One of the companies that has been steadily expanding its presence in the optics market is Athlon Optics. The company offers a wide range of riflescopes and other optical products, and after using several of them over the years, I have yet to be disappointed. Let’s see what the Midas HMR Gen2 2-12×42 can do.
The Midas HMR Gen2 2-12×42 is a compact riflescope designed for precise shooting, with a feature set that makes it particularly well-suited to hunting. It’s built around a 30mm tube, providing plenty of room for internal adjustment, while the 42mm objective lens provides a good balance between light-gathering capability and overall size and weight.
The center section of the scope houses the erector assembly and controls, including an exposed elevation turret, capped windage turret, parallax adjustment, and illumination control. It is a fairly conventional arrangement for a modern riflescope. The elevation turret gives you 10 MRAD of adjustment per revolution, with 29 MRAD of total turret travel.
Athlon offers several first focal plane 2-12× scopes, but the Midas HMR Gen2 is a second focal plane design. With an SFP scope, the reticle remains the same size regardless of the magnification setting, which many hunters and shooters prefer. The Midas uses Athlon’s APRS-H2 reticle, designed to provide useful aiming and holdover references without becoming overly cluttered.
The magnification adjustment ring has the number 12 highlighted in red to indicate the magnification setting at which the reticle’s subtensions are calibrated for measurement. A removable throw lever threads into the mag ring. If you prefer a more streamlined setup, the throw lever can simply be removed.
The APRS-H2 reticle provides MRAD subtensions in whole and half-MIL increments out to 4 MIL, followed by .2-MIL and whole-MIL markings extending out to 10 MIL. The windage references are similar but extend to 6 MIL. This gives the shooter a useful range of options for making corrections or holding for wind and elevation.
The center aiming point is illuminated, giving you a bright center dot that can give the scope something of a red-dot sight feel when it’s activated. That’s a useful feature when a quick and easily visible aiming point is needed, particularly in low-light conditions.
I ended up using the Midas on a couple of different rifles, but the first was my CVA Cascade SB. That’s an 18-inch, 6.5 Creedmoor, making it a compact and handy hunting rifle. Adding the Midas HMR 2-12×42 seemed like an ideal combination.
I installed the scope in a set of Wheeler 30mm rings and evenly torqued everything into place. I then adjusted the diopter at the rear of the ocular housing to obtain the sharpest possible reticle image. After bore-sighting the scope, I headed to the range to get it zeroed.
I have always been a fan of riflescopes, and while some shooters believe more magnification is always better, I have come to appreciate the versatility of lower-power scopes such as a 2-12X. One advantage is simplicity. A lower-power scope may not make the target appear as large as a high-power optic, but it also doesn’t magnify every imperfection in the image. That applies to both the target and the optical system itself.
At 2X, the Midas provides a wide field of view. In fact, the view is wide enough that you can see some of the rifle itself (the muzzle). That can be useful on a hunting rifle where a shot could occur at very close range, including situations where a fast-moving animal suddenly appears nearby.
At the other end of the magnification range, 12X provides plenty of power for stretching the rifle’s effective range. My son, for example, used 12X magnification when he took his first mule deer at 480 yards last year.
I began by bore-sighting the Midas to the rifle using my usual tool-less technique. After that, I fired a few shots at paper and made the necessary adjustments. It only took a couple of shots and minor corrections to get the rifle hitting where I wanted it.
Once the scope was zeroed, it was time to set the elevation turret. I initially became a little frustrated because the Allen wrench supplied with the scope didn’t appear to fit the tiny set screws properly. Once I located the correct size wrench, however, the process was straightforward.
With the elevation turret unlocked and lifted, I removed the single screw from the top of the turret and lifted the turret off. Beneath it is an interesting star-shaped component that resembles a small WWI-era iron cross. Four points on the piece interface with a tooth on the elevation turret’s adjustment ring.
One of those points is designed to prevent the turret from rotating beyond the zero position. When the zero-stop is correctly positioned, the turret can’t be dialed below the rifle’s established zero. When dialing upward, the tooth engages the star-shaped component and rotates it, allowing the turret to continue moving upward through its available adjustment range.
