Thermal Scope or Clip-On?

[ballisticdaddy]

I am looking for thermal to mount on a gas gun for dealing with coyotes on the property. Not sure if a clip-on in front of a Bushnell 1-8.5 would be better than a dedicated thermal scope? Kinda leaning toward the Steiner S-35 which comes both ways and was hoping someone with some experience could point me in the right direction

 

[Crews]

I don’t know if this applies to your situation or not, but when I’m night hunting I spend about 10x more time scanning than I do aiming and shooting at things.

So, I have dedicated thermal scope selected based on priorities of small/light form factor and widest FOV. Someone more knowledgeable would have to chime in on clip on FOV, but maybe it’s narrower that dedicated WMT. I wouldn’t want to be scanning for very long holding up a rifle with two optics on it.

I guess might be a different story if you’re always sitting in one place behind a tripod.

 

[st1650]

The problem with clip-ons like a RH25 or probably even the Steiner is that you might get some POI shift, depending on zoom and parallax. Inside of 75 yards might not be that big of a deal but if you want to take shot in the 150 yards range that might be enough to miss.
I already have a cheap 384 spotter that can be helmet mounted so I decided to go with a dedicated Bolt TH50C v2 since I can get it for a very cheap price then hopefully next winter I'll simply upgrade the cheap 384 scanner for a RH25 that I can use as a clip-on or scanner. I think there's no substitute for dedicated night gun with a dedicated WMT if your budget allows it.

 

[SouthernPrecisionOutdoors]

I am looking for thermal to mount on a gas gun for dealing with coyotes on the property. Not sure if a clip-on in front of a Bushnell 1-8.5 would be better than a dedicated thermal scope? Kinda leaning toward the Steiner S-35 which comes both ways and was hoping someone with some experience could point me in the right direction

Hard to beat a good dedicated thermal. Will you be on a tripod and running a call?

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Hard to beat a good dedicated thermal. Will you be on a tripod and running a call?

Seems like that is the consensus and yes running tripod with fox pro

 

[Travis224]

I have had several thermals..currently I have 2 Nox 35s, and a POT Voodoo S clipon. Here is my take on these 2, the image is very similar..very. the Voodoo has a fair bit better ID, but I will say, for ranges under 300yds, the specs are the deciding factor. Lighter, cheaper (comparatively), the Nox35 is the best option. Going Clipon even something other than the Voodoo, you get a daytime scope, FFP with clicks you can count on...and while the price difference doesn't make dialing that worth while, I like having a gun with day scope setup and just add on the thermal when it gets dark.

My 2¢

 

[Killswitch Engage]

If you're going dedicated go with a 50mm unit like the halo or mk3 etc. 35mm is lacking for alot of stuff. clip on thats worth its salt is nearly double the price of a scope and in general theres not much gain.

 

[Near miss]

Great answers. I am probably buying one in 1-3 years at this pace..
And I have a spuhr QD mount so I was told it is definitely worth it to buy a dedicated one as switching is easy and reliable.

Are there any reasons to go with a clip-on?

 

[FRESHPRINCE556]

I have had several thermals..currently I have 2 Nox 35s, and a POT Voodoo S clipon. Here is my take on these 2, the image is very similar..very. the Voodoo has a fair bit better ID, but I will say, for ranges under 300yds, the specs are the deciding factor. Lighter, cheaper (comparatively), the Nox35 is the best option. Going Clipon even something other than the Voodoo, you get a daytime scope, FFP with clicks you can count on...and while the price difference doesn't make dialing that worth while, I like having a gun with day scope setup and just add on the thermal when it gets dark.

My

I currently have a bering optics vibe 35mm. I mainly use it to scan but the fov is a little small due to it being a 2x to 8x. It can also be used as a clip on but again the fov is small when used with a lpvo. I was thinking of upgrading to the nox 18 to be able to scan at 1x and have 640 clarity. And I think the nox at 1x would work better paired with a lpvo. I really like having my daytime rifle setup and then being able to add thermal as I want and remove it. @Travis224 , do you notice much thermal shift when you use your nox as a clip on in front of your daytime sight?

 

[Night Vision Viking]

Are there any reasons to go with a clip-on?

I prefer a scanner and a dedicated thermal scope.

However the new Pulsar Krypton 2s (35 and 50 lenses) with their new fitting are quite good indeed, and smaller in size and weight than the previous Krypton. You can attach an ocilat to it, and use it as a scanner, then attach it to the adapter on your riflescope.

