Holy Grail of Airgun Scopes

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chuck -- parallax does start at 15 yards for the 8-34x56 model -- here is specs from optics planet ----------------------------- 0.1MILAdjustment range per rotation:5MILTotal Elevation Adjustment:12MILTotal Windage Adjustment:12MILTurret Style:ExposedParallax Adjustment:Side Focus – 15 yards to infinityPurging Material:ArgonLength:15.5 inchesWeight:31.5 ouncesUser Instruction Manual:DownloadReticle Manual:DownloadFeatures of Argos BTR 8-34x56 Side Focus Riflescope
 
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Hi fenderguy, I apologize for any confusion regarding the minimum focal range of the Athlon FFP scopes. I was correct when I told you that the 6-24x50 focuses from 10 yards to infinity, but you are also correct when you say the 8-34x56  focuses from 15 yards to infinity. I am very happy to hear that you are actually going to try one out for yourself. I am sure you will not be disappointed. I am including the links to the Athlon FFP scopes in case any one else would like to chuck them out.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1094688221990/athlon-argos-btr-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-8-34x-56mm-first-focal-side-focus-illuminated-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1094688304877/athlon-argos-btr-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-6-24x-50mm-first-focal-side-focus-illuminated-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1094688877485/athlon-argos-btr-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-1-4x-24mm-first-focal-illuminated-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/494577/athlon-optics-talos-btr-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-4-14x-44mm-1-10-mil-first-focal-side-focus-illuminated-aplr2-mil-reticle-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1094688342336/athlon-cronus-rifle-scope-34mm-tube-45-29x-56mm-first-focal-zero-stop-side-focus-illuminated-matte
 
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chuck - I am basing my 8-34 purchase on your friends selection for using it for field target , being that at he owns a way killer rifle [ ftp900 ] , I would think he knows what he is doing in field target comp and knows he needs a 10 yard focus minimum -- I know it is listed as 15 yards , but I assume it might be focus at 10 yds at 12 power ??? I also read somewhere in this forum where a guy has the 6-24 and he focus down to 5 yds -- so I am taking a chance on the 8-34 going down to 10 yds ---- if not I would need to return it a swap for the 6-24 -- any chance you could ask your friend with the 8-34 if in fact he can get it to focus at 10 yds ? it would be so much easier rather than do the return procedure process -- o/planet is waiting on my paypal payment for the 8-34 -- your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated - thank you - mark
 
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Hi Mark, I tried to call my friend Otis to present your question to him but he is at work and can't answer now. Maybe it will help you make your decision when I say this...last year I spent many, many long hours helping him set up his former FT Comp. scope - moving targets for him while he went through the laborious process of marking his oversize sidewheel and oversize elevation turret dial with various ranges. (purchased from Rowan Engineering.com fyi). This is a long, drawn out, painstaking process...and for him to take that scope off his AirArms comp. rifle, remove the side wheel and put it on his new Athlon scope, then mount the scope on his AirArms FTP 900, and go through that whole laborious process over again should tell you how impressed he is with his new Athlon 8-34x56 FFP scope.

Otis sent me a picture Monday evening of his new Athlon mounted on his AirArms comp. rifle so I could see how it looks...if you would like me to send you the picture to look at just PM me your email address or phone number and I will send you the picture. I know he is required to shoot targets at 10 yards in his competitions, so I have to assume his 8-34x56 FFP Athlon focuses down that far adequately or he would not have bothered even mounting it.

Best regards, Chuck

P.S. I am the guy with the Athlon 6-24x50 FFP that started this topic to begin with, and I am also the person you refer to that said my scope focuses down to 5 yards at 10x perfectly, and it is because my friend Otis was so impressed with my new scope that he went ahead and ordered one for himself in 8-34x56. He is very happy and I believe you will be happy also...if not, return it and get your money back. Simple as that!
 
