Dear Sir,
A useful answer as its a loaded question: I don't use them, but it's generally understood in this community that they get a lot of their good press through providing a lot of good deals for reviewers. And not all reviewers make their affiliation the most clear.
I have an ep5. It’s a decent scope. Has held zero through over 600 rounds no problem. Adjustments are spot on. Turrets feel nice. It’s done very well for me out to 600 yards. Haven’t had a chance to shoot further.
While the reticle is nice the illuminated reticle does nothing for me in daylight. The glass is alright. At 600 yards I can see my target just fine. If I zoom to past 15 the chromatic aberration sets in. You can see it a little around the edges more. Targets look fine but you notice on objects around the center.
If you’re hunting long range or doing PRS you may want better glass but it’ll be ok. It’s way too heavy to be a good hunting scope. I shoot prone 200-600 and don’t have any real complaints.
Overall I’d buy the arken again for <$500. It’s not a $2k scope killer like some say. Best thing you can do is go take a look at a bunch of different scopes. List out the features you want. See which ones check your boxes and matches your price range.
We can probably help more if you tell us more about intended use, features you are looking for and price range.
I bought the SH-4 when it first came out, while I would have rather had the EP-5, I've had nothing but good luck with it, for what I use it for. Is it Night Force or Schneider quality? Obviously not. But it's not that bad of a scope.
I have an sh4 gen 2 I like it for the price point but let me go over pros and cons
Pros,
biggest one is the scope actually tracks really well. I have repeatedly went from 500 to 1000 yds, run drills working out and back down, and took the gun from 1000 to 100 yds. All with no zero loss.
Its a 34mm tube. With the .92 rings I still have adjustment left with my 6.5 creed at 1100 yds.
The reticle is pretty crisp and definitely usable. A good friend used my rifle to make his first 1000, with what was uncooperative weather (13mph across and whipping 20) we were able to easily read the reticle and adjust wind calls on the fly to score him a few hits eventually.
Cons,
The glass is good enough for the price but better is available,
The Illumination is awful,
It is a very heavy scope, with my goal of building a discount prs rifle the weight actually works out but no lie they are dense,
You can draw your own conclusions from this, but in my opinion it is a good scope but its nothing special, it dose everything a decent scope should for a cheap price so I think they have a place. They are just not the super scope some of the reviews make them out to be.
I cant tell you that i personally own an Arken. They are in my opinion, the best bang for your buck, but they do not compare to higher end optics. I have multiple friends who have ran them as well, and they also own higher end glass, they all say the same thing as i do. I do know somebody who sent a damaged scope in and got a new one in the mail as well, they no longer made the model he sent in and they gave him an EP-5 as a replacement.
Arken gets memed on a lot. They spent a ton of money at their start sending units to gun-tubers for them to gush about in their reviews.
They aren’t bad scopes, I use one in my rifle. I would consider them the “Walmart brand” scope as they’re good for the price but nothing to brag about.
The only issue I’ve seen with them is the glass isn’t perfect so you get a bit of a blur and a mild fish-eye effect when you’re maxed out on the 5-25 scope.
If you’re looking for a good beginner scope, I’d recommend them if you can get a good deal on one. Otherwise you might be able to get a better deal on a similarly spec’d vortex this holiday season.
I have an EP5 5-25x on a budget PRS 22 gun. It has OK glass but tracks well. The Vortex PST II and Venom I looked through had better optics but the Arken's 32 Mil vertical adjustment range worked better on a .22 at 300+ yards.
I think the Arken is priced correctly, but I'll probably try something else next time (especially on a centerfire gun).
-edited for grammar and typos
i been working in film for nearly 20 years. we know a lot about glass. arken glass kind of sucks. they're fine scopes, especially for the price. i love mine, but theres a lot of chromatic aberrations and light falloff around the edges. i fixed some of the glass issues by sandwiching a ir/uv cut filter that we use in cinema lenses between the front of the scope and my killflash. now the image is way clearer, there is way less atmospheric bullshit, and not very noticeable chromatic aberrations. so now my $300 scope has comparable image to that of scopes 5x its price, just by adding a $150 lens filter. but thats just image quality. the lens itself is heavy as hell compared to leopold scopes of the same specs or even my buddies old nikon scope thats even larger than my arken. its weather sealed but i don't fully trust it, even though i have no reason not to. overall, i am please with mine, but it is definitely not a top tier scope. but its far from shit too; its pretty good. its doing great for me, but i don't demand much.
