Athlon Optics Ares BTR GEN2 HD 2.5-15x50 Rifle Scope

This is an outstanding piece of glass for the price. Excellent low light capability- especially when you use the illuminated reticle. With it being a FFP, that crosshair gets quite skinny and small on lower magnifications and the illuminated reticle is a game changer at those magnifications. The illumination is very crisp and sharp with a rich red color. Not fuzzy like on cheaper made products. The reticle, while a bit busy from a traditional mildot reticle, is quite useful with a little practice and will eventually become second nature to your eye when looking a it in relation to your target. When a quick correction is needed and there is no time for dialing, the reticle truly shines. I also like that there is a "0" between each brightness setting on the illumination dial. You don't have to scroll but one click to turn the reticle off no matter what setting you have it on. With my sample, I have found the reticle sub tensions are on par with the dialing. Something that seems to be an issue with other scopes I have used. The clicks on the dials are audible as well as quite tactile in feeling. The zero stop feature is strong and deliberate. I have become quite spoiled with that feature. I have had no issues with repeatability when dialing. I use this scope on top of a Savage heavy barrel .308 for hunting and long range shooting. I have been very pleased with the results it has given me.

I've only had this scope a short while and it has already become my favorite scope for a hunting rifle. I have used it for hog and deer hunting, plus some target practice, but it can do so much more.

I have a lot of different scopes, from long range precision glass to short range cqb and medium range hunting scopes. This new Athlon Ares BTR seems like the best do-everything scope for me.

It's first focal plane so the reticle is accurate at any magnification.
Parallax can be adjusted to as close as 10 yards so it's good for smaller calibers as well as large calibers.
The reticle is illuminated so it's good for low-light situations.
The glass is very sharp, clear and bright.
The turrets feel great and seem to track perfectly so far. Zero can be reset easily with an Allen wrench.
The weight is pretty light for a scope with as many features as they packed in there.
Last but not least, that magnification range is perfect for anything from 10 yards to 1,000 yards.

Was very surprised on glass quality / clarity. Daytime bright illuminated reticle. This scope punches way above its price range. Build quality is fantastic brass zero stop. Highly recommended