Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 Scope Review

One of my CZ 457s is currently topped off with an Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 BLR2 SFP MOA scope. That’s a long name, but this is some big glass – 60x magnification on the long end. Athlon describes this scope as “specifically engineered for precision applications, including Bench Rest, F-Class, or any shooter striving for the perfect group.” In my case, it was mostly used for punching tiny holes at 50 yards with .22 LR ammo. But I did stretch it out to 200 yards. And I can see where that much magnification would come in handy for centerfire at much greater distances.

Prior to this review, I hadn’t used a scope with more than 25x magnification. In order to properly put the Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 through its paces, a few upgrades were in order. I put my CZ 457 test rifle in a chassis with an adjustable stock. And I replaced the barrel with a brand new 20″ barrel from CZ. Finally, I added a Mystic Precision MPOD (bipod) from EGW. This gave me a very stable platform capable of a high level of accuracy. Mounting it on a lesser rifle wasn’t going to allow me to take full advantage of what it offers.

Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 BLR2 SFP MOA Scope Specs

With a magnification of 15-60x, some size and weight is to be expected. So it’s 35.3 ounces and a full 15.9 inches in length, without the included sun shade. Surprisingly for a scope with a 56mm objective, the main tube is only 30mm. Multi-coated glass inside provides a bright, sharp image, with true colors. Field of view at 100 yards goes from 7.84 feet at 15x down to a tight 1.94 feet at 60x. Parallax can be adjusted to a very close ten yards. On top is a turret with a Precision Zero Stop System. And the windage turret utilizes a pull-up to turn, push-in to lock system. For those shooting heavy calibers, the 3.7″ eye relief should be satisfactory.

 

Athlon’s BLR2 SFP MOA reticle is a super fine 0.018 MOA reticle on the second focal plane. It doesn’t change with magnification, allowing for more precision out to longer ranges. Or in my case, with smaller targets. Speaking of small, there’s a 0.075 MOA opening in the center of the reticle. The Fast Focus eyepiece makes it easy to get that in focus. Athlon provides a great explanation of how to use the reticle for distance ranging too. There are also instructions for holdovers. Note that the subtensions are only accurate at 40x with this particular scope. Should you forget, the 40 on the magnification ring is in red, while the rest of the numbers are in white.

 

Installation of the Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56

Although Athlon makes some excellent rings, I already had a set of EGW 30mm low rings, so I used them. Following the recommended torque values, I installed it and gave it a 50 yard zero. Athlon includes a shade, and some flip-open covers, which went on as well. Inside the box was a throw lever and the focusing wheel for the parallax.

Once the throw lever was installed, I fitted the wheel, and tightened it down just enough that it could slide on and off with a little effort. I didn’t want to leave it mounted and risk damaging the scope during transport. My rifle is transported in a soft case with another rifle, so I chose to reduce that risk.

First range trip

With a new barrel and scope in a chassis that I recently purchased, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But for the first time ever, the scope needed no adjustments at all once I got to the range. After setting up my KYL rack at 50 yards (I thought it was about 40, but we later verified it was 50), I went to work. Cleared the rack down to the 1/4″ target without having to touch either turret. I’ll attribute that to being able to zero that fine reticle at 60x.

Things weren’t all rosy though, as it turns out that I mounted the Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 too far back. So the initial visit was promising, I still needed to get dialed in.

 

Range trip number two with the Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56

After moving the scope and adjusting the length of pull, I was ready for another trip to the range. Since this is an all-new setup for me, I was expecting to make a few changes. And they were necessary, as eye position is critical with this scope’s magnification levels. I had read some feedback online where the user stated that his didn’t hold zero. I suspect that may have been due to the nature of the optic. If I’m off even a little bit, I’ll miss my 3″ target, despite the crosshairs being dead-center. So having a very natural and repeatable position behind the scope is the key to success here.

I spent the remainder of this range trip making sure I could return to the same position each time. With that sorted out, results were repeatable.