The InfiRay Mate 50 has a pretty good image quality as well, but overall perception the Pulsar 50 wins.

 

[Night Vision Viking]

And some videos:



and black hot, with tiny piglets.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

We just received another delivery of heavily discounted refurbished Pulsar Thermals. Take a look, we think you'll be glad you did. All Pulsar refurbs come complete and with a 1 year warranty

 

[Ernest 5.56]

I prefer a scanner and a dedicated thermal scope.

However the new Pulsar Krypton 2s (35 and 50 lenses) with their new fitting are quite good indeed, and smaller in size and weight than the previous Krypton. You can attach an ocilat to it, and use it as a scanner, then attach it to the adapter on your riflescope.

The InfiRay Mate 50 has a pretty good image quality as well, but overall perception the Pulsar 50 wins.

What are the scope recommendations for this type of thermal? Does the scope need adjustable parallax if so what distance?

 

[Sgp12345]

I prefer a scanner and a dedicated thermal scope.

However the new Pulsar Krypton 2s (35 and 50 lenses) with their new fitting are quite good indeed, and smaller in size and weight than the previous Krypton. You can attach an ocilat to it, and use it as a scanner, then attach it to the adapter on your riflescope.

The InfiRay Mate 50 has a pretty good image quality as well, but overall perception the Pulsar 50 wins.

Are these krypton 2s available in US?

 

[Night Vision Viking]

Are these krypton 2s available in US?

I don't know about their availability, but there's usually a 6 month (my perception) lag before they appear in the US.

I've had my K2 50 for about half a year, and the K2 35 just arrived.

 

[Burdy]

My preference is to scan with handheld thermal and take the shot with a clip-on NV. I just prefer the analog image on my rifle. YMMV.

 

[Night Vision Viking]

What are the scope recommendations for this type of thermal? Does the scope need adjustable parallax if so what distance?

No adjustable parallax is needed as far as I know. You scope is looking onto a "TV screen".

A LPVO or something along the lines of 2-14x / 3-12x.

The S&Bs above are perhaps not perfect, but you take whay you've got, still it works around 3-8x power.

 

[FRESHPRINCE556]

Sorry if I missed the answer to this. I just sold my bearing vibe 35mm and am looking to upgrade to a nox 35 or an iray rh25. I know the nox 35 is not the best option to be used as a clip on but can it be used in front of a lpvo ?

 

[beetroot]

I prefer a scanner and a dedicated thermal scope.

However the new Pulsar Krypton 2s (35 and 50 lenses) with their new fitting are quite good indeed, and smaller in size and weight than the previous Krypton. You can attach an ocilat to it, and use it as a scanner, then attach it to the adapter on your riflescope.

The InfiRay Mate 50 has a pretty good image quality as well, but overall perception the Pulsar 50 wins.

I've noticed that Europeans tend to have clip ons that attach to the scope (both front and rear) where as the US clip on's are always rail mounted, is there any partcular reason for that?

I'd read more than one review that commented the objective mounted clip ons can/will change your point of aim.

 

[chevy_man]

I've noticed that Europeans tend to have clip ons that attach to the scope (both front and rear) where as the US clip on's are always rail mounted, is there any partcular reason for that?

I'd read more than one review that commented the objective mounted clip ons can/will change your point of aim.

Europeans don't like tactical assault rails, no matter the use!

In general they don't seem to mind not having any standards.

 

[beetroot]

Europeans don't like tactical assault rails, no matter the use!

In general they don't seem to mind not having any standards.

That's kind of what I figured.

But Australia, New Zealand and the UK all seem to get the same European based NV products and a lot more people will use chassis rifles or even even tactical assault rifles.

I'm in NZ and been looking at thermal clip ons but the research I've done suggests you need to zero a rail mounted thermal to your scope in some instances so they aren't exactly just plug and play.
Maybe this scope mounted Pulsar is the easiest and the "better" option.

 

[Conqueror]

Sorry if I missed the answer to this. I just sold my bearing vibe 35mm and am looking to upgrade to a nox 35 or an iray rh25. I know the nox 35 is not the best option to be used as a clip on but can it be used in front of a lpvo ?

The Nox35 is not a good choice for clip-on use. NVision does not claim it to be factory collimated, it does not have 1.0x base magnification so your reticle won't hold true, and to my knowledge it has no way to adjust the screen to minimize POI shoft. It's just really not a clip-on at all. Get an RH25 if you want a clip-on, and get a Nox 18 if you want a helmet-mounted thermal. If you want a dedicated thermal weapon sight there are better choices than the Nox35 IMO.

