Why I'll never use the Arken SH4 Gen 2 4-16x50mm scope

[@SocialRegressive]

Answering some of the common questions and comments on this video: Claim #1: "You're not testing this scope in optimal lighting conditions." Answer #1: These clips are just some of my tests. I've tested this scope in different lighting conditions and sun angles, at different heights over different kinds of ground. I've tested it at different turret adjustments and target distances. The image quality is uniformly abysmal in each EXCEPT at night with the target illuminated by artificial light. Claim #2: "You're getting paid by other scope manufacturers to lie about the SH4." Answer #2: I know I can't prove it to you except by showing you my bank records, but I accept no money or special favors from any manufacturers. All I accept are their products for evaluation. And maybe cool T-shirts. If you watch any of my other scope and rifle review videos, you will see that I show the good and the bad, and I make recommendations based on the limitations of each piece of gear. My primary concern is that the Average Joe - like me - doesn't waste money on inferior products. Claim #3: "You're the only one complaining about the image quality." Answer #3: Please look up Eagle Eagle Eye Shooting, and his review (kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJyqg3lon8qgbZY) of the 6-24x50mm SH4. You can also read the comments below. Many shooters report their SH4 has a beautiful image quality. But we also have a significant number that report the same issues as my two scopes. What we are probably dealing with is spotty quality control, not bad materials or a bad design. Claim #4: "You didn't adjust parallax properly." Answer #4: The image quality is so bad that it's difficult to even FIND proper parallax. I used different methods, mostly moving my head behind the scope, to find the sweet spot. Claim #5: "You're overstating the poor quality of the image." Answer #5: I've spent more time testing and re-testing this scope than any other on my channel. I compared it to nearly every other scope I own, regardless of price, and I compared them in the same conditions and at similar magnifications. The only scope I found that was worse than this one was a Barska 8.5-25x that was on a rifle I was tuning up for a friend. Claim #6: "No one has claimed that a $300 scope can compete with a $2000 scope." Answer #6: I bought this scope specifically BECAUSE many reviewers were positively comparing the SH4 Gen II to $2000 scopes. In fact, you're probably seeing some recommended videos right now that make that claim in the title. Claim #7: "So you're calling other reviewers liars?" Answer #7: No. They seem to have received scopes that were exactly as good as they say. I've seen their test footage. I'm just giving you my experience with two of their scopes. And if you're wondering if I will send this second back to Arken under warranty, at this point I can't. I've made a controversial claim that I can only substantiate if I hang onto this scope. Claim #8: "You're just trying to hurt the reputation of a scope manufacturer that competes with your favorites." Answer #8: I really wish this scope had lived up to the hype. Because I don't accept money from anyone, I'm a poor man, and losing $650 on this purchase hurt a lot. I made this video to help protect the next guy like me. At least I can use the mounts and rings on other 34mm scopes. The mounts and rings seem pretty awesome.

[@licensetochill79]

If you don't want it LOL I'll take it for my 22

[@Trees4lunch1]

I’ve now got 4 Arken scopes, as well as scopes from Konuspro (2), Athlon (2),Vortex(1), Nikon(1), Monstrum (yuck), Primary Arms(3), BSA(2), NightForce(1), Simmons(2), and UTG(1). As you can see from the above list, I’m buying with a restricted budget, getting the best I can afford for the rifle I’m putting it on. The only reason I got a NF scope was because it came with a used rifle I bought at a great price. While I’m not a fanboy of ANY particular company, I have been pretty impressed by the Arken scopes I’ve got - especially compared to others at their price point. I really like that most of their scopes don’t have that stupidity called a BDC reticle, which I’ve learned (after I bought my Primary Arms ACSS scopes) is a great way to have a vague guess and not a clear idea of where your bullet is going. And, by the way, First Focal Plane is incredible. And don’t buy a Monstrum.

[@MrWhiltetail]

I would be really interested to find out if the model with the Japanese glass got rid of those problems. More money yes, but still a great price as you can always get them at 25% off their normal price with an easy to find coupon code.

[@giorgioskaraiskakis9548]

I have the Arken EP5 5x25 MRAD illuminated reticle and it’s above the SH4J model and it has Japanese glass not Chinese glass. The glass issues that you pointed out are prevalent in the SH4 model predominantly because it’s made in China, that’s really the only difference. The EP5 is 100% Japanese. I got 2 of them and I love mine. I can calculate anything and everything I need to. I do use mine both at the range and for hunting but I stay at 500 yards or less. I’m not looking for 1000 plus yards or metres. Here in Ontario Canada there aren’t many open plains or places where you can take an 800 yard or 1000 yard shot at a deer, black bear or moose. Unless of course you are shooting across a lake etc. 1000 yard shots are mostly for shooting ranges up here in this type of terrain. Most hunting shots are under 300 yards. Why don’t you do a review on the Arken EP5 ? I would love to see that review. Another thing to keep in mind is when I’m dogging through thick bush for hours and I bump my scope or drop my rifle, by accident of course, I can easily replace the cost of the Arken EP5. If I had a $5000 Swarovski on my rifle and I damaged it beyond repair I would be I tears for months. A $5000 scope is not easily replaced by most middle-class hunters.

[@giorgioskaraiskakis9548]

@@MrWhiltetail Precisely!, I got 2 of the EP5 models and I love them. I don’t have any of these issues with either EP5 model.

[@PopShot76]

You are stating the obvious with this scope. We all know it doesn't have glass that will compete with a Tract, but to say it's unusable is nonsense. I use one all the time to shoot medium range (300-700 yds). This scope allows those with a lower budget to experience long range shooting with an optic that will out track most of the high end scopes, with glass good enough to get the job done.

[@long-range-eliminator]

1500 verse 400 is big diffrence. Agree with you on this

[@3CODKing]

Texas plinking has a video of himself and another dude shooting out to 1000yds with this very optic. Spoiler, dude shooting in the competition hit the 1000yd mark

[@bigjohnsmash481]

😃

[@user-un5my5bw4j]

You can get a meopta for almost the same price which has Schott German glass which is one of the best glass brands for optics in the world right next to Deon (March) in Japan. Meopta scopes are leagues above arken in every way with no parts made in china whatsoever. Meopta is also one of onlt three scope manufacturers in the world who research, design, make, and use their own reticles rather than outsourcing from a Chinese company.

[@CiviTac]

I’ve hit at 1 mile with the 5-25 Arken. I’m not a member of the “just as good club” but dang you can do a lot with well made budget scopes

[@markbraunschweig5227]

The key is "For the money". If you want the perfect scope, then spend 10x more. For those that can't afford it, that's where this scope is focused.

[@BabaNovac792]

THE KEY is... "For the money" .......🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂...he is not imposing on anyone , your money - your choice , I for one haven't heard him talking about "perfection" (where did that came from?) but I did hear him say "better options for the money"

[@jugo1944]

Yeah, the shots thru the scope look fine to me, I'm not a swat sniper

[@jonrigsby4925]

So, I bought my SH4 Gen 2 4-16x50 about 3 weeks before you posted this based solely on the recommendation of a friend who is also a competition shooter. Mounted on my AR10 and zeroed at 100 yards. Next weekend shot in a 300 and 600 yard match. This past June, shot it out to 1200 yards on steel plates. In July shot it out to 800 yards. In none of these 3 venues, in various light conditions (early morning, late afternoon, Cloudy overcast and bright Clear sky) did I have any issues seeing mirage, looking for wind tell-tales (grass, tree leaves, etc) or seeing splash, bullet trace, or impact marks (on the steel). I was impressed (and still am) with this scope. After the first time I watched your video, I took my AR10 (with the Arken) and another rifle with a different manufacturer's 4-16x44 scope (Rhymes with HORTEX) and did a side by side comparison at 100 yards. Both were crisp and clear at 25, 50, 75, 100, and (approximately) 112 yards. At each distance I had placed high vis, sharp edged objects (specifically, small cardboard boxes and clay pigeons) side by side with a similar object with much more muted colorings. These were placed in shaded areas as well as bright areas. At the 100 yard mark, I placed 2 separate optical clarity charts - 1 printed in bright green, and the other in purple - on the target holder itself. In no case did I detect any Chromatic abberration of either Axial or Transverse Chromatic Abberration. I could clearly focus at any of the distances mentioned above, with no CA affects. Oh, and clarity is sharp enough that I had no difficulty reading "some" of the writing on the side of the box at 50 and 75 yards... So, semi-empirical, annecdotal evidence that this issue isn't present in all cases for this particular make/model scope. You can take that for what it is; one user's experience. Would I buy another? Yes, absolutely.

