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Compact Precision From the Athlon Midas HMR Gen2 2-12×42

September 9, 2026Optics2-12x42, athlon, athlon optics, gen2, HMR, midas, riflescopecoldboremiracle

Preface

One of the companies that is flooding the optics market with dozens of different great optic products is Athlon Optics. I have been fortunate to use several different products from the company, and I must say I haven’t been let down. So it is my pleasure to bring you another riflescope review from Athlon; this time it’s the Athlon Midas HMR Gen2 2-12×42.

fresh out of the box with all its factory accessories

The Athlon Midas HMR Gen2 2-12×42

The Midas HMR 2-12 is a compact rifles scope optimized for precise shooting, and lending itself heavily to hunters. The Midas is built on a 30mm tube, which offers a larger range of internal travel. Up front you will find a 42mm objective lens that captures your image without being oversized and heavy.

In the middle of the scope is the erector housing that features an exposed elevation turret, a capped windage turret, as well as a parallax adjustment and illumination control. Pretty standard setup for todays market. The elevation turret has 10 MRAD per rotation with a total of 29 MRAD of turret travel.

Athlon makes several first focal plane (FFP) 2-12 scopes, but the Midas HMR Gen 2 is not one of them. Second focal plane (SFP) scopes are usually more affordable, I expect they are simpler to make as well. As such, the Midas’s APRS-H2 reticle stays the same regardless of magnification, which some folks prefer.

The occular housing of the Midas has a ring to adjust the magnification range of the scope, with the number 12 highlighted in red. This indicates where the reticle values are accurate for measuring use. Also on the magnification ring there is a removable throw lever that threads into the ring. This gives better purchase when cranking quickly on the magnification adjustment.

the APRS-H2 SFP IR MIL reticle of the Midas, note illuminated center dot (inset)

Inside, the reticle itself also offers some great features. With MRAD subtensions marked in whole and half MIL’s out to 4, and .2 and whole MIL’s out to 10. Windage is similar but ending at 6 MIL instead of 10. This gives you the shooter some dexterity in your aiming and correction plans. The center dot illuminates when powered up, giving an almost red dot feel to the scope.

Specifications


Manufacturer	Athlon Optics
Model	Midas HMR Gen2
SKU	213057
Magnification	2-12×
Objective Lens	42 mm
Tube Diameter	30 mm
Reticle	APRS-H2 SFP IR MIL
Focal Plane	Second Focal Plane (SFP)
Illumination	Illuminated
Adjustment Type	MIL / MRAD
Click Value	0.1 MIL
Parallax	Side focus, 10 yards–∞
Field of View @ 100 yd	55.7–9.6 ft
Eye Relief	3.62 in
Length	12 in
Weight	19 oz
Tube Construction	One-piece aircraft-grade aluminum
Lens Coating	Fully multi-coated
Purging	Argon
Waterproof	Yes
Fogproof	Yes
Shockproof	Yes
Turret Style	Exposed
Precision Zero Stop	Yes
Battery	CR2032
Finish	Black / hard-anodized
Ideal Application	Hunting / long-range shooting

Mounting the Midas 2-12

I would end up using the Midas on a couple different host rifles, but first up I would put it on my CVA Cascade SB. This is a short barreled 18-inch 6.5 Creedmoor, which is real handy for hunting. And with the Midas on top, it would be a perfect little combination.

I settled the Midas into a set of Wheeler 30mm rings and torqued everything down evenly. I adjusted the diopter at the rear of the ocular housing for the best image of the reticle, before bore-sighting the scope and heading to the range.

the CVA Cascade SB was an excellent compact rifle host for the Midas, you can read my review of the rifle here

First Shots on the Range

I must start by saying; I am huge fan of rifle scopes. And some people might think that high power rifle scopes are the bee’s knees. I myself quite enjoy lower power scopes like this 2-12. One advantage to lower power scopes is their simplicity, they may not make your target look as big, but they also don’t magnify flaws. Your flaws or the flaws of the scope itself.