 

[wade2big]

My preference is to scan with handheld thermal and take the shot with a clip-on NV. I just prefer the analog image on my rifle. YMMV.

What would be a solid combo?

 

[FRESHPRINCE556]

The Nox35 is not a good choice for clip-on use. NVision does not claim it to be factory collimated, it does not have 1.0x base magnification so your reticle won't hold true, and to my knowledge it has no way to adjust the screen to minimize POI shoft. It's just really not a clip-on at all. Get an RH25 if you want a clip-on, and get a Nox 18 if you want a helmet-mounted thermal. If you want a dedicated thermal weapon sight there are better choices than the Nox35 IMO.

Ty for the info. What dedicated thermal weapon sights do you recommend over the nox35 in the similar price range?

 

[secondofangle2]

I too am looking for advice for a rail-mounted clip on and an observation device for spotting

 

[Night Vision Viking]

I've noticed that Europeans tend to have clip ons that attach to the scope (both front and rear) where as the US clip on's are always rail mounted, is there any partcular reason for that?

Traditional hunting rifles versus Tactical ones.

There are very few hunting rifles with Picatinny rails in Europe, so there's nothing to attach the clip-on to, unless you do it directly on the riflescope. However, AR10/15s were just allowed to be used for hunting in Sweden(for instance), but the market is still negligable.

In Germany it is forbinned with thermal sights, but clip-ons are allowed (no reticle).

 

[Night Vision Viking]

I too am looking for advice for a rail-mounted clip on and an observation device for spotting

Check out the new Pulsar Krypton 2s.

 

[FuhQ]

I prefer the scopes, but I can see where the CO’s have their place.

 

[secondofangle2]

^please discuss. I’m torn between Krypton 2 CO and the Thermion 2 LRF right now. For a nocturnal pest gun (yotes, coons, etc), probably a gas gun.

My dilemma is bc if I want to go past the capabilities of 223, I will need to build a whole new rig and the ability to to clip something onto my DT in 260 with a day scope would be nice

My current state of mind is start with dedicated Thermion 2 AR15 and if I’m getting shots past 300 yards, go from there. Seems like most night shooting is well under 300

Of course I’ll need some spotting Binos too…

 

[FuhQ]

^please discuss. I’m torn between Krypton 2 CO and the Thermion 2 LRF right now. For a nocturnal pest gun (yotes, coons, etc), probably a gas gun.

My dilemma is bc if I want to go past the capabilities of 223, I will need to build a whole new rig and the ability to to clip something onto my DT in 260 with a day scope would be nice

My current state of mind is start with dedicated Thermion 2 AR15 and if I’m getting shots past 300 yards, go from there. Seems like most night shooting is well under 300

Of course I’ll need some spotting Binos too…

Well, I mainly prefer scopes because it saves a lot of weight, compared to a scope + a clip-on setup. Plus, the scope is much more compact, and takes up less room on your rig (clip-on setup length is like a freight train sitting on top of your rifle).

But, a good quality scope with a good clip-on will have cleaner magnification of the images, compared to the digital zoom of the scopes.

I’ve got a couple scopes, might invest in a clip-on next for a few rigs running LPVO’s and the versatility of not having to swap scopes around and re-zero if you want to go back to a regular scope on a rifle.

 

[Night Vision Viking]

^please discuss. I’m torn between Krypton 2 CO and the Thermion 2 LRF right now. For a nocturnal pest gun (yotes, coons, etc), probably a gas gun.

My dilemma is bc if I want to go past the capabilities of 223, I will need to build a whole new rig and the ability to to clip something onto my DT in 260 with a day scope would be nice

My current state of mind is start with dedicated Thermion 2 AR15 and if I’m getting shots past 300 yards, go from there. Seems like most night shooting is well under 300

Of course I’ll need some spotting Binos too…

The Thermion 2 is going to get you a much better image quality, at least if you chose one the XP50 with NETD <25mK.
With the LRF and ballistics app it will show you a red cross where to aim, that's not going to happen with the clip-on.

I think you would be happier with a dedicated scope.

Spotting binos - have a look at Shot Show...

 

[secondofangle2]

I haven’t been to shot show in about 10 years. What should I be looking for?

 

[Night Vision Viking]

I haven’t been to shot show in about 10 years. What should I be looking for?

The subject was: "Of course I’ll need some spotting Binos too…"

There might be something new out there. I think you can stay home as well and just look on Facebook ads.