Established in 2014, Athlon Optics has quickly become a popular choice amongst rifle enthusiasts all over the country. Their high-quality sports optics are a great choice for anyone that loves to shoot. While they are based in the United States, their affordable products are made overseas.
Let’s take a closer look at where their products are made.
Who is Athlon Optics?
Athlon Optics is a US-based optics manufacturer with headquarters located in Olathe, Kansas. Since being established in 2014, they’ve worked hard to build a reputation for their high-quality sports optics products, including riflescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, and red dot sights. Rifle enthusiasts from all walks of life can find a use for their products, with the main focuses being hunting, law enforcement, border surveillance, military, and target shooting.
While they haven’t been in the optics industry as long as companies such as Leupold & Stevens or US Optics, they are quickly becoming a favorite. Their products are built well, provide great performance, and come with a warranty that shows that they trust and back their products. If you’re looking for optics that are both high-quality and affordable, Athlon products are worth looking into.
Athlon Products
When it comes to the optics industry, riflescopes are just one type of product customers can choose. Not only does Athlon offer decently priced optics that can be mounted on your favorite firearm, but they also have other products that can help in multiple situations. Their binoculars are a great option for surveillance and for bird-watching. They also have multiple types of scopes that can be beneficial for shooting purposes.
Optics that they offer include:
- Riflescopes
- Binoculars
- Red dot sights
- Spotting scopes
- Range-finding devices
Production Facilities
Athlon Optics, like many other optics manufacturing companies, don’t make most of their products in their United States facilities. It’s not uncommon to find American-based products that are produced overseas. One of the biggest reasons for this is that they are able to save money on manufacturing costs.
When products are more affordable to construct, it makes it possible for the companies to offer their products at more affordable prices to the consumer. It makes sense that an American-made product would be ideal, but if they were to produce their products here in the United States, they wouldn’t be as budget-friendly, making them inaccessible to those that are shopping with a limited budget.
Are the Products Manufactured Overseas Made of Less Quality?
No! The good news is that their products still maintain the same high quality that they would have if they were made in the United States. The production costs in their overseas facilities are lower, but the products themselves are still high-quality while being perfectly affordable.
Where are Athlon Products Made?
Athlon Optics has two locations in which their products are made. Most of their products are made in their Chinese facility, while their premium scope, the Cronus BTR, is made in Japan. There is a common misconception that optics made in the pacific area of Asia are of lower quality, but this isn’t the case at all.
These facilities have worked hard to establish the same standards that you’d find anywhere else in the world, but the prices are much more affordable. Even though Athlon Optics uses outsourced manufacturing facilities, you can still expect the same quality and performance you would get from American-made products, but the pricing is made with the customer in mind. Because they have cut construction costs, their consumers don’t see a $1,000 price tag on their scopes.
What is the Athlon Cronus BTR?
The only high-end rifle scope that Athlon offers is the Cronus BTR series. These scopes are ideal for just about any shooting situation, whether you are interested in plinking at a short range or you prefer long-distance hunting. Shooters that use these scopes can take them to a shooting range, in sports competitions, or on their next hunting trip with their friends and family.
The Cronus BTR series has a ton of characteristics that puts it at a level that’s comparable to some of the top brands, including Zeiss and Leica. The original scope in the series performed so well and had such a high demand that Athlon decided to bring a second generation to the market.
Features that make the Cronus BTR second-generation scopes so desirable include:
- Etched glass reticle
- Advanced full multi-coating (AFMC)
- 6x optical zoom
- High-definition extra-low dispersion glass lenses
- Exposed tactical dial turrets
- XPL coating that is both dirt-repellent and scratch-resistant
- elevation/windage adjustment
- Zero-stop
- Parallax adjustment
- Night-time reticle illumination featuring 11 brightness settings
- Argon-purged waterproofing
- One-piece housing constructed of aircraft-grade aluminum
The Cronus BTR Gen 2 has a couple of optical configurations available, depending on your specific needs. Customers can choose between:
Uses
Regardless of the reason you’re looking to add a new scope to your rifle, the Cronus BTR series would be a great choice, especially if you’re more experienced and you’re looking for higher performance. These scopes can be used at the shooting range, for hunting trips, and even for competition shooting. No matter what type of shooting you want to do, the Cronus BTR series has your back.
- Short-range hunting
- Long-distance hunting
- Tactical shooting
- Precision shooting
What’s the Athlon Scope Warranty?
Whether the scope remains under your ownership or you pass it along to a friend or relative, most of Athlon’s products come with a lifetime warranty, with no receipt, charge, or registration needed. This transferable guarantee ensures that your optics are eligible for replacement or repair as long as the product was damaged through normal use. This means that any misuse, deliberate damage, theft, or maintenance performed by unauthorized parties will not be covered.
The lifetime warranty offered by Athlon not only covers rifle scopes but also covers spotting scopes, binoculars, prism scopes, red dots, laser rangefinders, and tripods. Any other product that they offer has a standard one-year warranty. Keep in mind that alterations that include spray painting, Duracoat, or hydro dripping will void the warranty. Athlon does offer cosmetic alterations, so any cosmetic changes completed by anyone outside of the company no longer allow that product to be repaired or replaced under warranty.
How to Have Products Serviced Under the Warranty
US Customers
- Ensure all accessories are removed from the product, including rings and mounts
- Fill out the product service form and include the printed copy in the package with your shipment.
- Make sure the product is wrapped in a protective item, ideally bubble wrap, and securely seal the box.
- Use a reliable vendor with a trackable shipping method
International Customers
In order to have your product serviced, contact the dealer you purchased your optics through for any issues or questions you may have.
Bottom Line
When it comes to finding high-quality optics for hunting and other sports, most of the best American-based companies utilize outsourced manufacturers. Athlon is here to provide its customers with quality products that are affordable for most price ranges. Because they use manufacturing facilities in China and Japan, this allows them to put optics in the hands of their customers without anyone needing to break the bank.