Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics ARKEN 4-16x 30mm LW.............

Weather was finally too nice to fish,so I flogged on the new ARKEN 30mm 4-16x LW Mil/Mil. Hint.

Quite a difference in relative sizing and mass,from it's 34mm 4-16x Mil/Mil kin. Hint.



I've yet to see an ARKEN not track,hold zero or repeat. Whistled 200rds through it today,ala esteemed and known Annie 54 22LR. I knew the barrel/receiver/rail to be concentric,as it's wore several scopes in Testing. Factored a 25 MOA
inclination bove mechanical center and shot 50yd paper,less a bore sighting. 1 Mil low and 1.5 Mil's to the right. I subtended,added the corrections,shot a tidy cluster and zero'd turrets. Hint.




Capped windage isn't ever gonna piss me off. No tools required to zero same. Unscrew the center screw,index and refasten,then throw the cap on. Hint.




Hasty initial thoughts are,that mechanics are like all my others. These are VERY good things. I gunned come-ups on tall paper to 18.5 Mil's(all that remained after the 50yd zero,with flat rings),whirled zoom and parallax between every shot and it never bobbled. All VERY positive an unerring. Hint.

I find the eyebox and reticle MUCH slower,than it's 34mm version. Nothing quick here,even from the bench and it isn't NEARLY as "friendly". From the hip,I think the lacking tree hurts acquisition and eye-relief is just simply fickle. I've another enroute and will be curious to extrapolate. Hint.

It lacks the erector travel to be serious for Rimfire (26 Mil's total) and too slow for a Krunchenticker. Not really sure o the platform it'd shine upon,but perhaps a CTR-ish 223 or the ilk?!? Hint....................

Built in China like the athlons you’ve been pimping?

Gentle Reader,

Perhaps you could make a list of wares I can purchase,which will not effect your VERY Tender Feelers,or Raging Estrogen Levels,let along jeopardize your "esteemed" Professional Victim Status? I am at ease in fielding wares,that are the culmination of a US Navy SEAL's first hand ideals,but your feelings concern me. Hint.



Fhuqking LAUGHING!................

B,

In the 15 years I've been acquainted with your verbiage, I think this is one of the most cogent expressions of yours of which I"ve had the pleasure.


TFF,

ya!

GWB

Between those Arken and Athlon, can you please elaborate on which shines and why?

Thanks for your report Stick. I agree with GWB too. One of your better responses.

It is always nice to see a scope report from someone who actually knows how to put it through its paces and not just babble about it. Good job, Stick.

I tend to look at scopes different from most,because I actually fhuqking shoot. Such realities,lean mightily upon the mechanical aspects of an Optic. Hint.

It is heart warming,to gun glass,which do what glass is SUPPOSED to fhuqking do and that is to steer bullets,to arrange POA/POI. Said attributes are easily discerned initially and only get warmer/fuzzier as round counts increase. Everything I've seen,shot or got from both Companies,has been fhuqking exceptional in those regards. Only with mechanics PROVEN,can a foundation be made for a Skookum Rifle platform. It really truly amazes me,how many Fhuqktards skirt that and fawn the schit which matters least,to frost their Velvet Glove "pursuits". Hint.

With mechanics being a given,the purpose and blueprint of said platform rate a thunk. There is great disparity in the above's physical dimensioning and mass. Hint.

The 2-12x42 are 30mm tubes,go 25.5oz,have 10yd parallax and 32 Mil's of erector travel.
The 4-16x44 LW is 30mm,weighs 23.7oz,has 10yd parallax and 25 Mil's of erector.
The 4-16x50 is 34mm,weighs 35.6oz,has 25yd parallax and 36 Mil's of erector
The 5-25x56 is 34mm,weighs 39.2oz,has 10yd parallax and 32 Mil's of erector

So by literal default,all are not "equal",nor slated to like platforms...at least not for me. Hint.

All are FFP,which is a GOOD thing. All have intuitive reticles,which is another good thing. All have mechanical zero stops,which is a good thing. From there,things change. Hint.

