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The Athlon Argos BTR Gen2 6-24×50 scope promises high-end performance at an attractive price point, targeting budget-conscious long-range shooters and competitive precision rifle enthusiasts. But does it deliver on its promises? We spent months putting this scope through its paces on various rimfire rifles, and here’s our verdict.
First Impressions
Right out of the box, the Argos BTR Gen2 scope impressed with its solid construction. The 30mm aircraft-grade aluminum tube feels robust and inspires confidence. The included flip-up lens covers and sunshade are a nice touch, protecting the scope from the elements. While not the lightest scope on the market (weighing in at 30.3 oz), it balances well on most rifles.
Optical Performance
The heart of any scope is its optics, and the Argos BTR Gen2 delivers surprisingly well. The Argon-purged and XPL-coated lenses provide a bright and clear image, even in low-light conditions. While not quite on par with Athlon’s flagship scopes, the edge-to-edge clarity is impressive and chromatic aberration is minimal. At higher magnifications (20x+), some image softness is noticeable, but it’s manageable for most hunting and target shooting applications.
Reticle and Illumination
The scope comes in two reticle options: the APRLR2 FFP and the APMR FFP. Both are first focal plane (FFP) designs, meaning the reticle size changes with magnification, allowing for precise holdovers at any zoom level. The APRLR2 offers a Christmas tree-style design with MIL-based ranging hash marks, while the APMR features a more minimalist MOA-based design. The illumination system provides 11 brightness levels, catering to various lighting conditions and sufficient for most shooting scenarios.
Features and Functionality
The Argos BTR Gen2 boasts features typically found on more expensive scopes. The zero-stop system allows you to quickly return to your zero after making adjustments, while the exposed, capped turrets offer tactile clicks for precise windage and elevation adjustments. We did a box test to validate that the turrets and zero stop are precise and reliable. The side parallax adjustment is smooth and easy to use, and the included throw lever provides quick magnification changes. One notable omission is a magnification throw lever, which some users might find inconvenient for quick adjustments.
Durability and Reliability
The scope is argon-purged for water and fogproofing, and the XPL coating protects the lenses from scratches, oil and dust. We subjected it to various weather conditions on various types of rimfire rifles, and it has held up admirably. It has now found a home on a Savage B17 HMR along with a Banish22 suppressor as a potent long-range hunting rig for eradicating small vermin.
Value for Money
This is where the Argos BTR Gen2 really shines. Compared to high-end scopes offering similar features, its price tag is significantly lower, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious shooters. This is one of the least expensive scopes that includes a zero-stop system. While it might not offer the absolute best optical performance, the value proposition is undeniable.
Overall
The Athlon Argos BTR Gen2 6-24×50 scope is a solid performer for the price. It offers impressive optical quality, essential features for long-range shooting and a durable build, making it a compelling option for budget-minded precision rifle enthusiasts and NRL Base Class competition. However, if absolute top-tier optical performance is your priority regardless of price, you might check out some of Athlon’s higher-end scopes such as the Midas or Cronus series.
Features
- Budget-friendly price
- Impressive optical performance
- FFP reticle options
- Zero-stop system
- Exposed, target turrets
- Side parallax adjustment
- Durable construction
- Argon-purged and XPL-coated
Final Verdict
The Athlon Argos BTR Gen2 6-24×50 scope is a strong contender in the budget long-range scope category. It offers excellent value for money and delivers more than enough performance for most recreational and long-range rimfire shooters. If you’re looking for a reliable scope that won’t break the bank, the Argos BTR Gen2 is definitely worth considering.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Magnification: 6x to 24x adjustable
- Objective Lens Diameter: 50mm
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Reticle: APRLR2 Mil
- Field of View: 16.7-4.5 ft. @100 yards
- Eye Relief: 3.3 in.
- Parallax Adjustment: Side focus/parallax adjustment 10 yards-Infinity
- Turret Style: Exposed turrets with elevation and windage adjustments
- Turret Adjustment: 1/10 MIL or ¼ MOA
- Zero-Stop: Yes
- Length: 14.1 in.
