Athlon Cronos BTR vs Tract Toric vs Vortex Razor Gen2

This is the good bad and the ugly video request.

[@TexasTrained]

Iown the Athlon Cronus Btr,Gen 1& Gen 2. The Tract Toric ELR , Vortex Razor & Delta Stryker and my shooting partner owns the Valdada Recon and a Vortex Razor Gen 2.The Valdada is lacking in glass clarity but has 40 MILS of Elevations.We shoot in King Of 2 Kile Comps.So he uses it.I use the Athlon Cronus BTR Gen 1 on my 300 PRC, In Ligh Gun Division. The Tract Toric on my 33XC Light gun, & The Athlon Gen2 on my 375 Chetac in Heavy Divison.And my Delta Stryker on my 338 Lapua Magnum.There is not enough Difference in any of these in Glass Clarity. Even my Primarfy Arms PLX 6-30x56 Apollo has great class.I likebthe crisp cliks in Athlon,I like the 36 Mils of Elevation on my Tract Toric over the othersEach one has na Plus in something.Tract Toric use to be my Favorite.Now I lean to the Athlon Gen 2 because I dont have to look up to dial.I can count & feel the clicks. Its really splitting hairs. I see more Nightforce scopes by far at ELR matches.With Athlon the 2nd most scopes. Vortex Razor is probaly 3rd with Valdada 4th.I have only seen 2 Leupold Scopes in a year of matches.Most say the turreyts are Mushy.Vortex Razor is too heavy for me when weight vcounts in these matches.The Tract Toric get me out to 3050 yards on my 33xc without using my Prism.Thats a Plus over Athlon & Delta Stryker & Vortex Razor.Grae Video. Thanks.

[@RockinRack]

That's super interesting and says a lot about these budget scopes capabilities. In competition where everyone is running very expensive custom rifles that shoot expensive ammo and yet so many cut cost when it comes to optics. I would expect to see nothing but top teir, nf, tt, zco, s&b, uso, etc Is there a budget I'm these divisions like in production class?

[@kellyhohmann2294]

Thank you so much for your time and effort putting this out.

[@pantherhollow5290]

No problem.. Thanks for watching

[@comeonsense2022]

Really appreciate your honest reviews. Keep up the great work.

[@KevinWood44]

Focued in at 2:00 (Cronus) 3:45 (Toric) and 5:00 (Vortex) - Cronus looks amazing, not surprised, little to no dark edges....amazing scope. IMO the absolute perfect reticle! Center dot, no unnecessary clutter, just perfect. - Toric equally as nice as the Athlon but the Toric seemed to zoom in closer, which seems weird bc the Athlon is 4.5-29 and the Toric is 4.5-30 unless the Athlon was not at max zoom?!? Reticle is almost as nice, center dot but a little busier. I think these 2 scopes are a dead tie, I LOVE Athlon but I would get the Toric bc I have owned an Athlon. - Vortex is not a bad scope but there is a clear difference between this and other 2. The edges have obvious darkening on full zoom, the glass just does NOT measure up vs the Athlon and Toric. The reticle is nice but again not even close to Athlon...or the Toric. If you put the Athlon reticle on the Toric you may have THE perfect scope sub $2,000 (rivaled only by the Delta Stryker and the Valdada)

[@freeandcriticalthinker4431]

I think the camera was high. And the frame rate is to slow, so it over exposed the last scope. I don’t own a vortex, but can only imagine if your in the envelope, then you shouldn’t see that scopeshadow

[@freeandcriticalthinker4431]

Oh, I own the Delta Stryker 4.5-30x56. It’s sweet. But not as much as my Valdada Recon G2. That’s the bomb. Best scope I have ever owned, tgats for sure

[@camonly849]

My dad has the vortex razor gen ii and it does not do that at high zoom. It was absolutely crystal clear at 500 yards for us. It's like looking at an HD TV. I'd like to compare all these in real life. Sometimes these videos don't help, but they are appreciated.

[@commonsense5709]

The Athlon Cronus BTR Gen 2 and Tract Toric ELR are both clearer and better quality than the Trijicon Tenmile.

[@michaelbutler4961]

Looking at the fence it appeared the Toric was sharper

[@gerard0l6569]

Was hoping to really see the difference between these scopes but your camera kept moving. Not sure why your camera kept shaking

[@bob4003]

What’s your conclusion on the athlon vs the tract toric

[@hmoobshow2482]

The lower end Athlons have limit on elevation adjustments if zero stop is used, does the Cronus also have adjustment limit like those as well if we use the zero stop?

