Arken Optics?

[Jim Boyd]

Anyone tested the waters?

I am not a long range shooter but ordered a 5-25x56 today.

From what I have read and folks I have talked with, I have not heard any bad - except some may be duds right out of the box.

Opinions or real world stories?????

thanks !

 

[Deerhead]

I do not know anything about Arkin scopes but the price looks good. Excellent price on 34mm tube... Just not a fan of busy optics. I am a duplex guy. Let us know what you think after you check it out.

Just talked to my hunting buddy. He bought one in January optics are very clear and gives you a good field of view but heavy.

 

[Jim Boyd]

I do not know anything about Arkin scopes but the price looks good. Excellent price on 34mm tube... Just not a fan of busy optics. I am a duplex guy. Let us know what you think after you check it out.

Will do, sir.

I fear the days of capped turrets and duplex reticles will soon be gone.

They are still out there but I don’t think any of the companies are putting money into them.

Testing soon but I gotta get the rifle and replacement stock first.

Thanks !

 

[Dub]

Anyone tested the waters?

I am not a long range shooter but ordered a 5-25x56 today.

From what I have read and folks I have talked with, I have not heard any bad - except some may be duds right out of the box.

Opinions or real world stories?????

thanks !

A buddy convinced me to give them a try. Ordered the same you just did. It was backordered for a while....just arrived a couple days ago. Ready to mount. It's going on a 6.5 Grendel (AR15). At the time it was ordered they had a promotional deal for $170 worth of mounts, lens caps and swag for no charge.

While waiting on it they ran another crazy sale...30% off on scope plus another mount/rings/swag promotion. I picked up the 6-24x50mm (going on a bolt action rimfire trainer) and a 4-16x50mm that'll be going on a bolt action hunter.








I've not mounted any of them yet....but did get them out to play with in the backyard one afternoon after work. I think you'll be pleased with your choice on the model you chose. Japanese glass that I feel stands out a bit from the other two models. The edge clarity was improved over the 4-24x50mm when both were side-by-side at 20x.

I went with MIL reticle on each.


Hoping to have them running soon.


I'll post up impressions in this thread once things are moving.

That 30% off plus the free mounts, covers & swag was awesome....providing they run as well as my buds. If not....then I'll be seeing how they support their lifetime warranty.

 

[Jim Boyd]

A buddy convinced me to give them a try. Ordered the same you just did. It was backordered for a while....just arrived a couple days ago. Ready to mount. It's going on a 6.5 Grendel (AR15). At the time it was ordered they had a promotional deal for $170 worth of mounts, lens caps and swag for no charge.

While waiting on it they ran another crazy sale...30% off on scope plus another mount/rings/swag promotion. I picked up the 6-24x50mm (going on a bolt action rimfire trainer) and a 4-16x50mm that'll be going on a bolt action hunter.








I've not mounted any of them yet....but did get them out to play with in the backyard one afternoon after work. I think you'll be pleased with your choice on the model you chose. Japanese glass that I feel stands out a bit from the other two models. The edge clarity was improved over the 4-24x50mm when both were side-by-side at 20x.

I went with MIL reticle on each.


Hoping to have them running soon.


I'll post up impressions in this thread once things are moving.

That 30% off plus the free mounts, covers & swag was awesome....providing they run as well as my buds. If not....then I'll be seeing how they support their lifetime warranty.

Thank you, sir.

Not knowing what to choose, I took the MOA model.

Should be here in a few days but I am helping my wife and her mom this weekend. Plus I do not have the rifle yet so my testing is a ways out.

Will def follow up with findings.

I got the accessory pack with $170 off but did not see the 30% off promo.

Came out under $600 so it is all good (I think).

Appreciate ya.

 

[Dub]

Well done @Jim Boyd

The one you ordered is their newest model. I've not seen the 30% for it...only for their older models. Glad you scored the accessory pack.



I'm grossly "underknowledged" on anything involving long range gear.

The little bit I know about scopes has come from the use of hunting rifles over the years.

The extended range fun is simply a new area of shooting fun that I want to try.

My hunting reticles have always been medium thick crosshairs or German #4.

I checked in with the distance shooters at work to get their opinions on glass.

Some really like MOA. Some like MIL.

I could be way wrong....but the MIL system seemed logical and most understandable to me. It was still a coin toss....with a slight bias to keep them all the same whichever direction I went in.

