Night Vision budget Thermal/ NVG option

[zerolumens]

budget Thermal/ NVG option??
looking for options to take care of some coyotes on private land, will be mounted to an AR.
What should I be looking at or stay away from thats in the $2k-4500 range? not going to see a ton of useage, but want something decent.
asking for a friend.

 

[GreenMushroom]

What kind of range would you be shooting at? Do you need to be able to move around in the dark without white light or only shoot?

 

[Hogrider2000]

or better yet, tell your friend to join..

 

[zerolumens]

less than 500 yards range. probably more like 250-300. I'm using a pvs30.
But looking into thermal options. might be able stretch the budget up to 4,500?

 

[GreenMushroom]

Take a look at the superhogster. There's some clip ons with iray sensors coming out that would be around your expanded budget but they are newer designs. The hogster is probably the safe choice. Lots of people have them and there's lots of pics and video out there.

 

[PlinkIt]

less than 500 yards range. probably more like 250-300. I'm using a pvs30.
But looking into thermal options. might be able stretch the budget up to 4,500?

Are you planning to replace the 30 with the thermal or add to your kit?

A low mag thermal scanner would serve you better if you already set to shoot with the 30...

 

[GreenMushroom]

Are you planning to replace the 30 with the thermal or add to your kit?

A low mag thermal scanner would serve you better if you already set to shoot with the 30...

This. If your in fairly open country something like a phenom paired with a 30 would be tough to beat and a combo I want to try out myself.

 

[zerolumens]

Are you planning to replace the 30 with the thermal or add to your kit?

A low mag thermal scanner would serve you better if you already set to shoot with the 30...

not replacing the 30 as that's my long range bolt gun setup, just looking to have a dedicated thermal setup for the AR thats a bit more mobile

 

[GreenMushroom]

Then the superhogster is probably the way. Bit of a narrow fov but if you want to meet your other criteria it will have to make some sacrifices as a hand held. I'm sure it would work fine on a tripod next to a rifle mounted 30 for long range stuff. There are a ton of reviews and video of it used rifle mounted so there isn't much guess work in that department.

 

[DukeGSP]

for sub 3k i'd go with the super hogster hands down. it's not even an argument. i wouldn't consider NV... just my opinion.

 

[PlinkIt]

not replacing the 30 as that's my long range bolt gun setup, just looking to have a dedicated thermal setup for the AR thats a bit more mobile

Might consider something along the lines of more scanner oriented device ... Think low mag and small footprint
(Nox 18 / Trijicon patrol completely blows the budget away, but is the type of device I'd be wanting in your situation)

You could helmet mount / handhold as a scanner when you are shooting with 30...
Then mount to rifle if you have two shooters...
Any small footprint thermal scope will fit in your pocket fine though. I used a reap35 this way for a little while.

Dedicated thermal scanner was the greatest addition to my night time activities. I tend to take the scanner and look around 100x more frequently than I take out the rifle... Sometimes the more frequent scanning let's me know to get the rifle out though...

 

[kirsch]

Low 3K, Super Hogster is a great choice. Around $4500 would go Super Yoter.

 

[deersniper]

Dedicated thermal scanner was the greatest addition to my night time activities.

Tripod should be next on the list if you don’t have one

 

[PlinkIt]

They are a nice additional to the kit I won't disagree at all!
Have two now...
Went full carbon fiber feisol & RRS

Tripod should be next on the list if you don’t have one

Op in question will be well served with one instead of man handling a rifle with that 30 attached as well

I frequently mount rifle to tripod and turn scope on. Then scan with helmet until I see targets of interest. Back to rifle for higher thermal magnification and shot

 

[GreenMushroom]

They are a nice additional to the kit I won't disagree at all!
Have two now...
Went full carbon fiber feisol & RRS

Op in question will be well served with one instead of man handling a rifle with that 30 attached as well

I frequently mount rifle to tripod and turn scope on. Then scan with helmet until I see targets of interest. Back to rifle for higher thermal magnification and shot

I'm going to be dipping my toes into night hunting sometime soon and am going to need a tripod as well. I've done some research but haven't really gotten any where. The really right stuff looks nice. Is that what you'd recommend? I'm assuming it's not Chineezium since they sell a 500$ monopod but you can't be too careful these days.

 

[zerolumens]

They are a nice additional to the kit I won't disagree at all!
Have two now...
Went full carbon fiber feisol & RRS

Op in question will be well served with one instead of man handling a rifle with that 30 attached as well

I frequently mount rifle to tripod and turn scope on. Then scan with helmet until I see targets of interest. Back to rifle for higher thermal magnification and shot

Yeah the 30 stays on my long range rig. I'm just trying to set up another shooter with a thermal option for an AR15, most likely shooting from a tripod. but will be a little more movable than the heavy long range setup.
just trying to stay in that $2-4500 range,

 

[Huskydriver]

@wigwamitus @SkyScrapin @WhereNow&How



@TheHorta if he's still alive....poor boomer might have kicked it though.... Hopefully he remembered to put something in the will for me

 

[PlinkIt]

@TheHorta if he's still alive....