[@SocialRegressive]

I'm glad to hear it! I hope that Arken just got a bad batch, and I got two of them.

[@saltysteel3996]

​@@SocialRegressive Lifetime warranty, get them swapped out. These scopes have the best tracking mechanism in the world. Better than S&B PM II. 100% tracking verified by TiborasaurusRex.

[@Nicholas-im8bd]

If you tried anything worth a crap, you wonder why you wasted all that time writing that reply to that random KZbin video. The image is "foggy" and absolutely horrid on the SH line of scope. i have $100 scopes that look better. Its so bad bi almost didn't try another Arken... but... i spent more money the following purchase and was pleasantly pleased. th EP line is clean clear and crisp. The SH lines is god awful and though build quality feels good, but the glass is so bad that they risk people bailing on the brand all together. If your shooting matches... like literally spending that kinda time to go shoot, your insane for settling on such a terrible piece of kit. I have airguns i wont even put the SH on

[@The340king]

For the average Joe out hunting, this scope is superior to most everything else in the price category. I have the EP 5 and really like shooting through it. I don’t shoot competitions, but the EP5 could be used on a bottom end of the capable scopes list. I use it on a heavy 6.5 Creedmoor AR platform rifle for hunting.

[@randyemenhiser2573]

Kyle is probably the only youtuber that would ever say a rifle scope has a "Shakespearian tragic flaw".

[@SocialRegressive]

Howdy, Randy, you "First" of the fine arts!

[@mybuickskill6979]

And he's gotta be named Kyle 😭😭😭😂

[@gascheck8151]

I think this is his code talk for. This is a piece of junk don’t buy.

[@dvskane1808]

@@gascheck8151if you ever used an Arken, you’d change your mind. They aren’t there with the 3k scopes, but for the price you would surprised. My $500.00 Arken is better then my $1,200.00 vortex, just saying.

[@Jeff_Seely]

Thanks Kyle. You are no doubt a rifle optics expert. I think you spend a lot of time looking through flawless glass. I'd like to give credit to the SH4 for what it is. I paid 250 bucks for mine and yes it has chromatic issues along with aberrations. You see I am a lot older than you are, I grew up in the era where optics were often problematic. So my tolerable level is quite favorable toward an optic. Anyway, the sh4s on my daughter's 243 and all I can say is I can still hit the x-ring sub moa groups of .5 with that gun at a respectable distance. That's really all I'm after: rock solid repeatable erector assembly. It's the best you'll find for under 300 bucks, I think.

[@coffeehunter8742]

WELL SAID! 👍👊

[@ShotintheDark-lk1ps]

Lol an expert ...lol yeah sure .....

[@magic4221]

@@Jeff_Seely Calling this guy an expert,is like calling Biden a genius.

[@Jeff_Seely]

Ouch🤣!You aren't going to slap down $250 and just walk off with some glass that can even compete with a $750 reticle. If that were true, the sh4 would be sold for more. It just isn't going to happen. No matter how much we'd like it to. The good folks at Arken don't expect you to believe it and I don't so it's a good thing.

[@jro1213]

I think this honeslty one of the most fair reviews ive seen for the scope, I will say I haven't had as much trouble as you have with chromatic abberation, but it is still there. As a "newer" company maybe the problem comes down more to quality control but for the price its still fantastic for anyone who is curious to get into shooting.

[@drtommoore1805]

You can not buy a scope with decent scope for 300$

[@jro1213]

@@drtommoore1805 I didn't realize scope was a feature scopes had tbh

[@gj0628]

Or maybe unrealistic expectations and exaggeration

[@GTMGunTotinMinnesotan]

Interesting find. I have had a few. I mean the glass isn't great, but I haven't had quite the same thoughts on the CA. Always appreciate unabashed honesty. I love mine.

[@linkchen8245]

Mmm I wonder what scope is better in optical quality in this price range ?

[@commonsense5709]

@@linkchen8245 Sightmark Presidio 3-18x56.

[@jamestowles7560]

When you use semantics like "why ill never use" and then it doesnt come down to something actually critical like not holding zero it makes it look like youre searching for hot take gripes for clicks. Arken doesnt dispute that the ep4 is a lower glass quailty optics in comparison to EP'5s...... Its a 34 mm scope that tracks well according to vast majority of users and has illumination and side focus for 300$..... This whole review is a tactical elitist bit. Conflating "working" and bad glass quality is in bad faith. Not fair to the company that makes these. And then you have the unmitigated gall to recommend some scopes that cost 3 times as much! youre so out of touch...... People are not buying these to engage in long range precision shooting. They are buying ball ammo and shooting 12 inch plates to 600 yards or whatever with a scope that has a look of a schmidt and bender.

[@ohms139]

My EP5 did fine shooting 1000 yds. I actually replaced the Vortex Viper PST on my RPR 338 with the EP5. Overall the Arken was better than the Vortex for $200 cheaper I got a larger main tube, better tactile turrets up to 10 mils and not 5 mils (requiring double dialing) and it a hell of a lot sturdier. Definitely a poor review.

[@ericbennett1253]

I noticed out of ALL the reviews with cam shots through the scope, this was the WORST image I've ever seen. Like the parallax was purposely out of focus. Were all the other videos doctored? Were they different scopes alltogether? You'd think, right? I don't get it. I have 2, brother has 4, buddy has one and NONE of them look that bad. The Arken's are not top tier level of course but don't claim to be nor are priced like it. They will satisfy MOST shooters imho. I still can't believe what a poor and lazy review this was. It seemed either personal or click bait. It was mainly trash talk with no real proof or demonstration. Basically "look at this blurry paper while I don't adjust anything. It's trash and I wasted my money." Okay fine....but "Not even entry level"? Seriously? That destroyed any credibility of the authenticity of the opinion. If I WAS a subsriber I would have unsubscribed.

[@Kinnh61]

Thank You Sir , You said it perfectly! & With alot more tact than myself ...but the same feelings

[@terrystull3159]

I watched eagle eye's video and he had no trouble spotting misses and hits at 1000yds. Pretty good for an entry level optic with these features IMO.

[@MrZappod]

Thank you for this review. One of the very, very few people on KZbin that actually addresses chromatic aberration. Thoroughly enjoyed your evaluation. Keep up the straight shooting.

[@joshuascout5549]

I own five arkens and they're phenomenal! I took off my nightforce nxs 3.5x15x50 off my waypoint 2020 and put on a sh4 gen 2 6x24x50...

[@dougmorehouse7035]

You're not the only guy... I can't believe he's gotten two lemons, because I spot hits misses on steel with a 1st Gen 4-14x44... And my Gen2 is better.... I rang steel with 2 EP5's, 2 Gen2 SH4 6-24X50, and the 1st Gen 4-14x44.... On 308, 6.5, and 223... I turned 4 guys onto Arken, and they have all been pleased, and 3 of those 4 have been 1000 yard successful... The 4th hasn't tried yet...

[@heinrichstoltz1356]

Thank you for the unbiased honesty. We need these kind of reviews.

[@skyking4581]

Thank you Kyle. Great information. I don't own the SH4 but I recently purchased the Arken EPL4 6-24×50 FFP MOA VHR. Very happy with it. I have to say the glass and functionality are on par with US Optics, Night Force, Vortex and the like, at a much lower price point that rivals the high end optics . I am looking forward to purchasing the Arken EP5 5-25X56 FFP MOA VPR.

[@jtee9548]

You got the better glass lenses, that's why you're not seeing his issues.

