Scope for Hunting rifle?

I replied in your other thread, but id probably start and stop with the Zeiss, or look up a Meopta.
Other than that, and if large size and extra weight arnt a big issue the Athlon Midas HMRs are really nice for the cost.

HoosierHunter128 said:

That Zeiss checks every box, and is a great deal at 30% off. I love their glass and would choose them over Swaro based on illumination. I hadn't had an illuminated scope before this last deer season, and it makes all the difference at low light. So you'd just buy that Zeiss and call it a day?

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I kinda did. I have an HD5 ridding around on my Ridgeline. Its the only scope gun combo thst dosent change.
I just got two meopta HTRs and seriously considered swapping one onto the ridgeline, but the ridgeline/hd5 combo is just so perfect i put the HTR on my 6.5CM.

there's also a bunch of people way more knowledgeable about optics on the forum than I am. They may have other better suggestions.

HoosierHunter128 said:

Just looked up the Midas. I can get that for $490, and it looks nice. Do you have one? How do they track?

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I've never owned one two of my friends got them and I set up both of their rifles. From my limited testing tracking is good, optics are really good The reticles usable with very little practice, and the illuminations good.
I've also owned an Aries BTR a Midas BTR, to Argos HMRs, a number of other older or lower end scopes from Athlon. All have been very good values, none have failed, and I've been universally happy with all of them.

If there's one failing that the athlons have in terms of hunting scopes is that they're usually pretty heavy for their size. I believe the Midas HMR is something like 26 or 27 oz whereas my Zeiss HD5 is only 15 oz for a similar power range.

HoosierHunter128 said:

What about a Maven?

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I havent used one, i KNOW there was someone on here who bought an liked a Maven scope, but i cant remember who.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...x-superlight-maven-rs-2.852262/#post-11162384

Found the thread, which the lead over to a Tract Toric discussion...

Actually the Toric UHD is way up there on my list of scopes to try also.

I really like the idea the sig bdx has but from what I've seen the glass sucks for its price range.

Ive played with exactly ONE of those, again just setting up a buddies gun. Setting up the scope was easy, and really besides the thick crosshair (necessitated by the drop compensation led), and RELATIVELY poor glass, Its an accurate and easy to use system once set up and dialed in, especially with a spotter.
(going from what i remember)
The scope works by connecting to the range finder, so if your phone ISNT present it runs off of stored data. If your device is present and the app is running it will pull data from the outputs of the app.
The thing does work, and is pretty reliable from what Ive seen and been told.

Its not fool proof tho.

My buddy is relatively new to both hunting and shooting, and by that I mean he's really only got seriously into it in the last 5 years or so. After I set up his rifle, the next time he took it out was hunting on another island, and proceeded to miss a bunch of shots. Many of which he probably wouldn't have if he had one of his regular rigs. His issue was trusting the scope's holdover compensation, but his inputs werent correct. After he got back, another friend of ours who is much more experienced with using a ballistic app and shooting distance went thru it with him and fixed the problems.

The system also only compensates for the easiest thing TO compensate for. Drop is the one thing that's close to constant, and might as well be out to 500yds or so. With modern high-intensity cartridge trajectories, MOST guns with a 200-250yd zero will only show something like 3-5moa above/below POA out to 400yds, and 3-7@500.

That isn't to say that its NOT a good system or helpful, but personally my major nemesis is wind drift, even at the relatively short distance of 300-400yds. Ive completely missed more than one sheep, and a pile of targets on Maunakea because I've fired directly into a sudden strong gust I didn't know was coming until it blew me sideways.

I would also rather have to remember which stadia to use, or how many clicks to add/subtract, and get the slight but noticeable glass improvement, and slightly less bulky scope.

Again personal preference, my previously mentioned buddy loves his, and has taken some animals at well beyond what Im comfortable with simply because his SCOPE new his drop tables, and all he had to do was make the shot, which is not insignificant.

HoosierHunter128 said:

I guess I don't care if its a little hefty if it checks all of the other boxes. This seems to be the best bargain of the bunch

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Ive been very happy with my Athlons, as have the two guys who have bought the HMRs. One guy bought the HMR, and his dad (whom I was friends with before I met his son) bought a Leupold MK4 from me at the same time, and of a similar power range, they both preferred the HMR, and I'm PRETTY sure if I hadn't given my buddy the MK4 for what I paid, he would have bought another HMR for his rifle.
Athlon also has excellent customer service, I HAVE sent two scopes back.
One because it wasn't adjusting after a range trip.....which thinking back on Im positive I didn't tighten down the lock screws on the turret after trying to set it to zero, and another because there was a tiny smudge of grease at the very edge of a lense.
In both cases, neither scope lost zero (I was actually trying to box test the first scope the day after getting it sighted when it wouldn't adjust) or was completely incapacitated, and they replaced the optics within 2 weeks....The grease thing I feel kinda bad about, as it completely cosmetic, I thought they would pop the lens out wipe it off and put it back.
I have heard complaints that they are fragile as well, but again I haven't seen that, including dropping my heavy Creedmoor with my Midas onto the concrete and the scopes focus/illumination knob taking the hit squarely.

Actually, If you'd like to TRY an Athlon Ive got either my first gen Midas BTR, or a second-gen Argos HMR which is the step down sitting on my scope shelf right now not doing anything. Neither have quite as good a glass as the HMR but both are representative of the brand IME.