[@pantherhollow5290]

no sir.. simple and easy to use.. Thanks for watching

[@commonsense5709]

I haven't noticed the zero stop limiting any of my Midas Tac and Ares BTR scopes.

[@manueladolfoholzmannillane3050]

is it me or there is no differnce with vortex and tract toric?

[@jaydoski]

Thx for the video! I wish you just focused it at sharp as you could for each scope and left it for comparison. As far as contrast goes, which do you think was the sharpest and/or clearest of the three?

[@pantherhollow5290]

The Cronos and the Tract are a dead tie. The Aries ETR for $1100 is really close.. The Cronos and the Tract are made in the same place and share the same high quality internals. for this reason I Would put them above the Aries.. Thanks for watching. Have a good week..

[@davidhagerman7165]

My favorit is the Tract Toric it is very clear and no darkening on full power. can't afford one but nice to see what the higher price scopes offer.

[@MAC-vh3kf]

Good videos, we'd appreciate a video and opinion on the blackhound 6-24×50.

[@pantherhollow5290]

I am trying to get a scope from them.. thanks for watching..

[@kevingeary1472]

Can you redo this video. I'm very interested in seeing the difference but a few points. 1. Get a mount for each scope so we can actually see thru them the same. 2. Set the camera focus to manual and don't change it between scopes. 3. Put out a color chart. 4. Set them all at the same magnification. 5. I like the 1 min per scope. 6. Thank you for putting out real reviews and not just saying they're all great and there's no difference like everyone else does. I've started watching all your videos because you have integrity above corporate pressures.

[@pantherhollow5290]

What scope are you interested in knowing more about? The video you are asking for would be quite an undertaking. I will keep it in mind for a future video. Thanks for watching!

[@RockinRack]

If the toric had a little bigger center dot and an option for no illumination for a little less money i think it would be perfect. Ide put the glass quality up there with my mk5s and razors but that super fine reticle dot isn't usable for my eyes at lower magnifications and i have never used the illuminated feature so i would rather not pay for it lol

[@pantherhollow5290]

Nice

[@KevinWood44]

have you compared the Razor 3 to the Cronus? I love my Cronus but the eye box above 20x gets verryyyy tight. I hear the R3 is amazing in that regard. Thoughts?

[@commonsense5709]

The Razor Gen 3 is way easier to get behind than the Cronus BTR Gen 2. The new black ones are cool for $2450. Maybe Black Friday sale might go cheaper. I have ordered the Element Optics Theos since Mike likes his Theos better than his Razor Gen 3 in regards to image quality. In addition though I'm not a fan of all of their other lower models of scopes sold by Element Optics, the Theos looks to be significantly better on par with the Razor Gen 3. I look forward to the lightest weight in class at 36.5 oz just over half an ounce heavier than the Athlon Cronus BTR Gen 2 with totally tool less zero stop and completely tool less adjustments. If I like it better than my Sightron SVIII 5-40x56s, I'll definitely be buying more of the Theos. I like the Sightron better than the Razor Gen 3 and they're both excessively heavy scopes. I prefer lighter weight scopes such as March.

[@KevinWood44]

@@commonsense5709 Hold up the Gen 3 is now available in black???? And yes the Cronus is def a bitch to shoot off hand, if u have a decent cheek weld its fine but the eye box is tight

[@commonsense5709]

@@KevinWood44 EuroOptic and Scopelist has them for $2450 regular selling price and maybe cheaper come Black Friday.

[@MikeHunt-wx4wk]

I could really use some help. I have a athlon midas tac 6-24x50 that I'm upgrading from because of a really tight eye box. I'm looking at all three of these as replacement options. Could you tell me which one has the best most forgiving eye box in your opinion. Much appreciated.

[@pantherhollow5290]

They are all VERY close. I would give the edge to the vortex

[@MikeHunt-wx4wk]

@@pantherhollow5290 Thank you for the reply

[@MikeHunt-wx4wk]

@@pantherhollow5290 Just purchased a Burris Pro 5.5-30x56..just thought I'd let you know what I ended up doing.

[@pantherhollow5290]

@@MikeHunt-wx4wk how do you like it? I have not had one of those in my shop.

