Athlon Optics Argos HD 20-60×85 Spotting Scope – Green/Black

I recently received my Argos HD 20-60×85, and man, it’s a game-changer! This thing blew me away, and I couldn’t be happier with it.

First off, it’s built tough. Feels solid and well-made, yet it’s surprisingly light and easy to carry around. Plus, the included case and tripod is super handy.

In terms of value for money, this spotting scope is a winner. The performance and build quality you get for the price are unbeatable. Athlon Optics has really hit the mark with the Argos HD.

As far as optics go, this thing blows my telescope out of the water. The 20-60×85 setup lets you get up close and personal with whatever you’re looking at. I pointed it at a tower that’s just under 1,700 yards and the details were crisp and clear. The colors pop, and it stays bright even when it’s not-so-sunny outside. These pictures were taken just before sunset.
Note: The eye relief is pretty tight and I couldn’t get my lens close enough to the eyepiece, so the picture of the tower is not a true representation of the real life picture, just wanted to show the clarity and magnification.

Focusing is a piece of cake, and that adjustable eyepiece makes sure you get the perfect view. The focus wheel is smooth and precise, so you can zoom in on your target without any fuss.

Another standout feature is the ruggedness of this scope. It’s waterproof, fogproof, and seems like it’s built to withstand harsh weather conditions in the field.

In a nutshell, the Argos HD 20-60×85 is a winner for me. It’s got power, clarity, and toughness at a more than reasonable price. I plan to use it for long-range shooting and based on what I’ve seen so far, this is a perfect fit for me. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase, and I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a high-quality spotting scope.

I bought this to use in long range rifle shooting. I had been using a much cheaper scope for several years but at full magnification the image was pretty dark. I had no desire to spend a lot of money but I did want something better than what I had. I use an Athlon Ares 4.5X27X40 riflescope and have been very impressed with it; so after reviewing a dozen or so scopes around this price range I decided to get the Argos spotting scope. This spotting scope is twice as heavy as the cheaper one I had, but the clarity is so much better! The weight doesn’t concern me as I always have it set up on a tripod and don’t carry it anywhere but from the truck to the shooting station. The focusing ring is much easier to use than the little knob that was on the one I had and the eyepiece on the Athlon is twice the size of my old scope. I’m sure if I had been willing to sink a grand or more into a different scope it would be nicer in a lot of ways, but for me this scope works just fine.

I bought this new scope based on the scarce reviews and hoping I would not have to return it for a scope costing 2 to 3 times as much. HD glass here, not ED glass. I am happy with the purchase. Nice features and a sharp image. The big focus ring like the ones on Swarovski scopes and the twist up eyepiece are nice. So is having a big 2 1/4 inch eyepiece. Polycarbonate housing is light weight, but seems sturdy enough for moderate use. Many of my photo lenses have poly bodies, too, with no issues. Very clear image in bright light. Low light is where you pay big money to excel. I wish scope manufacturers rated their scopes by how much light they let thru like photo lens makers do. Standardized f-Stop ratings would make buying decisions a lot easier. And make junk scopes harder to sell.
Most telephoto lenses let in less light as you zoom, unless you spend LOTS of money. This scope is no exception. In full daylight it matters little. 2 1/2 inch letters on parking signs can be easily read 1/2 mile away if they are in direct sunlight. A license plate in the shade at the same distance is almost possible, but not quite. Jupiters’ moons are clearly visible, while with my astigmatism, Jupiter’s stripes are difficult to see and barely visible. A neutral density filter may help. ED glass and more expensive coatings might help too,, but those are expensive upgrades. At dusk, colors lose their intensity above 40x zoom. That being said, at dusk trophy bull elk can be told apart from average bulls a mile away in a field visible from my home, even with the bull standing a few feet into the trees. Depth of field is very narrow when zoomed at 60x. A very light touch is required on the focusing ring at 60x. If you are not patient while focusing, I can see why so many reviews claim mid priced scopes are blurry at max magnification. Part of that is a manufacturing price compromise, part may be a little operator error. A Neoprene “view thru” case is not listed but one is included. All in all, a decent “mid priced” scope for those wanting to avoid cheap junk but unable to spend big bucks on premium glass. More than adequate for an average shooter’s needs like mine. Specialty needs will require spending specialty prices. I would recommend this to a friend to use as the point of diminishing returns to decide whether to spending a lot more money is worth the expense.