TESTED: Athlon Ares G2 UHD Spotting Scope with Ranging Reticle

I’ve shown a lot of shooting lately with my .22 ARC. Now we’re watching the hits with an Athlon Ares G2 and 22x ranging reticle eyepiece!

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About the Ares G2 UHD 15-45 x 65

I opted for the straight eyepiece model though Athlon also offers an angled version. The 15-45x scope has a field of view (at 1,000 yards) ranging from 171 ft on 15x to 81 feet at 45x. Both the magnification and focus ring on this scope are super smooth and easy to move.

This is especially important to stay on target and to not accidentally torque the scope. It also has a built-in ARCA mount!

From Athlon Optics:

The Ares 15-45 family of spotting scopes were designed with advanced optical quality and ease of use in mind. Designed with bright, razor-sharp imagery and a rugged, weatherproof design, the Ares is ready for any condition. The interchangeable eyepiece allows you to swap the standard variable power eyepiece with a fixed 22 power eyepiece (sold separately) with a MIL ranging reticle in it for your long range shooting/tactical application. They have Extra-Low Dispersion glass lenses for color resolution and contrast, our AFMC (advance fully multi-coatings), and feature BaK4 prisms with the new ESP Dielectric Coating. They bring clarity and brightness within the reach of most enthusiasts. The tough full metal chassis is fog proof and waterproof and filled with Argon gas to prevent internal fogging and better thermal stability. The lenses are then treated externally with our XPL coating to withstand dirt, oil, and grime of constant use. Choose from three different models – each distinctly different in size so you have a scope tailor-made for your specific activity.

What’s in the Box

The spotting scope comes with lens caps, a cleaning cloth, instructions and a neoprene cover. The cover is designed to still allow access to the focus ring but with a rear flap to cover the eyepiece in wet weather.

The eyepiece box contents are pretty simple — the eyepiece itself, two protective caps and instructions.

About the Ares G2 22x Ranging Reticle Eyepiece

Adding the fixed 22x ranging reticle eyepiece limits the field of view to 143 feet at 1,000 yards, but this was more than enough. It works with both the straight and angled Ares G2 spotting scopes. Installing the eyepiece is very simple. An arrow near the magnification ring points to a red dot on the Ares G2 scope.

Pushing in on the installed eyepiece at this location and rotating releases the eyepiece.

To install the 22x ranging reticle eyepiece, I lined up the arrow on the eyepiece and on the scope and rotated until the eyepiece arrow pointed to the red dot.

The addition of the fixed power eyepiece made the scope even more compact!

From Athlon Optics:

The Ares G2 22x Ranging Reticle Eyepiece is equipped with the TSSR2 SFP MIL reticle. Helping a friend with a long range goal? Make the right calls and get them on target fast. Left your Rangefinder at home? No problem. This eyepiece is designed to help you locate your target with precision. Ideal for PRS-style shoots; where you need to call hits and misses in a hurry. This accessory is sure to become an essential for your next visit to the range. The Ares G2 22x Ranging Reticle Eyepiece is currently compatible with the Ares 15-45×65 UHD Straight and Angled Spotting Scopes.

Optics Testing: Reticle Accuracy

We started at the UR 100-yard mid-mountain range where we do all of our scope testing. We recently tested the Element Theos 6-36x 56 using our optics test rig and precision 100-yard target. (Our 100 yard targets are verified with a Leica laser rangefinder accurate to ⅛ inch and the target grids have been verified with calipers.)

We used this same target to verify the reticle accuracy of the Ares G2 reticle eyepiece. Using the Longshot HAWK, we were able to record and magnify the results. Everything lined up perfectly.

Shooting

Using the ranging reticle eyepiece with the Longshot HAWK allows us to see, and share, exactly how far off shots were.

We confirmed zero at 100 yards before Kyle got behind the gun at 660 yards with a bipod and fortune cookie bag.

I ranged and told him where to hold.

View of the 660 Yard Target through the Athlon Spotter and Longshot HAWK

We used my .22 ARC build featuring a BAT TR action and Ballistic Advantage barrel in an Ultradyne UD5 chassis with an Element Optics Theos scope and Hornady 88 grain ELD-M ammunition. We switched at 1,000 yards—Kyle ranging while I shot.

The wind through the canyon gave us a bit of trouble. It took us a few shots to make consistent impacts, but our adjustments from the ranging reticle were accurate. It was very easy to see trace through the Longshot app. We used an iPad to watch with the Longshot HAWK set up on the Athlon Ares G2.

View of the 1,000 Yard Target through the Athlon Spotter and Longshot HAWK

It’s important to note that the Athlon Ares G2 glass was exceptionally clear. This isn’t fully represented by the Longshot HAWK footage as no camera can accurately capture the true experience.

We had some of the most fun we’ve had in some time shooting this rifle on the ridgeline. The most recent additions to our .22 ARC, the Element Theos and BANISH 30-GOLD, have only heightened the experience of shooting .22 caliber at 1,000 yards. The rifle has very little recoil, so it is very easy to get right back on target.

Conclusion

The Athlon Ares G2 with ranging reticle eyepiece and Longshot HAWK will likely be our new default spotting scope setup.

It was very easy to very clearly see the trace and for a spotter to be able to offer exact holdovers. Longshot HAWK also made it possible to record shots for later evaluation. This combination is a great teaching/coaching tool!

Looking forward, I’d really like to see more magnification and reticle options (MOA) as well as a different color option for complement pieces for easy identification.