I decided my P35-22 shoots so well it deserved a better optic than the ~$200 ones I have been using. I used to use an Athlon Talos 6-24 on it but moved that to the P35-177 and kind of want to leave it there. I put a Primary Arms classic 4-16 on it and it worked fine except for target work. I can see targets at 30-35 yards (the limit in my yard) but I cannot see the 10 ring on the 30 yard challenge target well. So I started thinking about something better for the 22. I posted a thread about seeing 22 caliber holes at 100 yards and got a lot of feedback that basically indicated scopes less than ~$1000 with the exception of a target fixed power scope were iffy for this. So I looked for something a little better than my others but no more than $500. The Arken at $330 seemed to stand out for value.
I ordered one and got it Friday. I immediately mounted it and started shooting with it, Positive attributes include:
1) Windage and elevation adjustments are very definite and dependable. Clicks are audible and can be felt. The point of aim (POA) changes just like it should. Seems to be every time. That is not true for my other scopes. They move but the clicks are not as clear and they seem to delay movement and then jump sometimes which can be frustrating.
2) Everything included seems to be high quality. The scope seems that way, the sunshade is, and even the lens cover, while not the type I prefer, is good quality. It did not come with rings which is fine by me but I would have liked to get flip up covers (the type I prefer).
3) The glass is clear. Not noticably better than my Athlon Talos 6-24 but noticably better than my Vector Sentinel 8-32. The Arken and Athlon at 24X allow pellet placement as well as does the Vector Sentinel at 32 power in my opinion.
4) The reticle is nicely marked and pretty easy to use when you are at 10X or greater.
5) Illumination has off positions between each on position
6) It is reasonably light weight
7) Easy to reset zero and has a positive zero stop for elevation. The windage is like my other scopes, you remove a screw, rotate the dial, and push it back on and replace the screw. There are teeth so you can't always perfectly zero it perfectly. The elevation is different. There are three grub screws on the elevation turret which you back off to rotate the dial and then retighten the grub screws. That permits a more precise zero. There is also a zero stop which I haven't used so far. To use it you must loosen a grub screw, then rotate a screw that goes down from the top of the knob, until it touches a surface inside the knob then retighten the grub screw. Then you cannot turn the elevation below the stop.
Things I don't love include:
1) The scope is pretty much unusable at 6X and even 8X. The reticle is nicely fine when shooting targets at 24X but it disappears when you turn the power down. Turning the illumination helps but the reticle is still pretty much invisible at 6X, might be visible at 8X in sunlight. That is with the illumination at the highest setting. I thought this might be true when I purchased it because it is FFP. But my Primary Arms 4-14 has a reticle fully visible throughout the magnification range (it is also FFP).
2) The parallax will not focus at 10 yards as specified. It might be due to where I set the diopter. I wear prescription glasses while shooting (that have safety lenses) and that may affect this. My Vector won't go to 10 yards either but my Athlon will. My Arken focuses fine at 15 yards and probably will at less than that, maybe even at 11 yards, I haven't tested that yet.
3) The markings of the knobs for elevation and windage are unusual and a little confusing to me. I am used to an arrow on the top of the knob showing you which direction to turn the knob. These knobs do not have that. They have little arrows next to the zero mark which should provide the same information but is confusing me. I also cannot see it if the knob is not close to the zero point. What I have resorted to doing is just watching through the scope as I turn the knob. That works, at least while shooting from the bench.
Overall, my view is this is a fine optic but better suited for target work than for hunting/pesting. I have trouble finding moving targets at more than 6X. It is the least expensive optic I have used that adjusts POA this well.
I ordered one and got it Friday. I immediately mounted it and started shooting with it, Positive attributes include:
1) Windage and elevation adjustments are very definite and dependable. Clicks are audible and can be felt. The point of aim (POA) changes just like it should. Seems to be every time. That is not true for my other scopes. They move but the clicks are not as clear and they seem to delay movement and then jump sometimes which can be frustrating.
2) Everything included seems to be high quality. The scope seems that way, the sunshade is, and even the lens cover, while not the type I prefer, is good quality. It did not come with rings which is fine by me but I would have liked to get flip up covers (the type I prefer).
3) The glass is clear. Not noticably better than my Athlon Talos 6-24 but noticably better than my Vector Sentinel 8-32. The Arken and Athlon at 24X allow pellet placement as well as does the Vector Sentinel at 32 power in my opinion.
4) The reticle is nicely marked and pretty easy to use when you are at 10X or greater.
5) Illumination has off positions between each on position
6) It is reasonably light weight
7) Easy to reset zero and has a positive zero stop for elevation. The windage is like my other scopes, you remove a screw, rotate the dial, and push it back on and replace the screw. There are teeth so you can't always perfectly zero it perfectly. The elevation is different. There are three grub screws on the elevation turret which you back off to rotate the dial and then retighten the grub screws. That permits a more precise zero. There is also a zero stop which I haven't used so far. To use it you must loosen a grub screw, then rotate a screw that goes down from the top of the knob, until it touches a surface inside the knob then retighten the grub screw. Then you cannot turn the elevation below the stop.
Things I don't love include:
1) The scope is pretty much unusable at 6X and even 8X. The reticle is nicely fine when shooting targets at 24X but it disappears when you turn the power down. Turning the illumination helps but the reticle is still pretty much invisible at 6X, might be visible at 8X in sunlight. That is with the illumination at the highest setting. I thought this might be true when I purchased it because it is FFP. But my Primary Arms 4-14 has a reticle fully visible throughout the magnification range (it is also FFP).
2) The parallax will not focus at 10 yards as specified. It might be due to where I set the diopter. I wear prescription glasses while shooting (that have safety lenses) and that may affect this. My Vector won't go to 10 yards either but my Athlon will. My Arken focuses fine at 15 yards and probably will at less than that, maybe even at 11 yards, I haven't tested that yet.
3) The markings of the knobs for elevation and windage are unusual and a little confusing to me. I am used to an arrow on the top of the knob showing you which direction to turn the knob. These knobs do not have that. They have little arrows next to the zero mark which should provide the same information but is confusing me. I also cannot see it if the knob is not close to the zero point. What I have resorted to doing is just watching through the scope as I turn the knob. That works, at least while shooting from the bench.
Overall, my view is this is a fine optic but better suited for target work than for hunting/pesting. I have trouble finding moving targets at more than 6X. It is the least expensive optic I have used that adjusts POA this well.
