Rifle Scopes Nighttime Hog Rig

[TexIndian]

Finally. It only took me about 5 years to get my night vision rig set up for some hog hunting or night varmint dispatching. It started with an ITT PVS-14 night vision tube. Then came an EOTech 552 NV-compatible holographic sight. The last pieces were from LaRue Tactical, an LT110 and LT133. This combo mount system will hold both of the two sights in perfect alignment. The PVS-14 can be detached with a QD lever, or the whole rig can be taken off the gun's rail with another QD lever.

Here is the rig mounted on my LaRue 5.56 OBR.

I tried to take a picture looking in the eyepiece but just couldn't get it to work. I have a camera adapter for the NV tube but I know from past experience it can take an hour or more to get everything hooked up and lined up just right. And it's cold and wet outside so I chickened out.

 

[RTH1800]

Re: Night Hog Rig

Very nice!

 

[Bear24]

Re: Night Hog Rig

Sweet setup! That combo should be able to handle a bunch of different situations night and day.

 

[Grand]

Re: Night Hog Rig

no reticle in the ITT PVS-14 night vision tube?

 

[RADcustom]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

Do you have any type of IR illumination?

Grand- No, the pvs 14 doesn't have a reticle.

 

[dtibbals]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

So how good does it work?

 

[TexIndian]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

I haven't used it for hunting yet; just got all the pieces together and mounted it a couple days ago.

RADcustom is correct - the NV tube has no reticle. That's why it has to be mounted behind something that does have one in order to use it as an aiming device.

The NV tube has its own small IR illuminator but that's really designed for reading a map, etc, not for lighting up the area. I have played with the NV out in the woods and it is unbelievable how well you can see even on a dark, moonless night. The lack of any magnification is the real limiting factor as far as distance goes.

A regular red dot or illuminated scope won't work with the NV tube because the dot/cross-hairs are so bright that they overpower the tube. NV-compatible scopes have an option that lets it produce a reticle that is so dim you can't see it with the naked eye but it works fine with the NV.

I have a big Leupold scope that is NV-compatible, but mounting behind that is problematic because of the eye relief issue and the alignment issue. With the extended rail on the OBR, I could scoot everything forward enough to take care of the eye relief problem but it may be a hassle trying to find a mount that will put the tube at exactly the right height to match with the scope.

 

[Jeffvn]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

excellent idea.

Jeffvn

 

[SuckitTrebek]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: OldTex</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I haven't used it for hunting yet; just got all the pieces together and mounted it a couple days ago.

RADcustom is correct - the NV tube has no reticle. That's why it has to be mounted behind something that does have one in order to use it as an aiming device.

The NV tube has its own small IR illuminator but that's really designed for reading a map, etc, not for lighting up the area. I have played with the NV out in the woods and it is unbelievable how well you can see even on a dark, moonless night. The lack of any magnification is the real limiting factor as far as distance goes.

A regular red dot or illuminated scope won't work with the NV tube because the dot/cross-hairs are so bright that they overpower the tube. NV-compatible scopes have an option that lets it produce a reticle that is so dim you can't see it with the naked eye but it works fine with the NV.

I have a big Leupold scope that is NV-compatible, but mounting behind that is problematic because of the eye relief issue and the alignment issue. With the extended rail on the OBR, I could scoot everything forward enough to take care of the eye relief problem but it may be a hassle trying to find a mount that will put the tube at exactly the right height to match with the scope.

</div></div>

Hence the reason for "IR" settings on different optics, mainly red dot types (aimpoint, eotech)

And the IR illuminator is used more for signaling than map reading in the real world.

I'd definitely get an IR laser for it. You will greatly extend your accuracy and hit probability on a hog at distance.

In my opinion you can leave the eotech off at that point in many situations and be better off.


Also, I've run that setup with the pvs on a helmet instead of on the rifle itself. Then with a IR laser on the rifle. You take out having to even look down the sights to engage anything. Just plain easier.

If the hadj can't run from it neither can a hog.

 

[redirt78]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

The Streamlight Super Tac IR is a great illuminator for the $.

Rig looks good and I like that mount. Everything looks tight and it sits over the back up irons just right

 

[SWThomas]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

Looks great! Now go get some pork!

 

[Grand]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

Wondering how the NV setup would work with my Leupold CQT.

 

[Chopperguy]

Re: Nighttime Hog Rig

Looks great.

I've got an Aimpoint Micro T1 just waiting to be put into this kind of set up.

Now I've got to find the PVS14 and mounts.