[@ohms139]

I'm by no means a Fan Boi but you must have gotten bad scopes. Also, the SH line isn't as good as the EP line. To write off a brand because you had an isolated incident is poor reviewing.

[@SocialRegressive]

I have a limited budget. If an overhyped product turns out to be substandard, I'm not wasting coin on another one. If I can look through an EP without having to pay for it, fine. But I'm not sending good money after bad.

[@davidlong6796]

Ohms139, I think you got lucky and got a good one. Ive looked thru 4 or 5 Arkens and they all had the issue he describes. Once the parallax was set so the image was crisp, the reticle vanished. When the reticle was crisp, the image was shite. I dont know enough about how optics work to know why this is, but Ive never seen this with any optics from $100 to $2K. Its a friggin mystery.

[@johnnybarbar7435]

@@SocialRegressive That makes no sense when they have a 100% no questions asked return policy. The only issue would be timing the purchase when you will have free time to evaluate it thoroughly within the return period.

[@bradbo3]

Since Im frugal…i would still buy one of these. All the pro’s outweigh the cons. Plus Im in the woods of the northeast and dont need super clear long range shots. I did buy the Bushnell Nitro you reviewed….I just got the basic reticle ….works GREAT. Glass is clear and reticle is crisp. Ive put it on 2 different rifles….but most likely going to put it on a hunting gun and leave it.

[@russellschoof3192]

Don't get the arken if you plan on hunting with it. It's horrible

[@RoboDabo]

Brad, I'm the same. I love mine. In the hills of East Tennessee, we're not shooting at much past 100-150 yards. I have the same scope the reviewer has, I paid $200 for it used, put it on my 17 and I've been happy as hell with it.

[@criticalbo]

Fantastic Review. You covered everything important and really broke down what you did and didn't like. This is how reviews should be done.

[@D70340]

Nahhhh, it was a video of how he believed the hype, then tried comparing it to the 2 & 3 thousand dollar scopes. He only accomplished making a fool of himself.

[@RingoBudha]

I own this scope and the EP5. For me glass and tracking are 98%. I agree completely with your review on the SH4. My glass is not quite as bad as yours though. At $300 it’s a good deal, but for precision shooting you really want more. The good news is the EP5 has much better glass.

[@andrewslagle1974]

I have several of these and i have not seen these problems `?

[@MrTylero28]

Yeah I have an ep5 and it got excellent glass and the turrets are really great! Although I’m using it on a 22lr and I’ve used it occasionally on a .308 gas gun. It’s pretty nice. As far as parallax adjustments I’ve always just used my eye to dial it in. And it’s worked out

[@liquidsteel]

Arken EP5 is in the appropriate Price range and not too shabby. Spend the extra 100 and get a Bushnell Match Pro ED series . the glass is better . The PARAllax is not even correct so yea, you got to use your eye to focus it anyhow.

[@RingoBudha]

@@liquidsteel I like the prior version of the Match Pro and assume the ED version is better. I own a couple with ED glass. The EP5 was $449 when I bought it and the ED MatchPro is $699.

[@kennyk2828]

@@RingoBudha if you dont mind me asking,,, where did you find the EP5 for 450?

[@olddog401]

It's nice to see another pass on the Arken cool-aid. I purchased one and had nothing but mechanical issues that started about 75 rounds in. First, the Ocular focus started coming off. Second, after getting the scope back from Arken, the elevation turret became very spongy until it no longer moved. I contacted Arken to send them back their scope and get my money back to buy something that has had zero issues from day 1. I would strongly advise against this scope, even at its price point.

[@melectrician]

I have to say I have been behind a SH a few years ago and was impressed. I then decided to get into the arken brand and luckily I have a local gun shop that sells them and was able to look at the EP class scope to the SH scope. The EP is by far and away better. Have seen no issues. But I also run a few athelon ares that I like for budget. My normal goto for any of my competition rifles are the steiner or the mark 5 leuopld.

[@MAC-vh3kf]

Sir, what is a "SH"?

[@ohms139]

@@MAC-vh3kf the SH is the model, the SH4.

[@outboardprsnlstndup]

How has the mk5 series been holding up for you?

[@melectrician]

@@outboardprsnlstndup so far so good haven't really had it out that much only have had for ab9ut a year. I like it but I like the steiner more thus far.

[@outboardprsnlstndup]

@@melectrician good to know. What do you like about the steiner more? Which model steiner?

[@jcjustice3786]

I admire your constructive criticism. That is something alot of people could learn from you. Stand tall and keep them coming.

[@m4rvinmartian]

Lol, criticism isn't something they have to LEARN... it is something they have to DO. Most reviews are scams. If you want a list of guntubers to NEVER LISTEN TO THEIR REVIEW... just email me. Most people don't know... (many of) the top gun brands make you sign a non-disparagement agreement to get product to review. Anytime a company sends product, you can be assured that a reviewer will NOT CONTINUE TO GET PRODUCT if they say bad things. Only us reviewers that spend our own money can be trusted.

[@salzafar2030]

Arken EP5 beats my Vortex HST 6-24, US Optics TS 20x. Arken is the best in its price range under $1000. I regret wasting my money on other scopes. The customer service is great.

[@linkchen8245]

RN the SH4 is going at about 300. I think for the price its still good enough. I personally own a 4-16 sh4g2 as well and I found the same thing like you mentioned in the video aka excessive CA. I had tried to use the sunshade all the time regardless of lighting conditions and It helps a bit. I wondered if a obj lens reducer or longer sunshade would actually do more since What I notice is same as you said the brighter the light the more CA it appears to have. From what I learn of optical system design, at certain price range the optical system can only be so good to handle certain amount of light(price of lens limitations). I think when they designed the SH4g2, it went ahead of itself by margins and thus My opinion is just if you have ways to reduce light intake of the front, it should just perform fine. At the same time, that could be just be defeating the purpose of having a large obj as 50mm LOL

[@mitchmoe6224]

I've got both the EP5 and SH4. For the price I am happy, but they don't have the clarity of the higher end scopes I have on more expensive rifles. However I have no problem seeing mirage and bullet trace in most situations.

[@2cthetruth]

Yea right

[@johnmerriam442]

"Yea right." Make your point. @@2cthetruth

[@jameslovesjammie]

I liked the review, but I don't think comparing a $300 scope to $700-1000 scopes is a fair comparison. Comparing it to other scopes in the price range (or even a little above) is fair, but not over double the cost.

[@SocialRegressive]

I agree. I just can't think of anything in that price range that includes all of the SH4's features.

[@mikeborrelli193]

@@SocialRegressive yeah but it's not just the features, you'd be hard-pressed to find us any scope under $750-1000 that tracks as well as the 34mm Arkens.. they've also proven themselves to be fairly rugged constructed scopes.. I mean I think we may just be a little bit spoiled here.. I mean in your opinion was the image quality worse than the Simmons scope you used on your 500 dollar 1000 yard build a few years back?

[@SocialRegressive]

@@mikeborrelli193 Great question. It's been a while since I've looked through that old Simmons scope. I would say that the image through the $100 Simmons was superior UNTIL I dialed it off the center of the lenses. The Arken's image quality doesn't get much worse when dialed to its extremes. And its tracking is perfection.

[@magic4221]

@@jameslovesjammie Mr. Regressive, by the way, I own 3 Arken scopes which I have shot multiple times to softball size targets at 1000 yards very successfully. I AM a fan of Arken because they perform as advertised, no more ,no less. What more can you ask.

[@fireyourrocketts]

@@SocialRegressive Bingo! hence it is the best kind of scope out there in its category, bar none. You got bad batch most likely, being made in China lets not forget they produce garbage most of the time. I would seriously had contacted Arken, or open a consumer claim on the money expended, those are consumer rights not to receive something that does not works, even if it works for the whole world; the world did not paid for it; you did! all that said, i am looking to buy 2 EP5 and they got now a Gen 2 out which is heavily backordered

[@harryodell9497]

If you want a "crystal clear" scope, open up your wallet alot wider. Arkens are super clear and an excellent scope at an unreal price. I own 2 and plan on a 3rd. If you need more clarity, use open sights

[@SocialRegressive]

I do love open sights! Which Arkens do you own?