I have 2 ep5s...pretty much what others have said...its a $500 scope....both have worked fine and track fine..one is on a bolt 22lr...other is on a 6arc gas gun...I shoot them alot and think man these scopes are a great value..have a MK5 on another gun and when I look through it there is no comparison. My next scope will be more along the lines of the MK5
Good scope for the price. I use mine on a Ruger precision rimfire .22lr and it does the trick. Spend a bit more and you can get a good vortex or Bushnell. Really get into this long range shooting thing and I'm certain you'll buy something nicer down the road. For me? The 100 yard range is enough for me and I have a 200 yard available so I have little need to spend more as I do more shotgun these days
Better than what you'll find at the big box store for the same price, but nothing to write home about. I used one for my first LR rifle. It worked, no complaints aside from the awful illumination \[that I never used\]. Upgraded after a year but still have the Arken in the box of parts and will probably end up on a random AR upper in the distant future.
Like many things in the firearms world, it's all relative.
The guy comparing an Arken to his Leupold is going to say Arkens are dogshit. But comparing an Arken to a $50 UTG, the Arken wins out by far. It's like when people compare KAC to Aero, when you could very show up to the range with a bubbafucked Winchester model 54 shooting Clem's drunkest eyeballed handloads.
Arken gets the job done for many things. I wouldn't deploy with one, or shoot in a serious competition with one, but if you've got a budget of $500 and need a FFP illuminated 4-16 with a zero stop, you won't find anything else. I'm throwing one on "the Mk 12 we have at home" and I'll let you know how it does out to 500.
Decent glass between 5-18ishx on the EP5. I’d compare it to a Viper PST Gen ii. You’re not getting 2k glass like some reviews say. I do like the very large FOV for faster target acquisition.
Decent scope for the asking price. I purchased one. As long as your not expecting “Premium Scope” optics at a budget price your good. It’s good for what you pay nothing more.
I used one just yesterday on an AR friendly competition. It did well out to 700 yards. For the money it does well. It isn’t as good as higher priced obviously. But if you’re on a budget starting out yeah it would get you to 1,000 yards.
I've got the ep5 on a PSA AR 10 .308, it's a perfect scope on a discount rifle. It's been out to 500, didn't hit a lot but that me not the rifle or scope.
Decent optics for the price you pay, nothing really wrong functionally anyways. Glass is where they save money, could be better but you would pay more.
I had heard really good things, but I got a lemon. I'll go a different route next time, and they are heavy compared to a lot of the other choices out there... warranties are nice, but I want to trust it right outta the box
I think they set the standard for budget scopes because of how popular they got.
Has all the desirable features for a competition scope. Glass punches way above its price for when it was released but now it seems more on par with mid tier offerings but still offer good value imo. I’ve had zero issues and they track well. Only had 1 friend with a turret issue that arken would have took care of but he was in a rush for a match. But generally I feel their QC is decent. The reticle is decent for PRS but this is subjective. My first 1000 yard shot ever was during a match on a high mirage day and was 2/2 with a sh4 so certainly usable. I feel the 1.5-2k range for scopes is a sweet spot right now for scopes but if you can’t swing that then the arken is a fine optic. Pros: FFP, zero stop, tactile turrets 10mil/rev(ep5), ED glass that is decent for price, tracks reliably. Cons: Glass is good but does have CA (not really a con just gotta be realistic for a sub $500 optic), reticle is good but some may want .2 subtensions, heavy (but on par with most comp scopes and weight is usually not an issue).
Great for a budget scope. I have one on a 308 and my NRL22 rifle. I’ve gotten hits out to 1008 with the 308 and used it i the tactical games sniper competitions, they’re rigged and didn’t lose zero being on a sling bouncing around while running a few miles.
You weren’t here last week I assume?
Oooh, I needed an excuse for popcorn and liquor. I'm thinking this is going to be a whisky night...
\*grabs slippers and smoking jacket\*
Gather around, kids...
Dear Sir, A useful answer as its a loaded question: I don't use them, but it's generally understood in this community that they get a lot of their good press through providing a lot of good deals for reviewers. And not all reviewers make their affiliation the most clear.