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chuck - thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me - I really appreciate that -- as far as ordering the scope , yes ,I would like to own one -- it is just a matter of clicking a payment to o/planet and it's done . however if the scope doesn't focus down to 10 yards , then I have to deal with the return policy , reshipping back , waiting for o/planets to examine the returned scope , and then waiting for the replacement scope -- , not to mention the paypal / credit card--- I have till tomorrow to order , so if it I am not making myself too much of a pest , I would wait until you could get in touch with Otis to verify the 10 yards -- it would just save me a lot of red tape and time and for that I would be eternally grateful --- thank you much again -- mark
 
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Okay Mark, I just got off the phone with my friend Otis and he answered your question this way...he said to tell you that his new Athlon 8-34x56 FFP scope only focuses crystal clear down to 15 yards. But that with the scope on 8x power a ten yard target is just on the edge of being slightly blurry and out of focus...but that it is clear enough for him to make the shot accurately! He also said to tell you that with this scope 10&11 yard targets are the same shot, 12&13 yard targets are the same shot, and 14&15 yard targets are the same shot for him...and that even though these three shots are not in perfect focus he can make them with this scope & that he can hit a pin head at 10+yards no problem.

He also gave me a few tips to share with you...He sets his scope zero to 25 yards, and then begins the process of marking out the yardages on his sidewheel and elevation turret dial backwards down to 10 yards, and then once he has all those numbers set he marks out everything from 25 yards out to 55 yards. He also says to tell you he got the scope with the IR Mil Dot reticle...and that he shoots the Air Arms 8.44 grain 4.52 head size pellets exclusively. (says JSB are ok but not as consistent). Otis swears he is love with his new Athlon and that he will never go back to a second focal plane scope or one that doesn't have an illuminated reticle either...and that he is going to cover up all of the identifying marks on his scope so the other guys he shoots against won't know what he is using.

Mark if you want to see the most extreme example of a top end Field Target scope go to Airguns of Arizona and look at the Schmidt & Bender 12.5-50x56mm FT scope with an Illuminated Reticle in the First Focal Plane. Priced at a low, low special price of just $3449.00! Good luck Mark.

P.S. I believe the Schmidt & Bender truly holds the title of "Thee Holy Grail of Airgun Scopes"! :)
 
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There are some interesting scopes listed here. My holy grail would be a March scope. These scopes have a range of 10 multiples. 2.5-25x, and many others. They parallax focus to 10 yards, you can get 2nd or 1st FFP (not sure why anyone shooting less than 200 yards needs an FFP), illuminated and non-illuminated, tactical adjustment and hunting style adjustment caps, have great Japanese glass, and you can get sunshades. Go to opticsplanet.com, and with a discount they are still very very pricey. The weight for the 2.5-25x42mm is 21.5 ounces, and has 100MOA adjustment.The 5-50x is 29.3 ounces. They also offer a range of reticles. The prices range from just under $2,000 and up. Opticsplanet offers discounts around 10% often.
 
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HERE IS A POINT OF PERSPECTIVE -- I am sure the march and the Schmidt and bender are really very very good / make that excellent + . they certainly have the reputation , and the price point --- my perspective is HOW MUCH BETTER ??? $500 better ? $1000 better ?? $1500 better ??? - well I certainly do not know as I have not had the opportunity to A / B test with the march or the S&B - however , I did have a very enlightening experience in A / B testing a super high end binocular vs an excellent binocular made for we mere mortals -- the binos in question was a swarovski 8.5x42 [ $2900 ] and a bushnell H2O 8x42 [ $110 ] .- david vs GOLIATH at the local bass pro shop .. it was 15 minutes before closing time and I happened to be at the optics display when I noticed the bushnell [ I have a set of the H2O binos and know they are EXCELLENT ] with the SWAROVSKI in the same display case , with the bass pro salesman getting ready to close up -- so here was a chance to peer thru $2900 binos [ over 3K with the sales tax ] and compare to $110 binos that I own -- the sales guy was more than happy to set both binos on the countertop for me to check out -- first up SWAROVSKI 8.5x42 - looked around the store / very nice -- focused in on a 10 point whitetail deer some 60 yards away [ BASS PRO IS A HUGE STORE ] I could just about count the whiskers on the deers nose - very nice / clear /bright -- BUSHNELL H2O 8X42 , focused on the same deer and lo and behold , I could just about count the whiskers again --- swapped for the SWARAVSKI and back to the BUSHNELL -- I SWAPPED BACK AND FORTH 5 TIMES , AND ALTHOUGH THE BUSHNELLS GAVE AWAY .5 MAGNIFICATION TO THE SWAROVSKI , THE IMAGE CLARITY / QUALITY OF VIEW WAS VIRTUALLY THE SAME -- if I had to split hairs , I would say that the SWAROVSKI was a bit brighter than the BUSHNELL , but they were so close I would call it insignificant / non issue -- now some of this is contingent on the individuals eyes [ as our vision will differ from person to person ] but this A / B test was definitely EYE OPENING [ pun intended !!! ] seriously , in this particular case , if I was contemplating buying the one SWAROVSKI , I would just assume I would be better served to buy 27 BUSHNELL H2O , keep one and give 26 away as gifts -- I know I will possibly get some grief from some ardent SWAROVSKI fans , BUT I KNOW WHAT I SAW -- mark