[@harryodell9497]

@@SocialRegressive sh4 gen II 4-16 on a 308 and 6-24 on a 25-06.

[@mikeborrelli193]

@@harryodell9497 may I ask which of the two you think is the better overall, the 4 -16 or the 6 - 24.. I'm leaning towards the 4 -16 because I'm assuming it'll have better brightness and clarity with the same 50 mm objective lens.. also a wider field of view and 4x on the low end.. I think I would prefer that more than 6X on the low end.. however, I am curious about the 6-24 and if it's usable at those higher magnifications. Would love to know what your experience with the two Scopes are side by side.

[@harryodell9497]

@@mikeborrelli193 the 6-24 loses a little after 20X

[@splicezone]

@harryodell9497 I have to agree with you - I just pick up another Arkin now I have SH4 2gen and the EP5 - so happened I just mounted this evening but wont test it out till this week end and see for my self.

[@spencerthackeray7955]

Try adjusting the parallax on the scope. It has been known with these scopes that after adjusting the zoom up or down even though it is at the same yardage, the image becomes a little hazy. It can be corrected by adjusting the parallax. That being said, this is something Arken should correct in their future scopes.

[@RingoBudha]

Yep. I only experience this with my Arken scopes ;(.

[@gascheck8151]

I found the same issue. I thought my eyes were giving up on me. Good advice

[@tonesmith909]

He spoke at length about adjusting the parallax to no effect.

[@EagleEyeShooting]

Honesty is best policy in reviews. Many channels I've seen lost credibility comparing these scopes with Nightforce or optics in the same high end price point. Price points do reflect a certain degree of sacrifice in quality somewhere. The SH4 just as my review was, lacks severely in optical clarity with tight eyebox area and large chromatic aberation effects. Many have asked my opinion for thier first optic or budget optic, I've recommended the EP5 or Athlon BTR Gen2.

[@linkchen8245]

Agree, SH4 G2 could have compromised in some other areas such as FOV to get more clarity but they had chosen not to.

[@commonsense5709]

The Athlon Ares BTR yes but not the Argos BTR. The Argos BTR has very terrible image quality on high magnification. The Ares BTR has way better glass.

[@Gunrunner223]

I have the Athlon Helos 4-20 and I think the glass is better than arken. Very impressed with the Helos. I also have the Argos I. The 2-12 hunting scope, and it is pretty amazing. Never looked through a Argos high magnification though.

[@commonsense5709]

@@Gunrunner223 The Argos 2-12x should be better than the 6-24x at least it shouldn't lose much clarity with only a 12x maximum magnification. The Argos BTR 6-24x50 starts to lose clarity close to 20x magnification.

[@ericcranston8158]

You mentioned placing it on a .22LR with a minimum view of 25 yards. I think you were looking for a Chris Kyle Nightforce for $299...try a "Premium" Barska 😅

[@CleanRunShooting]

I run an outdoor 600 yd rifle range. I’ve had nothing but positive feedback from users. Enough to make my RSO’s get them. The parallax dial is not true to distance, but other than that, I haven’t seen any of the issues you’ve mentioned with the 2 dozen I’ve looked through.

[@macaw172]

My EP5 5-25 i dont experience what you are seeing. I use that on my bolt action for long range. The SH4 4-16 goes on my AR15 and its more of a tactical application than long range precision application.

[@kimberly41301]

Thank you for your honesty! I was in the process of buying one of these when I got the notification of this video. I have been down this road far too many times......so again THANKS for the honest review and saving me my hard earned money!

[@commonsense5709]

The Sightmark Presidio 3-18x56 looks like a much better alternative.

[@SuperMatt1235]

Mine are nice and clear on sunny warm days. Mirage is very readable and pine needles are very clear at well over 1000 yards. It may be possible that Arken got a bad lot of glass. I just received another one last week and haven't used it yet. I will check for what your talking about and if it has issues I will post.

[@SocialRegressive]

Thanks, Matthew. I hope I just got two lemons.

[@Kinnh61]

I was going to say , how clear does it need to be ? I can see a wooly bear caterpillar on a tree @ 400 yds!

[@paulthelefty]

Thank you for the honest evaluation. I bought this exact scope, and have used it only a little. I took it out today in the sun and snow, and the CA was indeed horrific. I am bummed, but I will keep it for now, since it is only on a Ruger 10/22 doing rimfire PRS/NRL type stuff. If/when my lefty bolt Tikka shows up, I will upgrade… probably to the Tract Toric, or maybe the new Arken EP4. I feel like for what I am doing, I don’t need more than 16X, so that helps my budget a little as well. If I ever end up with a 6.5CM then I will probably look to a 5-25 or similar. Keep up the comprehensive and detailed reviews! I REALLY appreciate it!

[@SocialRegressive]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Paul!

[@tonesmith909]

I own the Toric 4-20x50 I get a chubbie everytime I look through it.

[@ADKwarriors]

Excellent review and I'm so glad I found it. I have an EP5 and its outstanding so I was looking to add these to my rimfire precisions for nlr22. I have seen the same glass complaint you have on several forums including the Arken community. Thank you again and subbed!

[@SocialRegressive]

Welcome, ADK! Sounds like your results with the EP5 are typical. I should give one a look.

[@ejrupp9555]

Have you tried painting the scope interior just ahead of the lens flat black? Black 3.0 or Musou? You may be surprised. I did Musou on my Fullfield IV 6-24x50mm ... the blue/purple halo virtually vanished. So I tried it on my cheap 6x and 16x scopes and it was even more remarkable. IMO it should be an industry standard for the entire interior.

[@LONGRANGEPRECISIONSHOOTING]

Can you explain more on this? Are you talking about painting just in front of the the optic lens

[@ejrupp9555]

@@LONGRANGEPRECISIONSHOOTING Yes. Reduces reflections that causes the foggy halo. The image is noticeably clearer and the colors are truer. The cheaper the scope the more remarkable the improvement in my experience.

[@davelpz3340]

I looked through one, the image looked milky or cloudy. Similar to a Primary Arms 3-18 SLX scope I had that I got rid of. Great video.

[@sonnyhong5451]

Looking through both at the same tree branches, when compared to my 4.5-27 Bushnell Forge set at 24 power the Arken 6-24 has less purple CR. It is also easier to get behind up at that magnification. The glass on the Arken is a little more cloudy making the CR more subdued, not as vivid as seen on the Bushnell. In terms of what you get for the price, the Bushnell was on sale at $582 to my door plus $64 for the Warne Maxima rings, where the Arken with the combo pack was $362. You decide what to spend your money on, just putting out my observations. The Bushnell is the most expensive scope I own and I like it. In the end, I can't speak about what other higher $$$ scopes look like but if the SH4 was $299 a bit over 2 years ago when I bought the Bushnell, I would have saved myself the $220

[@ahole5407]

This video is a classic example of when dealers start a campaign to bad mouth a company. Arken is direct sales and the margins are not dictated by dealers like most all other manufacturers. This was on purpose because Arken came about when a guy and his friend who was in Seal Team 1 got together and talked about how they could give consumers the products tgey had been asking for without being screwed over. Dealers will mark up an item based on features and its all done under contract with a manufacturer. Had Arken done the same thiese optics would be in the $1,800 to $2,200 range. Example is Vortex having an optoc that costs tgem $200 selling to dealers for s$800 and dealers putting a $1000 markup after marketing campaigns where tgey send out a ton of free optics to "influencers". The same happens when dealers lose sales to a company like Arken that gives them the middle finger. Dealers lose sales to a better optic at a lower price and they call upon their same "influencers" to demonize that company. Dont fall for this garbage.

[@SocialRegressive]

Instead of telling yourself a story of angels and demons, look at the comments. Some people got SH4s that were perfectly good. Others got scopes like mine. Quality control is a big issue.

