6 months ago I purchased a Sightmark Photon xt 4.6x42s rifle scope and it has been great. Only problem is that I have to swing my heavy AR around in order to spot animals in the dark and it hurts my back. And I'm probably calling in animals that I'm not seeing. Anyone have any recommendations for night spotting optics? Most shots are within 200 yards and budget is ~ $400. I was thinking of actually buying a 3-12 atn xsight rifle scope and using it as a handheld digital spotting scope with the option of one day putting it on another gun or something. Don't know if this is realistic / practical though.

I know y'all have lots of experience, I appreciate your advice.

Bushnell Equinox Z digital night vision monocular with zoom, still pics and video. A little over $200 on Amazon. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I9...ailpage_o02_s00 Works well for me with the included IR. If you look for one, be careful as there are some with nearly the same name that do not include the ability to record or electronic zoom for around $100 also. I got the 4.5X Model to match my Photon. Jack

Another vote for the Equinox for NV scanning options.

Don't go thermal.......you'll never go back

Are you experiencing short battery life with your Equinox Z? I ordered one of these units based on your recommendation and received it today. I noticed after only a few minutes of use the battery indicator showed the batteries to be almost completely discharged. I replaced the duracells with the same high quality lithiums that work well in my Photon and noticed almost the same indicator drop. Does the unit eat batteries or is the indicator incorrect? I did read one review where someone complained of short battery life, but it had mostly high reviews.

I guess my answer would depend on what you define as eating batteries and how your use pattern. I don't consider mine to be eating batteries. I am using re-chargeables and getting several hunts. For my usage I turn the unit off when not scanning. The battery indicator does drop off full pretty quickly, but the unit keeps working. I couldn't guess an hourly number per battery set. Recording time as well as settings would also have an effect on battery life. I'm happy with mine. Jack

Going to buy mine this weekend. Thanks for the advice, I think I will be happy with it.

I hope to use it primarily for coyote hunting and I scan continuously for 20-30 minutes. I'm curious how many stands I can get with the IR at it's brightest level using lithiums. I will have to experiment a bit.

I am very pleased with it's night vision ability. Seems comparable to my Photon. Thanks for the recommendation!