[@MikeHunt-wx4wk]

@@pantherhollow5290 I just bought it today. I'm throwing it on a Bergara B14 trainer. As soon as I get a take on I get back to you. Will be using for PRS.

[@freeandcriticalthinker4431]

I don’t ownaVortex, but that wasn’t quite fair. The scope shadow really messed up the image plus it’s over exposed. Maybe consider going with a high end , or at least something like Sony A73 to drastically improve that. Just my take as your putting out a product that’s highly visual, so anything that degrades the actual image is pretty important

[@pantherhollow5290]

agreed.. What makes this fair is that all the scopes was videoed with the same camera. So this is the issue with videoing through glass that has different coatings from scope to scope. the coatings on the lenses play a big role in how easy they gather light and color when being videoed through. When making a video like this you can make it look really good or really bad depending on what condition you video in.. I.E. (weather condition) So keeping all of that in mind this is why my channel is not funded. I am trying to show that the differences in the glass are not as noticeable on video as they are in person!! the price of the camera is an other issue. I am not willing to buy a $1k camera to video with when there are no funds being generated by my videos. I am not looking for sponsors or funding, like other channels. I give a honest opinion on what I see and I sometimes do videos for the guys that ask of it.. Ted outdoors is a customer of mine that has purchased scopes from me in the past. This video was something he wanted to see because there are other channels that doctor their videos to make it look one way or the other. KZbin is just another way to sell product. There are not many channels like mine that are not funded by free product or advertising. Panther Hollow is a stand alone optics dealer that offers long range training and product knowledge that is gathered by time in the field. Competition and hunting is what we do. this give us an opinion on product that many channels can not offer.. thank for watching and have a good one!!

[@arjones2330]

Love the videos!!!

[@pantherhollow5290]

Thank you sir. Thanks for watching

[@patthis]

Thanks for the video... hard to tell from a video but in your opinion which one had the best color?

[@pantherhollow5290]

Yea... the video is not that great.. the elements where very harsh this morning.. The two scopes that tested the best was the Tract and the Athlon Cronos. The Orange sticker on the green ball was very clear on both of those scopes.. (by eye).. The Vortex Razor was more washed out.. Thanks for watching... have a good week..

[@guerrierweg]

waa a waa a waaa wa waaa waaaa....

[@pantherhollow5290]

@@guerrierweg ????,,,,, Must be a Vortex fan boy.. lol

[@guerrierweg]

@@pantherhollow5290 😂 sorry, that’s just me trying to do an Ennio Morricone impression of The Good The Bad and The Ugly! I’m actually an IOR fan boy... though I have tried Tract Toric’s and they are amazing.

[@pantherhollow5290]

@@guerrierweg LOLOL... I see... IQR ... those are killer scopes... We use Valdada here at Panther Hollow.. Thanks for watching buddy.. Have a good week..

[@dirklabuschagne473]

Great video. Thank. Possible to do a Midas Tac 5-25 vs Ares btr vs Arken sh4 comparison?

[@pantherhollow5290]

The Aries has the exact same glass as the Midas. Both of the Athlons are better in the glass category than the Arken. I am still waiting on some Tacs to come in.. Thanks for watching. I am planning on a video as soon as they arrive! :)

[@oif3vetk9]

I can say this, I own both the athlon midas tac and a vortex pst gen ii. I shoot PRS and just got my 6mm ARC gas gun done a couple months ago. Started out with the athlon on it for one match, switched to the vortex and shot the last match of the season, I'm back to the athlon. To me the athlon midas tac is superior to the vortex in every way. I know, it's not the scope comparison you're looking for but I hope in some way it helps.

[@commonsense5709]

The Arken isn't in the same league as the Athlon Midas Tac and Ares BTR and rightfully so since the Arken is less than half the price of these Athlons more like closer to one third their price.

[@scarter176]

How would the cronos BTR Gen 2 compare to Zeiss S3 ?

[@pantherhollow5290]

the Zeiss scopes that I have messed with are VERY hard to beat for the money!

[@commonsense5709]

There have been reported problems with the Zeiss LRP S3 with reliability issues and needed to be sent in for warranty in several instances twice and three times already within less than a year. Their warranty is also only for 5 years for their electronics illuminated reticles something to keep I'm mind if warranty matters to you when making your decision to buy.

[@jackle842000]

Your cam was focusing more on the crosshairs than the background view. Hard to tell much like that I guess

[@pantherhollow5290]

my camera is much better now, Thanks for watching.