 
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"fenderguy"HERE IS A POINT OF PERSPECTIVE -- I am sure the march and the Schmidt and bender are really very very good / make that excellent + . they certainly have the reputation , and the price point --- my perspective is HOW MUCH BETTER ??? $500 better ? $1000 better ?? $1500 better ???

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It takes individual first hand experience to place a monetary value on these high-end scopes. Some "see" the value while others can't justify it. Glass can only be measured to a certain point but there are other tangible and intangible aspects of a high-end scope that some people use to justify the purchase. It's like fine watches. A several hundred dollar automatic watch vs one that's several thousands. Both can tell time but there's value in the high-end watch that allows it to fetch it's asking price. A similar technique can be used to assess scopes. At the end of the day, buy what suits your needs and fits your budget. If you question the perceived value of a S&B/March over a $500 scope then chances are you won't be able to justify the cost difference even after having first hand experience. 
 
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elmer ,.you are 100% correct about assessing value in high end pieces . I have many collectible items that are valuable not only because they are well made and perform their intended function very well , but also " fetch " [ [ to use your colorful word ] a premium simply because they are " collectible " -- collectible is a grey area term that attaches value to an item over and above its function value due to its RARITY , DESIREABLITY , and in vintage value , its AGE - .most VERY COSTLY , highly prized items are RARE in varying degrees simply because of their INITIAL COST keeps production numbers limited to a relatively few as way fewer individuals have the means to afford it in the first place . as an example , in 1953 , you could have bought a Chevrolet BEL AIR sedan for under $1800 , or a 1953 CORVETTE for approx. $3600 , literally TWICE the initial cost . BOTH WILL DRIVE TO WORK AND BACK , with the bel air being the more practical / reliable car . fast forward to today 60+ years -- all things being equal as far as originality / condition , the 1953 bel air will fetch approx. $9000 while the vette will demand $250,000 , , literally a factor of approx. 27 -- WHY -- ---- PERCEIVED VALUE [ collectibility ] - this is all well and good as we as humans have this fascination with high priced " stuff " -- note the popularity of ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW , PAWN STARS , AMERICAN PICKERS , CHASING CLASSIC CARS , and the like ... going back to my initial POINT of PERSPECTIVE -- the BUSHNELL vs the SWAROVSKI -- that was mere a comparison of FUNCTION VS initial COST -- nothing more , as the sole function of a bino is to magnify what you intend to observe -- I would venture that VERY FEW purchasers of new SWAROVSKI binos are buying for the purpose of reselling at a profit some 60 years into the future - they are buying because they want and can afford the " BEST " bino , where as the purchaser of the BUSHNELL wants the " BEST BINO for his hard earned dollar ." -- granted , the SWAROVSKI bino will ALWAYS be worth more now and in the future . - a ROLEX will be always be worth more than a TIMEX -- however , as far as function vs cost , my REAL WORLD A / B test COMPARISON , the BUSHNELL wins hands down in terms of REAL VALUE vs PERCEIVED VALUE -- 

