Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Night vision scopes

Your preference and why would be appreciated. Will be using it at ranges less than 150 yards.

DD

Do you know it's 150yds and under due to the parcels you'll be hunting? Or, are you self-imposing a limit of 150yds, and, if that's the case, how will you determine that in complete darkness?

I'm starting my looking phase too, but, I can't find a way out of having a LRF either in the scope or a mono/binocular so equipped. I'm not always hunting a known ahead of time parcel though.

150 yards is self imposed and reflects a very optimistic guess at how far I might shoot. There are a few open places that I might shoot under very unusual circumstances, such as...

Max visible distance in this pic is about 100 yards


This is my hunting world.

IMLE:

Detection:

Thermal - less dependent on a secondary source of illumination either natural or weapon mounted. However, a chitty FLIR day or night with uniform temps can't really be overcome, environmental conditions have to shift for more contrast.

Detection can be done with night vision (NVG type), but it's better if the animal is moving, and harder to see if bedded, or stationary - think "pink light" Dan - it's a great illuminator, but clunky and another "add on" you will carry or strap on the rifle.

Range:

For thermal - pay attention to the identification range specs, and see if the range you seek is affordable for you. Thermal detection ranges are getting pretty good, but if you have to ID features - antlers, sex of animal, etc... you pay for clarity, it's an escalating scale in price as distance increases. The ID range is typically much closer (like 75% less) than the detection range is.

IMHO - it's cheaper / easier to get a night vision scope that has the visual range you seek, than a thermal without a significant increase in price.

However, I'll nearly aways prefer the thermal if the cost to get the ranges I want to able to are affordable.

In your thick stuff, thermal will be much better.

I’m new to the game but I’ve had a lot of help. I have a thermal scanner (AGM Taipan 15-384) to find targets and a Sightmark Wraith 4K Mini night vision scope to shoot them. I did upgrade the Sightmark IR illuminator to an Armasight Watchman. It has performed great.

The oem illuminator had too much splash off the trees and brush down on the creek bottoms. The new one focus’ into a tight spot that peers into the brush better.

Friend of mine has an ATN Thor LTV 320 that he likes. Uses it on hogs and yotes on a .22-250. He has some ranch land far more open range than my world. Think it would serve my desires?

If I was hunting thick stuff like that, I would lean toward a 2-2.5x base magnification thermal with at least 384 resolution. An IR light beam for a NV will indeed bounce off cover like that. It’s great for more open areas or cleared lanes if you don’t want to spend thermal money.

+1. I also have a thermal scanner (Pulsar) and the Sightmark 4K Mini NV scope (for which I also upgraded the Sightmark OEM IR Illuminator). Works well for me. Since my longest shot is 125 yards, I don't yet need a range finder. With this being said, I also agree that thermal would be much better but I don't want to spare the coin to buy one. I got the 4K Mini at a great price.

I have night vision binoculars, and an ATN Rattler thermal sight on my 300HMR. I also have an ATN monocular, so I have a couple of optics to make comparisons. As mentioned, night vision has its limitations, but thermal resolution is also very critical at distance to determine what it is you are looking at. The monocular is very useful to spot game, but resolution is lacking at distance. The Rattler does a pretty good job out to 200-250 yards. The night vision is very terrain dependent. I find that in dense vegetation, the night vision is almost useless, because it illuminates brush and branches close up and washes out things that may be moving beyond , as close as 15-20 yards into the thick stuff. Thermal doesn’t, and it’s a lot easier to track an animal moving through the thick stuff. Night vision is good when scanning a field, but not so much where there is thick vegetation.

Yes - it will.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!

DD

Over the years I have worked my way through various generations of night vision, and currently have a gen 3 Omni 8 with a good illuminator and laser. And I would not recommend it for hunting at all because thermal is so superior…

I have a Bering super hogster and it has been great. However, with the close ranges it looks like you are hunting something with a lower base magnification would probably be better. For your hunting, I wouldn’t think a 640 core or laser range finder, etc. would be needed.

I would look for something with a 384 core and the ability to change out batteries and or use an external battery pack. Something with a good quick detach Mount.

The price really does suck compared to something less expensive like digital night vision, but it is so much better I wish I would’ve done it along time ago.

You may want to check out some YouTube videos to compare the various models.

Something like this might work:

https://cameralandny.com/shop/brand...ariation=3673610&query=Agm%20rattler

Or this:

https://www.nightvisionoutfitters.com/products/bering-optics-hogster-vibe-35

Here is a hog from Central Florida. This happened quickly under a very dark heavy canopy. Thermal made it possible

The regular Hogster (Now called Vibe?) has a great, wide field of view and about 1.8x? Base mag. I scan with one all the time, and use it to 150 or more, between 22s and backup coyote/hog setups.

With all that foliage, you're definitely better off using a thermal, Dan. Being a passive device, you won't get a shitload of light being reflected right back at you. DNV can be a PITA in that way.

I'd go with a 384 at the very least. You don't need high resolution to detect an animal, but it's best to be able to positively identify an animal sometime before the shot is taken (duh) and a better scope can do you some favors in that regard. Personally, I'd go with the lowest base magnification available in your circumstance.

do any of the thermals have a stand by mode to save battery power? I have noticed they take a moment to come up when the power button is pressed. Looked at a rattler and a sightmark at a local GS.

My AGM Taipan 15-384 let’s you punch the button and it turns the display screen off to conserve battery life but the unit is still drawing some power.

I hunt with a guy that has a 50-684 Rattler and when we stop to scan he uses his 10-256 scanner like I do. When we spot something he gets on target without any delay. We’re going tonight so I’ll try to remember to ask about it.

The V2 Rattlers have a new removable battery that lasts over 8 hours before needing to be recharged and they come with two.

The only reason I turn mine off is to save my night vision, walking around in the dark and having the scanner around my neck, blinds me with the display shining in my face. I leave my Sightmark NV on cause I use an external battery pack with it.

jimmyp, I have a Pulsar thermal monocular (Helion) that I use to scan. It does have a standby mode to save power. Using this mode, it takes but a split second for the full display to come back on when needed.

Good topic. Can any of you recommend a good current Night Vision Scope 101 article/link?

There's more info on operation, applications, and products on this channel than you have time to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheLateNightVisionShow

All Pulsars that I have used have a standby mode (not saying all do). Just press the power button and hold for 1-2 secs to put in standby, then just a quick press brings it back up.