Night Vision Best thermal combo for 7k budget

[Tigerfan34]

Shopping for a thermal scanner and scope with a budget of 7k. Definitely want LRF on one of these. Based on other threads here, I assume the scope is where LRF is most desirable.

I'll mostly be hunting coyotes in mixed environments not likely to exceed 300 yard shots. I currently use a Bering Optics Super Hogster without LRF.

I'm leaning towards Super Yoter 640 LRF for the scope and spending the rest on a dedicated scanner.

Give me feedback on your favorite options to fill these needs and budget.

 

[TheHebrewHammer]

Well since no one is adding any info. I wanted one rifle to basically do everything. So I had my 6 ARC (before it was cool) AR-15 with MPVO and a clip on, sold the scope and decided on the Pulsar DXP55 Duo. I LRF everything around my blind and deer lease so I know the distances by heart and don't need a thermal with a LRF. I still use my Steiner C35 gen 1 as a scanner and a clip on for other rifles. I am extremely happy with this setup and probably won't change it until collimated 1280 clip ons are under 10k. The only drawback is the pixelation at high magnification using the daytime camrea.

I use to have a Super Yoter C and loved it. Not much help for your specific situation but that's how I decided to spend around $7-8k in thermals.

 

[Tigerfan34]

Thanks for the info. I change locations relatively often, so knowing distances to landmarks isn't always possible when going in after dark. I have used my normal rangefinder combined with PVS-14 on landmarks, but it's not ideal. Hence the desire for thermal with LRF.

I thought a cheaper scanner to spot potential targets combined with a higher quality scope to PID and range distance may be the best solution.

I realize this topic has been covered numerous times, but every year brings new products to market and more options to consider.

 

[ping]

The new Sig SV50-LRF looks very interesting, especially with the lifetime warranty. The applied ballistics and the specs make it appear to be very competitive. I am just waiting to see more detailed reviews before I go that route. Warranties have gradually increased from various manufacturers due to competition. It used to be 2 years, then 3, then 5. Now SIG says, "SIG SAUER Electro-Optics are guaranteed forever. It's an unlimited lifetime guarantee."

The specs are solid. 18650 batteries are a great positive too. However, the info on it so far is very scarce. Only a few videos with not much detail and really only SIG specs.

Could be a solid option if all the specs ring true.

 

[Tigerfan34]

That does look interesting. First time I've heard about this option. It could be worth waiting for some hands on reviews. Thanks for adding that for consideration.

 

[SDBguy95]

I have a thermion xq50 pro 2 lrf and a non lrf telos. The only thing I dislike about either is the weight. I prefer a 640 scanner as that's what I spend most of my time behind, and I reccomend your lrf be on the scope. The scanner gets dropped once the coyotes start coming in and it's nice not having to switch units to range as they get closer.

 

[freedom71]

I recently purchased a Thermion 2 XG50 3-24x LRF (on sale now for $5500) and a Pulsar Axion 2 XQ35 Pro 2-8x (it was on sale at Optics Planet for $1320, now it's $1500). I like the higher 3x base mag on the XG50. It works very well with the LRF. I would have preferred a 640 scanner, but I have to say the 384 Axion XQ 35 is amazing. Together, that's right at $7000.

 

[Tigerfan34]

I've actually been looking at the Axion for the scanner. Thanks for giving some user experience on it. I had wondered if the 384 imaging would work for my needs, so it sounds like it could be a good option.

 

[shoots100]

Rix L6 640 res scope and the AGM Seeker 15-384 Monocular.
Both run on 18650 replaceable batteries and both will run you about $5K total.
For the distances your shooting an LRf is useless.
Screwing around with LRF's has saved many a coyote's life.
Don't make it so complicated.
Just put the crosshairs on your target and pull the trigger.
Your welcome.
SJC

 

[Thomas Geistman]

I run a Iray Alpha on the gun. I don’t have a thermal scanner but I hunt with a friend and we use a spare Thermion 384 scope hand held. I’ve borrowed and used a pulsar scanner and Bering optics scanner. Both 384. Scanner is definitely helpful if you moving and hunting for a long time to keep you from getting worn out trying to use your scope all the time. We hunt off a SXS a lot and travel a lot between stands. 300 yards we probably ain’t slinging lead. At 150 yards I would say it’s a 50/50 chance of a hit. Maybe y’all are just that much better. I have hit one coyote at ~280 yards but that was more luck than anything. Missed plenty too. A LRF on the weapon thermal that was fast and simple would have been helpful I feel like. The next weapon mounted one I get I want to try one with a LRF. If you’re interested in an Iray Alpha I’m considering selling mine to upgrade to the new TX60.

