For whatever reason the TAC seems to have superior glass to me than the Ares, must be a slightly different glass prescription between them???!!! I've owned 5 Ares (three G1 and two G2) and a couple TAC's but have been behind 5 of them, and did side by sides. My friends like the TAC's more.
I like the .2 mil reticle in the Ares the most though which was the main reason I bought them and these have illume.
Best all around unsurpassed Chinese was the ETR but it's a more expensive scope as well as a heavier 34mm tube.
The new Cronus G2 is totally amazing for the money! I've already acquired two and hope to buy more as needed and as $ allows. These are going to be my go-to scopes if I can finagle it, just too nice to pass on for 20Y and farther.
Might have to try the new ETR 3-18 though which could sway me, we'll see???? They made the mil version reticle at .05 mil thick which IMO should have been .06 or .07 mil thick so I'm interested how it will look on 3-4x.
Which Athlon had the more pronounced yellow glass based on your eyes? The Midas TAC or the 30mm Ares or the 34mm Ares?
The 3-18x should naturally be clearer since it only maxes out at 18x. The glass looks very similar to the Bushnell Forge and my 3-18x is nicer than my 4.5-27x Forge. Not that they are nice because my cheaper Engage nor Nitro scopes don't have the yellowed glass the Forge does.
I don't see any yellowing, and none of my friends have said that about these either, so I don't know what to tell yuh. This is the TAC 6-24 sidebyside with the Ares 4.5-27.
All I know how to describe what we see in the TAC's is - superior IQ, or maybe even less grainy, or in other words I mean a more pleasing sight picture through the scope.
I've only looked through the 34mm TAC 5-25 in the ShotShow so I wouldn't be able to comment on this model without a sidebyside outdoors. I'm not buying one until they come out with the APRS6 reticle, nor any of the other TAC's. Cronus G2 it is for me.
Normally, and what we always do when we compare, is pick a magnification that both scopes have, 15x is a good place to compare 3-18's and 6-24's. Basically trying to get the exit pupil close to the same for the scopes being compared.
A good example is my March 5-42x56, on 15x it's brilliant and beautiful, though my S&B 5-25x56 is very nice except it doesn't have the POP that the March does at 15x. When on 25x the March has a very slight edge in resolution but it's hard to tell, and actually the IQ seems warmer in the S&B at 25X. I like a warmer IQ so I'll give the S&B the nod on 25x but without a doubt the March on 15x, well 20x too.
I recommend the TAC 6-24 often because it does most EVERYTHING well, except I prefer the .2 mil reticles, and want illume occasionally, but most people won't need or care about those things.