Thread: Athlon Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 Good value?

I initially evaluated the SFP Midas 4.5-27 but was dissapointed in it, but then tried the FFP Ares.

I've now put the Ares 4.5-27 alongside an old vortex viper 6.5-20 and Zeiss MC 6.5-20 (better than the HD5) in my jig that holds all three rigid so you can propertly evaluate the optics.

The Ares is significantly better than the Midas I tried first. Not quite as bright as the Zeiss, but not far behind, but there is more chromatic aberration on the Zeiss than with the Ares. Looking at the USFA test chart, the black square is blacker in middle in the center of zeiss lense, but lighter colour towards the edges. The Ares is not so stark black at the center, but consistent across the width of the lense.

The eye box is not overly sensitive to eye position like the Midas.

I think the 10 mils per rotation (34 MOA) on the turrets is a big ask with a 30mm tube as the increments are very small, so the clicks are a bit soft, but I have done a tracking test (in another jig) out to 10 mils and its tracks perfectly. This also showed up that both my Zeiss don’t track to the graduations (27.5 for 28 IPHY)!

At 27x I can resolve more detail than the MC at 20x, whereas with my Zeiss HD5 at 25x I cannot resolve any more detail than the MC at 20x.

I was concerned the FFP reticle may be too thick at higher power, but its 0.041 mils which is 0.16" a@ 100m, whereas my Zeiss MC is 0.125" @100m at 20x so not too dissimilar. I've shot bunnies out to 450m (and missed at 650m) with it and its not too thick. Downside is it is pretty fine at 4.5x but still usable.

Really like to put it alongside a Vortex PST Gen II

Cheers

Grant