Post by: jrebel on November 26, 2023, 11:20:13 AM
I'm looking to outfit a 300 blackout that is suppressed. 16.5" barrel with 101 grain bullet....with max affective range of 250-300 yards. Figure most shots will be under 100 given the place I will be hunting the most.
Which is better for brushier country in the NE corner?
What is the effective range of both...meaning how far / how well you can identify coyotes?
Which has better clarity / definition on game??
Anything else I'm missing?? Any recommendations of actual scopes?
Thanks
Jrebel
Post by: ASHQUACK on November 26, 2023, 11:43:46 AM
Post by: Alchase on November 26, 2023, 11:51:38 AM
Most of the night hunters here use Thermal.
Post by: Blacktail Sniper on November 26, 2023, 11:54:21 AM
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/sightmark-wraith-hd-digital-rifle-scope
Waiting on an extended scope base as it is going on a Bolt action. I think it is meant to work out of the box on an AR platform, as the eye relief on my Savage is too far forward just mounting directly on the rail.
First impression just powering it up and playing with it a little off gun, it does have a smaller field of view since the base is 4x mag. The IR illuminator is definately needed.
I watched several Youtube videos on this particular model and several others both IR & thermal, seemed to get a decent review for the price and as a starter night site.
My wallet is not currently big enough to go thermal, but if I like how this one shakes out or if I can't stand it, it was at a price that seemed reasonable for a beginer like myself to give it a go.
Once my extended base arrives and I get it mounted, I will probably do a follow-up post on how well or not it works.
Post by: jrebel on November 26, 2023, 12:09:52 PM
I just grabbed this one while on sale:
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/sightmark-wraith-hd-digital-rifle-scope
Waiting on an extended scope base as it is going on a Bolt action. I think it is meant to work out of the box on an AR platform, as the eye relief on my Savage is too far forward just mounting directly on the rail.
First impression just powering it up and playing with it a little off gun, it does have a smaller field of view since the base is 4x mag. The IR illuminator is definately needed.
I watched several Youtube videos on this particular model and several others both IR & thermal, seemed to get a decent review for the price and as a starter night site.
My wallet is not currently big enough to go thermal, but if I like how this one shakes out or if I can't stand it, it was at a price that seemed reasonable for a beginer like myself to give it a go.
Once my extended base arrives and I get it mounted, I will probably do a follow-up post on how well or not it works.
Can't wait to hear a review. I am a beginner and plan on hunting yotes on the property. I have a couple places that would offer cross draw shots (200 ish yards) but most will be under 100 yards. My biggest concern is the brushy nature of the property (not wide open farm land) and would love to see them critters as they are coming.
Post by: Thermal Predator Control on December 03, 2023, 08:12:03 PM
Post by: Pnwrider on December 03, 2023, 10:11:09 PM
Post by: birdshooter1189 on December 04, 2023, 08:08:07 AM
Example:
With Digital NV you are looking at a coyote at 150 yds. Its head is behind a bush so you don’t see a reflection from its eyes. At 60 yds, there is a tree that is 5’ to the side of your line of sight to the coyote. Your IR illuminator lights up the tree so bright that everything behind it is lost in the shadows. You move your scope to the side to get the tree out of the screen and then the darker background gets brighter and you can make out the body of the coyote. You move the scope back over to put the crosshairs on it, but now the tree gets bright and you lose sight of the coyote. Very frustrating. 2 days later you post your Digital NV for sale on HW forum.
Now imagine the same setup, but you don’t know the coyote is there. You are scanning back and forth with the NV. You will probably never see the coyote unless it moves and looks at you and you see its eyes light up.
Now imagine the same situation with thermal. The coyotes warm body stands out like a sore thumb. The tree at 60 yds is just a dark shadow in your viewfinder. It doesn’t matter if the coyote is looking at you or not, it’s body is hot and very visible. The only struggle is that you might not know if it’s a coyote, wolf, deer, skunk, raccoon, or deer. It depends what angle it is at, and whether it’s bedded, standing, sitting, etc. You will likely need to wait until it moves a little bit to be confident on ID. (The quality of your thermal will also impact how long you have to look at it to determine ID)
I’ve been running thermal for about 6 months now. I rarely use my digital NV anymore. I have a 384 resolution scope and scanner. 3.5x base zoom on both. Both have LRF. Both pulsar. I’m happy with the scope. I wish I had a scanner with wider FOV and more clarity. Pulsar Helion XP50 or Telos XP50, 640 sensor, or similar. LRF is a great feature. Probably not necessary to have on both scanner and scope. If shooting a 300 blackout, knowing your range will be more important.
