whats the best in the $3500-4500 range?

what is your use case? weapon mount? handheld? helmet mount? - need more info on how you want to use it

I should have said thermal, weapon mount. thanks

Thermals I highly recommend (and use) IR Defense but those may be outside of your current budget. I am sure there are some other options out there that are cheaper but I can't speak from experience with them. If you want to know more about the IRD stuff shoot me a message, don't want to hijack the thread if it's not aligned with your budget.

Get a used 640 unit in that price range

in my budget, what about the pulsar apex xd50a?

I absolutely love my XD50A. Pip is very handy. I use a HD38A for scanning. A winning combination for sure.

Here is a video of a kill I made back in October with the Apex 50A at a lasered distance of 265 yds. The PIP function really comes into it's own on longer shots while the native mag of 2x keeps a wide field of view for running shots.



In this next video, my hunting partner makes the kill at about 125 yds., and then I narrowly miss the running coyote 4 times, but it gives you an idea of what you can see on running shots.



This video is my longest kill, and I'd have to say it is better to be lucky than good. I picked a bad shot on the first coyote, but did finally find it. The second shot lasered out to 500 yds. on the running shot. I had to reposition on the other side of my hunting partner during the two shots. The Apex is mounted on a RA Predator in 243 shooting a 58 v-max at 3,850 fps.



That should give you some idea of what the Apex 50A is capable of, but keep in mind the picture I see through the scope is clearer than the videos.

50A is a good scope. There are much better options though if you can stretch your budget slightly past it though.

There will always be better. At what cost? As you say, that depends on one's pocketbook.

For me personally, I can shoot as far as I feel comfortable shooting at night using the Apex 50A, and I haven't felt handicapped in what I can see. Would an Armasight 640 give a better picture. I certainly would think so. Would an IRD give a better picture than the Armasight or FLIR? My guess would be yes, but would either translate into more coyotes than the Apex 50A allows me to kill? I can't say for sure since I haven't looked through them, and have only seen videos of them in use.

For me, I made the right decision with the Apex 50A. Others will have to decide for themselves I guess.

Here is a video of a kill at 85 yds. in my yard on a coyote eating pears. This would be our more normal shooting distance when calling.

It's certainly good for the price but if the fellow can go to more like around 4K there's much better options. It's pretty hard to go back to looking through a 320/336/384 once you've used 640. I've owned several pulsars and while I like them, I find their housings to be pretty cheap made and awkward in size. They do produce a good image and are very easy to use though. The factory mount system on the pulsar line is pretty junky so I would factor in another couple hundred for the UNV QD mount system.

I'll agree the housing is larger than some of the more svelte (and expensive)brands. If a person was purchasing the 50A to switch from one rifle to another then the QD system would surely aid that. However, mine stays on one rifle and it has been rock solid for several months, so not a problem for those not doing switcheros.

Bottom line--it allows me to kill coyotes in total darkness as far away as I would want to shoot with any other system.

I love my 50A.

Another vote for the 50A

So, the XD50A has 4X digital zoom.

The XD50S has only 2X digital zoom but supposedly a better display (OLED v LED).

What's more desirable? How often do you guys with the 50A use a zoom greater than two?

If you're going to spring for the OLED, I'd follow what MD was aaying above and raise resolution vs OLED from LED.

Charlie

I always have the PIP turned on in my 50A so that I have the 2x optical on the main screen for wide FOV and running shots and the 8x digital in the PIP for long range and pinpoint accuracy. Also it may not be important to you, but the OLED display only has black or white reticles while the 50A offers green and red as well as black or white.

I haven't looked through the OLED, and it is impossible for me to say how much better it is. That would require someone to look through both scopes at the same time. Since the OLED is only in the scope display, looking at videos of the two in comparison is useless unless someone was filming through the display. I do believe that Bearclaw (Tyler)UNV has a video of the OLED through the eyepiece that might help you decide.

Nice vids, DoubleUp.

I've never had to zoom mine to take a shot. Pip takes care of that for me.

Thanks DNS. I thought it might help to see what the coyotes look like at various ranges since ID is always a question with thermal. As you know the recording isn't as good as what the shooter sees, but does give some idea of what to expect if trying to ID and make a 200+yds. shot. Closer is always better no matter what gear is used.