Arken EP5 7-35. A company and precision sniper scope that has gained insane popularity over the last few years. Offering budget friendly optics for sniper rifles, hunting rifles, tactical AR15’s and AR10’s and more. Founded by a Navy SEAL, Arken has established themselves in the industry as a serious player and taking market share from Vortex, Athlon, Swamp fox, Sig Sauer, Leupold, nightforce and more. Is this the best sniper scope? The best long range scope? Today, we find out.
Note to readers: Please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, social media, internet forums. etc.
C_Does has some great optics reviews. He has a couple arken ones Ik. What you’re seeing at 35x isn’t a glass issue, its a physics issue/math issue/design issue that’s in every scope. Human pupil is ~2.5-3mm. Objective diameter I think is ~56mm. objective/mag ~ “eye box size”. At 20x, 56/20 ~=2.8ish, so will look fine, with a little wiggle if bright outside. At 35x, 56/35 will be around like, 1.7ish, which is smaller, so your pupil will be unlit in certain areas, making it appear darker. Camera sensors are smaller, and don’t have this issue.
I had an arken 5-25 to start on a 22lr rig. CA was DISGUSTING, but it was sharp, and I liked the reticle, and it did very well for what I paid for it. I no longer have it as I’ve moved on to much better glass, but if I’m in a position to use them again, I probably would. They’re heavy and they’re big, but that’s not necessarily a problem in every shooting scenario. Still like their reticle a lot more than some of the ones Leupold, nightforce, vortex, and anything with a chevron PA puts out, but the glass in all of those, at the same price and higher, is much better
Hahaha…a "gorillian dollars*
Thanks for this review. I can't wait to see how it compares to the Leupold or a Vortex.
I've tested almost all of their models, and I bought the DNT 7-35 (which is practically the same). For the price, it's very good and hard to beat.
Is it as good as a $2,000 scope? No, but for most shooters, it's sufficient.
I have an EPL 4-16 and EP5 5-25. Sent the EP5 back after noticing multiple small bubbles in the glass (noticed when below 12x or so). They are good for the money for sure. Prefer the EP5 to my Vortex PST Gen II 5-25, but definitely prefer my PST Gen II 3-15’s over the EPL 4-16. Also prefer the new Vortex Venom 3-15 and Strike Eagle 3-18 over the EPL 4-16. Not saying the EPL is bad, I just think the PST in the 3-15x were a sweet spot for the Gen II line. Arkens are definitely on my list to recommend to someone (as is Vortex Venom/Strike Eagle) who doesn’t want to spend a whole bunch on a scope, but wants to get into MIL/MOA adjustments, etc. and shoot inside of 500 yards or so. But yes, if anyone says an arken is as good or better than a top of the line Vortex, Leupold, NF…I’d disagree.
CA was a major point of this review and yet there was no direct comparisons to other optics at the same time and in the same conditions. :/
I have the ep5 5-25 gen1 and for the price its been good. Build quality seems good , glass is good enough but i also didnt expect to get 2k+ quality glass on a $500 scope.
My experience was only two Arken optics one was perfect it tracked, clear glass, and everything right the other was complete opposite. Amazon $25 special scope clarity, tracking was off would never return to zero, and for me I could not focus the reticle no matter how hard I tried.
I’ve had their 5-25 for a few years now. My biggest gripe is the zero stop and the hash marks not aligning dead-on with the reference mark. The zero stop has loosened over time and lost its zero. Can't complain too much because of the price though, good entry-level scope otherwise IMO.
I honestly think Monstrum is doing it a bit better 😅
Maybe the gen2s are not as good? I have the original ep5 and a couple of sh4s…. I don't have the Japanese glass in my sh4s. But I don't have any weird stuff like that going on with my scope but they track perfectly after watching this video I went looking all of them to check for any chromatic aberration and I couldn't find any ?? Don't know maybe the quality control has fallen off in the last couple of years since I bought one…
I have that very scope mounted on my Horizon Vandal in 22 Creedmoor I absolutely love it!. You talk about one deadly combination… STUPID accurate and clear as a bell out to and past 1000 yards..