 
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In my opinion your binocular comparison was flawed. 60 yards is a joke of a distance but it's all you had at the time of your comparison. No one buys a $3K pair of binoculars to use at a few hundred yards distance. Had your distance been 600+ yards your assessment of both binoculars would have been very different. No scope manufacturer makes a $2K scope specifically for airgun use. The airgun market doesn't support that demand. It just happens that there are $2K+ scopes that luckily fits this niche market. A S&B/March was designed for shooters capable of shooting in excess of 1 mile. It's at those extreme distances that you separate a $500 scope vs a $2K+ scope. I've brought and sold many scopes within the past few years from a Hawke to March. Given the distance we use for airguns, you won't truly appreciate the capability of a March inside of 200 yards despite it's remarkable glass. There are scopes at a fraction of the cost that will do the job just fine given that distance. What does stand out between a $500 scope and a $2K+ one is the build quality and turrets. Sure, many airgunners never touch the turrets and rely mostly on holdover so it's a moot point. So is a March worth the cost? For me, yes it was but it far exceeds the need for any airgunner so it would be wise to spend your hard earned money in other areas of the hobby. I just wanted the arguably the best airgun scope imaginable instead of continuing to search for that unicorn. Again, only the end user knows what's best for their needs and wallet. I know I would have continued to buy and sell scopes and throw away a lot of cash in the process so decided to cut to the chase and splurge on a March. Many of you who own these high-end airguns probably had the same mentality otherwise you'll be still using your Daisy Red Ryders.
 
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elmer - I get the distance factor - I understand all about the turrets / clicking /repeatability / toughness of the march and S&B - THAT IS A GIVEN --- remember the context of what we are speaking about here - WE ARE ON AN AIRGUN FORUM - NOBODY IS SHOOTING 1000 YARD SHOTS WITH AN AIRGUN [ not in the foreseeable future anyway ] but you are missing the point - in terms of air gun shooting , say 1 1/2" field target kill zone at 55 yards , is the expenditure for a march or S&B NECESSARY , or for that matter , prudent if it is stretching the budget to being uncomfortable ??? in those terms , it is very questionable -- if you can afford it fine - we are speaking AIRGUNS --- I am not spending time on a firearms forum with a dedicated column on bench rested 338 lapua shooting 1200+ yards -- my point of perspective is cost vs function to REAL VALUE --- that is real value in the airgun realm --- the swarvoski vs bushnell was MY OWN hands on experience - MAYBE AT 600 YARDS , as you point out , the difference would be greater to justify the cost - my point is before laying out 3k for a pair of binos , I want to see a major difference --
 
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Hello RNMike, congratulations! I know you are going to be amazed with the clarity and performance of your new Athlon scope. And for $369.00? You will see why I referred to it as my "Holy Grail of Airgun Scopes", because at $369.00 just about everyone can afford one and be able to enjoy this kind of performance and quality. It just blew my mind when looked through mine for the first time. Like that commercial on TV where the people's heads explode into purple smoke when they are so amazed at the product...dude I had pretty much given up on finding a scope that didn't have something wrong with it that made me unhappy or just pissed me off for some reason. Please let us all know your first impressions,and also let us know what you think after you put it through it's paces.
Best regards, Chuck
P.S. I am hoping fenderguy will breakdown and try one on for size...when you hold one in your hands and look through it you will see what I have been raving about.
 
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"John_in_Ma"elmerfud. Khales does make a scope, just over 2k specificaly for airguns. Because they aren't front and center here in america doesn't make them second class. Airguns are a larger market worl wide than you seem to know. This is due to fire arms being severely restricted in most of the 160 something countries that aren't america.

http://www.kahles.at/en/products/
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I've heard great things about Kahles. I've read lots of info floating around on their K624i scopes but not as much on the K1050. I'm sure it's a great optic and similar to the March benchrest type scopes. I get that in Europe airguns are much more popular. That's why a lot of high-end PCP guns originate from those countries. I still feel that that globally those willing to spend $1,500+ on an airgun/rifle is a very small minority. Out of that population of enthusiasts willing to drop another $2K+ on a scope to go with their airguns is even smaller. 

The bottom line is unless someone is a competition shooter with an obsession with scopes or just simply prefer finer things in life going from a $500-1,000 scope to a $2K+ one won't yield any performance gains to justify the price difference. You're not going to miss your targets due to the scope. 
 
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