Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics educate me. thermals and night vision...

January 4, 2024,

Another one bites the dust.

+/- 90 yds, Sig Cross, 308 Win, 150gr. Norma Soft Points, Super Yoter optic.

First javelina I"ve perforated at night!



Starting out at 3x, increase to 6x.

I expect them to drop and paddle. If there is any doubt, they get a second shot.

ya!

GWB

A bark or howl is always worth a try, & generally works as in this case.

Good example here, another one blows through the back door, & spotted the light on the remote when I tried to shut it down.

So foggy you couldn't see across the street, 24 degrees and 96% humidity.

How far is he when your LRF doesn't work?

Snipped your post just to say one does not have have a slow twist to go light fast bullet.

Fast flat midrange looks like a good way to go for night hunting but one can do that even with with a faster twist, as you know.

Good stuff on the video and thanks for posting it.

Looks like AGM introduced a new version of the rattler with a rechargeable battery, I called to ask about it and the woman that answered the phone said that under colder conditions the CR123's might only last 1 hour, so they have a battery they say will last 11 hours, it comes with two of them and went to a 12 micron sensor and of course raised the price.

I watched a video this morning about this. The older 384 units have a 12 micron sensor but this one is supposed to be a better grade as I understood it. The old ones will also take a 5 volt battery pack plugged in the charging port for extended battery life but the new removable/rechargeable batteries are getting significantly longer battery life and the V2 comes with 2 batteries. Looking to be around $2300, I think the Sightmark Wraith Thermal is around $1800 but I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes out of SHOT

The new 384res V2 Rattlers also now come with increased base magnification, as well as the newer low-NETD 12 micron sensor from the Sidewinder line. Better picture quality/definition, better batteries, better magnification options, good QD mount, all sounds like a very solid option for the money these days. While not perfect for 50yd or closer shots, I could see a 3x 384res unit with that kind of picture quality actually being capable of 200yd shots without a lot of issue. Not bad for $2500.

the trijicon units still use the cr123 batteries, at 3 times the price for the thermal unit, honestly though the lifetime is shorter, having the ability to carry a pocket full of batteries rather than to recharge your battery appeals to me somehow. Guess I am too old to relish rechargeable batteries in everything.

I carry spare CR123’s on my guns, in my truck, at work and here at the house. My EDC flashlight uses them as do my weapon lights.

But I’ve also got a few lights that use the 18650 rechargeable batteries that can still use CR123’s if needed. I’ll always have both cause 2 is 1…

And I have an auxiliary power unit that can plug into my Wraith or my scanner if needed.

Let the fun begin....

Another who prefers the small CR123s and will not buy a built-in. Chose Rattlers partly on the basis of the Adder's built-ins that add weight and have potential to cause havoc if goes bad - even if rare. I don't keep batteries in anything except Aimpoints.

More frequent battery changes? Don't care. Batteries draw down faster in the cold - small, large, EV-size, whatever. Bring enough of whatever battery you need.

Nice to have options tho. No right or wrong to this.

That Ruger/Sightmark combo does indeed look fun......

Yes it looks good.

I got to thinking about my horse encounter the other night and the IR illuminator only reaches out 100-150 yards which was right on the edge of where the horse was that I couldn't see through the NV scope. So just to see I ordered a better IR illuminator from Armasight. I really like the detail NV gives over thermal so still hoping to have the benefits of both.

Don,

You'll be going to bed later and later in the coming months.

I'd also call that factory Wraith IR light a decent 100-150yd light. Swapping for a stout 50mm IR light made it easy to watch deer in my pasture with the Wraith HD I had at 250yds. Plenty of definition for kill shots on a hog in that same shot situation.

As the mid-priced thermal scope market improves, I likely grow closer to moving to a thermal scope to accompany my 640 thermal scanner. At some point there will be an reasonably-priced option out there that is 50-250yd capable that pushes me over the edge, away from digital NV. At this point I simply cannot justify an aiming device that is $3,000+ over the cost of my NV scope setup. If I was in coyote country, that would likely be an easier sell.

What aftermarket illuminator do you recommend for my incoming Arken NV?

This is the one I bought
https://armasight.com/watchman-ir-illuminator/

It has good reviews on YouTube to watch and compare, the other one that is good but a much bigger light is the Hogster 66
https://outdoorlegacygear.com/products/sniper-hog-light-66lrx-ir-illuminator

I will eventually get a thermal scope but having this NV as a backup will be okay.

Looks like that Armasight IR light is competitive with the Sniper Hog 50LRX Turbo I use. With the newer LED modules, the big 66LRX and Coyote Cannon models aren't as necessary as they once were. The 50LRX isn't super bulky and I like the 18650 battery compatibility with my AGM Neith NV scope and my green/red LED light I use at times.