Night Vision Long range thermal clip on question

[rifleman1981]

i bought an ir defense mk ll hunter, we have been just flat slaughtering the pigs at close range, but I'd like to stretch it out a little further. After I put my thermal in clip on mode, and align everything, can I just dial my scope like I usually would, or does the thermal change that?

 

[wigwamitus]

I have not tried it with mine outside the house ... but I am very curious to hear about your experiences if you try it. Mine is setup on my primary hunting carbine right now and I don't want to tear it off to experiment and I am experimenting with 2 other thermal clipons right now as well anyready.
But per all I have read about it, if you go in to clipon mode (CO) and the "align everything" as you say ... including also going into the ZC (Zoom Center) and lining that up, then is should work for up to 4x magnification.
From zeroing other thermal clipon recently, I've learned to put the rear glass of the clipon as close to the front glass of the day scope without them touching ... and adjust your parallax on the day scope to remove any parallax. If you turn on the clipon reticle together with the day scope reticle and move your head up/down or left/right a little you might see the clipon reticle moving around a lot ... "floating about" if you will, that is extra parallax you want to try to remove. So adjust your parallax and keep moving your head around until you have minimized that parallax. Things might get a little fuzzed up when you've minimized the parallax. You aren't trying to "focus" per se, you are trying to minimize the parallax, the movement. Once that is done, redo your diopter adjustment on your day scope if needed. I was surprised by the amount of parallax I saw when "aligning everything" with the clipons I testing now. But it was possible to remove with the day scope parallax knob.
So, yes please try it and let us know how it goes!
I first got told, the day scope had to be at 1x only to work with the mk2/mk3 and that's why I didn't try it much. But subsequent reading indicates that was true for the Mk1 hunters, but not the mk2/mk3. Per UNV/Per IRD, the Mk2 will support up to 4x.

 

[deersniper]

If the clip on is working correctly you should be able to dial up no problem

What are you using to range at night?

 

[wigwamitus]

For me I use same day LRF bushy 1600 arc elite .... with pvs-14 to see the ir-laser from the LRF bushy ... but there is no time to range in a dynamic situation, so ranging needs to be done before the critters show up ... at least usually ... especially if I am solo ...

 

[deersniper]

Those $470 Radius work great. I'm surprised they aren't more popular with night shooters.

 

[rifleman1981]

Normally, with pigs, deer, etc you have plenty of time to range.....

 

[wigwamitus]

I guess I'm spendin all that time trying to get up close to them !!

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As to the radius, I got scared off due to a lot of posts on the hide saying they wouldn't hold zero.

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If I zero at 50yds, then with most of the calibers/cartridges I have, I'm double zeroed around 200yds ... which means I will get hits out to about there without much of a hold ... them I'm trying to either stalk in to or call them inside that distance ... so then the problem becomes figuring out if you are inside your double zero ... which can often be done quickly and accurately enough with reticle ... the mk2/3 reticles have 72, 36 and 18 inch segments (at 100yds) ... so those can be used for ranging critters ...

 

[Killswitch Engage]

I guess I'm spendin all that time trying to get up close to them !!

==
As to the radius, I got scared off due to a lot of posts on the hide saying they wouldn't hold zero.

==
If I zero at 50yds, then with most of the calibers/cartridges I have, I'm double zeroed around 200yds ... which means I will get hits out to about there without much of a hold ... them I'm trying to either stalk in to or call them inside that distance ... so then the problem becomes figuring out if you are inside your double zero ... which can often be done quickly and accurately enough with reticle ... the mk2/3 reticles have 72, 36 and 18 inch segments (at 100yds) ... so those can be used for ranging critters ...

much of the folks saying they wont retain zero are mounting them in a bad fashion. mounting it to the side of an efr bedded in a fiberglass stock is a terrible place to put it. there is far more flex there than you would ever guess. mounting it 12oclock on a ring cap above the day scope is optimal and if you use it in conjunction with a clip on you will see why. also the beam divergence is optimal mounted horizontal above the optic and far more accurate.

 

[wigwamitus]

Wow, great data - thanks KSE !!!

 

[CBDR]

Question for Wig. What kind of success have you had regarding accuracy out past 100 using the NON CLIP ON IR II Hunter?
So far I have only had success with the Zeus out to 200. Shooting off hand in the dark is extremely challenging. Going into a prone position in the muck is a little unsettling. I cant rid myself of the haunting thought of a fat rattlesnake or water moccasin with an attitude.

 

[wigwamitus]

Short answer, I'm zeroed with the SNIPE at 50yds ... I think I was over thinking it ... more updates in my practicing thread !
(we got 3 truckloads of new cattle a couple of weeks ago and that has really consumed a lot of time, but I have been shooting with the clipons as much as I can!)