texashuntingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
TraeMartin, Beatixre, MooseSteed, Trappernewt, casyoo
71987 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
dogcatcher 110,788
bill oxner 91,416
SnakeWrangler 65,416
stxranchman 60,296
Gravytrain 46,950
RKHarm24 44,585
rifleman 44,461
Stub 43,769
Forum Statistics
Forums46
Topics537,000
Posts9,719,323
Members86,987
Most Online25,604
Feb 12th, 2024
Print Thread
Low end night optics #8501187 01/11/22 05:29 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,175
T
texaspatriot.308 Offline OP
Pro Tracker
OP Offline
Pro Tracker
T
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,175
I see ads all over for night vision scopes, cameras etc. including the Sightmark Wraith for around $600. any others out there, reasonable price for less that 100 yard shots?


TexasPatriot.308
Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501294 01/11/22 06:53 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,487
syncerus Online Content
Extreme Tracker
Online Content
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,487
Feeder lights or the wraith are your options. Sightmark also makes a decent digital scanner for about $400.


NRA Patriot Benefactor & DSC Lifer
Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501310 01/11/22 07:21 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,835
U
unclebubba Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
U
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,835
I have a sightmark Photon, and it is pretty good for what it is. It does well with some moonlight, but on a new moon, or when the moon is just a sliver, it is tough to get much distance and clarity out of it. Since I bought it, I have used a rented thermal. One of the higher dollar (like $5000+) ones. I can't remember which one it was, but OMG the difference is astounding! It made me take the sightmark off my rifle and just put it away. I will get it out and re-mount it occasionally when I will be hunting a full moon, but otherwise, it sits pretty much un-used. I would think that if your budget is $600, then the sightmark is probably your best bet. Just know what you are getting. If you can swing a higher budget, go with as high of a quality thermal as you can afford.

Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501335 01/11/22 08:08 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,986
G
gr8fuldoug Offline
Pro Tracker
Offline
Pro Tracker
G
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,986
Originally Posted by texaspatriot.308
I see ads all over for night vision scopes, cameras etc. including the Sightmark Wraith for around $600. any others out there, reasonable price for less that 100 yard shots?


The Sightmark Wraiths are excellent units


Doug @ Camera Land

gr8fuldoug@aol.com
www.cameralandny.com
516-217-1000

Thanks for the support we receive
Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501366 01/11/22 08:57 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 474
JDP Ranch Offline
Bird Dog
Offline
Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 474
I have a number of thermals but got an ATN X-Sight 4k in 3x when it was on sale on Amazon for $450. Kind of an impulse buy. Paired with a Coyote Cannon IR light - it works extremely well. Shocked how clear it is out to 200 yards. Doesn't beat thermal but definitely good enough for out to 200 yards. I can see figures and eyes reflecting out to 500 yards with it... but can't really ID anything with confidence past 300 yards.

I think any low-end night vision (ATN/Sightmark) works well at under 200 yards if you have a powerful enough IR light. I gave up on low-end night vision several years ago and went to thermal. Don't regret spending $$$ on thermal, but could've held off on sinking the $$$ into thermals longer if I had discovered the Coyote Cannon or a similar high-power IR.

Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501377 01/11/22 09:34 PM
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 4,056
P
Pig_Popper Online Content
Extreme Tracker
Online Content
Extreme Tracker
P
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 4,056
Originally Posted by texaspatriot.308
I see ads all over for night vision scopes, cameras etc. including the Sightmark Wraith for around $600. any others out there, reasonable price for less that 100 yard shots?


The less costly units are going to be some sort of adaptation of a “camera” onto your existing day optics.

Note : the sightmark / ATN products feature their own built on mount to adapt to the firearm / this will always yield the optimal repeatability necessary for 100 yard engagements.

IF you’re a risk taker and like to tinker (with your zero) then YES there are less expensive options.

Note, anything you adapt to the back of your scope you’ll need to take into account eye relief, the unit below is going to give you night time capabilities at the expense of your daytime position of the day scope (it’ll need to be placed far forward on the top rail of the rifle).

This is cheaper than a wraith but as you’ll see has many technical challenges !


Example here:

https://www.amazon.com/Megaorei-Int...;sprefix=megaorei%2Caps%2C228&sr=8-6


This space is For Sale - inquire within ...
Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501491 01/11/22 11:42 PM
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,228
D
dredd Offline
Pro Tracker
Offline
Pro Tracker
D
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,228
I have an older Sightmark.
It came with a small IR Illuminator.
It is decent at 100 yards in pitch black darkness.
It gets better and better with more ambient light.
A bigger Illuminator would be a good idea as well.

Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501579 01/12/22 01:38 AM
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,404
D
DQ Kid Online Content
THF Celebrity
Online Content
THF Celebrity
D
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,404
ATNs can be had in the $600-800 range with decent filters

Last edited by DQ Kid; 01/12/22 01:39 AM.
Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501845 01/12/22 02:41 PM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,061
E
Espy Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
Online Content
THF Trophy Hunter
E
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,061
My nephew has a wraith not a bad scope for the price. Look around and you can find some deals. Sightmark has good customer service. You couldn’t give me a ATN product their customer service was terrible.

Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8501928 01/12/22 03:54 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 887
H
HLo Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
H
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 887
I recently bought a thermal and love it! However, I do love my Sightmark Photon RT as well coupled with a Hawglite 66. I can easily see 400 - 500 yards and everyone is amazed how clear it is. Wraith does color daytime though so that is neat. Two friends have had nothing but problems with ATN. Cool when they work.
.


HLo
Re: Low end night optics [Re: Espy] #8501945 01/12/22 04:07 PM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,217
Double Naught Spy Online Happy
THF Trophy Hunter
Online Happy
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,217
Originally Posted by Espy
My nephew has a wraith not a bad scope for the price. Look around and you can find some deals. Sightmark has good customer service..


Eight years ago, the hot digital night vision on the market was a Pulsar Digisight N550 for $1300 that was on 500x582 resolution which is about 1/7th the resolution of a Wraith HD and is/was more than double the price of the Wraith HD. You can easily see double the distance with the Wraith than you could with the Digisight and you get daytime color not offered by the Digisight. The Wraith is actually pretty impressive for the price, LOL.


Hogdalorian - Si vis pacem cum sus, para bellum.
My Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange
Re: Low end night optics [Re: texaspatriot.308] #8502458 01/13/22 02:32 AM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,986
T
TAB Offline
Pro Tracker
Offline
Pro Tracker
T
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,986
When you guys talk about the wraith, are you talking about the one that is $499 or the one that is $799?

Re: Low end night optics [Re: TAB] #8502519 01/13/22 03:24 AM
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,993
6
68A Online Content
Extreme Tracker
Online Content
Extreme Tracker
6
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,993
Originally Posted by TAB
When you guys talk about the wraith, are you talking about the one that is $499 or the one that is $799?


Just picked up the Wraith HD ($499 unit). Have an photon XT as well. Sitting at a feeder with 100 yd shots, the wraith can’t be beat for the price. The HD menu is much more comprehensive and has a better interface than the XT. I contemplated the 4K ($799) but for what I do, I couldn’t justify the extra cash. I’d love to have a thermal but 99% of what I do is shooting a known distance at one location. The XT served me well and I’ll probably continue to use it as a “scanner” so I don’t have to run the wraith as much. The external IR that comes with the wraith is a huge improvement over the XT. I have a bigpig IR and could easily see out to 200+ yds with the XT, I don’t think I’ll even need it with the wraith.

Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 2004-2024 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3