At 2X the Midas is wide-open, meaning you can see everything including the muzzle of your rifle. This might be very handy for a close range rifle where things could be close, like something you might shoot at a charging animal. And at 12X you have enough power to make shots that are out there a lil’ bit. My son for example took his first Mule Deer at 480 yards last year using 12X.

Zero

I boresighted the scope to the host rifle, using my tool-less technique. After which I sat down behind the rifle to shoot a few shots on paper. After a couple shots and adjustments, I was hitting where I wanted it to. It was then time to zero the turret. I was a little irritated because it seemed the Allen wrench included was not the right size for the tiny set screws. But once I’d found the right one it was pretty straightforward.

With the turret unlocked (lifted) I unscrewed the single screw in the top of the turret so the turret itself could be lifted off. Underneath there is an interesting little star piece that looks similar to a WWI iron cross. Its four corners are cut to interface with a tooth on the ring of the elevation turret. One of its corners is cut to prevent turning past it, so when you set that corner against the tooth at zero, you cannot dial below that point. When dialing up, the tooth hits the iron cross, and rotates it allowing you to continue dialing upwards.

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From there it was pretty easy, once reassembled. The turret would not rotate below the 100-yard zero of the rifle, but would go up to the mechanical maximum of the scopes erector. Which depending on the scope setup could vary greatly. Adding a 20 or 30 MOA canted based would give additional room more mechanical movement.

Adjustments

Adjusting the turrets to their high and low extremes with the rifle clamped in a vise allowed me to see how consistently the reticle moved. Dialing up, right, down and back to the left seeing how it returns to its zero location is a good way to evaluate a scopes reliability.

In the Field

Optical Clarity

At only 12X, the Athlon Midas HMR isn’t a particularly high power scope. But it does very well at clearly magnifying the image from downrange. I enjoyed the sharp contrast of the reticle against the clearly focused target area. This is easier to do I suppose with a second focal plane scope with relatively low magnification, but it is great to have none the less.

Athlon optics, athlon, midas, HMR, gen 2, 2-12x42, 2-12, sfp, second focal plane, rifle scope, scope, — this setup has a date with a mule deer next month, the **Anechoic Suppressor** keeps things polite

Early mornings and right before sunset are always the challenge for best performance, and the image of Midas HMR was surprisingly good. Comparable to scopes that cost significantly more.

Reliability

During our testing, the Athlon Optics Midas HMR functioned perfectly. Never noticed any skips or hangups in reticle or turret movement. All the controls worked as expected, and the only unpredictable issue was the reticle illumination coming on during transport.

that is the **Grayboe UMC chassis**, all together a nice setup with the CVA and Athlon

Controls

The turrets of the Midas HMR are just right; perfect resistance, clean crisp clicks. Conversely, the parallax adjustment is a bit stiffer than I would like but still quite serviceable. With parallax adjustable down to 10 yards there is some great dexterity in use as well.

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I was unsure if I’d like the push-button reticle illumination or not. Changing the brightness settings and on/off feature of the reticle are all done by pushing the button on the center of the parallax turret. On at least one occasion I did find the reticle was on without my doing, I can only assume that it got pressed somehow in the rifle case while maneuvering. In the end I think I’m ok with the push button, its simple and I don’t need it often.

I like the addition of the throw lever on the magnification ring, it makes it quick to adjust. And if you don’t need it, it can be threaded out.

Value

I have always found Athlon Optics to be a good value. Their quality and features are often above average when compared to similarly priced scope from other manufacturers. They have a great warranty also should you ever need to use it.

Pros and Cons

Great Lens Quality	Inadvertent Illumination issue I mentioned
Simple Second Focal Plane Design	Zero-Stop could be easier
Great Turret Quality
Reliable, Repeatable Turret Operation
Great Reticle for Corrections
Compact and Lightweight
Removable Throw-lever
Available in both MRAD and MOA

Why Should you Pick The Midas 2-12

If you are looking for a low power variable scope for a rifle that you anticipate shooting some distance, this scope would be a good option. I imagine myself hunting bears where shots might be up close and personal or perhaps five-hundred yards away. This scope would do well in that scenario. It has a relatively small footprint for a hunting rifle, and its 42mm objective allows mounting it low to the barrel. And its 10 MRAD turrets give plenty of room for corrective long-range shooting. All this with good quality lenses and a crisp, clear sight picture. In a field of scopes that vary greatly in price, the Athlon Midas HMR Gen II is worth taking a look at.

-CBM

Check out other Athlon Scopes here

Athlon Midas G2 UHD Pro 12×50 Binoculars

October 31, 2024Optics, Product review, Uncategorizedathlon, athlon optics, binoculars, binos, midas, midas g2 uhd procoldboremiracle

Introduction

Few ancillary hunting tools are as valuable as a good pair of binoculars. Whether you are a sport shooter looking for targets, or a dedicated hunter trying to pick out antlers in the trees, you will want a good pair of binos. I’ve used quite a few pairs of binoculars over the years, but today I am bringing you something new to me. The Athlon Midas G2 UHD Pro 12×50 binoculars are ideal for heavy glassing and downrange inspections. Today we’ll take a look at these binoculars, mainly from the perspective of a hunter as that seems to be my focus these days.

Athlon optics midas G2 uhd pro binoculars

The Athlon Midas G2 Pro Binoculars

There are several models of binocular in the Midas G2 line, there are 8×42, 10×42 models. As well as the 10×50 and 12×50 Pro model that we are looking at today. I tend to prefer 10×50 for general glassing, but I love a good 12×50 pair for what I call heavy glassing. Looking over a whole mountain perhaps before even leaving a vehicle, covering large swaths of country.

athlon optics midas g2 uhd pro binocular — note controls: left side is to balance optical focus, on the right there is reticle focus and leveling control

The Midas G2 is ideal for that, its bright 50mm objectives pack a very bright image for your observation. Like most binos the Midas uses a center focus knob, coupled with a separate focus for the left barrel. But wait, theres more! In addition, the Midas G2 also features a reticle in the right barrel for use while spotting. The right barrel has two adjustment rings at the rear; one to rotate the reticle inside to match your target, and the other is to focus the reticle.

Additionally, the Midas G2 comes with a typical soft case, neck-strap, and rubber lens covers for both front and back. The eye-cups can be rotated out or in to accommodate your preference.

Midas G2 UHD Pro Specifications

The Midas binoculars are a perfect size in my opinion, they are only slightly larger than my other pairs of binoculars, but fit in my binocular cases and harnesses. Extra power from the Midas is very welcome in a pair of binos only slightly larger than most.

Field Use of Athlon Midas G2 Binoculars

I used the Athlon Midas G2 Pro binos on several hunts this fall. First up was a trip into the thick alpine forests of the Uinta Mountains in Eastern Utah. Looking into the wide open canyons and deep dark woods would be a great way to test the Midas binoculars.

For a week we scoured the mountains, looking at elk, deer, and ever other animal we could get our eyes on. I am very used to using my Sig Sauer Kilo binoculars, they have been my go to for years now. But switching over to the Midas I was quite impressed with how much brighter they were. And having used the Midas 10x binos I don’t think it is just because of the magnification.

The reticle in the Midas Binos is particularly useful when sport shooting. While it can be used for other purposes during a hunt, I don’t think it I would use it much while hunting. Mounting the Midas binoculars on a good tripod however during practice, was very convenient for spotting. 12x is plenty for much of the spotting we do while shooting, and having the reticle in view is great for giving corrections. I also found that the reticle was simple enough to be unobtrusive while glassing. The ability to level the reticle in any position was a paramount feature.

We also used the Midas binoculars during the Mule deer hunt a few weeks later, a different climate and landscape. Once again I found the bright image of the Midas binos to be extremely helpful. We did quite a bit of glassing from great distances, looking from thousands of yards away instead of hundreds. I really appreciated the wide focus control of the Midas, it seems there is a long focal length allowing you to get very precise in your focus. I was downright surprised at how clear and clean an image I could get on deer from several miles away.

