Thoughts on putting $390 optic on a .50 BMG

[IronMonster]

So my new Barrett M82a1 showed up and at the moment I don't want to spend a ton of cash on a scope. I bought a $350 Athlon optic for my 6.5 CM RPR and have been really impressed and am moving towards buying an Athlon ARGOS BTR 8-34X56 MOA to put on the Barrett.

My FFL who I had the rifle sent too is a dealer and he thinks its a bad idea but I think he thinks its a bad idea because he wants to sell me a $2500 optic and not a $390 one.

If it kills it Athlon has an unconditional lifetime warranty so I cant see how you can go wrong with a 8x34x56 FFP 30MM tube optic for under $400.

Argos BTR 8-34x56 ATMR FFP IR MOA - Athlon Optics - Rifle Scopes - Binoculars - Red Dot Scopes - Spotting Scopes - Rangefinders - Riflescopes

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[41mag]

IMHO waste of time & money

 

[B5Ben]

I would go for it and test that warranty. I have read through the warranty and didn't see anything limiting caliber size. I just bought the Argos 6-24 BTR my AR-10 in 6.5 and have the Helos 8-34 BTR on my Savage LRP. I like them a lot and feel like they are the best value in scopes that provide very good performance for the price point.

 

[MasterChief]

I would go for it and test that warranty. I have read through the warranty and didn't see anything limiting caliber size. I just bought the Argos 6-24 BTR my AR-10 in 6.5 and have the Helos 8-34 BTR on my Savage LRP. I like them a lot and feel like they are the best value in scopes that provide very good performance for the price point.

I'm with B5Ben on this one....

 

[IronMonster]

IMHO waste of time & money

Well the general idea with a semi-auto .50 BMG is to waste time and money while generating fun... so?

 

[41mag]

your time, your money, good luck

 

[The Heretic]

I went thru this.

For years I held off getting a scope for my .50 BMG - about 10 years actually (some of those years I was trying to sell the rifle here then decided to keep it).

Then recently I saw a good deal here on a SIG Sauer Tango 6.

After digging into what was needed for shooting beyond 1 km and getting any precision, and looking at this guys vids on long range scopes:

I decided to go ahead and spend the $1500 on the Tango 6.

I wanted the elevation adjustment, the optics, the good turrets (very important, especially for shooting at one range and then another) and the mil/mil (turret/reticle), FFP and so on. After listening to TRex, I decided that the Tango 6 was a steal, and if nothing else, I could sell the scope and/or rifle later.

That said, he did not review the Tango 6 - I do not believe it was on the market when he did these vids.

 

[11Charlie]

IMHO its worth a shot Iron. Give it a try with a life time warranty if it fails they send you a new one put it on a different rifle and buy a better one for the 50.

 

[ARKLITE881South]

Send me the money, you'll get the same affect in the end, you'll be out 390.00

 

[FireArm]

Do it!! Worst case is a warranty gets called on.

 

[bolus]

iron sights!

who cares what optic you use if it is under warranty? if it breaks get it replaced and then upgrade. I'd get some good scope rings and a good lapping kit so that they hold the scope tight.

 

[JDAVIS]

the warranty covering it will be good. the only down side to that is the down time with the rifle if the optic goes down and your waiting for it to be repaired/replaced. Also any ammo that is used up if the scope does fail but the problem does not make itself obvious and your trying to track down the problem. I am all for best bang for your buck and not spending money that can be saved but at the same time i have spent alot of money trying to go the "cheap" way out.

 

[jbett98]

At that price you could buy two and mount the extra one while waiting for the first one to be repaired.

 

[Kruel J]

I honestly can't imagine that a scope with that much magnification and FFP AND illuminated reticle could be a quality piece at that price. Just my two cents.

 

[Member 5605]

Go for it.

I have bad shoulders. I shot a .50BMG. Comparing it to .308 recoil with a longer push... if I'd put the optic on a .300WM I would put it on a BMG.

 

[IronMonster]

I honestly can't imagine that a scope with that much magnification and FFP AND illuminated reticle could be a quality piece at that price. Just my two cents.

I hear ya, but the first one I bought has been fantastic

 

[Kruel J]

I hear ya, but the first one I bought has been fantastic

I still say putting a $400 optic on a $6000 precision distance rifle is underwhelming to say the least. Shoot, you can grab a good Vortex or used Leupold for not much more than that.

 

[Sniper03]

Iron, GOOD LUCK with that $350 scope.
I had a Millett Tactical on my 338 Lapua Magnum. It lasted about 3 months with very few rounds fired before the recoil tore the Reticle Assembly up! The 50 BMG will be no less aggressive!
I went and purchased a Leupold M-4 since I know it will handle the recoil, And some Seal Team Sniper Teams use the Schmidt and Bender and Leupold M-4. I payed around $1100 for it.
I will say one good thing about Millet. They had me send it back. They had great customer service which is important these
days! It is what a company does with an issue as this that counts! They had it repaired at no cost and returned. However, when it did come back it came back to me directly from "Bushnell"? Maybe they have a Contract with Bushnell to do their repairs?
I will be putting it in the future on a rifle with less recoil like a 308 or other caliber.

 

[IronMonster]

I still say putting a $400 optic on a $6000 precision distance rifle is underwhelming to say the least. Shoot, you can grab a good Vortex or used Leupold for not much more than that.

I don't know how you can call a 2 MOA with match ammo platform "precision" ?

 

[IronMonster]

Maybe what I should do is put the 6 x 24 that I already have on there and see if I can break it.... if I do take it off and put it back on my Ruger Percision rifle after I get back from warranty?