Arken optics.

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Megawatt maker

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I've seen Arken being pushed hard on a couple FB groups, and other forums. All kinds of wild claims..like "just as good as a $2500 for $500", which of coarse is nonsense.
I find it very interesting few online retailers and brick and motor stores carry the brand.

Also read they got busted paying shills to write fake glowing reviews.

I find it very hard to believe..even at $500, that they can provide better value than a $500 Leupold, Vortex, or Burris..

Any thoughts?
 
I have several Arken scopes and while they are definitely good for the money, they won't compete with higher end scopes. I have three SH-4 6-24 scopes. One has Japanese glass while the other two have Chinese glass. I can say that it is definitely worth the extra money to get the Japanese made glass. There are a few threads about Arken scopes on this forum that give good and honest reviews. Needless to say, I am happy with all of the Arken scopes I own.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/swampfox-vs-arken.911404/

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...es-comparison-and-testing-in-progress.922641/

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/arken-sh4-or-for-rimfire-build.918802/

You can read through those threads and make a good decision based on the information.
 
They are a decent scope for the money. I just recently got the SH-4J 6-24 with the Japanese glass. It's pretty dang good for the 350ish bucks the scope cost. Is it as good as my Leupold Mk5 or my Nightforce ATACR 7-35? No, not even close.

I no longer have it to compare side by side, but it seems to be about on par with my first gen Vortex Viper PST 6-24. Id say it's slightly behind my Nikon FX1000 Black 4-16 FFP. Though it's hard to do a real apples to apples comparison because of the different magnification ranges. Next time Im shooting long range with my buddy Ill compare it side by side against his Viper PST Gen 2 5-25. Though I put that glass ahead of my Nikon already.

The turrets feel good and the parallax is smooth and works well. I havent given it a good run yet to say anything about tracking though.
 
The glass is good for the money, but there's better available. Mine track perfect though so for a duffer like myself I've found them fantastic for shooting longer ranges.
 
I put an EP5 on my new CZ 457 varmint 22. For $500, it is a decent scope. It in no way compares to scopes 2x or more in price, I own plenty of them. The EP5 is good for what I'll use it for, shooting local precision 22 matches, but it isn't even close to my scopes that cost $1500 - $3500, it's just a good $500 scope.
 
Optical quality is "good" for their suggested price ranges IMO, Turrets and tracking are excellent, and build quality (at least on mine) has been excellent. I did notice that the tubes on the EP4L squish a little easier than Id like, but as long as your mounting is true, and you dont clamp the hell out of them it works fine.

Ive only got a couple 1000+/- scopes, and optically the Arkens dont compare......BUT they can do some things my 1k scopes cant just because of the FFP, turrets, and adjustment range.
 
I'm not going to buy one. I'm just asking do to curiosity.

I don't like the company itself because it used shills and paid for fake reviews. That alone, even if their products punched above their price class (judging by responses here..I just call them OK for the money), disqualify them from even getting a dime of my money. They push the Vet owned and operated thing..I say so what. I'm a vet too, and almost all gun related anything company hires and promotes veterans. If they were truly good Patriotic Veterans, they would be making their good in the USA..or at least not in an enemy nation..

For a "ok" scope in the 500 buck range..I'd still go Burris, Primary Arms, CrimsonTrace (Ive had a bad experiencewith them..so maybe not personslly, but they do make nice scopes).or even Athlon, even if they too are China made, they at least are honorable.
 
From the wording and timing of your post Im thinking you are the same guy from the Facebook optics page that had a similar topic yesterday.

Can you show me the info that Arken is paying shills?
 
C-grunt said:
From the wording and timing of your post Im thinking you are the same guy from the Facebook optics page that had a similar topic yesterday.

Can you show me the info that Arken is paying shills?
Click to expand...
Yep, and the mods pulled the post because it was a shill scam post in the first place.

Just looking at the main FB accounts of most of the people who commented, most didn't have any activity for years, clearly hacked accounts. The poster himself..last posted anything in 2022. They also just spammed the same reviews over and over, with slight wording changes, on similar posts for weeks..it's why I stating calling it out. Always the theme "just as good as"....

Can it be proven that Arken paid? I doubt it..otherwise they would already be shut down. That's illegal. But reports and examples of them doing this are easy to find. They have been called out on it..they just changed tactics.

Are you one of them too?

Edit add. This guy explains it very well.
youtu.be

The Arken Question - Are All Arken Reviews Astroturfed?

Please Like, Comment, And Subscribe :)
youtu.be youtu.be
 
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All that video says is that Arken used a common marketing strategy and that some content creators POSSIBLY failed to disclose affiliations. He points out that there is no actual proof that the supposed shills have been untruthful. The guy even says that several people he trusts have said the optics are a good value for the money.

This all sounds like the same BS that I've heard about Vortex and Athlon years ago.
 
C-grunt said:
All that video says is that Arken used a common marketing strategy and that some content creators POSSIBLY failed to disclose affiliations. He points out that there is no actual proof that the supposed shills have been untruthful. The guy even says that several people he trusts have said the optics are a good value for the money.

This all sounds like the same BS that I've heard about Vortex and Athlon years ago.
Click to expand...
Lol..not even close. The record is overwhelming. Did you miss, when he said they offered him free stuff to do a review? Selective memory much?

They are STILL pulling the same crap they got busted doing back in 2019. I get, first starting out, you want to get your name out there. But using shills, while effective, isn't a good long term plan..and to keep doing it 4 years later? Ya..just no.


The are a trash company. I don't care how good the product is, it's not worthy of being in existence
 
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C-grunt said:
All that video says is that Arken used a common marketing strategy and that some content creators POSSIBLY failed to disclose affiliations. He points out that there is no actual proof that the supposed shills have been untruthful. The guy even says that several people he trusts have said the optics are a good value for the money.

This all sounds like the same BS that I've heard about Vortex and Athlon years ago.
Click to expand...
I'm calling you out on your Vortex and Athlon comment. For Athlon..it's complete BS. They haven't done any shady marketing that I can find. Vortex was founded in 1986..well before the internet..so I doubt there's any truth to that accusation either, but alas, I was younger and didn't pay as much attention to the gun world back then, but give me a few hours to verify.
 
I upgraded from department store scopes. With Sig,Burris,Vortex and Sight Mark scopes. Im very happy with them all, Arken and Athlon are 2 i have not bought. I looked at them. Just never made a purchase.
 
Megawatt maker said:
I'm calling you out on your Vortex and Athlon comment. For Athlon..it's complete BS. They haven't done any shady marketing that I can find. Vortex was founded in 1986..well before the internet..so I doubt there's any truth to that accusation either, but alas, I was younger and didn't pay as much attention to the gun world back then, but give me a few hours to verify.
Click to expand...

Your calling me out that I've heard people say Vortex and Athlon reviews were done by shills?

You're probably going to need more than a few hours to find all the off handed comments made on the internet.
 
C-grunt said:
Your calling me out that I've heard people say Vortex and Athlon reviews were done by shills?

You're probably going to need more than a few hours to find all the off handed comments made on the internet.
Click to expand...
I can't find single example of Athlon using the shill tactics like Arken does. Athlon does not and never did.

I'm not sure about Vortex, since they started pre internet. I doubt they did however.

Ya..I'm calling out. You are simply lying.
 
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