[@nikkobrown421]

The sh4 6-24 seems very solid after a year, I can read mirage , I can spot trace easy, Idk if it's just the 4-16s that are like that but the 6-24 seems pretty solid , the chromatic abberation isn't bad unless I'm looking through multiple panes of glass, if I'm out in the field it's really good , I'm easily able to spot trace out of my mk12 out to 4-500 plus

[@SocialRegressive]

That's excellent performance. Can't argue with that!

[@7norton4]

My experience with the 6-24 is similar to yours. I wonder if it's the 4-16 or quality control on the glass in general. I only notice chromatic abberation when not centered on the eye box.

[@nikkobrown421]

@@7norton4 I think the older 4-16 line had some issues and there were some recalls, that may have been the waterproofing though, I will say this I definitely had to use blue lock tight on the turrets after zero and slipping the scales, they constantly walked on me under recoil on a 556 SPR , since applying the locktight I've no issues, I whiteness marked the screws and so far so good

[@daverodriguez2701]

6x24 out here in the bright Az sun is amazing.

[@paulstakun8249]

Relatively speaking, there will always be one product better than another. There is no, repeat, no scope that fulfills every criteria that I have, whether it's optical clarity, reticle shape, illumination, weight, length, blah, blah. I have rejected more expensive big name scopes for one or more of the previous reasons I mentioned. But in the $3-500 price range, Arken really kicks butt. Ok, I may have to compromise on one of it's traits, but I don't care. I don't shoot beyond 100 yards, so I don't need one of those teutonic scopes that can count the hairs on a gnats ass at 1/2 mile.

[@Coopaloop-gg3kw]

Thanks for this good data point. Im still interested in the new lightweight option from arken. Could you do a review of that one to see if this is just a fluke with this model?

[@jdsolberg7613]

Someone at Arken really pissed this guy off. Comparing a $400.00 scope to $1,000.00 scope? Definitely not a math scholar.

[@SocialRegressive]

I'm only reacting to the many effusive reviews of this scope that claim it's as good as $2k scopes. In my opinion, the image is so bad it's not worth even its low price tag.

[@jdsolberg7613]

@@SocialRegressive At the low price, what would be a better alternative?

[@SocialRegressive]

Depends on purpose. Most folks will only take their rifles out to medium range at max. A Bushnell Engage or 4500 will work wonders. A comparable Athlon, too. Zero Tech. They don't have all that adjustment range, but they have glass that works.

[@blackhawk2302]

​@@SocialRegressiveThe glass works on this too crybaby

[@robertblassmann9161]

Your never going to find everything you want or maybe you will go spend $3000. THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING SCOPE!!!!! And the price and all the features made me by 4 units. Stop bithing.

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

OR they had supplier issues and it WAS (hopefully) a thing! Heed your own advice!

[@the1911dude]

From the way you have explained your findings I believe that you are the only reviewer I have seen on this scope that is qualified to speak or review scopes. I agree with your findings. Great video.

[@jordanshepherd3088]

Yeah…I’ve been impressed with it so far. I own many quality optics like Vortex,Primary Arms etc… I think you must’ve gotten two bad scopes🤷‍♂️

[@ronws2007]

I agree. I have a number of Vortex optics. Crossfire II 3-9X40 Dead Hold (SFP.) Some Diamondback Tactical 6-24X50 scopes. 4 of the Venom. I have really liked that one but it does have limited travel. I have some Arkens. One of the 4-16 and a few of the 6-24 (SH4 Gen 2.) To me, the glass was comparable. Joe the Cyclops (Joe Rhea, admittedly an Arken affiliate) did a review where he showed chromatic aberration with the Venom, none with the Arken. And I have seen another reviewer who saw some chromatic aberration with the Arken and none with the Venom. Here is what I find and others have echoed it. In a lot of these reviews, the aberration that you see is a function of the camera ability. All cameras, and I do mean all, will have chromatic aberration. It is a side-effect of having coatings on the lens for the various reason such as light dispersion, anti-glare, etc. To me, it also depends on whether one is comparing prices or features. I don't think the Arken was meant to compete with the Venom, it was meant to compete with the Vortex Strike Eagle but built more like a Night Force. Which makes sense since one of the founding members was a SEAL involved in combat missions. It would have to pass his muster of functional ability, which Kyle gave a good review on. Everything about it is solid and easy to use. Bigger tactical turrets and audible clicks make it easier to use while wearing gloves and hearing protection. Tiborasaurus Rex gave it a good review, edging out over the Venom. The complaint there was that with the unlimited windage of the Venom, you can get to near the top of elevation and you are not going higher. That is a function of all scopes. But, in the Venom case, with less travel, it happens sooner. For example, My Venom on my TC Compass II will not quite dial to 39.3 MOA, the elevation for 1,000 yards. It only has a total of 85 MOA. The Arken 6-24X50 has 120. I put that on and I dial to 42 MOA on my zero MOA rail. Granted, I am really set up for hunting and if I wanted to shoot 1k and farther all the time, I would get a 20 MOA canted rail and zero at 200 yards and get a bunch of clicks back. Or dial to 39.3 and hold over in the reticle for a one-off shot. My only complaint with the Arken is the set screws backing out after a while and you take your rifle out of the cabinet and the turret is spinning freely. I thought it was a functional flaw and went back to using Vortex optics. I finally decided to contact Arken Optics and they suggested using Vibra Tite VC-3 or 122, specifically designed to work with rifle scopes. And re-usable. As opposed to Loctite, which can crack. So, I am going to try that. I asked a few scope experts who have more experience than I do and they could not answer if this is a general problem with scope turrets with set screws. Vortex uses splines and a center top screw to hold down the turret. It is more difficult to set zero and to install the ring for zero stop. So, I searched other forums and found similar problems, even with more expensive scopes. There was a guy who had the same problem with an SWFA scope and a few others. So, it is not a manufacturing defect or a price problem. It is design thing for set screw turrets. You will have this problem because of recoil. So, a bit of that Vibra Tite or some nail polish, which others have used. I would not use nail polish for fear it might crack. Also, I prefer to zero at 100 and just dial whatever I need. So, not needing to adjust or change zero all the time. As for defects, they will happen and you can see the difference here where the replacement unit did look better in the camera. However, I would like to see the problem at a distance.

[@TheChristonline]

@@ronws2007 yeah man

[@williamczupryn2642]

Vortex is NOT a quality scope.

[@zacharyharwell351]

@@williamczupryn2642 How do you figure?

[@russellschoof3192]

@@williamczupryn2642 since when?

[@relichound2463]

What I got was "This optic has a lot of great features and its really nice, except for *insert issue that the average Joe spending $400 on an optic would never notice*, but these other optics are way better at more than twice the price"

[@SocialRegressive]

This optic has a lot of great features and it's really nice, except for the most important element.

[@johnh1273]

The scope with kit goes for 331 dollars shipped after a discount code so what do you expect!

[@SocialRegressive]

Normally I would expect $300 bucks worth of scope and no more. But the constant hype made it seem like more than that.

[@John_Redcorn_]

@@SocialRegressive looks like they spent time on the features and robustness but skimped on the glass. I almost popped on one a few years ago and when I found out it was chinese glass i decided not to chance it (bought a Leupold instead). Id rather pay double and get a scope i know is good and will last forever.

[@tommyroberts867]

I'll stick with my Arken. You rich boys go ahead and buy the expensive ones. Most specially if someone else is buying them through patreon.

[@datapro007]

Once again it goes to show that the quality of the glass is paramount. "Features" are lipstick on a pig without it. I've come to doubt the veracity of some of the other reviews I've watched on this very scope. I appreciate your straight talk.

[@leadmonkey]

Another vote for the EP5, had the SH4 at first and quickly got rid of it for the reasons you mentioned, the EP5 has everything the SH4 has but with very acceptable ED glass from Japan, and it’s still under $500!

[@williamg7776]

While I liked the review, for someone on a budget having the alternatives be 2 to 4 times more expensive isn’t very helpful.