- Weight: 30.3 oz.
- Illumination: Red
- Elevation Range: 32 MIL-108 MOA
- Reticle Position: First Focal Plane (FFP)
- Cost: $429
- Website: athlonoptics.com
Where To Buy
This article originally appeared at RimfireAddiction.com and is reprinted here with permission.
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My friend, Grenade, strapped a telscope called the Celestron Astrofire AZ to his hunting rifle. He mumbled something about shooting stars. Grenade can be difficult to understand. He lives out in the sticks….good thing, too. We always call before we visit.
How he got his nickname is a story for another time
Nice scope, only problem is the large objective can cause setup issues which is why I stick with 40s. The company seems to be into big with their supply of 50s and 56s. They do have some nice models in 1-10×28 and 2-12×42 although 42s with flipups can also be a close to the bore mounting headache. The reticles they use are nice, the sale price for the model shown at Optics Planet is good.
I never use any power scopes over 4x, for some reason the more powerful scopes cause me to shake.
Just like looking at stars you would like to shoot. Just fine and stable without a scope, put a 56 power scope on your Carcano and the star is jumping all over the place.
Tripod or bags will reduce the shakes. But I agree that this much power for a .22 is overkill, since the max range with accuracy tops out around 300 yards. I have a 4x on My Savage .22, and it is just fine out to 100, ,and a lot of such rifles come with no more than a 3 x 9. But that also doesn’t mean that this scope is solely intended for .22s, and the inference it can handle heavier cartridges that shoot 600 yards or more for which you will need a tripod or other shooting support.
Modern optics are all so good now I wouldn’t hesitate to run a cheap scope under pretty much all conditions. Even on an expensive hunting trip, I usually only bring 2. Maybe 3 if I know it’s going to be persistently cold and wet. For gaming or varmints if you have money to burn, luxury scopes are nice, but a luxury. If Uncle is buying all bets are off obviously.
So does it, or doesn’t it, include a throw lever for magnification?
Mounting it on a small bore as above does not really answer the question about durability on a large magnum platform.
I had one of these and pretty much loved it … I got it in late 2020 for a new Tikka T3X UPR , and I believe I paid $305.99 (and a few days later Amazon discounted it further to $279.99 – which is common for Amazon to do) … It really is made of top-notch materials, very solid construction & feature packed…
…If I had to knock it , I would say that some of the negative reviews I found on major gun forums were also symptoms I experienced … the way they sell it this cheap is by using less-than-premier glass. Which , when you think about it, of course they’d have to … you don’t generally get the Chevrolet 5.7L 350 Small-Block V8 in a Chevy Cobalt … and that’s why the Cobalt’s were $20K and Corvettes closer to $100K … and that’s alright … I myself bought a Cobalt as a kid because I couldn’t afford the payments of a $100K car , but I could afford a $20K car.
The optics on this got hazy as you got higher in magnification … I found I couldn’t get it over 16X , and even then it was a stretch… so , after firing something like 16 rounds (of .308) out of it, I sold it for a very good price, to a gentleman planning on using it on a short-distance hunting & target-practice rifle, who didn’t expect to use much magnification at all, he just *wanted* to be ABLE to dial it up. All good.
Again, if you’re not trying to win competitions or expecting to impress the Snipers Hide crowd when they have $5000 S&B’s etc. – this is a great value for dollar and it’s quite possible the newer glass is even improved. And as you go up in the Athlon lineup, they progressively increase the quality of the glass lenses (and the price, of course, I think they have a HD Glass on a few upper-end & an UHD Glass on their top-of-the-line)
Anyway just throwing my experience in… I’d recommend them for the price and especially if you’re in a situation where you want/need certain features but just *can’t* ‘Spend More’ (like everyone always says. Just spend more! Get a $7000 Steiner ! You’ll love it! Woohoo!)
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