New scope

[ronlassit]

I have been reading a lot of good things about Arken scopes lately. Lots of good reviews. I ordered one of the ep-4 6-24x50 scopes. Bad thing about it is the 8-10 week wait. Already picked up some 34mm rings and an acd. Anyone here get to use one yet? It will be replacing the PST on my Savage LRP, that is if it passes muster. It really sounds too good to be true for the price, but that is a pretty common line in the videos I have seen. I will run a review by you guys when I finally get some time behind it.

[Yondering]

Interesting scope, although first I've heard of them. The reticle looks OK for distance, although I'd prefer the ranging reticle off to the side and keep a mil graduated top crosshair.

My primary concerns in an optic like this are:
- Accuracy of the reticle graduations (i.e. is 1 mil really 1 mil, or some other value)
- Repeatability and accuracy of the turrets (dialing 1 mil actually moves POI 1 mil)
- Clarity of glass to spot hits and for low light visibility.

A lot of optics on the market are good for one or two of those, but not the others. I've got idea how this one stacks up though.

My best experiences in the last few years have been the SWFA "super sniper" scope line, particularly the fixed 6x and 10x, but the 3-9x is decent (although really a 4-9x) and the 3-15x is supposed to be good too. They are big and kind of medium weight, but glass is reasonably clear, and the turrets and reticles are pretty accurate and repeatable. In comparison a buddy had to do things his own way this summer and dropped $1200 on an Athlon scope that has a decent reticle but really poor glass IMO; I was able to make out better detail with my fixed 10x SS than his Athlon on 20x.

[LawDog]

I know nothing about Arken scopes, but I would suggest heavily scrutinizing the reviews you come across. There is a select group of people whose opinions I value. Most people spouting off on the internet don’t know a damned thing. They’re just happy to have a shiny, new toy, and want to tell everyone how great it is.

My go-to choice will continue to be Leupold. But they don’t come cheap (usually).


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[ronlassit]

Arken guarantees the tracking of their scopes. Doesn't track, send it back. According to some reviewers they track better than some scopes costing thousands. Lifetime warranty. Japanese ED glass. Seems the best feature is their turrets, precise and clean without slop. True zero stop. Supposedly a very generous eye box. 50 bmg rated. A lot of scope for around $600. For that price, I figured it would be worth a try. Hope all the reviews are true. Haven't seen a bad review yet. I'll let you know what I think when it arrives, but that will be a while. I looked long and hard at the Vortex Razor gen II, but the things are just so heavy, as was the Sig sauer Tango 6 6-24. Yondering, I agree with you about the SS scopes. They are built like tanks. I have one I use on my M1A, and it will not die.

[diving dave]

Not to plug another forum, but Frank over at Sniperhide has tested them and said they punch above their weight class...Meaning its a good value of features vs price. It is a Chicom made optic which is a deal breaker for many, but not all Chinese scopes are junk. I just picked up an Athlon Midas Tac for a budget build I did, and its a dam good scope.

[ronlassit]

There are some new scope companies that are turning out some really fantastic stuff. Tract and Delta are some really good ones. I think the Tract are produced in Japan and designed in the US. They are pricier than a lot but are built extremely well. I think their top line goes for between $1700-1800. Delta are also excellent and are in the $2300 price range. They use Schott glass and are made in Poland. Two new value priced optics companies are Arken and Blackhound. The Arken scopes are making a name for their clarity, exceptional tracking, and excellent turrets, especially considering the price point, around $600 for their ep4 series. I hear the Blackhound 1-8 right around the $450 range, is very good. Competition is getting interesting in the scope market and we shooters are the ones reaping the benefit.

[ronlassit]

Seems my scope will be shipping this week. I will leave a review of it after it arrives. We will see if it lives up to the hype. Think this will go on the .308 700. Going to put it on the M1A and run some rounds through it just to see if it can handle the recoil. It is 50 bmg rated, but I have seen M1A's destroy some good scopes. Time will tell.

[LawDog]

Frank over at Sniperhide has tested them and said they punch above their weight class...Meaning its a good value of features vs price.

That’s an opinion I’d give weight to. For precision rifle work, Frank Galli knows his stuff and won’t hold back on his opinions. He won’t sugar-coat his criticism. If something is garbage, he’ll just say it’s garbage. His old buddy Marc Taylor is cut from the same cloth.


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