Post by: birdshooter1189 on December 04, 2023, 08:34:56 AM
I suggest reaching out to Thermal Predator Control and see if you can meet up and look through a few different thermal options. Looking through it yourself in person is far more helpful then watching youtube videos. (Though those are fun and helpful too)
Post by: wadu1 on December 04, 2023, 08:54:49 AM
Post by: b23 on December 04, 2023, 06:52:15 PM
What’s your budget? Don’t waste your $ on night-vision. Thermal is the only was to go. The best bang for your buck thermal that I sell right now is the SightMark Wraith Thermal Scope 35mm for $1799. The price goes up from there. Just remember, you get what you pay for with this stuff
With Shot Show coming up after the first of the year have you heard if there is anything new coming out from anyone that'll get your attention? Usually by now you hear of some cool new thermal/s that's coming but I haven't read much about anything new that'll be out.
You being a dealer I'm guessing you hear about things that are coming a lot sooner than the rest of us do.
Post by: Thermal Predator Control on December 04, 2023, 07:51:21 PM
What’s your budget? Don’t waste your $ on night-vision. Thermal is the only was to go. The best bang for your buck thermal that I sell right now is the SightMark Wraith Thermal Scope 35mm for $1799. The price goes up from there. Just remember, you get what you pay for with this stuff
With Shot Show coming up after the first of the year have you heard if there is anything new coming out from anyone that'll get your attention? Usually by now you hear of some cool new thermal/s that's coming but I haven't read much about anything new that'll be out.
You being a dealer I'm guessing you hear about things that are coming a lot sooner than the rest of us do.
Honestly I havnt heard anything new coming out at SHOT 2024. Only thing new that’s out is the Thermion XL50 LRF, it’s a 1024 resolution, but the base magnification is only 1.75. This caters more towards hog hunter because of the wide field of view. It’s unfortunate because I had high hopes for it since I’ve been running the Merger XL50s since spring. The Merger has the same sensor as the Thermion so I knew what the image was going to look like. They screwed up coyot hunters on this one. The other scope a lot of people are talking about is the IRay Rico Hybrid 640 50mm, it’s a 3.0 base magnification.
Post by: huntingfool7 on December 06, 2023, 05:11:51 AM
Post by: b23 on December 06, 2023, 08:18:05 AM
Only thing new that’s out is the Thermion XL50 LRF, it’s a 1024 resolution
How would you compare the image of the Thermion and Merger HD 1024 res to N-Vision Halo's 640 res.? Is the Pulsar's HD 1024 noticeably better then the N-Vision Halo's or not really as big a difference as it may sound on paper?? Appreciate you feedback and insight on this stuff.
Post by: Thermal Predator Control on December 06, 2023, 08:44:41 AM
Only thing new that’s out is the Thermion XL50 LRF, it’s a 1024 resolution
How would you compare the image of the Thermion and Merger HD 1024 res to N-Vision Halo's 640 res.? Is the Pulsar's HD 1024 noticeably better then the N-Vision Halo's or not really as big a difference as it may sound on paper?? Appreciate you feedback and insight on this stuff.
N-Vision is still king in my book, but not by much. On a low humidity night the Halo XRF shines. But with that said, high humidity/fog nights, I have been able to see coyots with the Merger and not the Halo XRF out at further distances. I receive the Thermion in the mail today and will do side by side comparisons out in the field. The base mag between the Thermion and Halo XRF will be considerably noticeable
Post by: huntandjeep on December 06, 2023, 04:58:17 PM
Post by: Thermal Predator Control on December 06, 2023, 09:40:58 PM
How would something like a set of Merger LRF XL50s work during daylight ? Would you be able to see heat signatures ?Works great during the day. If it’s super sunny light will get into your ocular lens and the reflection can mess with ya. Also, if its warm outside objects like trees and rocks will carry as much heat as animals. Fall, winter and spring are ideal times to use thermal
Post by: Rainier10 on January 02, 2024, 03:50:02 PM
How would something like a set of Merger LRF XL50s work during daylight ? Would you be able to see heat signatures ?I have a set of these coming and a pulsar thermion xp50 scope. I will give a report after I get them dialed in.
Post by: KFhunter on January 02, 2024, 03:58:26 PM
Pros and cons for both....from the folks that have experienced on or the other.
I'm looking to outfit a 300 blackout that is suppressed. 16.5" barrel with 101 grain bullet....with max affective range of 250-300 yards. Figure most shots will be under 100 given the place I will be hunting the most.
Which is better for brushier country in the NE corner?
What is the effective range of both...meaning how far / how well you can identify coyotes?
Which has better clarity / definition on game??
Anything else I'm missing?? Any recommendations of actual scopes?