The 2-12x42 wears locking turrets. It is also of modest length/mass,with a far more bold reticle and greater illumination,due that. I find them exceptional for Utility,due the lightning fast reticle. You can do bidness at muzzle burn distances,or stretch them to distant zip codes,less nary a fret. I love 'em on Kruchentickers and a goodly herd of killer bolt guns. They sell like fhuqking hot cakes,after someone gawks one. Hint.







The 4-16x44 30mm LW has been discussed. It lacks locking elevation,but obviously wears capped windage. Like all ARKEN,save the 5-25's,it wears an 8 Mil per revolution turret. Deal breaker? Nope. Though Base Ten everything is vastly superior. Might poke it aboard my Vudoo Hummer,for R&D. The reticle suffers in not having a "tree",which helps speed acquisition up. Hint.



The 4-16x50 34mm has been fhuqking EXCEPTIONAL. I REALLY like this glass,for it's intents. No locking turrets,but the parallax control and generous erector connect alotta dots. It gives up 6-ish Mil's of erector to a Fixed Fhuqker and weighs nearly a pound more,but it is great on dedicated Heavy Rifles. For me and my typical atmosphere,16x is way more than enough zoom. I've LOTS of rounds through these and the added mass helps soak recoil,to chase trace/impact. Hint.




The 5-25x hasn't been mounted yet and one can't "review" something,less pulling the trigger. I'm torn where to mount it. To be continued. Hint.

Just sayin'...................

So it has a short critical eye relief and it's not user friendly to sit behind?
dave

Good review. Thank you.

I was thinking of one for the little 6 ARC.

Despite the allure of POURING rain and my propensity to be dredging Chrome,I'll stay yesterday's course and R&D rifles. The 4-16x 34mm will get yanked from the aforementioned Vudoo Hummer and I'll poke the 30mm version aboard same. Perhaps an Annie 54 Position Rifle wearing 27" of spout,effects handlin'?!? Hint....................(grin)

I have one of the 2-12 Athlons.
I mounted it on the 6.5x47 MooCow.
Long story but DonKnows SIL needed alittle help so I offered and he accepted.
130g LRX at 300 yards with 4 different loads .3 of a grain apart.

Not a speed demon but flat out shoots good.
I appreciate the heaviness of the Athlon reticle. I like the fat heavy stuff in the dark on deer.
The SIL used it all deer season but did not connect unfortunately.
He needs trigger time, warms up some we will stretch it out to 500 ..

dave

When doubt...2-12x. Hint..............(grin)

I have been looking at the Arkens.
The reticle seems less busy than the Athlon which interested me... But finer thinner ..
Scotty likes the 4-20 Athlon alot.
The Arkens package of rings caps and stuff is attractive.

dave

Stick,
Didn't mean to interrupt your Arken testing .
Please carry on.
It's interesting.

dave

Well , for the most part I think I am following along with what is being said , but what the heck is a Kruchenticker ?

Going for the Swapaloo. Will poke 10x MQ in 'Horn's back on The Long Annie. Hint.



1000 words on the glass discussed,in extrapolation. Hint.



Was talking to a pard yesterday on the phone and he was fretting scopes and heading off wayyyyyyy into left field,with magnification. I said simply "You were shooting my 7 Mag to 1600yds + on 12x" and he said "NO schit?!!?". I laughed. The Bushie LRTS in all fairness,is rather Skookum. Hint.




I'm cool with the '12x BTR Gen2's reticle,whether spitting distance,a coupla hunnert yards or 1200yds+. Hint.







Just sayin'................

Thanks for the review, Stick.

Gentle Reader....

LMFAO!

Great Review Stick!

Glass quality is very important. I hunted with an eye surgeon, he showed me a very useful tool in evaluating scopes. Take a Color newspaper flyer, where they are advertising the weekly grocery specials, and place the newspaper print at 100 yards, and 200 if you can. There will be all sizes of print and a variety of colors. Now, look at his news paper print, some expensive scopes are just junk. Look at the edges of the letters, and how much of the print you can read or even see. Some scopes have such poor glass that the colors will even look dull or will show different color.

Point being, you need clear image of your target at longer range.

I spent $1300(with significant discount) on a scope, glass was junk, but it was built like a battle tank.

The newspaper print test is going to piss off a lot of people, but the glass quality is just one part of the equation.