AllOutdoor Review: Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR
Eugene L. 08.30.23
The phrase “Time is a flat circle” comes to mind when it comes to the firearms community. Over a decade since the first wave of SPR builds were in the limelight, a new wave in popularity for SPRs has come. Now because I’m not immune to these trends both back then and now, I dabbled in scopes in the 2x-10x range back then to only be frustrated with the mid-range optics of the day. Now though, manufacturers like Athlon Optics have really raised the bar, really pushing what you can expect for your dollar. Today, I’m reviewing the Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR with the AHMR2 FFP IR MIL reticle. I’ve run this scope for the past 6 going on 7 months mounted to my “SPR at Home”, so let’s see how it did.
First Look – Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR
Right off the bat, the packaging is solid. Plenty of cut foam keeping all the parts in place. When you start pulling out the pieces you can see Athlon has included most of the accessories you would want for an optic. It comes with a sun shade, flip-up scope covers, and a scope throw lever. This along with the owner manual, battery, and spare screws for the zero stop. Besides just the accessories, the first look through the optic was very positive.
I mounted the Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 a 30mm AR Tactical Cantilever Mount to mount it on my “SPR at Home” build. Looking through the scope just into the backyard I could see the glass was clear along with the finish being super even across the whole scope body. The sunshade threaded on smoothly as well. For being marketed as a more budget-oriented long-range optic, Athlon seems to have pulled all the stops.
Affordable, solid, and reliable are seldom associated with long range shooting and hunting. The Helos BTR GEN2 is the exception.
Athlon Optics Coverage on AllOutdoor
- AllOutdoor Review: Athlon Neos 4-12×40mm BDC 22 Rimfire
- AllOutdoor Review: Athlon Optics Talos BTR 1-4x24mm LPVO
- AllOutdoor Review: Athlon Optics Argos BTR Gen2 1-8x24mm SFP IR
- AllOutdoor Review: Athlon Optics Helos BTR Gen2 1-10×28 LPVO
Specifications – Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 AHMR2 FFP IR MIL
The Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR from Athlon Optics is offered as a scope that can work well in both short and long-range applications. As well as being used as a scope for a deer rifle. The Athlon Helos also comes with the Athlon Gold Medal Lifetime Warranty as well. Athlon will offer you peace of mind if you need repairs or a replacement. No charge to you, with no receipt needed, and no product registration, they have you covered.
- Magnification – 2 – 12x
- Objective Lens – 42mm
- Reticle – AHMR2 FFP IR MIL, Etched Glass Reticle
- Tube Diameter – 30mm
- Turrets – Lockable, with Precision Zero Stop
- Eye Relief – 3.6″
- FOV at 100 yds – 55.7-9.6ft
- Parallax Adjustment – 10yds
- Lens Coating – Advanced Fully Multi-Coated with XPL Protective Coating
- Tube Material – Aircraft Grade Aluminum
- Windage/Elevation Adjustment – 0.1 Mil Clock Value
- Purging Material – Argon
- Overall Length – 11.8in
- Overall Weight – 25.4 oz
- Full Spec Sheet
Heading to the Range – Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR
To take the Helos to the range, I mounted it onto my “SPR at Home” rifle. The rifle is an 18″ SPR profile barreled AR-15, which is a combination of decent parts I snagged on sale. For the ammunition, I brought along some 55gr and 77gr .223 rem. On the first range day, we went to a 100-yard indoor range. Once we arrived at the range, it was super easy to zero the Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42. The turrets were quick and easy to use, and the turret clicks were very tactile and audible. There was no need to mess with any caps or little tools to adjust. Once the scope was zeroed, all it took that day was to just press the turrets down to lock them in place.
I made use of the illumination of the optic a couple of times during this first trip. The very back of this range is a bit dimly lit. When using black and white targets on a black backstop, a red-illuminated reticle was a lifesaver, especially with my sub-par eyes. Then on the closer end of the range. The 2X magnification of the scope when paired with the illumination made it feel very capable up close. The parallax adjustment on this scope lets you dial all the way down to 10 yards to support up-close use further. I do want to say though that the illumination isn’t red dot bright, but I wouldn’t expect it to be on a scope like this.
The glass on the scope is very clear and clean to look through. Even at max magnification, the clarity was great from edge to edge of the optic. At 2X magnification the reticle markings were illegible for me, which is expected of a first focal plane optic. However, I like this better than other reticles I’ve used where the reticle markings just get too hectic and crowded with too much going on at higher magnifications. While the scope was fun to use at 100 yards after several range trips here it was time to really take it further out and take advantage of the reticle.
Stretching Its Legs – Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR
I met up with my more punctual fellow writer Paul B. over at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park. This is a massive complex in central Alabama dedicated to shooting sports. The marksmanship park has several ranges including, a 100-yard range, a 600-yard rifle range with targets at 200, 300, and 600 yards, and an unknown distance steel target range. At the park, there is a qualification system that you must complete to access all the ranges. This is due to their fancy electronic targets that they don’t want people breaking due to missing them and shooting somewhere they shouldn’t have. We went over to the 100-yard range first to do a quick zero and get our qualification cards punched before moving onto the 600-yard known distance range.
This is where the AHMR2 FFP IR MIL reticle’s holdover markings finally got some use. The scope and rifle with 77gr match ammo made quick work of qualifying at the 200-yard and 300-yard targets. Then at the 600-yard target reticle held true with the holdover at 4.5 mil being dead on at 600 yards with the 77gr pills. Once we got our qualification cards punched for all three targets we moved on to the steel target range.
CMP Talladega has a range littered with steel targets ranging from 75 yards to 640 yards. It is a mix of just generic circle and square steel plates, along with steel targets cut out in the shape of various game animal silhouettes. It was a lot of fun using the distance-ranging reticle at the bottom of the reticle on the animal-shaped targets. For the most part, it worked great for approximating target distances. However, I do need to say there is a moose target at this range that you can’t really see the antlers anymore. That target threw me for a loop trying to range it out thinking it was a deer. The parallax adjustment was also key for my wonky eyes, I know it would have been a struggle without that knob on the left side of the scope.
Final Notes – Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR
After using the optic for over 6 months now on my “SPR at home” I say the Athlon Helos BTR Gen 2 2-12×42 is a top contender in my book for people looking in that middle-range price point for an SPR/DMR optic. With the top range being a 12x instead of the more common 10x it gives the scope a wider range of magnification than most other options out there. The quality of the glass and coatings is one of the biggest pluses for me. It was clean to look through along with staying clear from edge to edge, with no shading or halo. The reticle is just right, still functional with the ring at 2x magnification, but still capable of ranging and holdovers at 12x without being too crowded with information. I do need to say my biggest gripe is the illumination of the scope. The battery life is short, I killed two batteries which is my fault I should have checked to make sure it was off before putting the rifle away. But I do feel if there was a shut-off feature it could help a lot, especially for more forgetful people like me. Overall the Athlon Optics Helos BTR GEN2 2-12×42 FFP IR is a yes for me. It has an MSRP of only $662.49, making it tough to really find a better value out there especially considering everything you get.