The reticle/turrets I bought for my main distance guns was MIL. I stuck with it for the Arken going on the rimfire trainer that will have same stock, action, trigger, mag dimensions, bipod as it's centerfire twin.

I'm so green with all this that it'll be a pile of firsts with each aspect of it. I have no plans to hunt long range, nor compete long range....just have fun with it all.

I may possibly jump in with a group of rimfire competitors and get my butt whupped on a regular basis....all the while hoping to improve on trigger, set up and turrets & wind holdoffs.



I can't wait to hear your impressions when you take that monster out of the box. 34mm tube is substantial. The saddle really looks stout. The turrets are large, audible and the markings are easy to see. When you screw in the sunshade it takes on a strong resemblance to the lightsabers from Star Wars.

 

[Jester896]

I think the erector systems in the 34mm tubes coupled with a canted base just give you more capability to dial up.

MILS are based on the metric system where MOA is more to the inch base system. 1 MIL @ 1K yards is roughly 36" where 1 MOA @ 1K yards is about 10.4". I think MOA is a little finer measurement.

I find it easier for me to think in terms of inches, feet and yards

 

[Nimrod71]

I'm with you Jester, I prefer MOA. All of my Night Force are MOA. I grew up measuring everything in inches and I don't care to change to metrics or mils. Also I don't think the scope manufactures will ever drop MOA or capped adjustments.

 

[Jester896]

yes @Nimrod71 I believe there will always be a need for capped turrets. Even with BDC type reticles it is based on yards I do believe. For the fine folks that only shoot PB capped are here to stay as well as adjustable for those that choose to dial up.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Ordered Tuesday.

Shipped Wednesday.

Hard to argue with that…

 

[Dub]

I'm with you Jester, I prefer MOA. All of my Night Force are MOA. I grew up measuring everything in inches and I don't care to change to metrics or mils. Also I don't think the scope manufactures will ever drop MOA or capped adjustments.

I'm not planning on changing to metrics, either.

No sir.


Not even when the Green New Steal Biden Admin forces us into further stupidity.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

A student of mine just stuck one on one of his rifles. He is about a hundred rounds in and absolutely loves the scope. The boy has been all over the block on scopes and if he and his family ( all serious riflemen) are impressed, it says a lot.

 

[Jester896]

I'm not planning on changing to metrics, either.

if your scope is MIL you are metric

for me a FFP scope works backwards...when it is small I want it big

 

[Dub]

if your scope is MIL you are metric

for me a FFP scope works backwards...when it is small I want it big

I'm just working in 10ths.


Not adopting metric system.

 

[Jim Boyd]

@Dub and @Jester896

I need to order the rail for a Howa Mini.

I know this is a very basic question but should I order a 0 degree rail or one with MOA added?

Here is an even worse question but is a 20 MOA rail one that simply changes the angle of the center line of the scope relative to the centerline of the rifling?

I would be stunned if I ever went to a range that was 1k yards but I am looking at a 500 yard range at our farm. I gotta cut about 50 yards into the woods as my line of sight down the plot is 450 yards right now.

Seems I sort of know some what I don’t know but I am sure there are a zillion other things to think about.

Sounds to me like the scope would be more in the “center” of its elevation range with a 0 base… and with all the travel that scope has, I could just about dial up any elevation I wanted?

I will shoot deer with this rig but it will be handled like my other centerfires - 200 yards or less.

many thanks !

 

[Jester896]

from what you are saying it sounds like a 0* rail would most likely work for what you want.
what is the vertical travel of this scope?
what round will you be shooting?

in theory with the 0* your scope would be in the center of the travel range. Is half of that range enough up for the drop of your bullet @ 500?

 

[Jim Boyd]

from what you are saying it sounds like a 0* rail would most likely work for what you want.
what is the horizontal travel of this scope?
what round will you be shooting?

in theory with the 0* your scope would be in the center of the travel range. Is half of that range enough up for the drop of your bullet @ 500?

Jester

I gotta do some research, I think.

Rifle is 6.5 Grendel and I am going for accuracy and very light recoil. The scope is very heavy and I am gonna use a Boyd’s thumbhole stock. Both should help reduce recoil (weight) and felt recoil (stock design).

I did a 308 like this some years ago and it is relatively soft shooting.

