Rifle scopes you'd love to see Form test

sndmn11

"DADDY"
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I sent Athlon an email with a few skus listed and a link to my dropping videos to learn their thoughts, a couple weeks ago, but never got a reply.

That scope is inexpensive enough I might order one up to drop. @Ryan Avery or @Formidilosus do you guys have plans to test one already?
 

Dos XX

WKR
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Dec 29, 2018
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Is that Athlon made in China? The one I ordered and returned was, but it was a less expensive model. I was going to put it on a .22, but I backed out.
 
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Jan 5, 2022
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745
Absolutely no disagreement. It’s a compromise we have to make now for reliability. But wouldnt it be nice to not have to make that compromise?

I’m just saying I think we have push the envelope as far as necessary with regard to features. Now it’s time to focus on function and weight. That’s what innovation should do. We don’t need more bells and whistles.

I agree with you on the need for more simple, rugged scopes.

The fact that the Vortex LH and LHT scopes have faired poorly in impact testing leaves me concluding that the weight they cut to get them slightly lighter than some of their more robust competition is weight that you need in them if you want rugged and reliable dialing. Same could be said for the Z4's, which are also LOW built like the LHT's.
 
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Mar 28, 2020
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My iPhone is chinese and I don’t think there is a better option out there
What if the Athlon turns out to be rock solid
The feature set ticks all the boxes for me and it has held zero and tracks spot onto farD5BEE249-AC62-4571-94E9-EFA76FD9F925.jpeg
 
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745
Is that Athlon made in China? The one I ordered and returned was, but it was a less expensive model. I was going to put it on a .22, but I backed out.
Yes, the Athlon Helos 2-12 is Chi com. I like a lot of things about this scope, but I just won't support big red China in the few instances in which I still have a choice. I'm hoping another company will bring out something very similar except LOW sourced. I've sent emails, but haven't gotten any returns.

Thinking an SWFA 2-12 or 3-12 HD with the same turrets as their 1-6 HD and a post or #4 reticle on low X would be a big seller.

At least I'd buy half a dozen.
 
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Mar 28, 2020
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I’m not trying to convince you not to buy or use anything.
No worries I realize that👍
This is the first chinese made item I have ever bought in the shooting field as far as I know, and it wasn’t a choice made lightly but this scope really fills a niche for me at a price I can afford

I would drop test it but, to be quite honest I don’t want to wreck it
So far I like it more than any scope I have ever used, and it is holding a good solid zero
 
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oregon coast
Don't know if it has been mentioned, but the Athlon Helos BTR Gen2 2-12x42 seems to be a great package. It could be a competitor to the SWFA 3-9 (it's available unlike the 3-9), similar price, the reticle has a lot of elements of the LRHS and THLR in some ways....less clutter too. I also hear some guys in alaska think it is good to go.......

just my 2cents.....if I was independently wealthy I'd buy one and send it for testing....

I would love to see that scope do well… I doubt it would do well in Form’s test, but I would enjoy being wrong with that

Wish it wasn’t made in China,
 
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oregon coast
Do March scopes have any reputation one way or the other? I do plan on getting another scope early summer, and I am stuck between the March 1.5-15x or the NXS 2.5-10… if we don’t see a March tested before that I will probably go that route and have it shipped directly to Ryan or Form to test before I mess with it, just because it’s an interesting option… don’t hear much about them (at least I haven’t)

If they worked, they look like a pretty good option, one downside being the ones I’m interested in are SFP
 

Formidilosus

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Shoot2HuntU
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Do March scopes have any reputation one way or the other? I do plan on getting another scope early summer, and I am stuck between the March 1.5-15x or the NXS 2.5-10… if we don’t see a March tested before that I will probably go that route and have it shipped directly to Ryan or Form to test before I mess with it, just because it’s an interesting option… don’t hear much about them (at least I haven’t)

If they worked, they look like a pretty good option, one downside being the ones I’m interested in are SFP

They have “reputation”, but like a couple other scopes I haven’t seen any used in what I would consider “hard” environments. They may be as awesome as every one says…. Or they may just not have been used hard.
 
Joined
Jan 5, 2022
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745
Re the China athlon…. Not worth it. I can drop mine that’s sitting on my 17hmr but I can already tell you how it’s going to go.

Never again athlon. It’s not worth the ammo
Thanks for sharing your Athlon experiences.
 
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