Night Vision Making the transistion from scanner to rifle quicker.

[nikonNUT]

Hey all,
I have an issue I am trying to correct and need some advice. I run an MH25 on my helmet (left eye) and a RH25 on rifle as a clip-on. I'm having an issue where when I try and get on the rifle with the scanner down I just get rewarded with a "Clunk!" as I bang the bridge into the scope. Removing the unused right hand arm and dovetail helped a lot but it's not quite there. With smaller critters it's not a big deal to flip the scanner up and get on the rifle. Tonight... I blew an easy shot at a red fox because of the transition. Mr. fox was staring at me hard from not 30 yards away and I did my usual SOP. He gave the fox version of the middle finger and trotted off before I could break the shot. I was aggravated to say the least and wanted some suggestions on how to leave the scanner down, get on the weapon, and save precious seconds. Some other specs if it helps... Scanner rides on a Wilcox SkeetIR bridge in a Norotos Lo-Sto, the scope is in a Warne 1.93 cantilever mount to match up with the supplied RH25 mount (not the pictail). Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[Killswitch Engage]

theres no free lunch. trying to kill predators at 30 yds in the dark is just a bad idea. in the dark when their vision is overridden by scent and sound. at that distance they could hear you think. the flip or light tick of a force to overcome nvg mount would be more than enough. Simply try and be on the gun sooner before theyre inside of the zone where they can hear your heart beat. i run a rear butler creek cap on my scanner that i close as i am flipping up to keep the screen light which faces outboard when you stow from being seen. it matters for sure...

 

[nikonNUT]

theres no free lunch. trying to kill predators at 30 yds in the dark is just a bad idea. in the dark when their vision is overridden by scent and sound. at that distance they could hear you think. the flip or light tick of a force to overcome nvg mount would be more than enough. Simply try and be on the gun sooner before theyre inside of the zone where they can hear your heart beat. i run a rear butler creek cap on my scanner that i close as i am flipping up to keep the screen light which faces outboard when you stow from being seen. it matters for sure...

Thank you for the input! It was a "Suprise!" moment for sure. I was peeking over a berm and saw him moving thru a little bottom and then poof! Gone! 5 seconds later there he was on top of the hill staring at me. I was so not ready. Definitely didn't move off like his ass was on fire so I think it's time to employ a call and be on the gun sooner. I've seen him mousing and he is intrigued by my neighbors chickens (any maybe my cats) so I know he'll be back.

As for the light from the occular end of the MH25... I do need a scope cap and switched to the Norotots lo sto for just that reason. With the Rhino I was spotlighting everything I was looking at when I flipped it up!

 

[dirtytough]

I would work on stand placement. The first year I really night hunted I had so many yotes get to close without seeing them until it was to late. I try to swing on them and boom they are gone.

 

[nikonNUT]

I would work on stand placement. The first year I really night hunted I had so many yotes get to close without seeing them until it was to late. I try to swing on them and boom they are gone.

I will put that in effect. Thank you! Currently, I'm not doing over watch per se just walking the property checking for critters that want to turn my attic into a condo for the winter. This is my first experience with a real predator. I'm going to have to change up the way I hunt.

 

[rlsmith1]

I've probably seen less coyotes than @Killswitch Engage has killed, but one of my favorite things about chasing dogs has been learning something on literally every stand. Some of it is gear related, some is stand placement, and some is calling (while others have been "no duh" lessons).

I had a dog turn and trot off after I flicked my AR safety off too loudly; he was 90+ yds away...

I was actually going to recommend a rhino mount because it has that halfway point where you can point the ocular down, but sounds like you moved away from that on purpose (and the lo sto does that for you).

For predators at night, a tripod is pretty much table stakes unless you are running a 1x or 2x on animals really close. Even then, a tripod is so nice to keep your hands free to call and is like shooting off a bench

 

[dirtytough]

I will put that in effect. Thank you! Currently, I'm not doing over watch per se just walking the property checking for critters that want to turn my attic into a condo for the winter. This is my first experience with a real predator. I'm going to have to change up the way I hunt.

