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Thermal Monocular
#9043143
05/05/24 03:49 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770
Master Plumb
OP
Pro Tracker
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OP
Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770 |
Looking for a thermal monocular for day time use up to 500 yards with good detection? Any recommendations? budget 1500 -2000.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9043776
05/06/24 06:55 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 648
Outdoor Legacy
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 648 |
Outdoor Legacy - Owner The Late Night Vision Show - Co-Host Night Vision, Thermal & AccessoriesOutdoorLegacyGear.com (877)350-1818
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9043849
05/06/24 09:09 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 14,192
ntxtrapper
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 14,192 |
Not intending to poo poo on the retailers that have posted but I paid 1499.00 no tax free shipping for a brand new Axion 2 XQ53 Pro. If they were posting in the classifieds I wouldn’t have posted this.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9043868
05/06/24 09:34 PM
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 94
mdwest
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 94 |
Hard to beat the Axion 2 for quality vs price. Thats what I run for a monocular and have been super happy with it (the LRF version).
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9047891
05/16/24 09:38 AM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770
Master Plumb
OP
Pro Tracker
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OP
Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770 |
Do the detect that far even during the day light hours?
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9048062
05/16/24 03:38 PM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 947
driedmeat
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 947 |
I purchased an Axion 2 XQ35 Pro from Outdoor Legacy about a month ago. I've used it several times since then and it is a great unit. I could see and ID deer in a clear line of sight at 400 yards when I was out last night. ID on smaller animals out at that distance would be a challenge. I would assume it would work fine in daylight as well since they are simply reading temperature differences.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9048120
05/16/24 05:59 PM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 443
Geedubya
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 443 |
I bought the AGM Taipan 15-384 from Outdoor Legacy for a specific purpose. The Taipan 15-384 has a base magnification of 1.5x As most know, there is little depth perception when employing thermal. If one is not familiar with the surrounding terrain or have "landmarks" at known distances it can become a problem finding a critter that is not DRT. If one has to climb down out of a stand it is very easy to lose perspective/sense of direction of a downed critter. My thermal scopes have a base magnification of 3x. Using a 3X base mag thermal, even not mounted on a rifle is a non starter in medium to heavy cover when trying to find a critter that did not drop at the shot. I mainly hunt out of an elevated stand/blind. I have three spin cast feeders set up at 90, 90, and 120 yds a varying degrees of compass. That gives me three opportunities to shoot, but it also means I may have to switch which window from which to shoot .The Taipan 15-384 with the base magnification of 1.5x works great for discovery/observation. I have spotted hogs out to about 600 yds. (measured) with it. I could not tell what it was, but I could see the heat signature. I may sit in a stand for six hours at night. A big part of that time is spent scanning. Time-wise, I employ it much more than the dedicated optic on the rifle. Knowing something is coming in and being prepared to record video/images, slip off the safety and be ready to fire gives me confidence, and when you know you know, and you know you know, confidence replaces fear. The white dot in the foreground of the vid that follows is +/- 600 yds. One cannot tell it is a hog with the 1.5 base mag 384 unit, but one can know that it is a living creature due to the heat signature. Once I've discovered a critter, I can either get closer or wait until I can make an exact determination as to what the critter actually is. This vid was the first time I had used the unit and I had hot tracking turned on. That is the flickering green "+". This hunt was the occasion of my grandson's birthday. He is an air traffic controller in the USAF. I was just before he was to head to Antartica for six months. He had not done a thermal hog hunt. This is the boar that was the dot in the foreground of the video. They walked/stalked to within 150yds. and Jacob nailed this boar with the 6.5 Grendel. ya! GWB
A Kill Artist. When I draw, I draw Blood
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9048191
05/16/24 08:26 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,348
Double Naught Spy
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,348 |
Do the detect that far even during the day light hours? Yes, thermal does not care about light, only temperature. In the daylight, you can get a lot of heat absorbed by the ground, foliage, trees etc. and during the summer, they can reach animal temperatures (mid/high 90s) and so there can be times that thermal is a less useful, but it is usually just for a short period of time in a given day. I have day hunted with thermal numerous times and most of my hunts start off in the evening, before sundown.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#9048517
05/17/24 01:50 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,555
der Teufel
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,555 |
Do the detect that far even during the day light hours? Yes, thermal does not care about light, only temperature. Indeed! When I first started using thermal I had only a monocular and a digital NV scope. Out one afternoon a little before sundown I arrived at a field with tall grass/weeds and looked around. I saw nothing. I got out my binoculars and saw nothing. I decided to try the thermal monocular just for fun and to get accustomed to using it, and spotted what looked like a hot crescent in the field. I looked again with binoculars and saw nothing. Using the thermal monocular once again I carefully identifed the exact location of the 'hot crescnet' I'd spotted earlier. With the binoculars I was then able to identify the top of a hog peeking slightly above the weeds. I never would have seen it otherwise. I snuck up and shot a hog, whereupon six or eight more suddenly appeared from the weeds. As DNS noted above, there may be times on hot days when thermal is less effective but typically it works okay during daylight hours.
I have two unwritten rules: 1. 2.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9048668
05/17/24 06:10 PM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 963
BigDad
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 963 |
I second this, I use my thermal monocular EVERY TIME I go hunting day or night. It is one of the best tools ever for spotting game. On many occasions I have spotted hogs and deer in grass and light cover that I would have never seen with binos or just my vision. It does work better in cooler conditions though, I'm not a fan of hunting in summertime heat anyway.
Joe
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9048733
05/17/24 08:30 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,348
Double Naught Spy
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,348 |
Well, if you are hunting in the woods during the daytime, a thermal can be hugely beneficial under the canopy for spotting well camo'd critters that are blending in so well that you would not readily notice them.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9050717
05/22/24 01:08 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770
Master Plumb
OP
Pro Tracker
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OP
Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770 |
Thanks going with the Axion 2 XQ53 Pro.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9050836
05/22/24 05:29 PM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 35,381
Brother in-law
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 35,381 |
How much those run and what battery?
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9050884
05/22/24 07:26 PM
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Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 782
duffas
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 782 |
Daylite pic for sighting, Rattler 640.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9050949
05/22/24 09:22 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770
Master Plumb
OP
Pro Tracker
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OP
Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,770 |
Sorry XQ 35 pro fat fingered it.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9051221
05/23/24 02:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 782
duffas
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 782 |
Forgot to add, about noon, probably 75F and 80 yds, base mag. Hand warmer hot target.
Last edited by duffas; 05/23/24 02:37 PM.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9068070
06/27/24 05:08 AM
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 105
Timn
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 105 |
Just bought a pulsar axion xg35 with lrf and it's awesome couldn't be happer.
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9070077
07/01/24 01:58 AM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 568
VAFish
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 568 |
I just picked up a Athalon Chronus ATS 35-ML400.
Very impressed with it, and it has a built in laser rangefinder.
"If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children." -- Confucius
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Re: Thermal Monocular
[Re: Master Plumb]
#9103017
09/05/24 09:01 PM
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Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 782
duffas
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 782 |
I first got an ATN monocular to try IR (needs to go down the road as I don't use it anymore). First nite out with it I watched two does across the pond, 200 yds. They do work in daytime but pic will get washed out some. Senser is uncooled so it doesn't do well if it's hotter than the target background.
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