Arken Optics?

[Winter17]

Anyone have thoughts or experience with Arken scopes, looking at the SH-4J ?

[crankythunder]

Good Morning:

I have a Arken 4x16x44 that I got about two years ago, want to think it is a EPL? Cost was about $400.00. I had read all the reviews and I got to handle and inspect a different model Arken at the range which impressed me. I was looking for a competition optic for my Anschutz 2313 22 LR position rifle and did not want the huge 50 mm front lens and need it to focus down to 50 foot. I did not want to splurge the $900.00 for a Leupold 6.5x20x40 competition scope since I primarily compete with Irons but occasionally do a match where optics are allowed.

I am very impressed with the arken scope. Now I can appreciate good optics but I also have limited funds so hidden gems are very appealing to me. If you take this scope out on a 600 yard range and look through it on a sunny day you will see some chromatic abberation around the edges and a couple of other deficiencies that you would not notice unless you were trained to detect flaws in fine, high quality optics. A normal person will look through the scope and say the view is "Breathtaking". a Nightforce, Swarovski, Zeiss, or similar rifle scope owner will point out items that make this scope inferior to theirs.

It is a very nice riflescope, and quite frankly, I am amazed at the image I have in a $400.00 dollar scope. The difference in optics between todays optics and those ten years ago is amazing.

Regards,
Crankster

[Blue XJ]

I have an EPL 4 with the Japanese glass. I will agree with the above review. It's a good scope for the price, the turrets are very nice and have a zero stop.