The Athlon Helos BTR with a street price just under $400, is the most affordable LPVO that offers a side-focus parallax focus. Most LPVO’s (even Service Grade LPVOs over $2K) only offer 100-150yrds fixed focus optics. This Helos BTR was designed with the input of NRA High Power XTC “service rifle” class competition shooters.
The first sample that Athlon sent me had a very minor 1x image shift issue that most shooters would never notice unless you ran it with both eyes open. I’ve discovered image shift at 1x to be a common issue with LPVOs; I’ve even experienced this in much vaunted combat grade LPVOs from Trijicon and Vortex. I contacted Athlon, who’s excellent customer service got me a replacement quickly.
My first impression of the Helos is that of an optic in a higher price tier in terms of build and construction. It has exposed turrets are similar to high-precision turrest found on Athlon’s long range optics. The elevation turret has a one revolution zero-stop for competition. For an AR moving from the 200yrd to 600yrd target during a XTC competition, the adjustment for drop would be within it’s 23MOA rotation. Its beefier turrets also help make it a tad heavy at around 23oz.
The reticle ATSR3 SFP reticle is unique to this Athlon model offering a crosshair-with-floating dot within its circle of death. The center circle and holdover T are illuminated for day-to-dusk competitions but is not red-dot bright. Against black competition bullseyes, a brighter illumination would be welcome.
When I first got the Helos BTR, I was puzzled as to its relatively low 1-4.5x power range, which I assume comes from the heritage of NRA High Power ‘service rifle’ competitions. The current marketing trend in LPVOs to offer more-is-better with 8x, 10x, and higher magnification. I wonder why Athlon doesn’t offer a parallax focus in their 1-10 Ares ETR? Regardless, the Helos BTR is an LPVO that offers competition grade features and high quality optics at a “budget” price for an Athlon.
Discovery Optics has quietly been making high featured optics in the price tier usually considered “budget”. Discovery sent me a pre-release sample of their new ED-AR 1-8x24SFIR FFP LPVO. This is part of their top tier ED line of optics which utilize Japanese ED glass.
This is an evolution on the ED-AR 1-6×24 not just in illumination but also in the addition of a side-focus parallax adjustment knob. This feature is nearly unheard of in LPVOs. Moreover, this scope is able to focus from infinity to an unprecedented 5 yards; making this optic an option for hunting, NRL22 or precision airgun.
The overall glass quality was bright, clear and sharp. While not quite the same league as the Vortex Razor HD it come much closer than most LPVOs under $500. At launch this scope is selling for a street price of $200 on Amazon and the Discovery Optics website which makes this optic cheaper than Swampfox, Primary Arms and many other budget optics! The retail version does not include rings or a mount; I recommend mounting this on an offset mount for your AR like Discovery Optics and Monstrum QD mounts.
Like other FFP’s, the ED-AR suffers from a thin reticle at 1x. Unfortunately the ED-AR’s illuminator is typical of most LPVO’s, not quite daylight bright and only useful in low light or CQB. I would suggest Discovery offer this optic with a much thicker 1x reticle configuration similar to the Arken EP8 or the Sig TANGO MSR.
Over multiple range visits, the scope held zero. It has a lifetime warranty. With their new service office in California customer service shouldn’t be a problem. If they can keep this unit at this price point the ED-AR has the potential to change the LPVO landscape.
Maven sent me the target model of their excellent B.5 18×56 binoculars. This version has a MIL target range finding reticle (they also make an MOA version) in the left tube of the binos. These are a feature that make them useful for target range estimation and shot correction in long range shooting sports.
While it only offers 18x magnification, binoculars offer stereoscopic depth perception unlike single tube scopes; this allows you to easily determine the relative distances of objects to each other and that of ground splashes to the target. Its size and compact form make it easy to pack and transport compared to a 80mm spotting scope (which can’t easily be use handheld like binoculars).
The B.5 features bright and clear Fluorite glass for crisp details. This is a step up in price and quality than standard ED glass which has some fluorite in it but “Fluorite ED” is even sharper and more expensive. Looking through the B.5 there is little chromatic aberration from edge to edge.
Looking at my reference targets at 100yrds I was able to see far clearer than in my phone camera test footage. Something about the eye and the brain when looking through binoculars allows you to see in greater zoomed detail. I was easily able to see the .22cal holes on paper even at 100yrds.
The B.5 has dark grey silicone rubber armored body tubes and striking metallic orange accents on its reticle leveling ring and washer sections. These colored accents and the body can be customized when ordering a build-your-own model of your optic on the Maven website. No other optics company offers such a wide range of custom style options on their products.
The B.5’s does not come cheap. This and all of Maven’s optics come in at a premium price tier. But its optical performance and customizable style make it look like a winner.
Athlon Optics recently sent me a Midas TSR-1 micro reflex red dot to test. It comes standard with a Picatinny mount, which got me wondering could I use this for Olympic-style shooting?