Yea I’m strictly calling. I’ve learned that if there is a spot something can get close without being seen they will use it.

Walking/spot stalk is definitely different than the calling I do.

 

[Killswitch Engage]

I've probably seen less coyotes than @Killswitch Engage has killed, but one of my favorite things about chasing dogs has been learning something on literally every stand. Some of it is gear related, some is stand placement, and some is calling (while others have been "no duh" lessons).

I had a dog turn and trot off after I flicked my AR safety off too loudly; he was 90+ yds away...

I was actually going to recommend a rhino mount because it has that halfway point where you can point the ocular down, but sounds like you moved away from that on purpose (and the lo sto does that for you).

For predators at night, a tripod is pretty much table stakes unless you are running a 1x or 2x on animals really close. Even then, a tripod is so nice to keep your hands free to call and is like shooting off a bench

^^^ all great points.

 

[kirsch]

What I am about to say isn't rocket science, but it applies both day and night for predator hunting. Don't move when they are looking at you. Most predator's eyes, like coyotes, are triggered by movement. I will wait for them to either look away or move or both. This is when you move.

This is very common and understood knowledge in the day hunting community. Many night hunters don't pay as much attention to this because they have the advantage of darkness. It can help but good habits apply to all types of hunting.

 

[ToKeepAndBear]

PVS-14 on other eye and a laser on gun, practice at various yardages. Flip up when further away, engage laser plus illuminator when close.

 

[Rerun7]

Aside from hunting tactics, a couple thoughts on getting on your scope without hitting your equipment. If you can get a bridge that allows you to roll the device out of the way vs stowing it up that makes a big difference. It’s very fast to go back and forth and no concern about the backlight.

The other big thing is the angle your head has to achieve to get behind the scope. You have a mount sticking 6” straight away from your face. If you have to angle your head down and to the side like a traditional scope you are going to struggle. The higher you can mount that optic on the rifle the easier it is to get behind it with a NV mount. Same goes for when you are running a tripod/rest, get the rifle higher than normal so your head can be straighter up.

 

[shoots100]

Hey all,
I have an issue I am trying to correct and need some advice. I run an MH25 on my helmet (left eye) and a RH25 on rifle as a clip-on. I'm having an issue where when I try and get on the rifle with the scanner down I just get rewarded with a "Clunk!" as I bang the bridge into the scope. Removing the unused right hand arm and dovetail helped a lot but it's not quite there. With smaller critters it's not a big deal to flip the scanner up and get on the rifle. Tonight... I blew an easy shot at a red fox because of the transition. Mr. fox was staring at me hard from not 30 yards away and I did my usual SOP. He gave the fox version of the middle finger and trotted off before I could break the shot. I was aggravated to say the least and wanted some suggestions on how to leave the scanner down, get on the weapon, and save precious seconds. Some other specs if it helps... Scanner rides on a Wilcox SkeetIR bridge in a Norotos Lo-Sto, the scope is in a Warne 1.93 cantilever mount to match up with the supplied RH25 mount (not the pictail). Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Do you try to get into your truck or car with the door closed ?
You need to move the thermal out of the way.
Get to the range and practice moving the optic out of the way, get on the rifle and engage target.
Practice makes perfect.
If you think it was a loud noise, the fox thought it was a train horn.
You can also try to stop the animal with a whistle or squeak when it's in a clear area as I demonstrate in this video I took last night after my buddy got busted while moving in his chair as the approaching dog was trotting towards the field we were in.
Trotting down a road at night, call going and it hears my buddy crunch some snow while moving 84 yards away.
Predators are at a whole different level sensory wise, but a whistle stopped it.
SJC

 

[WhereNow&How]

