Anyone played with it? Have heard good and bad reports.

I put one on a .50 Beowulf for a while. Here is a brief video taken with my cell phone behind the scope while watching deer. There is some image bloom on the recording that wasn't actually in the scope.



Here are my take aways from using the scope.

It is comparable to slightly better than a 320 resolution 19mm FLIR PS32 spotting scope even though it has actual less resolution, but it has a much larger display. There were times I could spot animals better with the Echo than I could with the PS32, though the PS32 did a better job of showing objects in the background.

I shot hogs at over 100 yards with it, no problem. I could have shot farther but didn't get the opportunities.

It has a narrower FOV than I would expect for the magnification. That makes it harder to pick up running animals.

This scope can handle much more recoil than most other thermal scopes that are usually only rated to .308.

Controls are easy to use.

Unit is compact and light (compared to other thermals).

The user is definitely backlit by the scope. I would stalk with it covered and then uncover when setting up for a shot so as to reduce the amount of time I was backlighting myself.

This is not a high dollar thermal scope. I would suggest that unless you have a need for a scope that can handle a lot of recoil, you might be better off going with a Pulsar Apex XD38a or XD50a for a bit more money, but for what I think is the best bang for the buck. You would get better capabilities and a better image with the Pulsars and they can handle up to .308.

Thanks for the info Brian, didn't know if it was worth the price or not.

It is a limited application thermal. If you want an inexpensive thermal to go on a high recoil rifle, it is a good choice. Otherwise, I would suggest going for something better.

Double Naught, what is the max caliber recoil rating on it? Also, all the new Pulsars this year will withstand the recoil of a .375, so that's been upped some from the .308.

Just curious how would you compare it to the Pulsar Core RXQ30V that is only a couple hundred more dollars?

- Jason

I don't believe Sig has set a limit. The rep said that they had shot it quite a bit on a .50 BMG with no problems, so my .50 Beowulf would be no problem I was told, and it was not. Basically, it is just covered under warranty, no questions.

Pulsar's recoil has been upped? Interesting. This year's models are rated at 6000 joules as per the manuals. Last year's model, the Apex, was rated at 6000 joules. The rating appears to have remained the exactly the same. That is also the same rated they had on the Digisights as well years ago. 6000 joules appears to be Pulsar's magic number for recoil.

Personally, I would go with the Pulsar RXQ30V as it is a much more user-friendly optic with more magnification that doesn't back light you.

Thank you for the info, I really appreciate it.

About the recoil, let me explain and I may have been given bad info in the past, thus causing the confusion on my end. My Pulsar reps have told me in past years that the Apexes were rated for up to and including a .308. My Pulsar rep told me this year's thermals were rated for heavier recoil, up to and including the .375 caliber. The 2017 catalog lists the .375 recoil rating as a featured highlight like it's really big thing.

EDIT: I'm not in my office, so I don't have my 2016 Pulsar catalog but Googling around I saw a few places listing the old Apexes recoil rating at a .308 but, I found the old Pulsar XD50A specs on their website and it indeed does say a .375.

So it looks like I was given bad info in the past years when I was told that .308 was the max recoil on their thermals. I admit it.....I am wrong. Please don't tell my wife, she will be devastated to hear I was wrong about something.

Yeah, I would start with the manuals and then go to the reps if you have questions and not the other way around.

Here is the old Apex Manual....6000 Joules http://www.pulsar-nv.com/upload/iblock/615/06.01979_instr_apex_web.pdf
Here is the new Pulsar Apex LRF Data...6000 Joules http://www.pulsar-nv.com/products/therma...ight-apex-xq38/
Here is the new Trail Manual...6000 Joules http://pulsarnv.com/manuals/Trail%20manual.pdf

6000 Joules does include .308 loads, .45-70, .458 socom, etc. It also includes some .375 H&H loads (but not all).

Thanks for all Joule info.

Ya I wish it was as easy as going to the manuals but we get info on new products 6-8 months before they come out and before a manual is ever printed. We have no choice but to rely on the company reps for our data until we get production optics in our hands. If we didn't, there would be no info at all on optics until they hit the shelves. There are definitely little things we are always discovering about the optics that are different from what the reps or the catalogs say but I don't always fault the reps, they are often given bad info from the folks above them. The big information errors are usually found quickly but the little ones, like the caliber rating, are things I can easily miss. I haven't had anyone ask putting a thermal on anything larger than a .308 in 2 years. However, I've got Photon buyers nearly every week wanting to slap the thing on a .458 or a .45-70. I'm not sure why it works that way.

In the end, it's my fault for not paying better attention to the manual.

I have a Sig Echo 1 and the reason I got it was for the unlimited eye relief, like a red dot. It can be used on the scout scope rail on my Rossi m92 454 Casull lever action, as well as on my AR Pistol and my Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag.