Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Welcome to the Leverguns.Com Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here ... politely.

Moderators: AmBraCol, Hobie

Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.

Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
AJMD429
Posting leader...
Posts: 31931
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
Location: Hoosierland
Contact:

Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by AJMD429 »

After comparing Thermal Imaging to infrared Night Vision, I see the huge difference, but being as I will have to wait awhile until I (hopefully) have income, and pay down some debts, and sell off some stuff....I figure I have time to investigate. With the decent ones starting in the $3,000-$5,000 range, you don't want to make a mistake, and there are lots of 'specs' difficult to compare.

Anyone actually using thermal scopes in this price range...?

I figure selling about four AR's and a couple leverguns should do it...
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.


Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
User avatar
Blaine
Posting leader...
Posts: 30495
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:22 pm
Location: Still Deciding

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by Blaine »

AJMD429 wrote: Sun Apr 26, 2020 4:06 pm After comparing Thermal Imaging to infrared Night Vision, I see the huge difference, but being as I will have to wait awhile until I (hopefully) have income, and pay down some debts, and sell off some stuff....I figure I have time to investigate. With the decent ones starting in the $3,000-$5,000 range, you don't want to make a mistake, and there are lots of 'specs' difficult to compare.

Anyone actually using thermal scopes in this price range...?

I figure selling about four AR's and a couple leverguns should do it...
Just being nosey, but why? 8)
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First

Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
User avatar
AJMD429
Posting leader...
Posts: 31931
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
Location: Hoosierland
Contact:

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by AJMD429 »

"...just being nosey, but why...?"

Coyotes, raccoons, feral cats, and feral dogs all plague our chickens and goats, and most of their predatory activities are at night. I can 'stake out' with my IR night vision scope, meaning if I can control the terrain and cover, I can have some success, but that mostly works for feral cats, raccoons, or possums; the canines of both types are too smart for that, plus don't come as close.

All it takes is one or two branches in front of a critter to create enough glare from an infrared 'night vision' unit to make it very hard to see past whatever is creating the glare reflection. Kind of like using a flashlight in the woods. Bad enough in winter but terrible in summer with leaves on the branches.

Since the thermal units are passive, there is no 'glare' at all. Of course they can't see through things, but if some parts are visible, just like in daylight, you can tell there is a critter there.

The problem is that there are so many thermal scopes and clip-ons, and 'specifications' don't always tell the real story. Plus they are so durned pricey, getting a crappy one has more consequence than realizing that instead of the $39 Wal-Mart red-dot you should have gotten the $250 Burris or $500 Aim-Point. Worst mistake there is a $461 mistake instead of a $3,000 one...

The other 'someday' on my list is a feral hog hunt, which either type night vision would likely be 'ok' for, but we don't have them here so it would be a travel/vacation thing, so if want the best equipment possible to minimize likelihood of not getting a hog.

Besides - I might get to post a video like this one - https://youtu.be/wn4p9xW2K1w
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.


Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
gcs
Levergunner 3.0
Posts: 570
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:42 pm

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by gcs »

Look up jagerpro.com, He pioneered hog hunting in Georgia with thermal night scopes, I think he's booked a year in advance. I met him years ago at the sportsman show in Harrisburg, He is the son of a hog farmer...and he hates them, lol. He's a former army sharpshooter and instructor, the videos of them shooting hogs at night are amazing...After the clients are empty, this guy goes to work on the remaining running hogs, the guy can shoot!

All that to say you might get some info from his website on equipment. He supplies the guns to the clients.
4t5
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1247
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:28 am

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by 4t5 »

I don't , but that girl from Jacksonville uses a thermalmomometer. :D
Rumble.com/ hickock45
User avatar
gamekeeper
Spambot Zapper
Posts: 17322
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Over the pond unfortunately.

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by gamekeeper »

My son who's a professional squirrel trapper in the North of England uses a Flir, it picks up squirrels hiding in trees pretty good. He probably shoots as many as he cage traps.
flir-scout-iii-240.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
If more men loved and cherished their wives as much as I love bacon the world would be a much better place.
User avatar
Ysabel Kid
Moderator
Posts: 27790
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:10 pm
Location: South Carolina, USA
Contact:

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by Ysabel Kid »

gamekeeper wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:00 pm My son who's a professional squirrel trapper in the North of England uses a Flir, it picks up squirrels hiding in trees pretty good. He probably shoots as many as he cage traps.

flir-scout-iii-240.jpg
Is that mountable to a rifle?
Image
User avatar
DocRock
Levergunner 2.0
Posts: 217
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:06 pm

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by DocRock »

Thermal has become quite incredible and, in the grand scheme of things, has become way more affordable. People should of course do with their disposable income whatever they darn well please. However, in my estimation, unless one is engaged in large scale hog eradication, a drug lord, or a particularly paranoid prepper, the cost would seem to outweigh the benefit vs good infrared. $500 infrared + $60 in lighting delivers solid 125 yards infrared performance and, in the right conditions, is good to 150 yards. If one is a serious hog hunter or combating depredation , then the extra reach and clarity of thermal may certainly be worth it.
User avatar
gamekeeper
Spambot Zapper
Posts: 17322
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Over the pond unfortunately.

Re: Anyone here use a Thermal Scope...?

Post by gamekeeper »

Ysabel Kid wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:29 pm
gamekeeper wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:00 pm My son who's a professional squirrel trapper in the North of England uses a Flir, it picks up squirrels hiding in trees pretty good. He probably shoots as many as he cage traps.

flir-scout-iii-240.jpg
Is that mountable to a rifle?
Not as far as I know, it's hand held to scan the landscape but it's pretty effective.
If more men loved and cherished their wives as much as I love bacon the world would be a much better place.
Post Reply