Pros and Cons

I’ll be candid here, I used to be very suspicious of inexpensive optics manufactured overseas. But based on my experience with Athlon Optics alone, I am much less so. I’ve had incredible performance from these optics (as I have with others), and with their priced just right motto I simply cannot afford to overlook these. Some folks might have an issue with the product source, preferring something built in America, or Europe. I can totally understand that perspective, but for those who can’t afford such products these are an excellent buy.

athlon optics binoculars midas, sandhill crane — my pictures do not do justice to the image quality

I really couldn’t find much else to dislike about the Midas binoculars. Perhaps some subjective things such as the rubber lens covers that some may love or hate. While I did find them a touch stiff to remove, I like that as they are less likely to come off unintentionally.

The optical clarity of the Midas G2 Pro binoculars was fantastic, the controls are easy and smooth, and adjusting them to fit individual eyes was great. Allowing all who used them the ability to customize them for their specific eyeballs. I was pretty impressed with what you get for the MSRP of $562.49.

Last Thoughts

I am extremely satisfied with these binoculars, more so than I expected I would be. There is only one way they could be better in my opinion, and that would be putting a laser rangefinder into them. But for those of you out there who don’t require such features, these binos are a slam-dunk. Whether you are looking for the best binos you can afford, or if you are looking for something a little less expensive to beat around on your ATV or tree-stand, I can confidently recommend the Athlon Midas G2 UHD Pro.

-CBM

Athlon Heras SPR 6-24X56 rifle scope

November 21, 2023Optics, Product reviewathlon, heras, rifle scopecoldboremiracle

INTRODUCTION

I remember when the best features in a rifle scope would cost a guy a handsome salary. A while ago, an entry-level good scope was over a thousand dollars, and if you wanted everything, it could quickly go north of two thousand. Today, I bring another excellent example of a good scope that won’t cause your wife to leave you: The Athlon Heras SPR 6-24X56 rifle scope.

For those younger shooters out there, you are living in the golden age of rifle scopes because nowadays, you can get all the best features stacked deep in a scope for well under a grand.

This review and others are brought to you by Gunmade.com check us out!

CVA cascade, cascade SB, 6.5 creedmoor, athlon optics, heras spr, — the Athlon Heras mounted to the **CVA Cascade SB**

Athlon is one of many scope manufacturers importing inexpensive rifle scopes to the US market. These scopes have all the great features we marksmen look for, like first focal plane reticles, zero-stops, etc.

The Heras brings high magnification and quality optics with all the tactical features for a price that would make twenty-years-ago-me blow a primer.

I am always excited to get my hands on a new scope and see how it measures up to the others I am fortunate to own. After opening the box and playing with it for a few hours, I was already impressed. Come along with me on this ride to see how the Heras stacks up against the competition.

The Athlon Heras SPR seeks to fill a spot in the ever-larger precision rifle scope market. The massive increase in precision rifle shooting has led many companies to launch new optics brands to capture some of the market. Even the big names in optics have released additional optics lines that offer customers something more affordable.

Brands like Athlon and others are bringing down the entry cost to this type of shooting, and the Heras is a perfect place to start. Like many of the other less expensive optics brands, the Athlon is made overseas. For some folks, this is a big deal; for others, not so much.

SPECIFICATIONS

Magnification	6-24
Tube Diameter	30mm
Objective Lens Diameter	56mm
Reticle	APRS9 MRAD Front Focal Plane
Reticle Illumination	Red
Length	14.4 inches
Weight	32.3 ounces
Eye Relief	3.7 inches

PROS & CONS

PROS

Cost-effective
High optical clarity
Detailed and useful reticle
Precision zero-stop
10 MIL turrets (locking turrets)
Included sun shade and flip-caps

CONS

Made in China

ON THE RANGE TESTING

To give the Heras a good test, I decided to mount it up one of my favorite rifles: the Desert Tech SRS A2 Covert. For testing, I installed the .308 Winchester barrel for easy and predictable performance.

