Night Vision NV vs thermal pig hunting?

Tackleberry

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 16, 2005
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possumneck, ms
I have a pvs24 currently, works good but wanting to check on thermal. I also have a pvs14 for sighting and walking. Will thermal or a dedicated NV like rapor be a better choice? I see Flir has a clip on that can be used for looking and attaching in front of my day scope. I can't exactly run out to the corner store and demo these things. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

if you can get it get thermal, unless there is a forest fire where you are hunting you will be able to see what ever is out there.
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: krm375</div><div class="ubbcode-body">if you can get it get thermal, unless there is a forest fire where you are hunting you will be able to see what ever is out there. </div></div>

Not quite that easy in the deep south in woods. Fine on peanut fields, you have to have pretty open space for thermal to work best.
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

Since you already have a PVS 24, consider sourcing one of the smaller thermal viewers to locate the critters. Then stalk with I^2 (PVS-14 on your head?) and shoot with the 24 in front of whatever day scope you like best.

Smaller things like the X50 are relatively affordable.

Shooting on thermal unless you have one of the high end units is a good way to pop a cow or other critter you didn't want to... I have never had the displeasure of having to tell a Rancher that "I need to purchase one of your cows", but I know people that have.

IPSC_GUY
SIERRA II ALPHA
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: IPSC_GUY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Since you already have a PVS 24, consider sourcing one of the smaller thermal viewers to locate the critters. Then stalk with I^2 (PVS-14 on your head?) and shoot with the 24 in front of whatever day scope you like best.

Smaller things like the X50 are relatively affordable.

Shooting on thermal unless you have one of the high end units is a good way to pop a cow or other critter you didn't want to... I have never had the displeasure of having to tell a Rancher that <span style="font-weight: bold">"I need to purchase one of your cows"</span>, but I know people that have.

IPSC_GUY
SIERRA II ALPHA </div></div>

Agreed, surely using an X50 with it's ultra low resolution one will have to tell the rancher (modified one word on your statement), "I need to purchase one of your calves" because I thought he was a hog. We see way too many sell folks pawing X-50's off as an effective way to positively ID critters.

We got these in while back and tested them quite extensively and sent them back as ineffective as Gen 1 in some instances. Yea, you could see "something" out there...
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

sounds like thermal is best for spotting and nv for shooting. With that in mind "what" thermal is best for the buck to spot with? Clip on type, hand held monocular, binocular? Brand and model? I don't want to go broke however I am a very firm believer to buy the best you can afford.
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
sounds like thermal is best for spotting and nv for shooting. With that in mind "what" thermal is best for the buck to spot with? Clip on type, hand held monocular, binocular? Brand and model? I don want to go broke however I am a very firm believer to buy the best
</div></div>

I would go with a flir 307 if you can get one in the 30hz model. I hunt helmet mounted with a Pvs 14 and weapon mounted with a 760 or pvs24. Thermal can't be beat for detection, but identifying a target is much easier with I^2. Thermal paired with nv is a plain kick ass combination. They really compliment each other very well.

I recently got rid of my 160x120 unit, and it worked well for picking up heat signatures. It was good out to 400 yards depending on conditions. I've used 307's on hunts several times and the range is very impressive. I could I'd a pig at 500 yards and detect at over 1000 yards. I recently had the chance to look threw a flir m24 with a 640 core, and I would take a 307 over it. The image was nice however having a 24 deg fov was a negative for hunting purposes. A 307 is roughly 7k.
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

Agree with most posts here. Thermal is unbeatable for detection, because you can see animals when they are partially obscured by cover, and I^2 cannot do that nearly as well. In fact, if you are using IR illumination concomitantly, then reflection of that light makes it even harder to detect animals at even close ranges.

I have the M24 and while the 24 deg FOV makes it a little less large screen view, the detection capability is much better than my TAM-14 weapon sight was. The compactness and ability to helmet mount it, makes for a fantastic complimentary system along with a good D-740 or 760.

If you are going to detect with thermal and shoot with I^2, then you can verify + ID with the I^2 before you shoot and assure that you always have the right shoot versus no shoot.

Also, if you are really thinking about using both, look up the "HELGA." Works great for me.
 
Re: NV vs thermal pig hunting?

Win the lottery and buy one with overlay......whats the tag on those Victor, or are they even available to us mere citizens?