Question about LPVO for CMP matches

[lrrifleman]

Greetings!

I am tempted to modify my AR Service Rifle to accommodate an optic for CMP National Trophy Individual matches, I want to earn my Distinguished badge. Under CMP rules, scopes can not exceed 4.5X. One of the few scopes that falls into this bracket is the Athlon Helos.

Athlon is not a brand that I am familiar with. Can anyone share their experiences with the Athlon scopes?

As always, thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Eric300]

You might want to look at the TriGlo Omnia 1-4x24, SSF, 30mm Tube. Very decent LPVO for around $300.00. Mount, Scope Covers and Throw Lever included. I personally think it's a better scope all the way around than the Vortex or Athlon LPVOs in that variable range. Plus, I like the reticle for faster CQB target acquisition at 1x.

(I swapped out the included mount with a QD mount)

(Illuminated BDC reticle)

*EDIT*
Also Primary Arms makes very good LPVO optics (and other optics). I have a Primary Arms SLx 1-8x24 FFP Scope with Illuminated ACSS Raptor Reticle - 5.56 on an ADM Recon QD mount one of my other ARs. Again, a very decent LPVO for around $400.00. But I'm not sure if they make one in 1-4x.

Primary Arms SLx 1-6x24 FFP Rifle Scope - Illuminated ACSS Raptor Reticle - 5.56 / .308

 

[Goblin]

I have no experience with Athlon, but in case you haven’t seen it, Leupold makes a 1-4.5x specifically for service rifle with a circle-dot reticle. It looks awesome, but has a hefty price. Compared to the cost of other gear, it may not scare you off.

 

[Rodan]

I have several Athlon optics, but all are either the Ares or Cronus range. The Athlon optics I have, which include a 1-10x LPVO, are excellent, but the Helos is a lower price range and I don't have any direct experience with them.

Most LPVOs have moved to 1-6x or 1-8x, so your choices might be limited at 1-4x.

 

[murphydog]

Low Power Variable Optic, for those who don't want to do an Internet search like me.

 

[Waldo]

Low Power Variable Optic, for those who don't want to do an Internet search like me.

I signed in just to like this post. I think that whenever you start using acronyms or initials the first person that uses them should explain them. I had to read down to murphydog's post to find out what was being discussed.

 

[rockquarry]

Low Power Variable Optic, for those who don't want to do an Internet search like me.

Thank you ; unknown acronym to me, too.

 

[Krogen]

If you haven't already been there, Sightron makes a nice service rifle scope. I have one on my M1A. Sight alignment isn't a problem despite the 4.5x power limitation. My problem is there's a loose nut holding the stock.

S-TAC 1-4.5X24 SR1 SERVICE RIFLE SCOPE
– Sightron

 

[zwartepiet]

Hey Rifleman,

CMP competitions are fantastic, and earning your distinguished badge is a worthy goal and one you’ll enjoy immensely!

I started service rifle competition with irons and continued until 2016. The first optic I ran was the Leupold Mark AR tuned up by White Oak Precision. I had a hard time with the switch, especially in my rapids. Chatting with other shooters and looking through their scopes, I decided to give the Athalon a try as I did like the idea of the center dot with a circle that would frame the aiming black. I ran the the Athalon for ~ 2-1/2 seasons. For the money, it’s a decent scope, but I just didn’t trust it for repeatability. I went back to my original Leupold.

A lot of service rifle competitors are using the Athalon still. Another in that price range that looks decent is the Sightron S-TAC 1-4.5x24 SR1.

There are other options from Leupold, Hi-Lux, March and others that you could spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on.

If you can try someone’s scope at a local match I’d recommend it. It’s a great group to be a part of and without question they’ll help you.

Good luck and good shooting!

 

[retnavyshooter]

I have not competed in Service Rifle Competition in many decades and was surprised to see the winner of the Presidents One Hundred Match using a scoped rifle. I Distinguished in 1970 using a Navy match grade M-1 in 7.62

No optics then!~

Mick

 

[.38SuperMan]

I have one of the lower price Athlon scopes. I think it’s a 4-12x but would need to look at it. I also have the comparable scope in a Vortex Crossfire II and there’s night and day difference in the two. I spent 55 years as a commercial photographer using high end optics, Zeiss, Leica, Nikon etc and im pretty picky about optics.

