I am an Athlon dealer. Have a Helos 8-34x on the way for evaluation and demo use at out local range.
I have tested the Argos BTR 8-34x and the Cronus 4.5-29x at our local airfield. The Cronus is an $1800 scope built by Light Optical Works, the same guys who make March and NightForce; or did in the past. The $390 Argos 8-34x hung in there with the Cronus up until 1100yds. The Cronus delivers crispness and color accuracy with exceptional clarity at all magnification ranges out well past 1600 yds.
The Helos BTR upgrades the Argos with HD Optics and Advanced Coatings, plus the illum battery and control is moved from rear ocular assy to the side-focus control for parallax. Kind of heavy and long, but all the quality high-mag scopes are.
The Ares line is set to debut with the 2.5-15x moa and mil-rad models this coming week. The 4.5-27x set to arrive in July. These will sell "on the street" for about $800 and feature all Optics and Internals coming from Light Optical Works, but assembled at the Athlon facility in China.
I am excitedly awaiting the 8-34x Helos mil-rad and a 4.5-27x Midas BTR which is a SFP reticle scope. Once the rain stops and our 1000yd range dries out some, I hope to take a trunk full of rifles out and put these scopes through their paces. The Argos BTRs are exceptional, I am expecting to really be blown away by the Helos 8-34x and Midas 4.5-27x