I have an AR in 6.5 so this new project sounds like a natural progression.

I know the 6.5 round is far from a demon and I am quite ok with that.

Let me see if I can determine what the scope range is.

I def want a 100 yard zero (1” high)

Thanks!!!!

 

[Dub]

@Jim Boyd , I am mighty green with such and I defer to the knowledge of folks here.



I'll say this....if the Boyd's thumbhole stock helped you manage recoil in a .308 Win.....then that same setup is gonna have you very, very comfortable with the 6.5 Grendel.

It'll be a peach to shoot.





I'm going with a mount that has 20 MOA added for use on my 6.5 Grendel. That being said, my main use for the gun is banging on steel targets that run out to whatever distance I can get steady on.

My 6.5 Grendel is in an AR platform and I likely won't be running loads at the velocity of what I'd be using on a bolt action hunting rifle. Odds are my AR loads could be 200+ fps slower than what I'd hunt with...needing more room on the elevation adjustment.....especially if I was playing around 600yds or such.

For a hunting load pushing closer to 2,900 fps maybe....out to 450......I may very well go with 0 MOA rail.


You asked about rail sources...

I asked folks that had more experience with setting up longer range gear. The results were that I used Scheels to order Nightforce rails as well as some direct from Area 419 (jumped on a sweet sale package that had rail, muzzle brake & other gear).

 

[ChidJ]

For cant in mounts or rails, a little cant doesn't hurt anything. For example 20MOA or 6 Mil of built in cant is hardly noticeable with your eye just looking at the gun. The value comes in that, while you may not need more elevation now, you might want it later. This applies more to mounts than it does to rails/bases as those ones say on a gun while the mount can get moved around.

We can use the example of the Arken being discussed, you've got 32 Mils (feel free to convert to MOA. Doesn't matter much for the point to be conveyed). But if you have it mounted with 0 cant, you really only have 16 usable Mils of adjustment as nobody is running it up.

Now you might think to yourself, 16 Mils is plenty enough for me to reach out anywhere I want. And you'd be right. 16 Mils takes a 308 beyond 1200 yards. That said, what happens when you put it on a rimfire and want to plink with your buddies at 400? Or perhaps you do have the opportunity to take your 308 to a mile? There's also the possible scenario where your image quality degrades at the extreme end of the adjustment spectrum as you are, at that point, looking through the edge of the lens.

TL;DR only a few very niche reasons to run a mount with no cant. Getting built in cant doesn't cost more and can almost exclusively be useful

 

[Jim Boyd]

For cant in mounts or rails, a little cant doesn't hurt anything. For example 20MOA or 6 Mil of built in cant is hardly noticeable with your eye just looking at the gun. The value comes in that, while you may not need more elevation now, you might want it later. This applies more to mounts than it does to rails/bases as those ones say on a gun while the mount can get moved around.

We can use the example of the Arken being discussed, you've got 32 Mils (feel free to convert to MOA. Doesn't matter much for the point to be conveyed). But if you have it mounted with 0 cant, you really only have 16 usable Mils of adjustment as nobody is running it up.

Now you might think to yourself, 16 Mils is plenty enough for me to reach out anywhere I want. And you'd be right. 16 Mils takes a 308 beyond 1200 yards. That said, what happens when you put it on a rimfire and want to plink with your buddies at 400? Or perhaps you do have the opportunity to take your 308 to a mile? There's also the possible scenario where your image quality degrades at the extreme end of the adjustment spectrum as you are, at that point, looking through the edge of the lens.

TL;DR only a few very niche reasons to run a mount with no cant. Getting built in cant doesn't cost more and can almost exclusively be useful

@ChidJ

Wonderful insight.

If the rifle likes them, here is the round I can find and will shoot. Think I have about 100 rounds.

Hornady 123 SST
2580 fps from 24” bbl (mine is gonna be 22”)
Drop @ 500 = 51.3”

The scope is listed as 110 MOA elevation adjustment and 55 MOA windage adjustment (assuming the latter is not in the conversation).

Looks like most of the 120-125 grain bullets have about 55” drop at 500 yards.

Based on other comments, it then looks like about 50 -55 MOA available elevation adjustment.

As you can see, this is all new to me.

Also, from some things I have read, it may not be feasible to get a 100 yard zero with 20 MOA rail??


Many thanks, sir.