Anyone have any opinions about these two? I need a decent budget optic and are comparing them. I know about the PA optic, but nothing about the Athlon optic, but both are priced about the same. Thoughts?

I have had an older PA scope, a 4x16 if I remember, on a .300wsm. It worked well, eventually upgraded to a super sniper.

I currently have a Athlon Argos 6x24 on a Grendel AR. It has also worked well so far.

I can testify to PA customer service, but I have not had to contact Athlon, so I would say it's a coin toss with a slight lean to Primary Arms just from experience.

Thanks everyone!

I got the Talos, great scope but the tracking was useless on the one I had, I returned it. Maybe a capped version would be fine.

I have the Argos and so far it tracks great.  But it is a larger (6X24) and I would like one of these in the 4 x14 range of the Talos.  It is relevant to my interest if the Talos or PA either one will track correctly.

I could have gotten a bad one but I suspect not. It is difficult to find where anyone else besides me did an actual careful tracking test on the Talos. 
It was not consistent in its error and it wouldn't repeat, which in this case are tied together I suppose.
I was buying it for long range shooting so the turrets being usable was the most important part for my needs.

A consistent repeatable error is fine and can be compensated for but if it isn't repeatable there is nothing you can do really.

My Leupold Mark 4 has a +3%error but it works fine at all distances because I can just log that error into my ballistic calc for that rifle and it automatically compensates.

I  saw one or two live fire tracking tests but they were poorly done, one guy walked off the distance, the other had such poor groups one couldn't tell if the adjustment was correct with the first shot.

If the first shot after the adjustment isn't right on  but the rest of the group is that means it isn't repeating. The reticle is "settling in" from the recoil of the shots.
That is a poor scope IMO, you'll have to tap it after every adjustment and it will probably lose zero easily.

I would recommend buying from amazon if you are going to try either because they will pay return shipping if it is defective.


I went with a SWFA instead, it has a -0.07% repeatable error. My tall target live fire test showed -0.06% so my two test methods agree as does my long range shooting results.

I have read your review.  It was very well done/credible.  I believe you.  

The Talos and the Argos are different lines, with the Argos billed as the higher end.  It does not surprise me that one is better than the other.

I want the Horus style reticle in a 4x14.  I know the SWFA is an awesome scope, just not the reticle I want.