Hello to you, I watched hundreds of videos and your information is clear, more precision. With you I learned more because you show the crosshairs in action, wow. Thanks for taking the time to put together this video. I subscribe, YES. View of Quebec (now in Florida).
Hey Mike I really appreciate it man! Lot of information and very helpful. The helos was never really on my radar because of the price I figured the glass quality had to be crap. I think it’s probably going to make it’s way onto one of my rifles now at some point. Glass quality is definitely one of my top priority’s. I only have access to a 600 yard range so a little less internal adjustment is usually one of the last things on my priority list. I really like “similar priced” comparisons. I’m curious now your opinion on how the helos stacks up to the arkin EP4. Again thank you I know it’s hot as hell out. It is where we are in central SC anyway. Thanks for the shout out too. Made my day!
hey... no problem buddy! I am glad I could help. The video of the Helos did not do it justice!! I had to use my big camera to video through the Helos. The 2 Athlons looked VERY close with the edge going to the Aries. The EP4 and the Helos are very close. I like the reticle thinness better in the Arken but I like more things about the Athlon Helos. I would pick the Helos for an all a rounder. The EP4 will be VERY hard to find and I think the EP5 will be out soon!! Thats the one that I can not wait to see!! Thanks for watching bud!!
Looking for a “thicker” reticle for close up hunting. Is the helos thick enough for shots at lower magnification? Does the illumination make it more visible in the woods?
Just what I was looking for. One Athlon compared to another Athlon. I think I have become and Athlon fan. I would have liked to see usage on centerfire like 308, 7mmMag or 300 WM. I suspect a Helos will find a home on a Savage 300WM soon. Thumbs and a sub! Thanks!
You know Mike….. I along with others are looking for this kind of content but it really gets to me when people screw up a mix up the specs. Don’t just think you know them, write them down so you do know them and don’t mix them up.
The Midas and Aries are better at gathering light. Both of those scopes are good in low light. I have more experience with the Aries in low light than the Midas as the Aries has elumination. . Thanks for watching..
Have you had a chance to look at the Ares ETR UHD (4.5-30x56)? I'm looking at putting it on a Bergara Premier in 300 PRC and stretching the legs (>1,000 yards). At what range will I start to get disillusioned with this Ares?
yes you could.. My camera mount would not fit the eye piece as the Helos is bigger than the other scopes shown, I ended up using a different camera and it did not do the scope justice. The Helos was the best overall scope. The BTR had a slight edge in the glass department.
The SH4 Gen2 is a great scope but the Helos is better. We run both in our competitions and the Helos is an upgrade. The glass coatings are better... Tracking is a draw. Both scope will work well out to 1k, until you compare clarity. then the Helos wins hands down. $479 Arken 6-24 SH4 Gen2 $600 Helos BTR 6-24 Gen2 If price is not an option go with the Athlon. Better customer service !!!! Thanks for watching
Arken just released their new SH4J 6-24x50 that has Japanese glass for $299.99 and I'd sure like to see how clear this new one is. The SH4 Gen 2 6-24x50 with the Chinese glass is now $255 and $225 for the 4-16x50 SH4 Gen 2.
Appreciate the review, especially the glass quality samples, but it's tough when the video doesn't support the statements you're making. The Helos really doesn't look very good at 24x due to the vignetting and fisheye distortion at the edges. The distortion seemed to get worse when the scope was out of focus which would make it difficult to read mirage with the Helos. It would also be helpful to know how well the scope tracks. What good are the 100 mils of elevation if it isn't accurate? Sure, a person can work around that as long as it is consistently inaccurate, but not everyone wants to deal with that.
Thanks for watching.. As I have stated in my past videos. Making a video through a scope really does not do it justice. Its VERY camera dependent. As I stated in the video, (the normal camera that I us to capture video with would not work on this scope).... The eye piece is much bigger than the other two in the video. The Helos tracks and functions as to the 98% that its tested at. We have used these scopes in several disciplines and in hard field use. As all of my customers can attest, I lay it out in plain and simple terms as far as what scope is better. Now redial and looks if an item is based on opinion. This among other thing again is based on opinion. Some people like Japanese glass over German glass because of certain eye condition personal to the individual. I test these scopes and I hunt, compete and make videos of these scopes for people that would not have an opportunity to do this for them selves. My channel is NOT funded in any manor, I sell scopes as a hobby and offer my opinion to those who would like to listen. Don't judge a scope based on a cameras short comings. Judge based on what I have stated because what I see is what I say!! I am not sure if you have noticed how youtube is a platform for selling goods.. I don't carry certain brands of scopes berceuse I put them head to head. The manufacturer of some of those items will not approve of me being a dealer for them. The brands I carry thus far are the brands that want to be test and abused. They are in it to win it and they are not just trying to sell a name. Sorry to ramble on.. Have a good one.