I’ll just say im not impressed with the entry level Athlon. The optics are clear and contrast is fine but it suffers badly from chromatic aberrations, color fringing especially on the higher magnification end. Resolution is good and I’d say other than the color fringing it’s an OK scope but the Vortex is hands down better. My Vortex is contrasty, sharp and has no color aberrations / fringing at any power and distance. It’s a much better scope and outstanding value at an entry level price.

I would expect low power scopes to be better but I’m not sure if I’d buy another Athlon. Vortex, no question they’re good scopes and I’d buy another without question.

Im not a serious rifle guy so I can live with the Athlon but if I were serious I’d look at the Vortex at a minimum and Leupold or better. When you get above a certain price scope the return isn’t particularly proportionate to the price. High end optics have optical properties that may not be an advantage and obvious to the user.

Another consideration is mechanical construction. Will it take the recoil for years and is it Argon filled or nitrogen or just dry air. How well are the optics sealed. And then if you compare a $3000 dollar scope side by side to a $600 dollar one will you be able to see the difference?

 

[rockquarry]

I have the Leupold scope shown in post #9; bought it about eight years and attached it to a Colt AR. Excellent scope though mine is straight-out-of-the box unmodified. Duplex reticle is simple and more than adequate for all purposes a scope would be used for. Plenty of magnification to at least two hundred yards (as far as I've used it). Keep things simple and use good quality equipment.

 

[Rodan]

I’ll just say im not impressed with the entry level Athlon. The optics are clear and contrast is fine but it suffers badly from chromatic aberrations, color fringing especially on the higher magnification end. Resolution is good and I’d say other than the color fringing it’s an OK scope but the Vortex is hands down better. My Vortex is contrasty, sharp and has no color aberrations / fringing at any power and distance. It’s a much better scope and outstanding value at an entry level price.

Many optics makers now have several levels of price/quality, Vortex and Athlon included. The lower price levels are going to have Chinese glass, the mid-level maybe Phillipine, and the higher levels Japanese glass. Mechanical parts can vary, as can the location of assembly and the quality control requirements for the price point. I'd take my Ares and Cronos Athlons over any Vortex at an equivalent price point. That said, one of the best LPVOs I've ever looked through is the Vortex Razor GenII 1-6x. It's very, very good.

Before I retired, I was one of the leads on T&E for a 'designated marksman' type patrol rifle, a .308 AR with LPVO. We looked at a lot of optics. The higher end Athlons and Primary Arms were surprisingly good. The lower end Nightforce and Gen III Razor (at a higher price point) were disappointing...

My point is that the name on the tube doesn't mean nearly as much as it used to, but you still get what you pay for, mostly.

 

[murphydog]

I have not competed in Service Rifle Competition in many decades and was surprised to see the winner of the Presidents One Hundred Match using a scoped rifle. I Distinguished in 1970 using a Navy match grade M-1 in 7.62

No optics then!~

Mick

My guess that optic use in matches reflects the fact that all US military service rifles have them now.

 

[sinister]

I went Distinguished with irons on an M16A2.

That said, my son started at 17 with an A2 and transitioned to a Vortex 1 - 4.5X with half-minute clicks. He was soon able to shoot inside of half-minute fine-tuning and I sprung to buy him a March.

The March has fantastic quarter-minute adjustment, but most importantly has parallax adjustment for 600 yards. Recently his primary gun had barrel problems so he switched to his back-up rifle which has a White Oak Armament Distinguished scope that John Holliger sells for around $800. That scope helped my son earn 2nd Silver in the National Trophy Individual match three weeks ago at Camp Perry, getting him over the hump to earn his US Army Distinguished Rifleman's Badge.

The White Oak is less than half what the March cost, so you can outfit a primary and back-up for the cost of a single March.