Why not test it with the sunshade that it comes with? I have never taken my sunshade off mine but it is completely clear shooting at any range with the sunshade so idk how it looks without having it installed…
Notice the light distortion is along where the mount clamp is tightened onto the scope. Over tightening mounts can damage and cause distortion in scopes.
Of course a $3000 scope is better than a $800 scope but for 90% of us out there it really isn’t four times better for us to warrant spending so much more.
Great video. I have its step-brother, a DNT The One that I was able to get on a discount price of around $500 at the time. I think it's likely the best glass I have at that price point, but that's also somewhat like being a one-eyed man in the land of the blind. I don't seem to have as much CA as the video though, and seems brighter, but it's not $3000 glass. It's very usable though, and so far has held zero well on a 6.5 bolt. I have USA stuff with better glass that unquestionably is a better picture, but I don't know that it's $2500 better. Can't wait to see the next comparison with the Leupold.
ITS A BUDGET scope period…I tried one… sent it back…No difference between it a tasco or simmons…It is cheap glass and that will never change. Spend the money and buy quality glass….it will not be a Arken…Dont tell me it compares to my IOR or ZEISS v6..it does not..
But Leopold is chinese also, no one in America is grinding glass anymore to my knowledge, even Europe has dropped out i believe, its almost entirely Asian glass now.
Leupold optics have Japanese glass in them.
Ok so the first few comments all have bubbles in their scopes and one bought multiple ones with “bubbles?!” I see there’s great glass and then awful glass. The video shows CA and glass with what 60 % light transfer ???
Sorry but there are many solid optics in the $700 price range that I won’t have to worry about. Let’s start with the Vortex Viper
Buddy, I'm currently waiting on the 3rd SH4 GEN2 4X16x50. Quality control is a definite issue with Arken. If I dont get a good one this time, im returning it also, and going with something else.
I have an EP5 5X25 for my 6.5, no issues, great glass ….At work, we run the on two .50 cal shooting off a boat in the Gulf and no issues as well. The salt air or water has not caused any problems. Lastly, I have the 1-8 LPVO with Japanese glass, no distortion at all.
I see the yellow around the edge. But there doesn't seem to be any "normal" CA at the high contrast target even at highest magnification. That is actually impressive!
I have a EP5 5-25. No issues. I consider it to be optically superior to my older Leupold Mk4 Ultra 16X. Strangely, I haven't noticed any of the optical issues that you seem to be having in your video. I can not replicate the yellow chromatic aberration.
Amazing and thorough review. Thank you, Cody! Here Gon… 💪💪
What mount are you using
The real difference is quality and consistency. Doing business with Chinese manufacturing is a gamble, even though the Americans manufacturing are learning fast in this field, wink wink, in these transactions you don’t necessarily lose every time, but you have to remember, it is a gamble. I say that as someone who’s taken those bets more than once. I’ve bought enough units over time that I could’ve just gone with a Leupold or an NX8, which has given me the opportunity to assess and understand the potential price gap on the brand, or so I think.
Even though the price range allows me to have a scope on every rifle, the fit and experience behind each supposedly similar unit isn’t too consistent. And it's understandable some of that comes from cost saving during multi sourced and dynamic acquired parts (Chinese way), which lends itself to loose QC regiment, which I think is what really explains the price gap.
Don’t get me wrong, the original move to create a more tactile scope was smart. That was a win. But snipers aren’t just good at knowing their tools; they understand psychological manipulation as well.
Now the underlying tone shifting from “this is better than that” to “you’re getting a good shoe on one prosthetic leg,” I think is only laying the groundwork to justify future price increases once QC costs are added to the brand, on the same but different model .
Don't get me wrong I love my Arkens, but I know what I really have and I'm fine with it, so please spare me the online pep talk. At the end of the day, the product will only be judged when it’s in my hand the consumer. If it's a legacy you are looking to create please just make sure the consumer experience is consistent.