What thermal scope do you run?

[dennyking]

Hey everyone, I'm saving up to get a thermal scope for night hunting predators. Obviously I'd like to be able to afford an upper end Nvision, but if there are others that are nice and get the job done for cheaper, I'm all ears. Any Pulsar therminion users out there? So, what do you run and would you buy it again? Thanks.

 

[B23]

Check out Bering Optics Super Yoter ($4595) and Iray RICO ($5999). They seem to have comparable spec and capabilities as the NVision HALO ($7695) but at a much more affordable price point.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Bering optics super hogster for me and it's been bulletproof in the 14months I've had it

 

[dirtytough]

I’ve used a few different thermals. I still have 4 right now. It’s pretty tough to recommend anything without knowing how you are using it.

 

[dennyking]

I’ve used a few different thermals. I still have 4 right now. It’s pretty tough to recommend anything without knowing how you are using it.

Coyotes along timber and in clear cuts mostly with the occasional trip to the East side where it's more open.

 

[meleagris1]

I hunt coyotes with an Nvision Halo LR and scan with dual Iray MH25s on a helmet.

 

[dennyking]

View attachment 357046I hunt coyotes with an Nvision Halo LR and scan with dual Iray MH25s on a helmet.

That's a sweet setup!

 

[Geewhiz]

I'm in the same boat and my vote is save up for the halo LR. The things are simply amazing. I spotted a rabbit in a grazed field at 2k yards, and it was not difficult to see.

 

[meleagris1]

The Halo is amazing - Iray’s core is great too but it isn’t as consistent in fluctuating temps and isn’t as good as the Halo if humidity is high. I’ve got videos of kills from last year where you can easily see field mice at 400 yards.

 

[Geewhiz]

The Halo is amazing - Iray’s core is great too but it isn’t as consistent in fluctuating temps and isn’t as good as the Halo if humidity is high. I’ve got videos of kills from last year where you can easily see field mice at 400 yards.

My dad and brother have them. I want one so freeking bad, but the new xrf with the rangefinder.

 

[Samson7x]

Trijicon mkll here and love it. I also have extensive experience with the pulsar trail series and those are great scopes too.

 

[meleagris1]

The XRF is awesome - I’ll upgrade but I already have a radius so I’m good on ranging for now.

 

[dirtytough]

Seems like the XRF is having issues. I never heard about the Halo LR having problems.

 

[J300UM]

I picked up a Bering Hogster this year. Two hunts into it with my buddies that run Trijicons and a couple other higher end 640 units and I was already wishing I would have saved up for a better unit. For the money, the Hogster is a good optic but it simply can’t compete with some of the others previously mentioned in this thread.

 

[dennyking]

I picked up a Bering Hogster this year. Two hunts into it with my buddies that run Trijicons and a couple other higher end 640 units and I was already wishing I would have saved up for a better unit. For the money, the Hogster is a good optic but it simply can’t compete with some of the others previously mentioned in this thread.

Thank you. These responses are what helps the most.

 

[DaleGribble]

Thermion XP 50 here, had it a year. I love it, I wish the buttons on the top of the scope were laid out differently and I wish it had a larger battery but I would not hesitate to pick one up. I got a Bobro QD mount and I switch it between AR's and bolt guns. It seems to hold zero good enough. My only issue with switching it between guns has been remembering to switch it to the correct gun (A,B,C,D) in the scope. I have missed hogs and coyotes due to forgetting to switch the setting to the correct gun. The Picture in Picture is amazing and white hot is still the best setting. Detects animals for 500+ yards depending on the amount of fur they have. Just pair it with a flat shooting cartridge and you wont need to worry about having an integrated range finder. You can tell an animal is further than 300 yards away just by the size.

 

[B23]

Everything I've read and the people I've talked to the Bering Optics Super Yoter, a 640 unit, is about the best bang for your buck.

Would be great to see a non biased group of 2-3 experienced thermal users do a shootout test review of the Super Yoter, Iray RICO, and N-Vision Halo to see how these three units compare to one another.

I know it's all subjective to how the user weighs out what is considered "worth it" but on average is the Super Yoter plenty good enough or is the iRay RICO $1500 better or is the HALO $3100 better than the SY or $1700 better than the RICO.

 

[meleagris1]

I've looked through the super yoter and its a good scope for the money but not in the class of the Iray or Nvision. You don't need a top of the line thermal to make coyotes dead but I would strongly recommend you not look through one unless you can afford them! I have no budget for this stuff and my buddy and I have settled on the Nvision for the guns and Iray MH25 for scanning. I think the Iray is the best scanner out there and certainly best on a helmet because its small, light and a great design. Between the Rico and Nvision on the gun its a tough call - there are nights and certain weather conditions where I feel the Iray has as good or maybe even "slightly" better image but the Nvision is so much more consistent with changing humidity and temperatures especially cold weather - that's what we have noticed after two years of using them.

Nvisions had some issues with the new scopes but a they have gotten the bugs worked out and my friends who are using them love them - the internal video is a lot cleaner than on my Halo with the MDVR. My Halo has been rock solid for me though and I've killed a lot of coyotes with it.

 

[Britt-dog]

This will be my second year with a super hogster, love it. Before that I used pulsar for several years. The super hogster is as good as you can get without jumping to 640 and big money. If you have the coin great, but if you just want to hunt, you won’t be handicapped with the super hogster.

 

[dirtytough]

Everything I've read and the people I've talked to the Bering Optics Super Yoter, a 640 unit, is about the best bang for your buck.

Would be great to see a non biased group of 2-3 experienced thermal users do a shootout test review of the Super Yoter, Iray RICO, and N-Vision Halo to see how these three units compare to one another.

I know it's all subjective to how the user weighs out what is considered "worth it" but on average is the Super Yoter plenty good enough or is the iRay RICO $1500 better or is the HALO $3100 better than the SY or $1700 better than the RICO.

My opinion hunting coyotes where I do, you wouldn’t kill more dogs with a Halo over a Yoter or a Yoter over an Iray, etc. I bet you would hardly kill more with any 640 unit over a 384. If it has a decent picture, the correct native mag, and holds zero that’s the important stuff. The best picture is just a bonus.

I feel like it’s better to have a clear scanner. You are looking through that the majority of the time not the sight. It would be annoying looking at fuzz except when you shoot. It’s like day hunting. I want my binos super clear. I want my scope to hold zero.

Dennyking you haven’t really stated a budget, distance of expected shot, etc. It almost sounds like you are in Washington. My personal opinion is that it sucks hunting coyotes without a scanner. So I would factor that into the budget.

For me 125-225 yards seems to be the sweet spot to shoot. For that distance I like 3x+ native mag. The bigger FOV the better. If you don’t hunt a lot an LRF would be nice.

I suggest you look at the upper end 384 units and a 640 scanner.