Hey all,
I have an issue I am trying to correct and need some advice. I run an MH25 on my helmet (left eye) and a RH25 on rifle as a clip-on. I'm having an issue where when I try and get on the rifle with the scanner down I just get rewarded with a "Clunk!" as I bang the bridge into the scope. Removing the unused right hand arm and dovetail helped a lot but it's not quite there. With smaller critters it's not a big deal to flip the scanner up and get on the rifle. Tonight... I blew an easy shot at a red fox because of the transition. Mr. fox was staring at me hard from not 30 yards away and I did my usual SOP. He gave the fox version of the middle finger and trotted off before I could break the shot. I was aggravated to say the least and wanted some suggestions on how to leave the scanner down, get on the weapon, and save precious seconds. Some other specs if it helps... Scanner rides on a Wilcox SkeetIR bridge in a Norotos Lo-Sto, the scope is in a Warne 1.93 cantilever mount to match up with the supplied RH25 mount (not the pictail). Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Buster could likely show you how to do it. He's talented.

 

[Evolution 9]

I had this same problem. I’ve addressed it in two different ways (not applicable simultaneously).

1. Dual band (pvs14 on one eye and thermal on the other… engage close/fast targets with laser. Works very well.

2. Ditch the helmet. Scan with a handheld thermal and wear a dump pouch on my belt. When I see a target I dump the thermal. The pouch contains any light. Nothing to interfere with shooting, getting in and out of the truck, etc.

Neither is perfect, but both solved the problem 100%

 

[nikonNUT]

I had this same problem. I’ve addressed it in two different ways (not applicable simultaneously).

1. Dual band (pvs14 on one eye and thermal on the other… engage close/fast targets with laser. Works very well.

2. Ditch the helmet. Scan with a handheld thermal and wear a dump pouch on my belt. When I see a target I dump the thermal. The pouch contains any light. Nothing to interfere with shooting, getting in and out of the truck, etc.

Neither is perfect, but both solved the problem 100%

I like #2. I have no fear of ingress/egress of trucks because I'm not using one and am 100% on foot. IF I got a truck into the places I'm hunting it would never get back out. A rockbouncer bouncer might. It is bottoms, old growth timber, dead falls, rockledges, etc. Seems like several of the places I hunt are like that...
I have been playing around and it seems like canting the rifle a bit gives me clearance and I can eliminate flippage.

 

[Namekagon]

My standard procedure is to fold the helmet nods half way up on my RHNO 2, stopping before they cam past the force-to-overcome point. This points the eyepieces down. It also allows me to bring them back down without causing the audible click of passing the force-to-overcome point.

Honestly, you can pay ALOT more money for a mount and not get as good a setup as the RHNO 2. Converted to dovetail, it lacks nothing in my opinion. No buttons to push so only gross motor skills necessary, lots of adjustment range, and does what it’s supposed to do.

 

[shields shtr]

would work on stand placement.

This is true. One of the most positive changes I have made is scouting my calling spots beforehand. Where I hunt we have huge wide open spaces, and it pays to be able to see as far as possible. Scouting locations in the day and knowing where you are going to go when it is dark is crucial. Things look way different at night and I have noticed that I unknowingly setup in a crappy spot at night because I didn't notice just a very small rise that blocked your sightline in the dark.

 

[WhereNow&How]

Honestly, you can pay ALOT more money for a mount and not get as good a setup as the RHNO 2. Converted to dovetail, it lacks nothing in my opinion. No buttons to push so only gross motor skills necessary, lots of adjustment range, and does what it’s supposed to do.

Never truer words spoken.

I laugh every time I see the Kool-Aid drinkers drink the Kool-Aid pushers touting the "Wilcox G24 is the Gold Standard" mantra.

That BS slogan is almost a cult saying out there in the NV world. The G24 is a waste of good money for weaker and lesser performance.

 

[pucker]

Concur with several points made above...