Once everything was reassembled, the system worked as intended. The turret wouldn’t rotate below the rifle’s 100-yard zero, but could be dialed upward through the scope’s available mechanical adjustment range. The amount of usable elevation can vary depending on how the scope is mounted and the rifle’s particular setup. Using a 20- or 30-MOA canted base can provide additional elevation adjustment for long-range applications.
I also tested the scope by moving the elevation and windage adjustments through their ranges while the rifle was secured in a vise. Dialing the adjustments through their extremes and then returning them to the original zero is a useful way to evaluate how consistently a scope tracks and returns to its starting point.
Despite topping out at only 12X, the Midas HMR gives you a clear, well-defined image at the higher end of its magnification range. I particularly liked the contrast between the reticle and the focused target image. That’s one of the advantages of an SFP scope with relatively moderate maximum magnification, and the Midas makes good use of it.
Low-light conditions are always a good test of a riflescope. Early mornings and the period immediately before sunset can reveal weaknesses that aren’t apparent in bright daylight. The Midas HMR performed surprisingly well under these conditions, producing an image that compared favorably with scopes costing considerably more.
Throughout the testing process, the Midas HMR Gen2 functioned reliably. I didn’t experience any inaccuracies or other problems with the reticle or turret movement. The controls operated as expected. The only minor issue I encountered was the illumination coming on unexpectedly during transport, I expect it may have been pressed through the soft-case.
The Midas’s turrets have a good balance of resistance and feel. The clicks are clean and crisp without requiring excessive force. The parallax adjustment is somewhat stiffer than I would prefer, but it’s perfectly usable. With parallax adjustment extending down to 10 yards, the scope also offers considerable flexibility in how far it can be used.
I was initially unsure about Athlon’s push-button illumination system. Rather than using a traditional rotary illumination dial, the Midas changes brightness and turns the illumination on and off using a button located in the center of the parallax turret.
At least once during testing, I found that the illumination had turned on without me intentionally activating it. I can only assume the button was pressed while the rifle was being moved around in its case. Ultimately, though, I have no real objection to the system. The controls are simple, and I don’t find myself using illumination frequently enough for it to be a major concern.
I also like the removable throw lever on the magnification ring. It makes changing magnification quick and easy, particularly when moving from a low-power setting to 12× for a longer shot. If you don’t want the additional lever, it can simply be removed.
Athlon has consistently offered what I consider to be good value in the riflescope market. Its scopes often provide a combination of optical quality, features, and mechanical performance that compares favorably with similarly priced products from other manufacturers. The company’s warranty also adds some additional peace of mind for the buyer.
For a hunter looking for a relatively compact variable-power riflescope that can handle everything from close-range encounters to shots at extended distances, the Midas HMR Gen2 2-12×42 is a compelling option. I could easily see it being used on a rifle for hunting bears, where a shot might occur at very close range or potentially stretch out to 500 yards or more.
The relatively compact size makes it well suited to a hunting rifle, while the 42mm objective allows the scope to be mounted relatively low over the bore. The 10-MRAD-per-revolution elevation turret provides plenty of adjustment for making corrections at longer distances, and the combination of useful reticle references, good optical performance, and a crisp sight picture makes the Midas a versatile optic.
There is certainly no shortage of riflescopes on the market today, and prices vary enormously from one model to another. The Athlon Midas HMR Gen2 2-12×42 occupies an appealing middle ground, offering a useful magnification range and a solid feature set without becoming unnecessarily large or expensive. For hunters and shooters looking for a compact 2-12× optic, it is certainly worth considering.
Specifications: Athlon Midas HMR Gen2
Magnification 2-12X42
Objective Lens: 42 mm
Tube Diameter: 30 mm
Reticle: APRS-H2 SFP IR MIL
Focal Plane: Second
Illumination: Yes
Adjustment Type: MIL / MRAD
Click Value: 0.1 MIL
Field of View @ 100 yds: 55.7–9.6 ft
Eye Relief: 3.62 in
Length: 12 in
Weight: 19 oz
Zero Stop: Yes
Battery: CR2032
Made In: China
MSRP: $724.99 (about $480 retail)