[@scottchambers7185]

Did you compare the turrets?

[@pantherhollow5290]

yes, in other videos.

[@dusbus2384]

If you can do the athlon cronus btr vs the trijicon tenmile both in 4.5-30x56 that'd be a great help. I just can't make up my mind

[@pantherhollow5290]

I am not a dealer for trijicon.. Sorry man..

[@commonsense5709]

The Cronus is noticeably clearer than the Tenmile and it's Delta Stryker twin.

[@ertatta]

Too bad the Primary Arms platinum wasn’t thrown in the mix. Seems to be another outstanding value scope coming from Light Optics Japan

[@pantherhollow5290]

yea they seem to be great scopes, they are just not that popular here in my neck of the woods.

[@TexasTrained]

It is indeed.I own the Primary Arms PLX 6-30×56 Apollo.Its clear as these others.I also own the Tract Toric,Athlon Cronus BTR Gen 1 and gen 2.Three Delta Strykers.4.4-30×56 in FFP a n d two 5-50×56 SFP.They are all so similar it's splitting hairs.And my cheap ARKEN EP4 6-24×50 isn't far behind..Especially for 450.00

[@theitalian556]

I will say that the Leupold Mark 5 HD had a slight edge over the Athlon Cronus Gen 1 and the Minox ZP5 was substantially better than the Cronus and MK5.

[@pantherhollow5290]

Thanks for your input.. And thanks for watching..

[@theitalian556]

@@pantherhollow5290 Thank you for the quality and informative video!

[@Jdeneik]

It should for almost twice the amount

[@sashekiprijanovski1112]

Thanks for the video . Going to buy me a TRACT TORIC 100%

[@commonsense5709]

Buy the optional $40 mirage ring it's very worthwhile to have and the $70 Tebebraex lens covers and $100 ARD device.

[@commonsense5709]

December 1st upcoming 10% off with free shipping sale.

[@Dulema]

Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 vs Element Titan. Do you think the Element can compete?

[@pantherhollow5290]

Absolutely!... Better glass Better turrets Zero stop was designed better 4 redial choices the biggest thing for me is that it will work when you get it and you will not be returning a brand new scope. Element tests all their scopes before they leave the factory. (not 1 out of 100..) Thanks for watching.

[@Dulema]

@@pantherhollow5290 thanks a lot for your prompt resonse! That's a big reason I love your channel. You are quick to answer everyone's questions and/or make response videos. So I take it that you would choose the titan over the pst gen 2?

[@pantherhollow5290]

@@Dulema No problem man!! Yes I would pick the Titan over the Vortex.. Have you looked at the Athlon Helos BTR Gen 2s.. They are very impressive for $600. The Titan ret is thinner and lends its self to smaller objects better. this is my only complaint about the Helos BTR.. thanks for watching...

[@comeonsense2022]

I think it's worth taking a chance with the Vortex PS2 if you can still find them for around $500 (priced half off). Two buddies of mine had purchased the Element Titan and they both didn't think the glass was good enough for $799.

[@Dulema]

@@comeonsense2022 I ended up purchasing the Element Titan a while ago and the glass clarity is quite impressive. I am also able to notice improved brightness over the PST Gen 1. My only gripe with it is the weight to a small extent as well as the fact that the turrets are on the mushy side and my particular model's turrets don't line up as precise as they should. Will most likely be gearing up to send it back after my match next month. Aside from that, I am VERY satisfied with this tank of an optic. Mushy turrets are not desired at all but I REALLY can't stand the adjustments not lining up. I'm sure it's a simple fix or replacement tho so I'm not blowing up too much about it.

[@jeffsmth46]

Good job

[@NOFBDYBS]

The Cronus looks like it's punching well above it's price point.

[@pantherhollow5290]

agreed.. its very nice for the money.

[@zerocompliance9186]

If I can get my money back from Arken....I think going to get the Tract. Nowhere around it you get what you pay for just have to bite the bullet. The Arken I was looking at is somewhat of a unicorn..... I don't trust vortex anymore I've had bad experiences with them..... I like NF.... But they have fallen behind the curve.....I'm going to give Tract a chance. I've heard nothing but good things about the toric

[@pantherhollow5290]

The Tract line of scopes are great for the money! Those guys take care of their customers. Let me know what model you end up with and how you like it!!

