Received the 8-34x Mil-Rad FFP Helos scope from Athlon in yesterday's mail..
Has a 30mm tube and 56mm objective, but mounts using medium or standard/low rings on most rifles. The Win 70 magnum with classic BOSS barrel was better with low TPS TSR 30mm rings.
Very good side-focus parallax control, maybe a bit stiff. Battery and illum reticle control combine on the parallax turret. Control dial's a bit stiff, but works fine. Battery and BC style lens cover Flip-Ups and a polishing cloth, booklet & tiny allen wrench included. The Turrets lock. Lift them to dial w&e changes. Press down to set. The turret is quick to zero; just unscrew the turret cap and place at zero index. The scope can also be zero-indexed for elevation.
Preliminary testing on Bushnell 74-3333 boresighter w/grid shows box test works fine and 1mil equals 3.6" at 100yds on the 4moa @ 100yds of the per box grid. The FFP reticle at 8x makes it easy to count the correct click count as it is a fine line at 8x. I did some scoping at distance yesterday across a local lake, at 600-700yds distance. Images were crisp and contrasty even on a full overcast day. Color looked natural on grasses across the lake. I was able to make out some small print on a yard hose reel. I have no doubt this scope will give the Athlon Cronus a run for its money even though there is a $1200 difference between the two. There was no need to back-off the magnification to get better clarity and even on a cloudy day, mirage was plainly visible in a mild boil.
Had my NightForce 8-32x NXS provided a sight picture this clear and vibrant, I would not have sold it. The parallax control is good, but goes to infinity much sooner than the 1600yd setting of the Cronus BTR. The finish is not as deep or lustrous, but the scope controls all are solid and feel high quality. At $589 for quality at this level and all the features you could ask for, IF a Tactical or Longrange Shooter, the Helos 8-34x has set a new standard in Quality and Performance for those shooters who are looking for More... Nothing about the scope is "budget" or compromised.
If you want to spend lots more and get less, there are plenty of options out there.
The Ares 2.5-15x and 4.5-27x with their Light Optical Works components should be even more outstanding! Not too much longer to wait for those.
I bought the Helos to use at our local range and show that you don't have to spend $2500 to shoot longrange with consistency., At $590 shipped, these are worth your evaluation.
More to come when i've had some time to actually go shooting.
