Night Vision Any gurus in the PHX area?

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

I keep finding myself back in the night vision / thermal side of the forums lately.

I don’t know what I don’t know and this is a very confusing topic.

I’m wondering if nighttime shooters let people look through their gear or is this when things get strange and you gotta buy your own and learn the hard way?

I’d love to look through a few devices and determine if this is even “my thing”

Anyone have advice where to start?

 

[aslrookie]

I've never had someone, regardless of their stance on guns, look through NV and not think it's the coolest shit they've seen. Best place to start is your budget. For a nice monocular, you're looking at $3-4k depending upon specifications. Then you need a helmet or crye night cap and a mount. So roughly $5-6k for a full monocular setup ready to go.

For duals, you're looking at $7.5-11k depending upon what features and specs you want plus helmet and mount.

 

[GreenMushroom]

I keep finding myself back in the night vision / thermal side of the forums lately.

I don’t know what I don’t know and this is a very confusing topic.

I’m wondering if nighttime shooters let people look through their gear or is this when things get strange and you gotta buy your own and learn the hard way?

I’d love to look through a few devices and determine if this is even “my thing”

Anyone have advice where to start?

There's probably local to you night shoots. These sometimes have vendors at them. It would be educational to try but you still need to do your own research or your going to end up with a setup that's fit to someone else's needs. Figure out what you're going to use it for at what ranges and what your budget is.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Thanks for the feedback.

I don’t really have a “use” it’s all a “want” or a curiosity at this point.

I THINK I want a set of duals for general goofing around. $7k was what I had in mind. I also THINK I want something to be dedicated on a scope.

Ranges, I think 200yds is mandatory, I’d like to be able to go as far as 500yds.

 

[GreenMushroom]

With that budget I would get your nv/helmet mount set and go from there. Binos make everything easier and smoother. They preclude the use of hmt (helmet mounted thermal) except for coti types but if you live in open terrain hmt losses a lot of its shine.

Jrh who's a sponsor here usually has bnvd with white echo tubes for around 6k. Not the highest spec tubes but your lucky to live in an environment where it probably doesn't matter that much. You should be able to do binos, helmet with mounts and a cheap ir laser illuminator for around your budget. A basic setup like that will get you in the game so you can learn to navigate and will allow you to shoot out to 1-200 yards depending on conditions.

For longer ranges you're going to want something rifle mounted but I'd get the basics and learn to use them 1st. This will give you invaluable frame of reference in how you want to move forward.

 

[shoots100]

A one second google search found these guys.
Look in the optics section.

Home | AZ Guns

azguns.com

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

A one second google search found these guys.
Look in the optics section.

Home | AZ Guns

azguns.com

How embarrassing for me.

I haven’t used Google out of principal but I should have done a search of some kind.

I award you 1,000 “cool guy points” and a sincere “thank you” for real.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

With that budget I would get your nv/helmet mount set and go from there. Binos make everything easier and smoother. They preclude the use of hmt (helmet mounted thermal) except for coti types but if you live in open terrain hmt losses a lot of its shine.

Jrh who's a sponsor here usually has bnvd with white echo tubes for around 6k. Not the highest spec tubes but your lucky to live in an environment where it probably doesn't matter that much. You should be able to do binos, helmet with mounts and a cheap ir laser illuminator for around your budget. A basic setup like that will get you in the game so you can learn to navigate and will allow you to shoot out to 1-200 yards depending on conditions.

For longer ranges you're going to want something rifle mounted but I'd get the basics and learn to use them 1st. This will give you invaluable frame of reference in how you want to move forward.

Thanks for the feedback.

I’ve heard good things of JRH I will reach out.

Lots of wide open spaces out here.

 

[TheHorta]

Start with a $100K budget and go up from there.

 

[_Windrider_]

I keep finding myself back in the night vision / thermal side of the forums lately.

I don’t know what I don’t know and this is a very confusing topic.

I’m wondering if nighttime shooters let people look through their gear or is this when things get strange and you gotta buy your own and learn the hard way?

I’d love to look through a few devices and determine if this is even “my thing”

Anyone have advice where to start?

Go drive up and see @TheGerman in Utah.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Go drive up and see @TheGerman in Utah.

@TheGerman invite me to UT to touch your fancy shit soon know what to buy and what not to buy.


Ahhh that should do.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Start with a $100K budget and go up from there.

I can put a post dated check on that.

Budget is closer to $17k

 

[mungmasterflash]

Cowtown every now and then has a night match and usually one or two of the squads will all be NV guys. I’m sure some of them would let you peak through their setup.

 

[mungmasterflash]

Oh yeah, it’s a pistol/rifle match so the ranges aren’t very far.

 

[Jgunner]

Gurus? Not likely. Since you are not allowed to hunt with said equipment in Az, it kills the industry. There are some matches but most people just go out with their buddies.

 

[_Windrider_]

I keep finding myself back in the night vision / thermal side of the forums lately.

I don’t know what I don’t know and this is a very confusing topic.

I’m wondering if nighttime shooters let people look through their gear or is this when things get strange and you gotta buy your own and learn the hard way?

I’d love to look through a few devices and determine if this is even “my thing”

Anyone have advice where to start?

I also just remembered @CoryT and gunsite

 

[TheGerman]

I keep finding myself back in the night vision / thermal side of the forums lately.

