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Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
#7538030
06/19/19 05:20 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306
DLALLDER
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306 |
You may have guessed by the title I don't know beans about scopes for hunting at night. So some of you gurus please fill me in. I am seriously thing about putting one on a hog gun. Thanks Daniel
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538037
06/19/19 05:29 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,498
TX_LT230FH
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,498 |
Night vision scopes like the Photon or ATN will get you started. With an additional IR illuminator you can do some fairly decent hunting out to about 100 yards, maybe further. But thermal is game-changing. I've had more fun hunting with my thermal than I would have ever imagined. Sure, they're pricy, but I'll say it was worth every penny to me. The difference is ~600$ vs 2.3k$+ starting level. And I would not buy used thermal. I'd recommend trying to go out with someone that has both, or rent one for a weekend. Once you see the difference, you'll be saving your beer money to get to a thermal...
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538053
06/19/19 05:47 PM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091
CharlieCTx
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091 |
Friends don't let friends spend money on anything ATN.
I'll disagree and say there's nothing wrong with buying used Thermal as long as you understand warranty impact of what you're buying. All of my Thermal purchases have been used and problem-free.
Kel-Tec RFB + Griffin Sportsman Ultra Light 300 + Pulsar Apex XQ-50 M&P-10 + AAC Cyclone Remy 700 + Leupold VX3 3.5x10x50 CDS
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538059
06/19/19 05:54 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,166
westtexaswatkins
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,166 |
I spent a little more than I planned but don't regret it at all. I bought the pulsar XP50 and love it. It is not a bottom line model but not near the top either. Here are a few of my videos (the recorded videos are not near as clear as what you see when looking through the scope itself).
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538069
06/19/19 06:05 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,652
Pitchfork Predator
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,652 |
Nice hogs Mark.......they are alot of fun. That buck in the last video looks pregnant it's so fat! Should be a great season.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: CharlieCTx]
#7538121
06/19/19 07:20 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306
DLALLDER
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306 |
Friends don't let friends spend money on anything ATN.
I'll disagree and say there's nothing wrong with buying used Thermal as long as you understand warranty impact of what you're buying. All of my Thermal purchases have been used and problem-free. Charlie, What is ATN?
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538132
06/19/19 07:46 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,498
TX_LT230FH
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,498 |
Friends don't let friends spend money on anything ATN.
I'll disagree and say there's nothing wrong with buying used Thermal as long as you understand warranty impact of what you're buying. All of my Thermal purchases have been used and problem-free. Charlie, What is ATN? ATN is a brand- some have used the ATN XSight scopes while others have used Photon. Lots of folks seem to have had problems with ATN and ATN customer service.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: TX_LT230FH]
#7538134
06/19/19 07:54 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306
DLALLDER
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306 |
Friends don't let friends spend money on anything ATN.
I'll disagree and say there's nothing wrong with buying used Thermal as long as you understand warranty impact of what you're buying. All of my Thermal purchases have been used and problem-free. Charlie, What is ATN? ATN is a brand- some have used the ATN XSight scopes while others have used Photon. Lots of folks seem to have had problems with ATN and ATN customer service. Thanks for the info. Daniel
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538144
06/19/19 08:19 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,652
Pitchfork Predator
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,652 |
Daniel,
Save some coin and don't buy until you can step into thermal. MD Morrow is a great resource to buy from and get all the info before you pull the trigger. You should send him a PM.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538153
06/19/19 08:32 PM
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,072
cabosandinh
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,072 |
for night vision look at PULSAR 455 $1300-$1500 ish
Thermals PULSAR 38, 50 Trail $3-5K
If you can find used ATN Thor thermals with 50mm lens, those are nice
If you have extra $7-9K, Trijicon, REAP-IR 60mm will be most expensive and it's what I like and recommend
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538231
06/19/19 10:06 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306
DLALLDER
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,306 |
The prices some of you fellows are quoting may make me forget about night scopes of any kind. I thought they were higher priced than a quality regular scope, just didn't realize how much more. I will have to save a few more coins. Thanks
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538271
06/19/19 11:19 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 473
killen
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 473 |
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538274
06/19/19 11:27 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 18,954
ChadTRG42
THF Celebrity
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I run a Pulsar XP38 Trail and it is the best scope for the money I have found. I like the much larger field of view the XP38 offers. I do a lot of scanning and riding around while looking through the thermal. So the thermal scopes with high magnification won’t work for my use. And when you zoom in, the image quality goes way down.
FLIR makes several decent units for less cost, but the image quality is not near as good. Last Saturday night we ran my Pulsar along with a flir 233 and there’s no comparison which is better.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: ChadTRG42]
#7538411
06/20/19 02:31 AM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,498
TX_LT230FH
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,498 |
I run a Pulsar XP38 Trail and it is the best scope for the money I have found. I like the much larger field of view the XP38 offers. I do a lot of scanning and riding around while looking through the thermal. So the thermal scopes with high magnification won’t work for my use. And when you zoom in, the image quality goes way down.