Thanks
Jrebel
With a $500 ATN I can see coyotes eyes well past 500 yards, and easily identify 150 or up to 300 in optimal conditions - but - I’m using a high power 1850nm bulb in a coyote night hunting flashlight I hook to the scope, it will NOT work in brush, the bloom is horrendous
If I use the supplied illuminator I can barely see 100 yards, it just doesn’t punch through
The only time I don’t need an illuminator is a full moon on crisp white crusty snow, 99% of the time I have the illuminator on
This setup works very well over bait, any real hunting use the best thermal you can afford, for my own property the budget ATN has done well, I’ve gotten quite a few coyotes and kept them off claves, my dogs and barn cat, my rabbits etc
Post by: jstone on January 02, 2024, 04:04:08 PM
The guide had a thermal monocular and a red flashlight. He would call them in and once they got close he would shine the red light on them. It was hard at times finding the eyes before they took off. Once I learned the technique it was light out on those fox. First time hunting predator at night
Post by: jrebel on January 02, 2024, 04:10:08 PM
Leaning hard to thermal, just getting the finances in order so I can buy the best I can afford. Talked to a friend that has a thermal and he said a handheld is a must. He said scanning with his rifle sucks. This kind of makes sense….but two thermals is gonna get super pricy.
Post by: jstone on January 02, 2024, 04:36:49 PM
Post by: jrebel on January 02, 2024, 04:46:09 PM
This is the one I have in the truck. It is a true spotlight...with a narrow beam. On high, it will easily light up a hill 800-1000 yards away. I bought it after being stalked by a cougar this year. It is compact and relatively lightweight. It will be on all pack missions when the sun goes down.
I also bought the red and green lenses with the thought of yote hunting with it.
Post by: huntingfool7 on January 02, 2024, 05:06:15 PM
Post by: jrebel on January 02, 2024, 05:15:35 PM
@jrebel Which thermals are in the running?
I'm still not really sure. Based on my research....mostly on youtube....I really like the pulsar scopes. Still trying to figure out my budget as I have a lot of moving parts right now in my life and need to prioritize a few items.
One of the scariest parts of purchasing a high dollar thermal is... I know nothing about them. Literally never looked through one and no idea what I'm doing. Lots of advise online and research being done to gather as much info as I can....but 5+K for a scope scares the hell out me. Funny how I have no problem dropping 2-3K on a nightforce scope....but I know what they offer.
Post by: jstone on January 03, 2024, 07:43:45 AM
Post by: birdshooter1189 on January 03, 2024, 08:44:43 AM
What’s a good place to buy the thermal? Website or store
I'd check out amazon.com, europtic.com, nightvisionoutfitters.com. I have a friend who is a distributor/sales rep for nightvisionoutfitters. I went through him. He is on the west side, kitsap county. Thermal Predator Control (who has posted on this thread) is also a distributor/sales rep for nightvisionoutfitters I believe and is on the east side near Okanogan. I'd check out the website for general prices. If you contact a sales rep they may be able to offer a better price that is not posted on the site.
Post by: jstone on January 03, 2024, 09:25:42 AM
Post by: Thermal Predator Control on January 04, 2024, 03:02:47 PM
What’s a good place to buy the thermal? Website or storeGive me a call, I work for Night Vision Outfitters, I live in Washington state and can get you fixed up with what ever you need for thermal hunting. Brad 5093086551
Post by: jrebel on February 02, 2024, 02:54:16 PM
Video-recording capability
1280x720-pixel video resolution
Advanced 12-micron thermal sensor
60Hz refresh rate
One-shot zero technology
Mount to a variety of platforms
Internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Is this a good deal for a beginner....$850 before tax.
Post by: lewy on February 02, 2024, 05:46:54 PM
Post by: huntingfool7 on February 04, 2024, 05:30:40 PM
@jrebel Which thermals are in the running?
I'm still not really sure. Based on my research....mostly on youtube....I really like the pulsar scopes. Still trying to figure out my budget as I have a lot of moving parts right now in my life and need to prioritize a few items.
One of the scariest parts of purchasing a high dollar thermal is... I know nothing about them. Literally never looked through one and no idea what I'm doing. Lots of advise online and research being done to gather as much info as I can....but 5+K for a scope scares the hell out me. Funny how I have no problem dropping 2-3K on a nightforce scope....but I know what they offer.
Go with Pulsar. They have a reputation for being the best at cutting through high humidity and fog.
Post by: Luna butte on February 04, 2024, 10:13:06 PM
Post by: birdshooter1189 on February 05, 2024, 06:29:50 AM
If you want budget thermal, look at AGM.
Luna, yes you have the right idea getting a thermal monocular for scanning and then use NV for the scope.
I'd recommend a Pulsar Axion XQ35 Pro. They are $1500. $2000 if you get the LRF model.