You want Horta to give ideas to someone with a budget...

I'm not sure Horta has any sense of budget....

Unless it's the budget truck he rented to go pick up all his recent purchased items lol

 

[PlinkIt]

I'm going to be dipping my toes into night hunting sometime soon and am going to need a tripod as well. I've done some research but haven't really gotten any where. The really right stuff looks nice. Is that what you'd recommend? I'm assuming it's not Chineezium since they sell a 500$ monopod but you can't be too careful these days.

I've had the following:
Feisol 3342 & 3442 (I kept the 3342 but sold the 3442 as the extra leg sections were not beneficial to me... It did pack down a couple inches shorter than the 3342 but it felt more unstable... I'm guessing due to the smaller 4th leg sections)

RRS TVC-22i Mk2 SOAR Series Tripod
It's the one I prefer to use for hunting since I've gotten it.

22i doesn't pack down small as the feisol options, but the legs being inverted helps keep the mud out of my sliding sections better. And less sliding sections works out better for me hunting it seems. Short as it'll go works out to a good kneeling height for me to shoot from and I only need one adjustment or let to get it to standing height.

If you search around here I believe there was a huge thread by @Diver160651 about tripod selection

 

[PlinkIt]

View attachment 7683701


Yeah the 30 stays on my long range rig. I'm just trying to set up another shooter with a thermal option for an AR15, most likely shooting from a tripod. but will be a little more movable than the heavy long range setup.
just trying to stay in that $2-4500 range,

Good looking set up you have going

Hopefully the other guys husky tagged can help you find the ideal option within the budget you are after.

Side note if that is a ELIR model... Have you tried taking the filter / restrictor plate out? Downfall is no longer eye safe, but benefit is it EXTREMELY extends the useful range of the unit...

 

[wigwamitus]

I have no idea how many tripods I have ... its close to two dozen ... most of them sucque ... those would be the budget ones ... even the manfrottos I used for years are wobbly ... tripod selection is easy ... RRS RRS RRS !!!
Many expensive things I've bought ... just cost more ... the RRS are one of two super clear exceptions ... the RRS are worth every penny. You're literally buying accuracy/precision ... my manfrotto group sizes at 100yds were 1.5" inches ... the RRS immediately took me to 0.75" ... and I can avg 0.5" on a good day. RRS, RRS, RRS any questions !!?? (I have two RRS now, contemplating a third)
If you don't have the cash today, keep workin' the day job and keep saving ... and you will get there eventually !

 

[shoots100]

I travel lite and set up quickly, so I don't want to lug around a big tripod that takes 5 minutes to set up and weighs a lot.
I would only consider a HD tripod if I was doing over watch in one spot all night.
This trigger stick set up is my answer to getting as stable as possible for my style of hunting.
Kneeling or standing, this set up is solid, adjustable and lightweight.
The TS monopod would add more stability to any tripod.
The scabbard they offer makes traveling quiet and easy too.
Super hog , Super Yoter or throw a dart at the pulsar thermal lineup.
.

 

[wigwamitus]

Definitely, the trade off with tripods is mobility/setup time. And heavier / fancier tripods reduce mobility and increase setup time, but increase accuracy/precision. So, it depends on what you're doing. I do everything. Not one style, but several.
Carbine (mk18-ishes) only with standing unsupported for warm half of the year, along with creeks where the vegetation is thick and engagement distances are short.
Trigger sticks with mk12-ishes for moderate mobility but adding more distance.
Full functioning tripods for maximizing distance.
The RRS are a pound lighter than the manfrottos (4 lbs) and can be setup well under one minute, though they are not ninja quiet, so it helps to have some sound cover (wind, balling cow, train going by in the distance, etc). For short moves, I just pick up and carry.
With full tripod I'm using overwatching calving cows in the cool half of the year and I'll move around, but not miles, just a few hundred yards and I usually just pick up the tripod and walk.
The right tool for the job !!

 

[deersniper]

You want Horta to give ideas to someone with a budget...

I'm not sure Horta has any sense of budget....

Unless it's the budget truck he rented to go pick up all his recent purchased items lol

 

[Huskydriver]

Definitely, the trade off with tripods is mobility/setup time. And heavier / fancier tripods reduce mobility and increase setup time, but increase accuracy/precision. So, it depends on what you're doing. I do everything. Not one style, but several.
Carbine (mk18-ishes) only with standing unsupported for warm half of the year, along with creeks where the vegetation is thick and engagement distances are short.
Trigger sticks with mk12-ishes for moderate mobility but adding more distance.
Full functioning tripods for maximizing distance.
The RRS are a pound lighter than the manfrottos (4 lbs) and can be setup well under one minute, though they are not ninja quiet, so it helps to have some sound cover (wind, balling cow, train going by in the distance, etc). For short moves, I just pick up and carry.
With full tripod I'm using overwatching calving cows in the cool half of the year and I'll move around, but not miles, just a few hundred yards and I usually just pick up the tripod and walk.
The right tool for the job !!