To fully take advantage of the scope’s internal elevation, I installed it in a 20 MOA canted scope mount. The cant offset requires you to zero your scope further away from its internal mechanical limit. This allows you additional elevation capability for shooting long-range that you would otherwise not have if you used straight scope rings.

Athlon Heras 6-24X56 FFP Scope mounted on desert tech srs a2 covert full build — The Heras with its sunshade in place

With the scope mounted and torqued into place, the rifle was ready to hit the range. But before heading out, I bore-sighted the combination. My first trip out with the Heras was an evening jaunt up into the beautiful falltime Rocky Mountains. The fading evening light would make an excellent time to see how the scope would fare in such conditions.

After zeroing the scope to the rifle, I loosened the turret screws and set the zero. You rotate the ring until it hits the stop, and then tighten up the screws to set the zero-stop. I like how this zero-stop works, using a hard stop where the protruding ring stud hits an opposing stud on the base. This makes for a robust zero-stop that isn’t mushy and always stops at the same spot.

Now, it was time to see how the Heras performed. As the sun made its way behind the cloudy mountains in the west, I peered through the scope at the colorful ridges and canyons around me.

I spent some time inspecting rocks and trees from as close as two hundred yards and as far as a mile away. Using the parallax adjustment to focus the image, I was pretty pleased with how things looked. I also varied the magnification setting as I moved from one target to another to see how the image quality varied. As well as contrasting the reticle against the background to evaluate its utility.

HOW WE TESTED

Since the Athlon Heras is likely to be used by competitive shooters and long-range hunters alike, I figured stretching it out in these Rocky Mountains would be an excellent way to test its function.

The predictable accuracy of my Desert Tech SRS and the consistency of .308 Winchester would make it easy to tell if the Heras was up to the mark. After zeroing the scope, I shot a few groups to ensure we had a baseline for accuracy.

I then stretched out the shooting to distances beyond one thousand yards to give the scope’s erector a good workout. I shot back and forth between an easy target at 330 yards and another good target at 870 yards to see how I could keep consistency. Using the reticle to hold my windage correction was convenient, as these mountains’ winds are hardly consistent.

RELIABILITY

Less expensive rifle scopes from overseas often look good but don’t have the internal performance sought after by dedicated marksmen. That is one thing that is an absolute must for me. I’d rather have a scope with a lower optical performance but reliable internal mechanics.

The erector assembly inside the scope has to move reliably and consistently. Cheaper-built scopes can often suffer from inaccurate erector travel or induce cant as they are adjusted up and down in elevation or windage.

I dismounted it from the rifle to see how the Athlon Heras measured up and clamped it down to a firm workbench. With the scope keenly focused on a building outside, I measured the travel of the erector up and down as compared to the reticle values.

desert tech WLVRN 223 wylde suppressed — Shooting for accuracy with an Athlon Heras riflescope on my **Desert Tech WLVRN**

Measuring ten MRAD with the reticle and dialing ten MRAD on the turret resulted in perfect alignment. I repeated the process over and over to the entire mechanical movement of the erector and left and right movement with the windage turret.

I also adjusted the magnification to both extremes to see if I could perceive any reticle cant. To my gratification, I couldn’t see enough inaccuracy to worry about. For the most part, everything stayed plumb and accurate. There may have been a tiny bit of slop when returning to zero, but not enough to concern me.

I also noted that the 30mm tube provides less movement than the larger 34mm scopes, but this would have only been an issue when dialing significant wind holds at extensive ranges.

FIT AND FINISH

The Heras is a handsome scope, and at this price point, you would have taken the entire market twenty years ago. The scope’s finish is certainly on par with its price point, as are the control labels.

Personally, I’m not a massive fan of rounded edges, but obviously, this is a subjective opinion. It might be better due to reduced snagging points.

The lens coatings and the lenses themselves do a great job of gathering enough light to present a clear image to my eye. Even in the lower light of the evening, I found the scope to present a great image.

Like all scopes, it loses some brightness and detail at the very high end of its magnification, but that was no surprise.