- use 1.5" scope mounts (as most of us are...but any shorter makes getting behind the scope nearly impossible with an HMT)
- raise tripod to height where I don't need to lean forward (keeps head/helmet upright)
- shorten LOP... also keeps head upright
- roll HMT outboard if able

If a critter gets inside my buffer zone (~75y) undetected, I move like a silent sloth... or freeze completely if they appear to be using their Yoda senses to know I'm there. If I wait long enough, they typically will get back to their previous business and I'm back to silent sloth movement. Knowing everything that makes sound when transitioning from scanning to rifle helps... flipping HMT up (takes 2 hands to hold release button so it doesn't "CLICK"), safety off, slop in RRS Anvil lever that can make metal-metal sound if I'm not careful, etc.

I tried ditching the helmet when I first had the same issues w/ HMT hitting the scope...and found more critters were getting inside the buffer zone. Having the helmet setup means I'm scanning 100% of the time. It's also really nice at this time of year when single-digit temps don't play nice with holding a scanner up... keeping hands inside handwarmer muff while I scan means fingers work when I need them.

 

[shields shtr]

flipping HMT up (takes 2 hands to hold release button so it doesn't "CLICK")

On the advice of some here, I use the Lo-Sto force to overcome. I can quietly pop up my Nox 35 (which is a huge helmet mounted thermal) and get on my scope with it either flipped all the way up or I can flip up to the side with my ModArmory bridge. Flipping to the side you have to be much more careful about hitting your scope.

 

[Killswitch Engage]

I tried ditching the helmet when I first had the same issues w/ HMT hitting the scope...and found more critters were getting inside the buffer zone. Having the helmet setup means I'm scanning 100% of the time. It's also really nice at this time of year when single-digit temps don't play nice with holding a scanner up... keeping hands inside handwarmer muff while I scan means fingers work when I need them.

this is 1000% fact. the amount of shit you miss carrying a scanner vs head mounting it is huge. you may not think so but its simply a fact. walk-ins, jumpers, etc all happen when youre not looking. having hands free all the time is as well a must have for me as well as being able to drive blacked out with a 14 bridged all requires helmet mounting. i would never go any other way.

 

[Wormydog1724]

I'm using an iRay MH25 HMT on my left eye. It's mounted via a Mod dovetail into an airsoft KVC brdige and on a Wilcox G24.

The KVC bridge has sort of a force to overcome when flipping the pod out to the side, so that's the way I use it.

My rifle is on a tripod, iRay Hybrid 50 WMT with the new adapter plate so I can use the ADM QD mount. It's a little lower than the stock mount but higher than say the Alpha with the ADM QD mount. I prefer my WMT to be on the higher side when wearing a helmet.

Anyways, when calling my rifle is on a tripod, call remote in right hand. When I see one or transition to rifle, I just flip the MH25 out to the side. I leave the G24 down and there's still enough room for me to get comfortably behind the WMT and get proper eye relief and picture. I have a fixed stock with adjustable cheek riser but it's low as it will go and I might try taking it off sometime for a bit more room. Just haven't yet.,

I've had coyotes pop up close and have managed to get them killed by doing the above, just quicker. But mostly where I call in the TX & OK panhandles it's wide open. The bigger issue for me has been hiding the vehicle and not being skylined as they come in. Just no trees or anythign for cover.

Last winter i killed 30 in january, my best month ever. I'm probably at 30 this winter combined. Haven't been able to get out as much. I'm hoping I can tomorrow night after my kid's basketball tournament.

I also drive in blacked out with dual NVG's as mentioned above. Using an IR light bar an IR pods.

 

[TheHorta]

You want one of these.

 

[WhereNow&How]

I knew some day you would transition from The Horta to "The Borg"

Dont forget to freshen up ur Will so ya adopted nephew gets the bulk of your Estate.

 

[nikonNUT]

You want one of these.

View attachment 8367905

@TheHorta Where does one find this mystical HUD?

 

[WhereNow&How]

Hortaville, USA

 

[carbonbased]

You want one of these.

View attachment 8367905

 

[carbonbased]