Range limited hog hunting using 300 blackout - What Thermal Monocular + NV scope for ? Lots of traversing wooded trails where moolight is limited and surveying open clearings. Shots will range 25-150 yards. Around $2000 expenditure limit. Ok with used products.

Just got back from a Hog hung using a Leopold LTO and ATN x-Sight 2. The Leopold helped to locate animals in my shot range and we slowly approach them. The x-sight was terrible unless I could get closer than 50 yards. The Leopold didn't do well with animals in the brush unless I was withing 25-50 yards.

Planning to get a nicer setup for a bit more advanced fun. Daytime Scope is ACOG TA31 4x. Plan to take shots with it until i can't no longer and switch to NV scope with a QD.

1. Thermal Monocular - New FLIR Scout 3 240 or Pulsar Quantam Lite XQ23V or Used XQ23A or Used XD19A (Basically ~$1000- 1500 budget for Thermal Monocular)

2. Armasight WWZ 4x ($400) or Aramasight Vampire ($800) (Basically ~$500- 1000 budget for NV Scope). I found a used ATN PS22 for $900, would that work well?

Any thoughts or comments? Am I looking at the right range of products given my limited shot distance / intended use?

Sort of narrowed it down to the following:

Used HD19A or XQ23V for around $1100 (Which one if these 2 are same price)
New Photon Sightmark RT for around $700 (When one is available). Was thinking of Armasight Vampire 3x as alternative

Total Spent $1800. What do you guys think?

You can pre order the new photon RT from night vision guys for 549$

Thanks! Found a used Vampire for $500. I hear it was more clear and more FOV than the photon XT w/ only 3x fixed though.

RT vs vampire for $500. With a 300 blackout range - i'm thinking vampire?

I used the Sightmark Photon with a Bushnell Equinox digital NV monocular with 8.5" 300 BO SBR.

My 2 cents....I would not buy a Gen 1 scope period. They aren't a good investment, their popularity is almost non-existent and for good reason. They are over priced for what you get and you pop the lens cap open during the daylight and you can damage or ruin the tube. Not trying to be negative, but I'm just being honest. For your budget, stick with digital. I've sold exactly 1 Gen 1 scope in the last 2 years and only a handful in the last 5 years and in that last 2 years I've sold hundreds of Photons. I know you don't plan on selling it, but I'd rather buy a product that has a resale value and if almost no one is buying something anymore, it's worth at least asking why. I've used a lot of Gen 1 and it just doesn't do well against something like a Photon IMO.

I'm a big fan of the Photon XT's as a good tried and true digital scope. The RT's have begun shipping, I got in a (surprisingly) big shipment last week, with several of every model. I don't think you can go wrong with a Photon XT or RT.

Again, those are my opinions on what to buy, having personally used everything you've listed so far. Good luck and let me know if you have more questions, I'm glad to help.

Jason

As for monocular choice, I would stick with the Quatnum Lite XQ23V over any of the older Quantums. The Quantum Lites are all 17 microns vs 25 on the old Quantums and all the Quantum "A" models have LCD screens, where all of the new Pulsars have AMOLED displays. That is reason enough to buy the Lites.

Thanks for your feedback!

Just to be clear, are you saying that the Photon RT has better clarity/performance than the Armasight vampire or is it just that the Photon RT will sell faster when I want to upgrade (which seems like everyone in my situation eventually does upgrade)

new photon RT 4x would be solid nv unit on a budget. They're pretty dang impressive. I've got one of the 4X units in stock.

A good red light could also be an option. Just did my first hunt with mine and will probably retire my x-sight II. Much easier for scanning and gives me better range and picture when paired with a decent scope.

I seem to get differing feedback. Ok, I think I have expanded and re-condensed to the 3 scenarios w/ my budget ~$2000:

1- PSV14 self build + IR = Slighting higher that $2

2- XQ23V + IR + Photon RT = Slighting lower that $2

3 - Pulsar RXQ30V Thermal Scope (and use QD to double as a Monocular) = Slighting lower that $2