OVERALL FEEL

The feel of the scope on my rifle was great, and it wasn’t exceptionally lightweight compared to some of its competition. But I certainly didn’t feel like it was an issue.

The controls on the Heras are smooth and have just the right amount of tension built in. I’m not too fond of controls that are too easy to adjust or too hard. The turrets had enough resistance to prevent accidental turning but were not too hard to adjust from the shooting position. The clicks were audible and easy to feel, if anything, too much. But this isn’t a big deal.

FEATURES

10 MIL TURRETS

I am a big proponent of ten or more MRAD turrets. Many inexpensive scopes use smaller measurements like five, six, or eight MRAD turrets. With each turret rotation, the total elevation come-up can help keep track of your shooting.

For example, if your scope has five MRAD turrets, and you need to dial 12.8 MRAD, you could lose track of your rotation. Particularly because five MRAD turrets usually have five or six rotations in them, and if you lose track in the heat of competition or a hunt, this could be catastrophic.

Ten MRAD turrets are much easier to keep track of. If you dial the same 12.8 MRAD, you know you’re only on your second rotation. This results in ten MRAD turrets having fewer rotations, often only having two to three total turns.

ZERO-STOP

The zero-stop feature in the Heras scope creates an adjustable physical stop on the elevation turret. Once your rifle is zeroed, you can set the zero-stop so the turret will not dial below your desired zero distance.

This is very convenient as you can always know that when the turret bottoms out, you are at your zero. There is no guessing what rotation of the scope you are on or any of that nonsense.

The zero-stop was easy to set and pretty self-explanatory if you don’t read the instructions like me.

ILLUMINATED APRS9 RETICLE

Reticles are another quite subjective topic, depending on the shooter. I am not particular about any one design, as there are so many good ones out there. The Athlon reticle was perfectly serviceable. It had enough of what I liked and only a little of what I didn’t.

I like the even number notations, as it’s easy to get lost without them. The “Christmas tree” style drop table is handy for measuring misses and holding offsets.

The illumination is nice to have, though rarely used. I appreciate Athlon having put off settings between each illumination setting.

TURRET LOCK

The Heras uses a locking windage turret. It is engaged by pushing in on the turret itself. If you need to adjust the windage, you can pull the turret out and then adjust it before locking it again.

SCORE CARD

RELIABILITY (9/10)

I found no issues with the reliability of the Athlon Heras; the mechanical systems inside the scope function flawlessly for me during testing. Despite the cold fall weather and my heavy breathing from dad-hiking, the lenses stayed clear, and the image was always bright.

ERGONOMICS (9/10)

Again, I couldn’t find anything I disliked about the Athlon Heras’s functional features. The turrets and other controls were easy to reach and manipulate.

CUSTOMIZATION (8/10)

The Heras came with some typical accessories and others that weren’t so typical. I appreciated the included sunshades, as I almost always use them. Athlon also included flip-caps; they are cheap Chinesey, but they work.

The Heras would be unstoppable if it had the added benefits of a 34mm tube.

APPEARANCE (8/10)

The Heras looks like just what I would expect for the price. I mentioned I don’t care for the rounded edges, but that’s just me. I gave it an eight out of ten, not because there is anything wrong with it, but because my trained eye can spot a Chinese scope and its finish from a thousand yards away.

VALUE (9/10)

There are very few things about this scope I don’t like. The few gripes I have about the scope all but vanish when you look at the price tag.

CVA cascade, cascade SB, 6.5 creedmoor, athlon optics, heras spr, PVA Jetblast Muzzle brake — the Athlon Heras was a perfect fit for my **CVA Cascade**

CONCLUSION

I’ve heard many folks talk about the Athlon line of rifle scopes over the past few years, and my first experience with this one has been quite positive.

For a very competitive price, you get a rifle scope that performs well both optically and mechanically. The ten MIL turrets and zero-stop are fantastic features for a scope at this price.

And if that wasn’t enough, the 56mm objective certainly gives a bright and clean image. If you are an aspiring competition shooter or looking into perfecting your long-range hunting game, this scope would be a great tool to add to your collection.

-CBM