@@pantherhollow5290 Thanks for the reply, and I know exactly what you are talking about in regard to selling goods. That's what makes it particularly hard about scope reviews and why I try to put more weight in the measurables and the evidence I see in the videos, because I know some channels have agendas and as a viewer it's not always easy to decipher who has an agenda and who doesn't. I currently own an Athlon Midas Tac 6-24x50 that I am fairly happy with. I know the Midas Tac has HD glass while the Helos doesn't, and I also know vignetting, distortion, and chromatic abberation will really irritate me. I can tolerate it to a minor extent on a budget scope, but some of these budget scopes show heavy distortion and CA in the video samples. The Helos certainly looks good on paper. How would you say the Helos compares to the Arken SH4 6-24x50? If I'm not mistaken, I believe you reviewed one of those.
@@pantherhollow5290 I saw what 5 napper noticed, but I trust you, I thought it was a camera issue. I m ready to purchase the Midas because of the reticle. thank you helping guys like me who can't test or touch the scopes. I have spent hundreds of hours researching, you have earn my trust!!!!!!!!
I’m biased to the Titan’s elevation, turrets, warranty, weight in this category 😃 - but then again, I don’t expect it to be a miracle worker 😁😁 nice video Mike 😃
Thanks buddy... It is a hard choice when the market is so full of good long range options and well priced scopes for the money spent!! The Titan is tough as nails and needs no help being a TANK. Athlon is smashing the 34mm market with the new Helos and it makes buying even harder when looking in a given price range. The sub $1000 and even the $500 price points are easy to fill if you know what you want. I hope this helps some people on the fence like KB86. Thanks for watching!!
The Trijicons are better. The Ares BTR has HD glass while the ETR has ED glass. The cheaper BTR HD glass is very good even at full magnification and should be good enough for most shooters. It's clearer than the Arken EP5 as a reference.
I'd suggest trying out the new Arken SH4J 6-24x50 with Japanese glass for $299.99 or Sightmark Presidio 5-30x56 for $314.99 or $269.99 for their 3-18x50.
I believe the Athlon Midas Tac is the perfect blend of those 2 Athlon scopes. It depends exactly what's important to you, but I got the Midas Tac on sale for $525 with the APLR 4 reticle which I've seen for $800, and its perfect for me. Same glass, it but only has 85MOA and a 30mm tube, where the Helos has 100MOA in a 34mm tube and illuminated reticle. The turrets sound the same but set up is a little nicer on the Helos (2 revolutions of #'s, windage turret isn't capped, etc) The Midas is much better scope than the Titan for roughly $200 less. I personally think Athlon crushes Element at every price point. Cronus is hands down better than the Nexus. And Aries, Helos and Midas are all better than the Titan.
Element scopes aren't that good especially for the prices they sell for compared to other scope brands. For example the Athlon Midas Tac 6-24x50 is the better scope in every possible way for a lot cheaper.
@@commonsense5709 I totally agree. I love the Midas Tac and I found the Nexus overwhelming. The Cronus is a MUCH better scope for the same price. Maybe the Element Theos will be on the level of the Cronus, but it costs $1,000 more. For the price I would get the Zeiss S3 or the Sightron VIII
Hey sir new to your channel, love the testing I'm seeing, very well thought out. So for hunting, aging eyes, love of mill dot, low light, 7mm rem mag, 800 - 1000 dollar range, what do you recommend as best overall scope. Stay safe and God bless
man, there are ALOT of good scopes in that price range. I would go with an upper end Maven or Athlon second focal plane scope. Like a 2-14 or higher, the Maven RS scopes are hard to beat!!! I have had very good luck with mine. these would be my top 2 pics for a hunting scope. If you call Maven tell Molly that Panther Hollow sent you... Thanks for watching!!
The reason that I am watching this video is that I own an Elements Optics scope and l am very disappointed with it. I listened to all the hype around Elements scope from guys who l later found out were connected with the company and its sister companies. I live in Northern Ireland (UK) and was looking at an Anthon scope as a replacement. The one thing that always worries me is the words 'made in China'. It is always a gamble with Chinese products because of quality control.
It's all about making money, it's business based on shills and hype and cult following. Offering inferior quality products at overinflated prices surely makes a lot of profits. Look at the Nexus at $1500 that's ridiculously expensive for a 5-20x scope compared to the other brands made in Japan offering better scopes that are actually worth what you pay.
You should look at how terrible the image quality is on the youtube hunting videos for FX airguns the Helix is the absolute worst. The ridiculously expensive Element Nexus showed a lot of purple fringing too.
@@pantherhollow5290 Are you saying that the newer Element Titans use cheaper / inferior glass compared to the original older Gen 1 Titans? My friend bought a Titan about a year or 2 ago and the glass was crap. At 22x magnification it wasn't clear.
Tract Toric 4-20x50 is going to be on sale this Black Friday weekend for $994.00. It's normally priced at $1294.00 and made in Japan with German Schott ELD glass. If you prefer Chinese made scopes and can justify spending close to $1000 for scopes (made in China) instead then the Athlon Ares ETR 4.5-30x56 is now on Black Friday sale at Cameraland in NY for $899-$999. The Ares ETR 3-18x is on sale for $799. These Athlon Ares ETRs are hands down the best Chinese made scopes that money can buy. If you prefer lighter weight FFP Chinese made scopes with almost as nice glass as the ETRs then the Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 are also on Black Friday sale for just under $700 and the 2.5-15x50 model is on sale in the mid $600 price range. You won't normally find these scopes selling for this cheap. Assuming you hunt varmints such as prairie dogs at long distances. These are mostly target scopes that are on the heavy side with cluttered reticles for wind and drop compensation except perhaps the 2.5-15x50 Athlon Ares BTR. The Meopta Optika6 3-18x56 might be a better choice with the illuminated Mrad1 reticle that could be useful for hunting at 3x. Sportoptics usually has a 16% off European optics special and maybe cheaper for Black Friday but I haven't checked. C_DOES did a RU-vid review on the 3-18x50 model with the Mrad1 reticle but the 56mm would be better for hunting.
@@commonsense5709 oh man, THANKS a mil, think I'll go with the Tract Toric 4-20x50, hopefully they make it in MOA, I'm boycotting all china made products, so that makes it more complicated of course, I've been considering the brand new Arken EPL4 4-16x44 FFP MOA as it has Japanese glass but its made in china I think, an its also only $380, also looking at the Riton 5 CONQUER 5-25×50 MOA for $970, really diggin' that Reticle, but I'm going to check out the reviews on that Tract Toric 4-20x50, do you think that tract can handle the recoil of a 338 RCM and a 7mm Remington magnum? I'm a big game hunter for the most part
I'd stay away from the Japan made Ritons due to reported QC issues and the competition shooters had Japanese Riton scopes that failed on numerous occasions. I'd chance the cheaper Chinese Ritons for truck guns and 22 plinkers though especially when they keep popping up for 50% off and more. A buddy bought one of the Riton x3 6-24x50 he found on sale for under $125. The Tract Toric would be your best bet and you can call them at least they answer the phone. It's a no brainer especially for the sale at under $1000 you would need to spend a lot more money in order to get a nicer scope than this Tract Toric. Don't miss out on this Black Friday sale. Buy it on Friday.
Arkens are all made in China and are entry level scopes for budget minded people who aren't looking or expecting to be buying the best quality scopes and don't mind their very poor finish quality, they are priced really cheap for a reason. They have QC issues and they are ok as long as you don't get a defective one. If you don't want Chinese made scopes then aside from the Tract Toric during this Black Friday sale, the Meopta Optika6 is the only other scope worth buying that meets a FFP with illuminated reticle (NOT made in China) scope for $900 and under. The "Mrad1" (NOT the Mrad) reticle is their unique benefit so you can easily see the center of the reticle at its lowest magnification to quickly acquire your target when hunting.
The only Chinese made scope in FFP with illumination (and a zero stop) that I can recommend (if you are forced to buy Chinese) is the Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 (on Black Friday sale for right under $700). I already had my fair share of mediocre to poor quality Chinese made scopes from a lot of different brands that I can honestly say aren't worth buying.