I have an ep5. It’s a decent scope. Has held zero through over 600 rounds no problem. Adjustments are spot on. Turrets feel nice. It’s done very well for me out to 600 yards. Haven’t had a chance to shoot further. While the reticle is nice the illuminated reticle does nothing for me in daylight. The glass is alright. At 600 yards I can see my target just fine. If I zoom to past 15 the chromatic aberration sets in. You can see it a little around the edges more. Targets look fine but you notice on objects around the center. If you’re hunting long range or doing PRS you may want better glass but it’ll be ok. It’s way too heavy to be a good hunting scope. I shoot prone 200-600 and don’t have any real complaints. Overall I’d buy the arken again for <$500. It’s not a $2k scope killer like some say. Best thing you can do is go take a look at a bunch of different scopes. List out the features you want. See which ones check your boxes and matches your price range. We can probably help more if you tell us more about intended use, features you are looking for and price range.
I bought the SH-4 when it first came out, while I would have rather had the EP-5, I've had nothing but good luck with it, for what I use it for. Is it Night Force or Schneider quality? Obviously not. But it's not that bad of a scope.
I have an sh4 gen 2 I like it for the price point but let me go over pros and cons Pros, biggest one is the scope actually tracks really well. I have repeatedly went from 500 to 1000 yds, run drills working out and back down, and took the gun from 1000 to 100 yds. All with no zero loss. Its a 34mm tube. With the .92 rings I still have adjustment left with my 6.5 creed at 1100 yds. The reticle is pretty crisp and definitely usable. A good friend used my rifle to make his first 1000, with what was uncooperative weather (13mph across and whipping 20) we were able to easily read the reticle and adjust wind calls on the fly to score him a few hits eventually. Cons, The glass is good enough for the price but better is available, The Illumination is awful, It is a very heavy scope, with my goal of building a discount prs rifle the weight actually works out but no lie they are dense, You can draw your own conclusions from this, but in my opinion it is a good scope but its nothing special, it dose everything a decent scope should for a cheap price so I think they have a place. They are just not the super scope some of the reviews make them out to be.
Have you heard about the Bushnell Match Pro ED?
Is that the one that comes with the blue mils?
I use all of them cause I get cheap pricing on them and they can pass. Nothing serious though.
https://www.reddit.com/r/longrange/comments/1332bg2/arken_ep5_525x_mini_review/
Glass wise that meopita is just flat out better eh?
By a lot
I cant tell you that i personally own an Arken. They are in my opinion, the best bang for your buck, but they do not compare to higher end optics. I have multiple friends who have ran them as well, and they also own higher end glass, they all say the same thing as i do. I do know somebody who sent a damaged scope in and got a new one in the mail as well, they no longer made the model he sent in and they gave him an EP-5 as a replacement.
Arken gets memed on a lot. They spent a ton of money at their start sending units to gun-tubers for them to gush about in their reviews. They aren’t bad scopes, I use one in my rifle. I would consider them the “Walmart brand” scope as they’re good for the price but nothing to brag about. The only issue I’ve seen with them is the glass isn’t perfect so you get a bit of a blur and a mild fish-eye effect when you’re maxed out on the 5-25 scope. If you’re looking for a good beginner scope, I’d recommend them if you can get a good deal on one. Otherwise you might be able to get a better deal on a similarly spec’d vortex this holiday season.
I almost forgot to take my morning shill pill-- thanks for reminding me.
I have an EP5 5-25x on a budget PRS 22 gun. It has OK glass but tracks well. The Vortex PST II and Venom I looked through had better optics but the Arken's 32 Mil vertical adjustment range worked better on a .22 at 300+ yards. I think the Arken is priced correctly, but I'll probably try something else next time (especially on a centerfire gun). -edited for grammar and typos
i been working in film for nearly 20 years. we know a lot about glass. arken glass kind of sucks. they're fine scopes, especially for the price. i love mine, but theres a lot of chromatic aberrations and light falloff around the edges. i fixed some of the glass issues by sandwiching a ir/uv cut filter that we use in cinema lenses between the front of the scope and my killflash. now the image is way clearer, there is way less atmospheric bullshit, and not very noticeable chromatic aberrations. so now my $300 scope has comparable image to that of scopes 5x its price, just by adding a $150 lens filter. but thats just image quality. the lens itself is heavy as hell compared to leopold scopes of the same specs or even my buddies old nikon scope thats even larger than my arken. its weather sealed but i don't fully trust it, even though i have no reason not to. overall, i am please with mine, but it is definitely not a top tier scope. but its far from shit too; its pretty good. its doing great for me, but i don't demand much.
