Looking at buying myself a Christmas present. Will probably have around $2500ish. Was thinking about one of the Pulsar CORE, but the all time green view and no recording kind of turned me off that one. Looked at Pulsar Apex XQ38 for right around the $2500 price tag, but then I found the new FLIR for street price around $2000. Really like the environment detect pallet. Only negative I've seen is there is no built in mic. I can't seem to find anything else bad about them, but they're still really new.

And really backordered...

If you get one let us know how it works

You can get that Apex today and be hunting tonight!

I'm still waiting on my first shipment of PTS233's that was supposed to be here in August. I keep hearing 2 more weeks... I'm crossing my fingers they will be here soon. The PTS233 is $2,199 and some people would probably pay more if they could actually get their hands on one.

The Pulsar Apex XQ38 is the best bang for your buck. I'm a huge fan of the Core RXQ30V for the money but if you can afford the upgrade, the XQ38 is worth it in every way. The image quality isn't even comparable on the two. Same thing with the PTS233. It's image quality is going to much closer to the Core than the XQ38. The Apex XQ38 has the same image quality and magnification as the Trail XQ38 and it's $3,299. If you don't need the video recording and the battery pack, the Apex is a steal!

Just my 2 cents, having used the Core and the Apex both extensively.

- Jason

Thanks, what are the differences between the Trail XQ38 and the Apex XQ38? The way Pulsar setup the model numbers is confusing the hell out of me

In s nutshell, the difference is the bells and whistles on the Trail . Performance is identical. Trail is a little smaller overall . Even if you don’t care about video, Trail has rechargeable battery. That will pay for itself.

I would prefer internal video and rechargeable batteries. What about the Trail XQ30 for $2799 vs the Apex XQ38 for $2599. Extra $200 isn't a huge deal but I'm guessing it's a 30mm objective vs the 38mm objective lens. Does that make a huge difference in thermal?

I always recommend a bigger lens when making a purchase of relatively similar core technology.

Every ounce of magnification is desired in the <50mm products

My advice is buy the best you can afford, in the native mag. That suits you. The only people that I know who make videos are the ones selling it or the people teamed up with them . Are you really gonna watch your kill shots over and over? At the end of the day I’d rather spend the extra on the bigger lens. But as always, this is my opinion.....

Hell yes!

There's nothing like reliving a great encounter and figuring out what you may have done wrong, sharing with friends, etc.

I do agree with this. I like to rewatch and see just how shaky my hands were along with shot placement. It is a good learning tool. Also like to share with friends and post on the THF and YouTube.

Ok here is a quick primer on the Pulsar thermals. This will hopefully help clear up some confusion, because trust me, I was majorly confused by the time I left the SHOT Show when these were all released. Hopefully someone out there will read this and make some sense of the confusion.

XQ = 384x288 thermal core resolution
XP = 640x480 thermal core resolution

The the number behind the letters is the objective lens size in mm. Example: XQ30 = 30mm, XP50 = 50mm etc.

Quantum Lite = Handheld thermals - budget friendly
Helion = Handheld thermals - internal video recording, phone/table app, removable/rechargeable battery pack

Core FXQ = Clip on thermal

Core RXQ = Rifle scope - entry level, budget friendly
Apex = Rifle scope - budget friendly, same image quality as the Trails, less features
Trail = Rifle scope - internal video recording, phone/table app, removable/rechargeable battery pack


- Jason

Thanks for the explanation. Helps a lot.

Well, I was making videos long before I was ever involved with Third Coast Thermal, or Pulsar before that, LOL. I like watching my videos. I like watching Hans' videos, Pig_Popper's, and everybody else's. They are a hoot to watch. The main reason I started making vids of my hunts was for the purpose of learning more about what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. The videos revealed several issues on which I needed to work, such as anticipatory flinch, steadiness, and leading running hogs and I have made corrections over the years. The videos help keep one on track, even if you don't share them with others.

Here is a video from the new scope by Wildfowler. I got this from LSB where he said he was about 100 yards out...


You should buy the best you can afford. Keep in mind these 5 things when it comes to image quality...

The bigger the lens, the better.
The higher the resolution, the better
The smaller the micron distance, the better
The higher the native magnification, the better.
The higher the hz rate, the better.

There are a couple of caveats. First, you don't want too much magnification, but most of the scopes are 4x or less native magnification and few people complain about having too much power at that level. Second, a higher hz rate will make some difference in image quality, higher speeds being better for high motion views such as with animals running, but it will also tend to consumer more battery power.

Man, that resolution doesn't look that great. I know you lose a lot in video what you see on the screen and what you get out of video isn't the same. But, thinking will probably forgo the FLIR. APEX will probably be the way I go unless I can scrounge enough for the Trail 38.

FYI: If battery life is a concern with the Apex, you can buy the Pulsar EPS5 buttstock battery pack for $149 and it will run the Apex for close to 20 hours.

I apologize if what I said about videos came across the wrong way . Was not intended in any way as a slight against anyone . Was trying to express my thought on use of one money where budget is concerned. Like I said, it was strictly my opinion, others may feel a different. And that’s ok . Again sorry if what I said was taken the wrong way

Kyle, Don't sugar coat it. That resolution sucks and I can see it from from here. It is going to cost your but you know what you got to do.

Midwaytmm don't apologize, lots of us feel the same way. Why I went with the RXQ!

I wasnt apologizing for the way I feel about the subject. I was apologizing for the way it came across . When you’re sending a text msg to the internet, it’s easy for someone to misinterpret. That being said, it’s possible I’m in the minority’ here. I kill pigs because the affect how I make my living, and folks around me. Don’t care about seeing it again. But I go 3-4 night a week usually. Others may be in a different boat. To each his own

Thanks guys, have ruled out the FLIR the APEX just likes like an all around way better thermal for just a tad more money. Not sure if I'll be able to purchase by Black Friday, but if anyone sees any killer deals please post them up.

Really appreciate you laying this out. Have always been confusticated by the way Pulsar delineates the models.

Glad to help. You have no idea how long it took me to get all that sorted. Granted, I might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but if Pulsar had given us a cheat sheet with that info explained on it, it would have helped a lot.

- Jason