Olympic-Style shooting became a hot topic during this summer when Turkish precision shooter Yusuf Dikeç won Silver at the Paris Olympics. Usually the Gold medal winner receives all the attention but Dikeç became an internet sensation despite his 2nd place finish. The internet was captivated by his dad-bod and his “no-fucks-given” nonchalant shooting performance. Suddenly the big guntubers were asking how hard is it to shoot Olympic-Style?
Olympic-style style matches are based on International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) rules and are the traditional stance and style for target pistol sports. This style of shooting is alive and well in the USA at NRA Precision Pistol matches. NRA Precision Pistol includes categories for full sized pistol cartridges (9mm and .45cal) along with 22LR Olympic Style pistols.
Unlike Olympic/ISSF, NRA Precision Pistol allows the use of red dots. I enlisted the aid of my fellow club members, who compete in NRA Precision. My buddy brought out his Pardini 22LR (along with Hammerli and Walther) dominate the Olympics and ISSF. If you haven’t seen these 22LR pistol at your range it’s probably because they start at about $2900, so not your typical backyard plinker!
The Athlon TSR-1 is a compact 3MOA micro-reflex designed for Doctor/Noblex cut pistol slides (like the Vortex Viper). It is feather light at 2.8 oz with a thin profile ideal for concealed carry pistols. It has motion-activation, auto-off, and is rated for a 50,000hr runtime on a CR2032 battery. It comes with a Glock MOS adapter plate and Picatinny mount.
Tge Pardini has a rail cut on its receiver for optics. This rail is wide enough for a Picatinny but is shallower. The Athlon Picatinny mount just didn’t have a sharp enough cut on its clamp to sit precisely in the Pardini’s small grove. It was shootable but was not ideal.
For 22LR target pistols with a Picatinny rails like competition Ruger MkIV or My Advantage Arms Target 1911 slide, the Athlon TSR-1 sits securely and perfectly. So we discovered that whilst the TSR-1 will never grace a modern Olympic pistol, it’ll help you drive tacks into your target shooting Olympic-style American target guns.
Enter to win an ED-AR 1-8×24 LPVO from Discovery Optics. Subscribe to my travel channel, Moondog Go or follow me on X. Entries must be received no later than 12pm EST on September 30, 2024.
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Anarchy Outdoors sent me their Penguin Precision Grip. This grip was designed by a former US Army Ranger and law enforcement snipers. Unlike the AR-style factory grip of the Ruger Precision Rimfire (RPR), the Penguin has a vertical angle favored by precision shooters. This angle allows for a more ergonomic hand position when shooting prone or bench rested.
Moreover, the features a thumb rest and hand wrest to reduce grip fatigue and encourage more even trigger pull. The palm swell is skeletonized palm both reduce weight but I suspect to promote airflow to reduce palm sweating. Installation was similar to an AR but easier as there was no selector index pin to keep track of. It was a simple matter of unscrewing the base bolt with a long enough Allen key to reach the receiver base through the hollow grip.
Night vision goggles (NVGs) used by military combat units cost thousands of dollars. But with “Digital Night Vision” goggles have made night vision affordable for civilians; in the hundreds of dollars (and sometimes under a hundred). GTMedia sent me their newest N4 model test and it is a good example of this type of NVG.
All digital cameras are sensitive to inferred (IR) wavelengths of light outside our eye’s visual spectrum. Digital NVGs are essentially portable digital video cameras and displays. These Digital NVGs are essentially Gen 1 night vision, only able to see images with the help of active IR illumination (an inferred flashlight).
The N4 is a compact and lightweight Digital NVG unit that has the form factor of a binocular but is in reality a single lens digital camera with individual eyepieces that look at the same display. The second objective lens is actually the IR flashlight which illuminates your subjects in beam that can extend out to over 100yrds. The N4 has a built in rechargeable battery and can take both video and 10MP photos while it is being used as an NVG.
The unit is made of lightweight plastic that has a 1/4″ photo socket so it can be used on a tripod or attached with a GoPro compatible bracket to a head strap and worn over your eyes, handsfree. The unit has a focus controls for the eyepieces to see the internal low-res LCD display and for the digital camera. My unit had a slight defect in the camera focus which limited the distance of sharp focus to 20ft-60ft. GTMedia sent me a replacement unit after I sent them videos of the problem which was mechanical in nature.
In testing I was able to see a man sized figure at a distance of 100yrds but because of the IR illumination, the image was mono-chromatic. The unit is able to see in full color but it’s camera is night very high fidelity and the video footage I was able to get was lackluster; about the same as low-quality security camera footage. The footage I did manage to get felt more like an analog horror game.
The 1x through the unit is more like 5x and is disorienting and makes to walking while wearing it in the dark, awkward and potentially dangerous on rough terrain. The light weight shell makes it easier to wear and travel with but feels fare too fragile to drop. It could do with some silicone armor and a stronger GoPro bracket connection or an adapter for NVG J-arm.
The unit did work and could allow me to identify animals or intruders at night but it is not a combat optic. Because Gen 1 NVGs require in IR light source, these can be easily seen at a great distance by Gen 2 or Gen 3 NVGs and identified. In a SHTF situation, the N4 is outclassed but it is better than not having night vision. There is an old saying, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is the king.”
CVLife is known for budget firearms accessories but recently, they’ve really stepped up the quality and design of their optics. The Wolfcovert 6MOA is an affordable RMR cut reflex sight available in red or green dot. It has a 20x28mm lens affording a wider field of view than typical CCW sized micro dots. The 6MOA sized dot and bright green help in acquiring and aiming the dot especially for those new to using dots on their pistols.
But this micro dot can also be paired with CVLife’s riser mount and used on a rifle, shotgun or pistol caliber carbine. CVLife offers these mounts are in 21mm, 23mm, 25mm, and 29mm heights allowing you to absolute or 1/3 co-witness your dot to your iron sights.
The WolfCovert has some premium features like motion-activation and 4-minute auto sleep to conserve battery life. The unit has a stated 50,000hr (10year) battery life. The battery chamber is accessible from the top of the unit so you don’t have to unmount it. It is built with an Trijicon RMR footprint and comes with an RMR to Picatinny and a RMR to Glock MOS adapter.
The reticle can be adjusted using a small flathead screwdriver (a flathead tool is included). The adjustment screws are faintly audible, tactical positive and distinct, with no slop. Each click is 1MOA. In my testing I discovered that the Wolfcovert I received did not hold zero. I contacted CVLife and after sending photos and details about my ammo and rifle (115gr 9mm on Sub2000) they swiftely sent me a replacement. The replacement unit held zero after a 100rnds of testing.
At SHOT Show earlier this year I got a first look at what could potentially be a game changer. Monstrum created a 2x magnifier with an exceptionally long eye relief so that it is positioned forward of your red dot or prism. This allows you a clearer field of view than a traditional magnifier but if you use a magnified prism optic, you can multiply it’s magnification by 2x and get even higher power.
A few months later, I got my hands on one. It lived up to my expectations, surprised me in some ways, and disappointed me in others. It truly magnified the target image by 2x which really made a noticeable difference in my in PID (positive identification) of my targets at ranges beyond 50yrds.
I’ve not been a fan of traditional red dot magnifiers because of they block too much my peripheral vision, especially when flipped to the side to clear the view of the primary optic. Traditional magnifiers also have tight eyeboxes and small eye reliefs. The Ghost 2x has nearly unlimited eye relief and when positioned farther away from the face, minimizes blocking of my peripheral views.
This extreme eye relief is a key feature of the Ghost 2x, which makes it an ideal optic for scout rifles, AKs, or folding carbines like my Sub2000. Theoretically it could even be used on a pistol. This also allows it to be placed in front of magnified prism optics as well as red dots. This effectively doubles the intrinsic magnification of that prism; turning a 4x ACOG into a 8x optic.
But as Heinlein said, there is no free lunch. By adding a Ghost 2x in front of a prism, it reduces the brightness and introduces more distortion on the outer rim of the image. Moreover adding a optic in front of your primary optics aimpoint, causes the point of aim to shift; you have to zero out the Ghost 2x independent of your primary optic.In theory this could be an advantage, allowing you to set a long distance zero with the Ghost 2x to compensate for bullet drop, while keeping a point blank zero for your primary optic.
But fantasies of turning a 4x ACOG into a long range precision optic with a Ghost 2x, should be dispelled by the side-flip mount. The hinge of the side-flip will inherently never keep an absolute zero. As anybody who’s had to tighten the hinge on a kitchen cabinet knows, over time and use, a hinge will loosen up. Traditional side-flip magnifiers also have this issue but that doesn’t stop people from using them especially for 3-gun. That’s because at close to moderate distances (ie 100yrds or les) the side-hinge mount shouldn’t impact action-shooting level accuracy with man sized targets.
As I said, I’m not a fan of traditional magnifiers and for the same reasons, nor am I fan of prism optics. But the benefits imparted by this unique magnifier avoid most of those negatives. I’m looking forward to seeing how this new class of optic impacts the shooting industry.
If you own a The Ruger Precision Rimfire (RPR), chances are you never gave the bolt shroud a second thought even though it’s been literally right under your nose. The bolt shroud is the metal cap that cover the butt end of the bolt and houses the mainspring and firing pin components.
Anarchy Outdoors makes a RPR bolt shroud in a variety of colors. I requested a red shroud to match the red Little Birtha knob they sent me to test out on my rifle. Installation was simple but took a little bit of time as does anything involving a spring under tension. It was a matter of knocking out the holding pin and then re-using the main spring in the factory shroud.