I don’t know what I don’t know and this is a very confusing topic.

I’m wondering if nighttime shooters let people look through their gear or is this when things get strange and you gotta buy your own and learn the hard way?

I’d love to look through a few devices and determine if this is even “my thing”

Anyone have advice where to start?

What are you trying to achieve?

Setting up for a bolt gun to go hunting/shoot at night is completely different than wanting to be able to ground pound and shoot people in the dark with a helmet mounted setup and carbine.

There are different considerations in regards to equipment between these two, let alone different directions and reasons you would want/not want something in just a single direction alone.

Come to Utah, I'll know what to do for either direction you're looking for. You also don't need some bullshit 100k budget.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Gurus? Not likely. Since you are not allowed to hunt with said equipment in Az, it kills the industry. There are some matches but most people just go out with their buddies.

Hadn’t considered that. Wish we could night hunt here. It’s too darn hot


Arizona

Night Vision: Not allowed - R12-4-303 states "An individual shall not use any of the following to take wildlife: d. Electronic night vision equipment, electronically enhanced light-gathering devices, thermal imaging devices or laser sights; except for devices such as laser range finders, scopes with self illuminating reticles, and fiber optic sights with self-illuminating sights or pins that do not project a visible light onto an animal".
Website: www.azgfd.gov
Phone: 602-942-3000

 

[Jgunner]

Hadn’t considered that. Wish we could night hunt here. It’s too darn hot


Arizona

Night Vision: Not allowed - R12-4-303 states "An individual shall not use any of the following to take wildlife: d. Electronic night vision equipment, electronically enhanced light-gathering devices, thermal imaging devices or laser sights; except for devices such as laser range finders, scopes with self illuminating reticles, and fiber optic sights with self-illuminating sights or pins that do not project a visible light onto an animal".
Website: www.azgfd.gov
Phone: 602-942-3000

I got into it with f&g over it. His dumb ass was like “well how do we know they are not poaching big game?” Ugh, whats stopping them from doing it with it being illegal, it just makes it illegaler…. And other states haven’t figured out how to combat poachers? Some times i hate this stupid state.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

What are you trying to achieve?

Setting up for a bolt gun to go hunting/shoot at night is completely different than wanting to be able to ground pound and shoot people in the dark with a helmet mounted setup and carbine.

There are different considerations in regards to equipment between these two, let alone different directions and reasons you would want/not want something in just a single direction alone.

Come to Utah, I'll know what to do for either direction you're looking for. You also don't need some bullshit 100k budget.

I’d actually like to achieve both, long range bolt and close up carbine. I realize this will require different gear and probably becomes two different needs

I thought I’d go the route of close up first to see how I like it.

Goals are to do ALL my usual Run N Gun games in the dark when it’s cooler outside. Most stuff is just your usual desert games with close targets and pretend shoot house but it’s just a little plywood stuff we built up.

Looking at what is out there and here is what im look g at so far. Bear in mind all the technical terms escape me at the moment.


So far I THINK my needs are:
-friction hold “up/down/swing wider than my eye” (not locked in when up/down/ distance )
-auto “off” when “swung away”
-manual gain
-dual tubes
-not green NV


Im struggling to determine if “L3 Filmless White Phosphor” vs “Photonos Echo White Phosphor” is worth the $3k delta. That buys a LOT of ammo


I’ve got a guy up in Salt Lake I need to go visit. I might have to make a trip and see you both.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

I got into it with f&g over it. His dumb ass was like “well how do we know they are not poaching big game?” Ugh, whats stopping them from doing it with it being illegal, it just makes it illegaler…. And other states haven’t figured out how to combat poachers? Some times i hate this stupid state.

If I ever talk to G&F it’s always against my will

 

[Jgunner]

If I ever talk to G&F it’s always against my will

Ha! Ive come across some scenarios where it was necessary. They seem like alright guys until you ask about wolves or other dumb shit f&g do. You can tell they have been coached on how to combat the questions, but fail in in the common sense sections of q&a(at least from me).

 

[Da Jimmer]

One explanation I got on Photonis vs L3 is Photonis is good for in town, ambient light, etc and is decent resolution, then L3 is like having 4K out of town clarity. Just what I was told fwiw.
2 places I would reccomend, swing by Haley Strategic and talk to the fellas up there in Scottsdale off E Bell Rd. And if you are around Mesa, go to The Vault at the Pistol Parlour and talk to the guys there, one has duals, the other uses a single. All friendly helpful folks. And if you find a night shoot or something like that let me know, also trying to get into it.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

One explanation I got on Photonis vs L3 is Photonis is good for in town, ambient light, etc and is decent resolution, then L3 is like having 4K out of town clarity. Just what I was told fwiw.
2 places I would reccomend, swing by Haley Strategic and talk to the fellas up there in Scottsdale off E Bell Rd. And if you are around Mesa, go to The Vault at the Pistol Parlour and talk to the guys there, one has duals, the other just uses singles. All friendly helpful folks. And if you find a night shoot or something like that let me know, also trying to get into it.

Appreciate it. I’ll let you know what I find.

 

[squirrel_slayer]

Did you ever buy nods yet? If not we usually have a few night shoots a year. Lots of different gear you could try out to try before you buy.