[@wellingtonbruh3756]

Got an Sh4 for an AR 10, for the price, features, and my needs its was an amazing buy. I only use it as a medium range scope shooting out to 500 yards at most. Now, if I'm going to have a long range, bolt action platform, I'm going for some expensive glass

[@Sirzerty]

Thank goodness, I've been waiting for this, i didn't trust anyone else to do it. It makes zero sense on paper.

[@rustynut1967]

I have the SH 4 4-16 on my 22 and shoot mostly at 100 yards and it does a great job. I have used my SH 4 6-24 in gong challenge competitions at 600 yards and have no problem seeing hits and reading mirage. My only complaint is the small eye box and the reticle is a little fine for my old eyes, but works fine from a stationary position.

[@SocialRegressive]

Thanks for sharing. Maybe I'm just looking at two that shouldn't have passed QC.

[@tallyman15]

My 6-24 is terrible at 400 yards

[@andrewslagle1974]

@@tallyman15 my 6x24 is great and we shoot 500 to 1000 yds weekly .the turrets are second to none glass is no vedalia but better than 75% of what i have.

[@aass-q6k]

I have the sh, ep4 and ep5 and have had zero problems with any of them, that being said I have had both my eyes rebuilt and have 20/15 vision in both eyes with built in uv protection. To me every one of them is extremely bright with zero aberration.

[@lloydcastleton]

kill flash and sun shade seem to help with that IMO. but I however love my SH4G2 and can't wait to get an EP5 with all the bells an whistles.

[@JW-wi1nf]

A fair review until, "I'm not really interested in Arken anymore, these things were supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread". "Hopefully I'm saving other people's money in the future". Dude, a scope with these features that runs $389.99 MSRP and can be purchased for 25% off during a sale for $292.49 is phenomenal. Wow, you should be crying for joy at the awesome value even if it has some minor chromatic aberrations. Switch to their Japanese ED glass scopes for pennies more and get a big improvement with the chromatic aberration. The Tract Toric is awesome and I have one but the Arken SH-4J 6-24X50 or EPL-4 6-24X50 are awesome scopes at their price point.

[@seanoneil277]

I've had the SH4 6-24x for a couple years. The chromatic aberration is noticeable above something like like 14x, and occupies about 20% of the FOV, at the perimeter margin. But not in the center. If that purple tint to the outer FOV bothered me greatly I'd be awfully frustrated. However, I think of the low price at which Arken sells the scope. You can't get high quality visual pictures (through the scope) at low prices, and Arken decided to focus on reticle quality and tracking of the turrets. I have no issues using mine for target purposes, but if I was paid to shoot I would definitely spend closer to $2500 and not $300-450. At the end of the day, scopes help you shoot what you can't see with your naked 1x vision. The more you spend, the closer you get to a perfect uninhibited/uncolored magnified image. If you hunt around the internet, you'll find that there are some decent closeouts of last year's scopes right now. And the Tract Toric you mentioned is a nice looking option but it isn't illuminated though, is it?

[@n.u.t.y.]

Thanks for your factual detail and fairness. Subbed.

[@codya5333]

Good info, must be the Chinese glass. I have the ep5 5-25 with Japanese glass and it rocks.

[@commonsense5709]

The Chinese glass used in the Athlon Ares BTRs and ETRs are far superior to the so called Japanese ED glass in the Arken EP5.

[@paulvonblerk9365]

Huge Thanks and Respect to Arken. Value and quality for money and has never let me down on the African plains. Don't fall for a review that praises so much about the scope then in the end does it best to trash the scope. The only lemon in this review is the one take me to the trees has been sucking. Well done Arken you guys rock.

[@GeKo1966]

Sad to hear about the SH. I am from Europe, so China glass for my guns, is a no go! Only used/using Steiner and S&B, made in Germania, but knew that scopes with Japan glas would be also of great quality. So, when Arken introduced the EP with Japan glas, I got exited, but Arken not selling outside US\CAN made me depressed. Fortunately, had a friend going to the US, for a seminar, so ordered it and had it sent to His hotel. When I got it in my hands, just like you I was totally stoked....blown away by the quality and design...and the fact it is built like a tank! Now came the hard part.....the glas! But again, i was very positively surprised by the quality of the glas, especially for the price and I also got the combo package with for free, as Arken had that deal at the time. Yeah yea...you cannot just evenly compare a Steiner or a S&B scope to the Arken EP, but hey for the price i payed for the Arken EP, I am more than satisfied by its performance. And tell you mate, I have zero issues with it like you did/or have with the SH. Think that Arken should send you an EP so you could test it out as well. What you had hopes for with the SH, you will experience with the EP!

[@krumple8560]

I notice that prices of the alternatives you suggest are at least double, triple or even quadruple the price of the Arken. That sounds like comparing apples to oranges to me. Not everyone has $1K plus to drop on a scope. Go figure.

[@georgepatterson5885]

Hmmm...interesting review...I personally have 2 SH4's ( I did return 1 and got a replacement for an issue the scope had), and I have 1 EP5. (I also have several higher end scopes, leupold Mark 5, Steiner, IOR Valdada, etc...yes I was a "scope snob" back in the day)...so I am familiar with both the top of the line (& price) and these more mildly priced scopes...in my opinion, these Arken scopes are a steal!!! Yes you may get a bad one every now and then...I did after all have to return one due to it failing to hold zero...and yes there is a difference in glass quality vs the top tier scopes....but...not $2000 worth of a difference in my opinion. Yes...if I were in a combat situation...or shooting PRS daily I might be able to justify the extra price tor tier 1 only...but as a normal individual who shoots a few times a month, albeit out to 1500 yds regularly, I cannot say a bad thing about Arken. These are great scopes in my opinion...with excellent turrets, incredible reticle, solid build and a steal at

[@FreakiMuffin]

Would you say the sh4 is comparable with the ep5 in terms of glass clarity? Im looking for an ar 10 scope but 5-25x56 may be a bit much for it. The 4-16x50 may be a bit more suited for that.

[@kevingeary1472]

It's still a $299 Chinese scope no matter how much you wish it wasnt. Thank you for having the guts to tell the truth and not just say it's amazing like everyone else.

[@VaMike9]

Appreciate your honesty and I agree with your results. I bought an SH4 a couple years ago, almost immediately found that the parallax function wasn't working properly. They can be quirky optics in my experience. Yet, I did give Arken another try after seeing the EP5 reviews. It's better but not what most people think, as far as glass clarity. They track and seem of good build quality, but the parallax and optical clarity are definitely lacking. With that said I've owned a few FX1000s and although they are better in optical clarity, I had one break on a 300WM, so I sold them as well. Thanks for your honesty, good video!

[@greenowl1097]

I have a few different brands of scopes, Sh4, Ep5, Vortex Viper pst gen 1, and Athlon Midas hmr. The Sh4, PST, and Midas are all pretty close to same glass quality. Sh4 is probably just slightly the worse but has the best turrets and price, and field of view at same magnification. The turrets on the Midas make it harder than needed to zero, I possibly need to send my sample back in for service. The Ep5 blows them all away. Much clearer glass, best turrets, and field of view. The Arkens compare well in there price range. All the scopes he mentioned cost way more. Tract Torric is 3-4x the price, it has to be better or they would be out of business in a hurry.

[@mmiller73]

Thank you for this honest review. I am in complete agreement with your assessment. I purchased the SH4 6-24x a year ago and was impressed by all the features but, like you, was less than impressed by the glass quality. I found it acceptable at 12x but it quickly deteriorated after that and was simply unacceptable for me at 24x. I was really disappointed because I did really like everything else about the scope. What I decided to do was get the 4-16x and sell the 6-24x. For me I find the image quality is good enough at 12x so the 4-16x is still worth the money.

[@ajc4093]

I felt the same about the Athlon BTR scope I bought. I was considering Arkon till I found this review and your comment.

[@shootingwithsheps]

Hello Kyle. This is an outstanding help to the shooting community. Thank you. How can I obtain or download the resolution chart you are using in this video? That would make scope clarity comparisons infinitely easier. Thank you again -- Scott

[@SocialRegressive]

I found the chart and a few others on accurateshooter.com. You'll have to search around a bit. I can't remember where they were exactly.