FLIR makes several decent units for less cost, but the image quality is not near as good. Last Saturday night we ran my Pulsar along with a flir 233 and there’s no comparison which is better. Shouldn’t be much comparison between a $2200 thermal and a $4500 one. The Trail is nice, but it’s not cheap.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538458
06/20/19 04:08 AM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091
CharlieCTx
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 4,091 |
Learn a little or ask about the Photon RT or XT NV scopes, decide on a model and watch ebay. Most used ones have a make offer option... throw out some reasonable offers and you will get a score. Get something and enjoy it! You can always sell it and upgrade to something else later. I've bought 3 scopes and 3 monoculars, all used, on ebay. I got my first NV scope 3-4 years ago. I still think being able to see and shoot at night is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
Kel-Tec RFB + Griffin Sportsman Ultra Light 300 + Pulsar Apex XQ-50 M&P-10 + AAC Cyclone Remy 700 + Leupold VX3 3.5x10x50 CDS
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538612
06/20/19 01:43 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,605
chalet
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
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Posts: 4,605 |
Charlie is right. I've killed a lot of pigs with a Photon XT. Under $500 gets you into the night game while you save up for a thermal. Used Photons seem to hold their value well so you won't lose much if any on resell.
Shoot. Eat. Repeat.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538619
06/20/19 01:51 PM
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 433
Bmnloader
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 433 |
I too have shot many hogs with my Photon. No problems whatsoever. I'm shooting 130 yrds to a feeder.
It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance. Ronald Reagan
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538685
06/20/19 03:26 PM
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Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 4,070
Pig_Popper
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 4,070 |
This space is For Sale - inquire within ...
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7538843
06/20/19 07:00 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 476
JDP Ranch
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 476 |
I started out with an ATN X-Sight II and have since upgraded to thermal. My ATN worked great, but they are known to have quality issues. Didn't know about the Photon at the time - probably would've gotten one of those if I did.
As others have mentioned... once you look through a thermal... you'll find a way to buy one. ATN X-Sight and the Photon work, but are limited distance wise. You'll want to upgrade the IR as soon as you get one to maximize your distance.
Nothing like sitting in a blind and seeing every critter for hundreds of yards like you can with a thermal. The first night I took my thermal out - I was disappointed in myself for not getting one sooner.
A benefit of night vision - especially in Texas - is you can hunt at night when it's cooler and when hogs move more. Before night vision, I would take a hog about 1 in every 10 times in the blind. Night vision changed the game with me taking a hog pretty much every time I hunt now.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7539470
06/21/19 04:44 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,108
Espy
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,108 |
The prices some of you fellows are quoting may make me forget about night scopes of any kind. I thought they were higher priced than a quality regular scope, just didn't realize how much more. I will have to save a few more coins. Thanks Start off with a photon for around 500 dollars. It will work well for 100 yds shots. It’s not a thermal but will get the job done.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: Espy]
#7539480
06/21/19 04:56 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,935
unclebubba
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,935 |
The prices some of you fellows are quoting may make me forget about night scopes of any kind. I thought they were higher priced than a quality regular scope, just didn't realize how much more. I will have to save a few more coins. Thanks Start off with a photon for around 500 dollars. It will work well for 100 yds shots. It’s not a thermal but will get the job done. x2. I have a Photon RT. Out to 100 yards with a new moon. Out to 200 yards on a full moon.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: unclebubba]
#7540424
06/23/19 02:20 PM
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 39
firemed13
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 39 |
I will admit to not being as versed in night hunting as others are on this site but I use a pulsar n750 with an enhanced IR light from TNVC and have taken hogs, coyote and deer out to 150 yards. Nothing wrong with digital night vision it gets the job done and I am currently selling it and moving into the thermal scope realm based on I have more places to hunt and time. It's amazing how even the less expensive thermal scopes ($2000 range) are years ahead of what was out a few years ago.
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7540531
06/23/19 06:30 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,115
Ranch Dawg
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,115 |
Texaslawman on here has started Huey Outdoors, check out his web site hueyoutdoors.com , he sells all types of scopes, night vision. Full of knowledge and a great guy to deal with.
THE ROAD GOES ON FOREVER AND THE PARTY NEVER ENDS.
F##K YOU JOE BIDEN !!!!!
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Re: Night scopes (thermal or otherwise)
[Re: DLALLDER]
#7540649
06/23/19 09:51 PM
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 1,012
Old Stony
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 1,012 |
I've owned several of the Photon digital scopes over the years, and can't imagine me needing anything else. I have added one of their extra infrared on one of my rifles and it does provide more light. Never had a lick of problems with any of their scopes and I have killed a bunch of hogs with them. They work on two AA batteries and you can change them out in the dark with ease if needed. Even without the extra infrared, they are always good for me out to about 150 yards.
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