I do want a scope to be vetted before I drop serious money on it. I've seen guys buy a particular Vortex only to have it fail,be replaced quickly,and fail again just as quickly. What difference does it make if a manufacturer replaces a POS with another POS? A lifetime replacement warranty doesn't mean a thing if they are all crap.

I don't know a thing about the Athlon scopes. I hope they are good scopes. I might be willing to be the first on a $500 or under scope but I won't spend north of $1000 on anything unless it has a history with folks I can trust. That's just the way it is and the reason it's so hard for any new manufacturer to break into the business with a premium line.