[@gascheck8151]

I just ordered a medical eye chart from Amazon. I thought it would do the same thing. Check it out ,there is a lot of choice. Cheap.

[@funnyriverred2501]

I have there LPVO and ordered the EPL4 for a hunting rifle, I have been impressed with the LPVO so far on my AR15--and for the price i figured it would be worth checking out the EPL4 for a hunting rifle. I hope it works well for that.

[@Dav-S5658]

I really appreciate the honesty! I too purchased an Arken based on another KZbin review from a guy that I actually like a lot. I put the scope on a 17HMR that I was building to shoot tiny targets at medium ranges, like out to 200 yards. Without going into pages of detail, I'll just say that I could not put rounds on target with this scope. It's sitting on my shelf now, and I don't know what to do with it. I'm actually using a much cheaper scope now that performs much better for me.

[@commonsense5709]

Contact Arken and have them send you a prepaid return shipping label and have them do an exchange and just sell the new in box replacement. I think the Sightmark Presidio scopes might be a much better alternative.

[@texczechbohunk2143]

I think someone is pissed a good optic can be affordable. This would make it availed to everyone… proving gun snobs are ridiculous.

[@SocialRegressive]

My channel is almost entirely dedicated to testing budget gear and building budget rifles. One of my jobs is showing the average Joe where his money would be wasted.

[@tinncan]

So you didn't even mount it and try to use it?

[@SocialRegressive]

No; not worth the time and ammo. If it shows this many issues locked on an anvil, it's not going to improve in the field.

[@boogitybear2283]

Nice! He’s still around and making videos! I’m so happy you still have your Taurus 66 you had replaced years ago!

[@SocialRegressive]

It's a great handgun. It gets even better with age.

[@robertholloway4179]

I own this very model and I must say my experience is quite different. Although I have not applied an optic chart target but sighting in and shooting at 100-200 yds has been a good experience. I would say it compares favorably to my SWFA 3-15 tactical scopes in the optics department. Mine was purchased in the November 2021 time frame and I believe it was a newly received shipment of the scopes at Arken warehouse. There has often been a lot of hype surrounding the SH4 line of scopes and some reviewers have attempted to tamp this down a bit. The features of the scopes is undeniably good, the finish very spartan and the optics ok. The SH4 scopes are sporting chinese made glass and Arken makes no bones about that. Naturally it is foolish to expect the optical performance of an 800 dollarish scope, from a 3-400 dollar scope but many are led to believe that. I think you and others have possibly fallen prey to a bad batch (quality control wise) of scopes and should have had it replaced with a superior unit. It sounds like others have fallen prey to this only to have replacements similarly lacking. I'm sure that Arken will continue to improve their quality control in future as they are able with contracted vendors who supply them. But these products have boldly stepped into a hotly contested marketplace and made a splash with features that are common on all of their present lines of optics and this is commendable. KZbinr Panther Hollow did a video making a bright and hard line of judging the Arken line of optics and resisting foolish hype with a dose of hard but precise reality. As long as one is aware of certain compromises and is willing to take chance on going ahead with purchase thats fine. But if you want the performance of a similarly configured optic such as the Athlon line which albeit is at a higher price point, then you should buy the latter and party on. Of course you get what you pay for. I'm thinking the more discerning optical consumer would do well to eschew the SH4 level and begin with the EP5 line if critical comparisons are unavoidable. It would be a good thing to allow for the possiblility that the Arken EP5 scopes could quite possibly excel in areas that the SH4 does fall short. Even the most generous of reviewers will let on that the EP5 6-24 is at its best up to about 18 to 20x after which optical artifacts become a problem. I have been windy but you get the idea. A large grain of salt along with your review is in order here. Rock on!

[@LameWolff]

I'm with you Robert. I got mine a year ago and mounted it on a Bagara BMR and I was very impressed. I'm getting ready to buy a BXR and was planning on the same scope to mount on it. Has the quality gone down over the last year? How long have you had yours Robert?

[@joeysweet9045]

@LameWolff no I don't think their quality hasn't went down myself, people just try to compare a $300 Arken scopes glass to a $900 scopes glass and that is not fare to Arken and if you noticed the prices at the end of all the scopes he was recommending he's probably mad he didn't get a discount and discount code!

[@realfnneato3111]

do you work for Arken? lmao

[@LameWolff]

@@realfnneato3111 I don't and I just orders my second one. That's how pleased I am with the first one. I use to own a Nightforce NXS and it's glass was clearer that the Arken SH4 but not $1500 clearer.

[@realfnneato3111]

@@LameWolff what is 1500 clearer?

[@muskett4108]

Bit late to the show, but one of the best reviews of glass I've seen. Chinese scopes have come a long way in the last few years. They are feature rich, and starting to be precise and reliable; heck even repeatable. One area that they have yet to mater is glass. In fact a good few manufacturers have never managed to have "best glass". Best glass can see stuff even in the most tricky light situations. It is the reason those top German, top glass, read expensive, scopes win through and worth the considerable investment they are. However, if you only going to shoot 50, 100, 200m, then these less than perfect glass scopes can deliver for a respectful price. For Air Rifle, and rimfire like the .17HMR, they are ample. Beyond 400m then only the best glass can "see" the information that a shooter might need.

[@tinncan]

Weird... I have 4 SH4 and one EP4.. My only complaints are weight, and tiny reticle for hunting... I think the EP5 would probably be a worth it step up.

[@herschelmiers8689]

In all honesty. If you’re a shooter you can make it work. If your honestly saying you can’t mount, zero, and perform with this optic. Then your not a shooter. If you have nightforce $ of course don’t buy it. If you’re trying to ring steel at 1000 yds and keep your build around a grand. It’s probably your best choice. The athelon is a touch higher in price with better glass. The edge to edge clarity is better. The ep models from Arken have ED glass and better clarity. This is a good optic for hunting more than the range. The slightly thicker reticle is better for target acquisitions in low magnification situations. In low light and low power situations it can be difficult to pick up those super fine reticles. If you have only a few second window to make that shot being able to pick up the reticle quickly is essential. The ep’s have a finer reticle and are better suited for range shooting.

[@NYstranger74]

I guess I'll keep using my swfa 3-15.

[@TheDude1764]

It seems your criticisms are fair to the scope. I think it’s important to realize the purpose of this scope (and it’s 6-24x brother): Arken wanted to offer an affordable package to shooters who are BRAND NEW to precision shooting. I think it hits this mark. It’s NOT the best. It ABSOLUTELY has compromises (like the 8 MIL revolutions). [They had to compromise somewhere to keep the price point!] But I think it does one thing amazingly well: it presents an affordable, well built package that is going to teach brand new shooters what good features can do for them. So much of what this scope offers isn’t present in the sub-$500 price point. (At least not very often!) Again, I think you’re fair and precise in your assessment. Love the channel and thanks for the video!

[@KevinWood44]

THANK YOU!! I have been saying how horrible the CA is in this scope forever. I get so tired of hearing it praised like it is Nightforce packaged in a $500 scope. I will also say the Athlon Midas Tac is a much better scope for the price!!!

[@commonsense5709]

Athlon Midas Tac 6-24x50 for $500 has the best glass and reliable turrets with zero stop and tons of elevation travel. Definitely best in class in the $800and under price point and the Ares BTR 4.5-27x50 for $700 best in class in the $1000 and under.

[@bryanscle5431]

THANK YOU! Finally an objective review of the Arken vs everyone else getting paid to spew it's the best ever

[@C_oprator89]

Great video. I'm kind of hoping the new primary arms slx 5-25 doesn't have this same weak glass issue. Regardless still reppin Bushnell elites and awesome video

[@linkchen8245]

If you put pa5-25 side by side with ep5 the look really identical at least to me, they are exactly same in oal

[@C_oprator89]

@@linkchen8245 I heard so much good about the EP5 so I’m hoping the glass must be ages ahead of the SH4’s

[@D70340]

@@C_oprator89 The EP-5 is a far better scope vs the SH4 as far as glass is concerned.