Wig what thermal would you recommend going back to the OPs orig post/question?

 

[GreenMushroom]

I have no idea how many tripods I have ... its close to two dozen ... most of them sucque ... those would be the budget ones ... even the manfrottos I used for years are wobbly ... tripod selection is easy ... RRS RRS RRS !!!
Many expensive things I've bought ... just cost more ... the RRS are one of two super clear exceptions ... the RRS are worth every penny. You're literally buying accuracy/precision ... my manfrotto group sizes at 100yds were 1.5" inches ... the RRS immediately took me to 0.75" ... and I can avg 0.5" on a good day. RRS, RRS, RRS any questions !!?? (I have two RRS now, contemplating a third)
If you don't have the cash today, keep workin' the day job and keep saving ... and you will get there eventually !

Thanks that's the answer I'm looking for. I don't mind dropping the money I just want to get my money's worth. Even reading reviews is no guarantee. You can figure out what you want from a bunch of research only to have junk delivered because the product you're looking at was outsourced to China 6 months ago. My only experience firing off support is owning a couple of atlas bipods and I'm happy with those and want that level of quality or better.

Anyway Op obviously has a tripod so I'm going to dig through the rrs site and make a seperate thread once I have a better frame of reference.

 

[wigwamitus]

... Wig what thermal would you recommend going back to the OPs orig post/question? ...

Well, OP seemed intent on going the China thermal route (BO, Pulsar, IRAY, etc), hence I didn't weigh in. I can't recommend China. I

f a person has a day job and can practice "delayed gratification" (i.e. save their money) ... then for a TWS I'd definitely go for N-Vision. Personally if I was going TWS, I'd go Halo-XRF ... but if only so much delayed gratification can be practiced, then the Nox-35 will get the job done for lower cost. Still has the two mil-hash holding reticles. And the 35 has more FOV than the 50, if most of your action is closer in. Like for me, I'd rather have the 35 than the 50 around the barnyard, but rather have the 50 over the 35 out on the pasture.

==
Now what do I actually use ? In the cool half of the year for overwatch over calving cows, I use thermal clipons (UTCs) on bolt guns on RRS tripods ... and that gets me out to 500yds on yotes and 300yds on coons and opossum (the later two being threats to the chickens in the barnyard). On appropriate nights (like snow or good moon) I use NV clipons (pvs-27, CO-x g3).
In warm half of year, I mostly use Mk18-ish with ir laser and 14 + COTI (+Skeet or Breach) on head. In this case I am in or near woods and engagement distances are inside 150yds, mostly inside 100yds.

But good thermal clipon acquisition requires maximum practice of delayed gratification. Finding one at the same time you have the funds is tough. It can be done. I've done it twice. One was luck, the other was persistence.

 

[Huskydriver]

Well, OP seemed intent on going the China thermal route (BO, Pulsar, IRAY, etc), hence I didn't weigh in. I can't recommend China. I

f a person has a day job and can practice "delayed gratification" (i.e. save their money) ... then for a TWS I'd definitely go for N-Vision. Personally if I was going TWS, I'd go Halo-XRF ... but if only so much delayed gratification can be practiced, then the Nox-35 will get the job done for lower cost. Still has the two mil-hash holding reticles. And the 35 has more FOV than the 50, if most of your action is closer in. Like for me, I'd rather have the 35 than the 50 around the barnyard, but rather have the 50 over the 35 out on the pasture.

==
Now what do I actually use ? In the cool half of the year for overwatch over calving cows, I use thermal clipons (UTCs) on bolt guns on RRS tripods ... and that gets me out to 500yds on yotes and 300yds on coons and opossum (the later two being threats to the chickens in the barnyard). On appropriate nights (like snow or good moon) I use NV clipons (pvs-27, CO-x g3).
In warm half of year, I mostly use Mk18-ish with ir laser and 14 + COTI (+Skeet or Breach) on head. In this case I am in or near woods and engagement distances are inside 150yds, mostly inside 100yds.

But good thermal clipon acquisition requires maximum practice of delayed gratification. Finding one at the same time you have the funds is tough. It can be done. I've done it twice. One was luck, the other was persistence.

So basically @zerolumens GBPSE guy and get a damn utc or a tigir

 

[deersniper]

and opossum

Your gonna catch lone star tick meat allergy and lymes , killing the tick eaters

 

[wigwamitus]

... Your gonna catch lone star tick meat allergy and lymes , killing the tick eaters ...

Except we got a bunch of guineas with the chickens ... they LOVE tics !!

 

[zerolumens]

So basically @zerolumens GBPSE guy and get a damn utc or a tigir

HAHAHA come on @Huskydriver you know "i'm the man of leisure" lol I'm trying to help a buddy out with getting into the thermal game. we gotta let the peasants shoot too...