[@rkwjunior2298]

Like to see these Vs the Mavin RS series scopes

[@pantherhollow5290]

Sorry Sold my Maven.

[@rkwjunior2298]

@@pantherhollow5290 didn't like it?

[@mikecornelison9910]

@rkwjunior2298 I had a chance to sell it because I am trying to move to Mil for PRS. I plan on running the new Theos. It is in my mind almost the perfect scope for this use.

[@commonsense5709]

I was going to buy one but too many people who owned then said the controls were way too stiff even after long term use. The RS4 is $1800 and you could buy the new Element Optics Theos on sale for just a little more money than the Maven plus I didn't like the reticle options Maven has either.

[@rkwjunior2298]

@commonsense5709 I agree, the only reason I didn't buy was the reticle options. No xmas tree in mils

[@Sharberboy]

I'll take my tract any day

[@pantherhollow5290]

The Tracts are great scopes.. Its a great company ran by some really good guys.. Thanks for watching..

[@romalabunskiy8237]

Hello, now is the choice between Cronus and Toric , I live in Ukraine and do not have the opportunity to look at them live! Help with making a decision!

[@pantherhollow5290]

They are about the same glass wise with the Cronos being brighter and the Tract having more warmth to the colors. The Tract is a better looking scope with a okay warrantee. The Athlon is not as good looking but has the best warrantee. Both are built well and both a very tough to beat for the money. I have more Cronos scopes than Tracts because of the abuse we put them through. I hope this helps.

[@romalabunskiy8237]

@@pantherhollow5290 Thank you so much for your help.

[@romalabunskiy8237]

@@pantherhollow5290 For the military, would you recommend Cronus? Do I understand you correctly?

[@pantherhollow5290]

@@romalabunskiy8237 Original question: (Hello, now is the choice between Cronus and Toric , I live in Ukraine and do not have the opportunity to look at them live! Help with making a decision!) I would recommend the Crones over the Tract based on warrantee. I have seen all types of scopes fail!! NightForce, Kalas, Leopold, Zeiss and Vortex Razor. I have personally beat the crap out of 2 Cronos BTR Gen2s and 1 Aries ETR Gen2. Both scopes by Athlon. they still run even tho they are deeply scared and beat-up. I have not done my Tract this way because I can not get it replaced for abuse... As far as Military use??? They do their own studies and they buy based on the best price and a higher sampling of product. My 3 scopes is nothing compared to the testing that our boys put several scope of different brands through. So I am saying that the Athlon has a better warrantee.. The tract is a better looking scope and the glass is a tie!! Based on what I know I would pic Athlon over the Tract because of the way I use my scopes and comp guns. I hope this helps.

[@comeonsense2022]

Tract has a 15% off military discount prices if that makes any difference.

[@christianbehier2221]

Tract Toric and Razor Gen II very similar? 🤔😃

[@pantherhollow5290]

yes they are.... You have a good eye buddy...

[@pantherhollow5290]

The Cronos done the best over all..

[@christianbehier2221]

The reticle for the Cronos is less cluttered, the Toric much like the Razor has a dirtier reticle. While the glass comparison is super cool to compare with side by side - the total package needs to be in perspective with the application. I tend to be partial on good turrets, that still makes the Razor my fav 😆😆

[@cardboardkiller6883]

These videos never do scopes justice and it's hard to evaluate them this way. I can tell you from personal experience that the Cronus looks way better in person.

[@pantherhollow5290]

I agree,,, Thanks for watching

[@mryang3644]

VS maven rs4 ?

[@pantherhollow5290]

I have videos on the RS4 and it is still in my collection..

[@mryang3644]

@@pantherhollow5290 mines on order right now on a Custom build. Had to take advantage of the sale..

[@pantherhollow5290]

@@mryang3644 Let me know what you think.

[@mryang3644]

Will do... I too also have Gen2 rzr to compare with personally. Can't wait!!

[@pantherhollow5290]

@@mryang3644 That is awesome buddy. I look forward to your input. Thank you for watching..

[@WhiskeyTangoFoxtraught]

Maybe Sony needs to make scopes.

[@pantherhollow5290]

Agreed. Thanks for watching.

[@MotivatedMetalworks]

Sony's lens department is killer, just like Nikon's. I'm not sure why Nikon bailed on the scope market, but Zeiss is still around and they do great scopes.

[@markf3229]

Tract glass superior. German Schott glass. They are all high quality scopes.