W&T General Discussion Thread

@RerouteToRemain cheap thermal scopes? Don't need to be able to see a mile, happy to be able to see 50 - 200 yards.
 
Woldog said:
@RerouteToRemain cheap thermal scopes? Don't need to be able to see a mile, happy to be able to see 50 - 200 yards.
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I don't own any but have used some. This is probably a better question for @Chesten_Hesten

What is cheap? You 100% get what you pay for in thermal.

The last one I had experience with was the ATN THOR 4 384 1.25-5x. I believe these can be picked up for around $1900.
 
RerouteToRemain said:
I don't own any but have used some. This is probably a better question for @Chesten_Hesten

What is cheap? You 100% get what you pay for in thermal.

The last one I had experience with was the ATN THOR 4 384 1.25-5x. I believe these can be picked up for around $1900.
Click to expand...


My buddy has a Raytheon that was pretty slick. Only other one's I've fooled with were Flirs and something else can't remember the brand Each of the ones I used were prolly $3k +



I went with a Gen 3 Night optics D760 6X myself and stopped there. it was $4000.00 US

The thermals are great for detecting what direction something is coming in on, but sometimes its harder to identify your target depending on the angle. My buddy saw something that upon further inspection turned out to be a Cow looking at him from a ditch. All he saw was the cow head at first.

Next he loaned it to his Brother who wasn't as careful and ended up shooting his own dog on a coyote hunt.

Night hunting can become a really expensive rabbit hole to fall down real quick.


As I sit here with a broken leg I'm pondering buying a Tikka in 6.5 Creedmoor to put my NV scope on as a dedicated Night Rifle. (more ass than a 223) Just passing the time mentally, though, don't really need that shit. Prolly go look at one when I can walk again though.

Doubt any of this ramble helped, but thanks for asking.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/ti...bolt-action-rifle-114965193?sku=6-5-creedmoor

20070733
 
RerouteToRemain said:
I don't own any but have used some. This is probably a better question for @Chesten_Hesten

What is cheap? You 100% get what you pay for in thermal.

The last one I had experience with was the ATN THOR 4 384 1.25-5x. I believe these can be picked up for around $1900.
Click to expand...
So its $1,500aud (on sale depending where you look that's $500 - $1000 off) it uses the majority of the same components as their $3500+ models and even as their $6999. Where it skimps is no video recording (something I don't particularly care about), no "one shot zero" sighting in which while that would be nice it's not a deal breaker not to have, and a slightly lower resolution screen. With "zoom" I use that tentatively because we all know digital zoom regardless is usually doodoo of 2.5x-5x.

Majority of people who have reviewed the scope say this - It's good for identifying things under 150m away. For me most of my shooting is between 20 - 80m, the reason why I'm looking at thermal in the first place is this
I only hunt at night
I hunt in thick grass
Pigs should be relatively easy to spot with it.
Identification isn't a big issue because where I hunt the only things I could potentially shoot that are "pig sized" are Pigs, Kangaroos/Wallabies, Wild dogs and maybe a possum if I mistook it for a piglet.

The counter arguments I've heard from friends and family are
$1500 is a lot to spend on something that may not get more than one or two uses a month. Which I agree with, however I'm an impulse buyer so the fact I've waited long enough to reply to you guys is a miracle.

The one I'm looking at is the MS-19 (don't tell the US Goverment that El Salvadorian Gangs are apparently thermal scopes now)
https://www.thebarn.net.au/Products/NIGHT+TECH+THERMAL+MINI+SIGHT+HUNTER+SERIES/102991
https://www.cleaverfirearms.com/Products.aspx?Category=Night Vision / Thermal&Brand=337
 
Woldog said:
So its $1,500aud (on sale depending where you look that's $500 - $1000 off) it uses the majority of the same components as their $3500+ models and even as their $6999. Where it skimps is no video recording (something I don't particularly care about), no "one shot zero" sighting in which while that would be nice it's not a deal breaker not to have, and a slightly lower resolution screen. With "zoom" I use that tentatively because we all know digital zoom regardless is usually doodoo of 2.5x-5x.