 

Testing the turrets

Having made multiple trips to the range without even touching the turrets, I was ready to stretch things out a bit. And this is where I miss the ease of a FFP reticle and quick holdovers using the reticle. At 100 yards, I had to dial in around 6-7 MOA, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 MOA for 200 yards. At 1/8 MOA per click, that’s a lot of revolutions. But the Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 is designed for precision, not speed. Each one of those clicks was audibly sharp and tactile. Once I got close to my target in elevation, I noticed the wind was just strong enough to require a few clicks of windage as well.

 

Lobbing subsonic 40 grain rounds out to 200 yards isn’t really my thing, so I brought it in a bit, to a golf ball at 150. Some quick math, a bunch of clicks, and I hit it, but not with enough energy to set it in motion. Running the elevation all the way back down to the stop, and backing my windage off, I went back to my KYL rack at 50 yards. Clearing it again was easy. Loading another magazine, I hit the 1/4″ target six times in a row.

While I can give credit to the tracking of the turrets, I’d say this rifle hasn’t disappointed either. The Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 is a good match to this CZ 457.

Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 Glass Quality

If you made it this far, you’ll be happy to know that the glass did not let me down either. Yet it really comes down to expectations. For anyone who thinks $749.99 is a lot for a scope, the glass quality may or may not impress you. On the other hand, you may realize that this glass is fantastic for a 60x scope with an MSRP of just $749.99. My testing was done in the high desert of Utah. It was in the 90s on every range trip, shooting over baked dirt with plenty of mirage. The sun was behind me, over my left shoulder. So no issues with lens flare, and the included lens shade was probably not necessary.

But you’re not here for a weather report, you want details.

 

At all magnifications, the center of the glass was bright with sufficient contrast. Straight lines at the edge of the image had a bit of distortion, which was expected. It doesn’t detract from the target though. Depth of field is razor thin, and and if you go looking for some anomalies in the out-of-focus bits, you may find some. But adhesive targets, my KYL rack, and broken clays as well as empty shotgun shells all snapped into focus and colors seemed true to life. This is not a cinema lens, though, it’s a rifle scope. And I found the glass to be better than I would have expected given the price-to-magnification equation.

If you want 60x with better glass, the Athlon Ares has the same magnification, and reduced chromatic fringing. At almost double the price.

What’s with the big wheel?

In the simplest terms, as magnification increases, depth of field (how much of your target is in focus) decreases. Not an issue with a flat paper target, but with 3/8″ steel targets, it’s possible to have the face in focus, and the rear edge out of focus. And this scope really requires that the target be in sharp focus to hit your point of aim. So that big focusing wheel is included, to make it easy to snap your target into focus, and also fine focus. It quickly became natural to use, and I’m thinking that I wouldn’t mind something similar on some of my other scopes.

As mentioned earlier, I don’t leave it on there during transport.

 

Conclusion

When I originally reached out to Athlon about a review, it was because I have some friendly competitions with my shooting buddies, and I really hate to lose. Would I shoot as well as this combination does, if I just built the rifle but kept my usual 25x scope? Probably not. Did I need 60x? Hmm. Maybe. I prefer to keep it somewhere between 40x and 60x. Does it make it easier to punch tiny holes and hit the itty bitty steel targets? Certainly.

If you already have a rifle that’s capable of a high level of accuracy, and want to stretch things out, or shrink those groups, this is certainly a viable option, and an excellent value too. Just make sure that you have the accuracy to back it up.

As always, I’d like to thank Athlon for providing their Athlon HERAS SPR 15-60×56 BLR2 SFP MOA scope for my testing and evaluation. It’s been a fun diversion, and has really pushed me to hone my skills a little more.

Rifle and accessory specs:

• CZ 457 action with stock trigger at lowest setting.
• OEM CZ chassis from HB Industries
• CZ 20″ Varmint barrel
• Luth AR stock
• MKM grip
• Area 419 bolt knob and 30 MOA base
• EGW Keystone 30m .850″ low rings
• EGW Mystic Precision MPOD bipod