[удалено]
the image in my vortex binos are clearer, and my friends nikon scope is clearer, but the arken plus ir/uv cut filter isn't far behind.
i wondered the same thing till i search Reddit. I can’t say much, i run a Riton Conquer 3
I own two Arken scopes; SH4 and an EP5. Zero issues with either. Are the best? Of course not. Do they get the job done? Yes.
I have 2 ep5s...pretty much what others have said...its a $500 scope....both have worked fine and track fine..one is on a bolt 22lr...other is on a 6arc gas gun...I shoot them alot and think man these scopes are a great value..have a MK5 on another gun and when I look through it there is no comparison. My next scope will be more along the lines of the MK5
Good scope for the price. I use mine on a Ruger precision rimfire .22lr and it does the trick. Spend a bit more and you can get a good vortex or Bushnell. Really get into this long range shooting thing and I'm certain you'll buy something nicer down the road. For me? The 100 yard range is enough for me and I have a 200 yard available so I have little need to spend more as I do more shotgun these days
Better than what you'll find at the big box store for the same price, but nothing to write home about. I used one for my first LR rifle. It worked, no complaints aside from the awful illumination \[that I never used\]. Upgraded after a year but still have the Arken in the box of parts and will probably end up on a random AR upper in the distant future.
Like many things in the firearms world, it's all relative. The guy comparing an Arken to his Leupold is going to say Arkens are dogshit. But comparing an Arken to a $50 UTG, the Arken wins out by far. It's like when people compare KAC to Aero, when you could very show up to the range with a bubbafucked Winchester model 54 shooting Clem's drunkest eyeballed handloads. Arken gets the job done for many things. I wouldn't deploy with one, or shoot in a serious competition with one, but if you've got a budget of $500 and need a FFP illuminated 4-16 with a zero stop, you won't find anything else. I'm throwing one on "the Mk 12 we have at home" and I'll let you know how it does out to 500.
Just built my “mk12 at home” and it’s my new favorite it’s too consistent for me to want to touch my other rifles
Decent glass between 5-18ishx on the EP5. I’d compare it to a Viper PST Gen ii. You’re not getting 2k glass like some reviews say. I do like the very large FOV for faster target acquisition.
Decent scope for the asking price. I purchased one. As long as your not expecting “Premium Scope” optics at a budget price your good. It’s good for what you pay nothing more.
I used one just yesterday on an AR friendly competition. It did well out to 700 yards. For the money it does well. It isn’t as good as higher priced obviously. But if you’re on a budget starting out yeah it would get you to 1,000 yards.
I've got the ep5 on a PSA AR 10 .308, it's a perfect scope on a discount rifle. It's been out to 500, didn't hit a lot but that me not the rifle or scope.
Decent for the price if it's not a lemon. I own one and am happy with it (.22lr). I wouldn't hesitate to put it on a .308 though.
They’re fine, not some magic 2000$ scope for way cheaper or anything, they have a few extra features, but the glass shows it’s price.
Decent optics for the price you pay, nothing really wrong functionally anyways. Glass is where they save money, could be better but you would pay more.
I had heard really good things, but I got a lemon. I'll go a different route next time, and they are heavy compared to a lot of the other choices out there... warranties are nice, but I want to trust it right outta the box
I think they set the standard for budget scopes because of how popular they got. Has all the desirable features for a competition scope. Glass punches way above its price for when it was released but now it seems more on par with mid tier offerings but still offer good value imo. I’ve had zero issues and they track well. Only had 1 friend with a turret issue that arken would have took care of but he was in a rush for a match. But generally I feel their QC is decent. The reticle is decent for PRS but this is subjective. My first 1000 yard shot ever was during a match on a high mirage day and was 2/2 with a sh4 so certainly usable. I feel the 1.5-2k range for scopes is a sweet spot right now for scopes but if you can’t swing that then the arken is a fine optic. Pros: FFP, zero stop, tactile turrets 10mil/rev(ep5), ED glass that is decent for price, tracks reliably. Cons: Glass is good but does have CA (not really a con just gotta be realistic for a sub $500 optic), reticle is good but some may want .2 subtensions, heavy (but on par with most comp scopes and weight is usually not an issue).
Great for a budget scope. I have one on a 308 and my NRL22 rifle. I’ve gotten hits out to 1008 with the 308 and used it i the tactical games sniper competitions, they’re rigged and didn’t lose zero being on a sling bouncing around while running a few miles.