Majority of people who have reviewed the scope say this - It's good for identifying things under 150m away. For me most of my shooting is between 20 - 80m, the reason why I'm looking at thermal in the first place is this
I only hunt at night
I hunt in thick grass
Pigs should be relatively easy to spot with it.
Identification isn't a big issue because where I hunt the only things I could potentially shoot that are "pig sized" are Pigs, Kangaroos/Wallabies, Wild dogs and maybe a possum if I mistook it for a piglet.

The counter arguments I've heard from friends and family are
$1500 is a lot to spend on something that may not get more than one or two uses a month. Which I agree with, however I'm an impulse buyer so the fact I've waited long enough to reply to you guys is a miracle.

The one I'm looking at is the MS-19 (don't tell the US Goverment that El Salvadorian Gangs are apparently thermal scopes now)
https://www.thebarn.net.au/Products/NIGHT+TECH+THERMAL+MINI+SIGHT+HUNTER+SERIES/102991
https://www.cleaverfirearms.com/Products.aspx?Category=Night Vision / Thermal&Brand=337
Click to expand...


How are the prices on the ATN LT 320 or thor 4 1.5-5?
 
RerouteToRemain said:
How are the prices on the ATN LT 320 or thor 4 1.5-5?
Click to expand...
ATN LT 320 - $1500 on ebay brand new
thor 4 1.5-5 - 2nd hand shipped from US between $900 - $1900ish

I'm very interested in the ATN LT 320 now. Which one would you recommend?
 
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Woldog said:
So its $1,500aud (on sale depending where you look that's $500 - $1000 off) it uses the majority of the same components as their $3500+ models and even as their $6999. Where it skimps is no video recording (something I don't particularly care about), no "one shot zero" sighting in which while that would be nice it's not a deal breaker not to have, and a slightly lower resolution screen. With "zoom" I use that tentatively because we all know digital zoom regardless is usually doodoo of 2.5x-5x.

Majority of people who have reviewed the scope say this - It's good for identifying things under 150m away. For me most of my shooting is between 20 - 80m, the reason why I'm looking at thermal in the first place is this
I only hunt at night
I hunt in thick grass
Pigs should be relatively easy to spot with it.
Identification isn't a big issue because where I hunt the only things I could potentially shoot that are "pig sized" are Pigs, Kangaroos/Wallabies, Wild dogs and maybe a possum if I mistook it for a piglet.

The counter arguments I've heard from friends and family are
$1500 is a lot to spend on something that may not get more than one or two uses a month. Which I agree with, however I'm an impulse buyer so the fact I've waited long enough to reply to you guys is a miracle.

The one I'm looking at is the MS-19 (don't tell the US Goverment that El Salvadorian Gangs are apparently thermal scopes now)
https://www.thebarn.net.au/Products/NIGHT+TECH+THERMAL+MINI+SIGHT+HUNTER+SERIES/102991
https://www.cleaverfirearms.com/Products.aspx?Category=Night Vision / Thermal&Brand=337
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound too bad if you wanna go thermal.

Can you look at one in the flesh before buying?
 
Chesten_Hesten said:
That doesn't sound too bad if you wanna go thermal.

Can you look at one in the flesh before buying?
Click to expand...
Sadly very limited to what I can actually view here. Luckily I have youtube to do a lot of indepth viewing.
 
Woldog said:
Sadly very limited to what I can actually view here. Luckily I have youtube to do a lot of indepth viewing.
Click to expand...

Fuck-it. Both feet forward and buy the motherfucker.

Even it it turns out crap it'll soon be a wash in the grand scheme of life.

(They accept returns right)?
 
Woldog said:
ATN LT 320 - $1500 on ebay brand new
thor 4 1.5-5 - 2nd hand shipped from US between $900 - $1900ish

I'm very interested in the ATN LT 320 now. Which one would you recommend?
Click to expand...

I don't know about buying second hand from a stranger tbh.

The THOR 4 has significantly more features. Better clarity/resolution, ability to add a range finder, record video, 1 shot zero, more magnification, better field of view, better battery, "weather resistant", etc.

