive difference between HD and regular definition television, and everyone has seen it. This is coming from someone who has never used either. You wont be counting antler tines on a bull three miles away with this thing, but it will at least get you closer than your naked eye. These coatings help the scope transmit and gather light better, thus increasing the quality and clarity of the image it delivers. They sell their products directly to consumers similarly to Upland Optics, but they are at the higher end of the price/quality spectrum. While the best binoculars for hunting have close focus of about 6 to 8 feet, spotting scopes can only focus to about 12 feet. Is it going to be aimed permanently at the stars? This direct-to-consumer brand delivers bright ED glass and quality Japanese build at a relatively accessible price. A dual focus knob is also great for fine tuning in on far away celestial bodies. Athlon Optics Spotting Scopes. I am a fan of vortex but the diamond back not so much . I'll be honest I wasn't looking forward to reviewing Athlon optics. The MIDAS uses what appears to be night and day difference SUPERIOR GLASS. But generally, the sweet spot between magnification and image quality is somewhere in the middle of the power range. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Along with size, price varies dramatically. Can the tripod adapter be used with a wide variety of tripod models and heads? With a straight-body spotting scope, youd have to trade places with your buddy in order for them to see the deer. The CS.1 is built around the same mid-level class of glass that Maven uses in its C Series binoculars. Ive been using spotting scopes for years and have used dozens of them in testing and in the field. Free shipping for many products! Athlon Argos BTR 6-2450 Gen2 APLR2 FFP MOA reticle. If you are buying a lower-mid range scope, the odds of it coming from Bushnell in one form or another are very high. The other differentiation from the Argos HD model: the aluminum-alloy chassis of the Ares UHD. You can learn about them at Leupold.com. The two-speed focus control allows you to riff from close-in to far-distant targets with a single revolution, and then feather the focus for precision. The redesigned Diamondback HD spotting scopes have all the horsepower the long-distance hunter needs, and they excel in lowlightright when you need it most. I have both and would buy another Athlon. Specifications. But of course all else isnt equal, and there is a trade off. On the other hand, the image delivered by the UHD glass was bright and free of flares and distortion, and the balance and heft of the chassis are both satisfyingly substantial. If you want a spotter to carry into the field to help you assess distant game, then consider a mid-sized scope, generally 20-50-power built behind a 65mm objective lens. The CS.1 is a great option for a hunter looking for a scope they can take into the backcountry. The Vortex Viper is a great choice. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. If you cant spend over a hundred dollars, your options are limited to discount providers. This means that objects will appear between 20 and 60 times closer than they actually are, depending on how you have it set. Their Ultima is a great scope for bird watchers. Budget is a very firm $500 or preferably less. Much faster target acquisition (angled scopes can be intuitive to find what youre trying to look at because of the angle). This series comes in three sizes: 11-33x50mm, 22-48x65mm, and 27-60x85mm. Check them out at Bushnell.com. It may not have the extra low dispersion glass and other high end features of more expensive scopes, but it does a great job considering how little it takes to get your hands on one. They sent me a prepaid label without a fight. Bird watching is one of the most popular and fast growing hobbies world wide. So for a brief period of time, I had both the Athlon Talos 20x60x80 and this Athlon Argos 20x60x85 side by side for a detailed comparison. Theres nothing particularly ground-breaking in this introduction from Athlon, just a sized-up version of its very good 65mm Ares G2 UHD model. If you spend a few hundred dollars, youre going to get something that will definitely improve on your naked eyes vision and help you be successful at whatever activity you are doing. In those cases, you want a scope that will withstand the abuses of the field. Vortex Diamondback 10x42 As you can see from in the table above where I have included the stats and features of both the older (2014) model and the latest 2016 versions, Vortex really have made much more than cosmetic changes to the Diamondback. Its a tough trade off, and has to be made based on your hunting style. CF2-31023. A great all-around spotter, the SIG OSCAR8 has enough optical horsepower for most hunting situations and exterior styling that fits right at home on a rifle range. Though its the same size and about the same in terms of zoom power, the money is spent on the quality of glass. And we conclude that the priceyou should be able to find this retailing for around $650was fair for the performance. Strike Eagle has a ton of elevation and nice features. This lets you choose the size of scope that is perfect for the way youre using it. Bushnell is one of the older players in the sporting optics world, having been founded in 1948. In this test, we mount all scopes on tripods, set their magnification to 20-power, and then measure how long they can see into the dark, averaging the results to assess performance. F FlatCat Member A 20-60x60mm scope at the lowest 20 power setting has an exit pupil diameter of 6020, or 3mm. You can check the price here. 1.6 #6) BARSKA 30-90100 WP Gladiator Spotting Scope. Another great option depending on your uses is a car window mount. That would mean that the scope has an adjustable zoom range of 20 to 60. I honestly don't have experience with either model, but do with others of both brands. ArmorTek Technology: The build quality is as expected top-notch. However, it can be hard to get your scope on target with an angled eyepiece because the 45-degree angle means the eyepiece isnt pointing at your target, like a straight-body spotter, so target acquisition occurs much faster. So I've narrowed it down to two scopes. Vortex Crossfire II 4-12x50 AO Riflescope with Dead Hold BDC Reticle (MOA). While they have specialized in cameras, all of the knowledge theyve accumulated in building camera optics has transferred over into some incredible sporting optics. And if anything happens to it, Leupolds lifetime transferable warranty will keep you covered. Leupolds flagship spotting scope delivers a quality image at pretty much every magnification. This is not a particularly exciting year for spotting scopes. Magnification. All the money is going straight into the glass. But for hunters who aspire to own the best optics on the planet, this line of Zeiss spotters justifies the significant investment. They rapidly expanded into a full suite of optics products spanning the entirety of the price ranges, which they still are today, though they mostly focus on the lower/mid range. Spotting Scope Review after Testing. Thats too bad, because its durable and well-balanced for just about any tripod work. Unlike some of the scopes that are out there, this one is available in both reticle styles. Learn more about it here. Here are some great options to consider: This scope, which gets our number one overall recommendation right now, is a shockingly good value. But maybe you want a spotter to mount on a tripod and use from a vantage point. They also allow most of their products to be fully customized, so you can even get them in the exact color you want!