[@arthurdirindinjr1792]

Owned very briefly a 6-24 SH4 G2 and loved EVERYTHING about it And IF you are looking to get into HP PRS on a budget IMO and those FAR more knowledgeable than I consider it to be the best bang for the buck. BUT It will NOT focus down below 25 yards Now if you never shoot at anything closer than 25 yards great But I bought it for NRL22 ARA 22lr shoots and every match has targets at 15 yards to 200 yards so it was a deal breaker and a lesson learned in make SURE you know exactly what features your scope MUST have and DOES have before you buy Thankfully the great people at Arken have a no questions asked return policy of unused scopes. They even sent me a pre paid return shipping label no less Really wish that scope would've worked for me

[@ericlaplante7326]

My son and i both shoot nrl22 , we use the sh4 6-24x50 , in the case your talking about , we set parallax at 50 yards , i don't think even once we hav shot at 15 yards in a match, 30 yards has been the closest. I agree though im not a big fan of the 4-16x50.

[@VictorKeithDHHS]

There is one thing you forgot to mention as well, even the most expensive scopes can be crappy as well.

[@SocialRegressive]

It's true.

[@kylemartin832]

For $300 you can't beat a SWFA 10x. The military used fixed 10s for years and this was one of them. It's more complicated than that but still made in Japan under SWFA.

[@gregtucker5979]

I’m very happy with my SH4. SO much better than Vortex these days!

[@clidester18]

Mine is off on the parrallex so messing with that helps. But i think its great for beginners. At the price point. Once you look through high end Japanese or german glass you eyes will never be satisfied with these buget value scopes.

[@clidester18]

The mounts are nice though🤣

[@jaysunkreuze1466]

It spanks the competition in reliability and function and clarity, especially the Vortex junk. My sh4 is great. Im a Arken customer for good unless they tank their quality like Vortex.

[@BigShotsEric]

I left a comment 5 months ago saying I thought it was outstanding at the price I paid ($224) and the most expensive scope I had at the time was a 500 dollar vortex ...well since then I now own several $1000+ scopes from sheppard and zeiss and vortex etc and I feel I am experienced enough now to even further stand by my statement that this is a awesome scope for the money ... and imo you don't even believe that BS about it being useless ..you just wanted to get clicks and why you made sure to say (the one flaw) like 18 times before 50%+ into the video ...this is hogwash

[@SocialRegressive]

I'm glad you got a good one. But both of mine were crap. Read the comments. I'm not the only one to get lemons.

[@dakotaman4861]

Great review. My friend bought one and we've got a couple hundred shots on it. He is very happy with his. We have seen no sign of chromatic aberration or distortion of any kind. After shooting his, I bought an Arken EP5 5-25x56. I've seen no distortion or chromatic aberration but I usually test that on fresh snow with bright sun. It shoots in the .1s at 100 yards which is rare from scopes under $2000. I tried it at 500 meters on an F-Class NRA target. It is unusable for that competition or even determining its precision at that range because the center reticle dot covers up 3 inches of my point of aim. I could not see mirage the day I shot it but will look again one of these days. Overall, I still consider my EP5 version to be an amazing scope for the price. I am concerned that you could not return your scope for a no questions asked refund. That's what a lifetime warranty is all about.

[@SocialRegressive]

Sounds like yours are top-notch. I'm glad to hear it. I could return this SH4, but at this point I need to hang onto it. I need it as evidence when someone accuses me of being paid by other manufacturers to give Arken a fake bad review.

[@TheCrawmart]

Well, nobody screwed you. Arken has a very generous return policy. All you had to do was talk to them, hell, they would have taken it back. Not being happy with an expensive toy is ok, but saying you got screwed when they would have gladly refunded you is not true. What is the name for an untruth ? I’ll be polite and say “ Fib.”

[@NiteShade_BZ]

Fanboy alert lol

[@jjw5165]

Good return policy

[@maxtheroofer8004]

These scopes are known to not be waterproof at all, maybe there is a sealing problem and they leak their gas fill. Because we all know, if water can get in, gas can get out…..

[@golfguy6071]

This is pretty ridiculous.This competes with $2000 optics for less than a quarter of the price. And actually, it has a lot better components than some of those other optics. And if you’re grabbing this optic on any rifle to defend yourself, I think you got other issues going on.

[@thomaskingsbury6560]

Hog wash, it’s a price point scope that will not compete with high end scopes. It’s not supposed to,that is not its selling point. If Arken is honest they will not agree with you. It is excellent for its price there is no arguing that.

[@EPGunman]

I have the Nikon mounted on my .308 Remington 700 and it is a great scope. I have 4 Arkens on .22 Bergara B14R, Bergara HMR 300 PRC, 5.56/.223 AR, and RPR.308. I have had zero problems taking any of them out to range. The Nikon is a bit clearer but not enough for me say the Arken is unusable. I find it quite usable!! I can appreciate your opinion and I have not wasted a single dollar on any of the Arkens. I have both SH4 versions in magnification and 2 in the SH4J. I have dialed and used the hold overs to as of success as I am capable. The parallax numbering is like most it is a ballpark figure to get you to a quick starting point. I will keep mine and continue run them and I hope you have better luck with your future scopes.

[@f64ecc]

What this thread needs is a good eye doctor who is interested in shooting and scopes. Our eyes have to deal with CA all the time from our own eyes. Everyones eyes behave at least somewhat differently, hence perhaps the different experiences. Keep in mind that the image created by the lenses of our eyes is upside down and inverted, and getting that straightened out is just the beginning of the fun.

[@SocialRegressive]

I have an optometrist friend. That would be a fun angle.

[@ArmenArmenjs]

I think a fair review. I have ep5 5 25 and Gen2 6 24,. I didn't experience same issues as you have mentioned, I recommend the rings from Arken if you like to get close to the bore, on my Gen2 I installed Leupold mk4 59320 1.06 which is an expensive ring and still have 1/2 distance between the the barrel. Going back on Gen2 still I would purchase same item based on price you get lots of bang for the buck. If you're competition shooter with 2K rifle and you choose to put a 450 scope, well up to shooter! ☺If you like all the options and clarity on the scope you're looking at over 2k.

[@SocialRegressive]

Their rings and accessories are a steal, and they seem well-made. The low 34mm rings are SWEET!

[@jimmykrause7474]

It's a $400 scope....what people expect from it, especially people with experience behind $2700+ scopes becomes unrealistic. You simply can't get that ultra high definition clarity and minimal chromatic distortion in my experience till you start to get up into the $1400‐$1600 price point....and the ZCO, ATACR, Valdada, Trijicon, Leupold and other higher end optics make them look like the Arken when you start to reach out to a mile. To compare it with scopes costing hundreds more is kind of futile That said, I've been seeing a metric butt load of Arken's at F/TR matches and people are holding their own with them, especially for new shooter's using basically stock rifles and factory ammo. They're slowly replacing SWFA as the norm for people that are just getting their feet wet in 600-1000 yard matches. The hype isn't hype once you remove all the fan boys trying to justify their purchase. These scopes are working for a lot of people that run their guns more than their mouths. I had a chance to shoot at 1000yds with the 6-24x Arken that's coming standard with L.O.W. Japinese glass on a 6.5x55 Tikka and it impressed me far more than the base model 5-25x Vortex Viper at over twice the price with no FFP or lighted retical. I found it perfectly adequate for 1k yard shooting which is more than likely farther than any one that purchases an Arken is going to be shooting. My only complaint is like the newer Primary Arms high power variables its a bit hazy.....and mirage gets washed out. Again though, it's pretty outstanding compared to anything in it's class till you start to get close to that $800 price point and glass/coatings bump up to that next level of clarity that most think of when they talk about LRP entry level glass. If they slapped Schott glass in these and charged $1200 I'd be all over them. It's heavy but from I've seen they're a rugged optic.

[@JJGuccione]

Superior VDO - I learned a lot. Thank you.