You can check out my footage here.

Ghostman Hunting

Share my hunting and shooting experiences with other hunters and shooters. Might learn a few things and hopefully I can learn some tricks too.

youtube.com

 

[Magsz18]

Euro Optic has the SIG XV50 in stock, for sale for those of you that are interested.

 

[kirsch]

The Super Yoter LRF is a very good scope. I used it to shoot over 500 coyotes last hunting season. Night Goggles stopped carrying Bering due to the iRay sanctions. We now carry Pulsar, Armasight, Sightmark, and N-Vision. Here are some thoughts:

The equivalent Pulsar scope to the SY LRF is the Thermion 2 LRF XG50. Pulsar has a promotion on it right now for a few more days at $5,499. It is a very good scope. However, I say this to people all the time, and I stand by it. If I had to choose personally between a 640 scanner and a 384 weapons sight and a 384 scanner and a 640 weapons sight, I would choose the 640 scanner and 384 weapon sight. You spend so much more time on the scanner for a coyote scope. In addition, 640 scanners tend to have a wider FOV and lower magnification which also fits into the sweet spot for most coyote hunters.

I would probably lean towards the Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 that is on sale right now for $3,499. Or the other option to consider but had lower magnification and no LRF is the Talion XG35 on sale for an amazing price of $2,999.99.

For the scanner, look at either the Telos XP50 or Axion 2 XG35. You can move to the XQ35 lineup in the Axion or Telos but a 10° FOV can be a bit tight for coyotes. I will be using a Thermion 2 LRF XG50 and a Pulsar Telos XL50 for my scanner this year personally after using the Super Yoter LRF and a Phenom 640 last year. Night Goggles website may not reflect the lower sale prices, so I would contact them at 909-312-5424 for the current pricing and lead times.

I have hunted coyotes for a very long time and am a very good judge of distance. If you shoot all coyotes inside of 200, yes it is not needed. Where it comes in very handy is after you shoot the first coyote and the second or third, etc runs out and stops at 325. Is it really 325 or is it 300, or 350. This is where it really is handy. Put the LRF in scanner mode and you don't have to mess with it. With Pulsar's new ballistic app, get a reading and it puts your drop in the scope for you. I never thought I needed a LRF and now that I have one, I would really miss it if I couldn't use it any longer.

Sorry for the long message but one other option to consider is a Sightmark Wraith Mini thermal. I probably wouldn't recommend it as a primary coyote weapon's sight if wanting to shoot long distances, but it could be used as a scanner and/or a backup gun thermal. For under $2k, it is a lot of thermal for the money.

 

[Tigerfan34]

I appreciate all the candid views and information. I'll purchase the Telos LRF XP 50 for the scanner. It will be a nice addition to my existing super hogster in the field, which doesn't have LRF.

I'll purchase the scope, also with LRF, after spending some time with the Telos. For $500 difference, any reason to not have LRF on both scanner and scope (other than weight considerations)?

Obviously this will surpass my targeted budget, but not considerably.

 

[kirsch]

The answer depends on the person's usage. For a coyote hunter on a scanner, it makes sense if you're hunting with other people that don't have an LRFs. Otherwise, I want to know my readings when I'm on my scope not my scanner.

Besides weight, I don't like where the Telos LRF is located on the bottom. I use mine on a selfie stick and when the LRF is on the bottom, that is not an option. The non-LRF models do have a connection on the bottom.

if you're not mounting the scanner on the selfie stick, and money isn't a big issue, then an LRF on both may make sense.

Please keep Night Goggles in mind as we are a Hide sponsor and have a 14 day return policy if you don't love the thermal. If you unfortunately ever have problems with a thermal, it's nice to have a reputable dealer to help you out.

I tried to send you a message, but it doesn't appear your Hide account allows it.

 

[Tigerfan34]

Maybe the PM works now that I upgraded. I'm really not familiar with forums... believe it or not this is the first one I've ever posted on.

 

[kirsch]

Maybe the PM works now that I upgraded. I'm really not familiar with forums... believe it or not this is the first one I've ever posted on.

it does appear to be working as I just sent you a message