How much is it new?

I'd say if this is something you really enjoy and see yourself doing a lot for a long time I personally would stretch the budget and get the thor 4. As @Chesten_Hesten stated people that really get into night hunting will easily spend 4-8k+.

The thing with the LT is you may regret going cheaper and just wanting the features with a bit better clarity that $500ish more gets you.
 
Personally the ability to record my hunts would be a cool feature I would want.

But if stretching the budget is a no go, the LT 320 on paper looked to have significantly better specs compared to the one you linked.

320x240 60hz vs 256x192 25 hz. It's not close, the atn would look so much better
 
RerouteToRemain said:
Personally the ability to record my hunts would be a cool feature I would want.

But if stretching the budget is a no go, the LT 320 on paper looked to have significantly better specs compared to the one you linked.

320x240 60hz vs 256x192 25 hz. It's not close, the atn would look so much better
Click to expand...
Yeah they were both so much better than the one we had here. None of the gun shops sell any of those other scopes here though.
 
RerouteToRemain said:
I don't know about buying second hand from a stranger tbh.

The THOR 4 has significantly more features. Better clarity/resolution, ability to add a range finder, record video, 1 shot zero, more magnification, better field of view, better battery, "weather resistant", etc.

How much is it new?

I'd say if this is something you really enjoy and see yourself doing a lot for a long time I personally would stretch the budget and get the thor 4. As @Chesten_Hesten stated people that really get into night hunting will easily spend 4-8k+.

The thing with the LT is you may regret going cheaper and just wanting the features with a bit better clarity that $500ish more gets you.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I guess I was only half reading. I thought all the stuff being discussed was new online order stuff.

Does cheap thermal last as well as expensive? Remember how gen 1 and 2 night vision lasts about half as long as gen 3?

Wonder if thermal is like that. Don't know enough to know.
 
Chesten_Hesten said:
Sorry, I guess I was only half reading. I thought all the stuff being discussed was new online order stuff.

Does cheap thermal last as well as expensive? Remember how gen 1 and 2 night vision lasts about half as long as gen 3?

Wonder if thermal is like that. Don't know enough to know.
Click to expand...
IN terms of last, do you mean continues to work before breaking correct?

And I would much prefer to buy a brand new unit over 2nd hand unless it was an absolute steal of a price.
 
Woldog said:
IN terms of last, do you mean continues to work before breaking correct?

And I would much prefer to buy a brand new unit over 2nd hand unless it was an absolute steal of a price.
Click to expand...

Yes.

I forget the particulars but intensifier tubes don't have the same lifespan

Gen 1s life is the shortest
Gen 2s slightly better
Gen 3s live noticeably longer.

I don't know if thermal technologies are similar in that regard.

Here's kindve a rundown on NV stuff.

https://www.nightvision.com.au/difference-in-night-vision-generations/

Found this buying guide on thermal scopes, but it never answered my question on thermal scope lifespan.

https://www.cleverhunters.com/best-thermal-scope/

Wish I knew more.

I've had my gen 3 scope for about 5-6 years now. It's still going strong. I always store it without batteries, and have always tried to be very careful with it. I don't think I've put 100hrs on it yet.
 
Chesten_Hesten said:
Yes.

I forget the particulars but intensifier tubes don't have the same lifespan

Gen 1s life is the shortest
Gen 2s slightly better
Gen 3s live noticeably longer.

I don't know if thermal technologies are similar in that regard.

Here's kindve a rundown on NV stuff.

https://www.nightvision.com.au/difference-in-night-vision-generations/

Found this buying guide on thermal scopes, but it never answered my question on thermal scope lifespan.

https://www.cleverhunters.com/best-thermal-scope/

Wish I knew more.

I've had my gen 3 scope for about 5-6 years now. It's still going strong. I always store it without batteries, and have always tried to be very careful with it. I don't think I've put 100hrs on it yet.
Click to expand...

Thermal scopes don't have a lifespan similar to NV tubes. It mostly comes down to electronic part failure. Luck of the draw really, some people have scopes that have been going for 10 years. Others have scopes that died after 2.
 
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