Anyone used a Pulsar Forward FN455?

[TomTalks]

Considering one as can use with several rifles without the need to re-zero.

Equivalent thermal is way too pricey at the moment.
Might look at a thermal spotter though in combination with the FN455 although it is also a quick change NV spotter....

Feedback appreciated.

 

[Uncle f]

Don’t changed my point of aim

 

[old keeper]

I've been using an F455 for about a year and found it does the job out to 150 yards or so, which is more than adequate for fox control. No real downsides, as with all NV the scope you use together with the IR make all the difference.
It does make the rifle a bit front-heavy, but if shooting off sticks or from a vehicle that's not a problem. For the money, a decent piece of kit

 

[Ghost-Recon]

I'll be watching this post, as I'm considering the purchase of an FN455 myself.
Will be interesting to see how Pulsar upgrade this product over time too.
Hopefully Pulsar can achieve a compatible day sight mag to 12x, or above - fingers crossed!

 

[Uncle f]

I tried both the old forward and this newer version. It shifted the aim. Tried at foxes missed every time. Got the hump took to the range and was shooting 4 inch left and low at 100m. Removed it and scope was bang on. Tried tightening the adaptor etc. And no change. Went to a digiex didn’t like that either so been using the sightmark wraith with Solaris IR and so far so good

 

[mealiejimmy]

I'll be watching this post, as I'm considering the purchase of an FN455 myself.
Will be interesting to see how Pulsar upgrade this product over time too.
Hopefully Pulsar can achieve a compatible day sight mag to 12x, or above - fingers crossed!

Getting the day scope magnification up to x12 will require a higher resolution display on the add-on
The previous generation Pulsar front add-ons used a 640x480 OLED display and maxed out at x6 magnification.
Pulsar are now using a 1746 x 1000 pixel display and they can still only get to x8
To get to x12 they would need a display with many more pixels than are available on even the best OLED displays currently available - don't hold your breath!

Cheers

Bruce

 

[simonl]

So this is effectively placing a camera & a screen in front of your scope? How can it *not* change the point of aim? Unless mechanically very lucky.

 

[simonl]

I've been using an F455 for about a year and found it does the job out to 150 yards or so, which is more than adequate for fox control. No real downsides, as with all NV the scope you use together with the IR make all the difference.
It does make the rifle a bit front-heavy, but if shooting off sticks or from a vehicle that's not a problem. For the money, a decent piece of kit

Is the 150 yards limitation down to inability to resolve targets properly beyond that, or down to accuracy issues?

 

[mealiejimmy]

So this is effectively placing a camera & a screen in front of your scope? How can it *not* change the point of aim? Unless mechanically very lucky.

Reading the manual indicates that there is a calibration routine which, when used, places a cross at the centre of the display.
The cross (and the image on the display) can then be electronically shifted so that the cross coincides with the centre of the scope reticle.
At that point, the add-on is zeroed

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Dawnrazor]

I ha e one and love it, it flits in wrll with how I go about things, I work on some pretty rough and steep ground, all lamping is done from the quad with a Solway From on the front, the F455 fits in a jacket pocket to be clipped on the scope when needed, there's no way anyone is taking 2 rifles around here!!!
When sitting out in the morning or night time it's one rifle, the scope set at 4x when the unit is on and 8x for daytime work, NO change of poi.

 

[old keeper]

Is the 150 yards limitation down to inability to resolve targets properly beyond that, or down to accuracy issues?

Neither really! Using a decent source of IR, ( I generally use a PBiR laser,) you can certainly identify quarry much further than the 150 yards I quoted As far as accuracy is concerned I've had no problems whatsoever with the F455.
I personally limit myself to ranges around the 150-yard mark with the scopes I generally use with the F455, Swarovski and Minox, as above 150 yards on low magnification which I prefer to use, the reticle all but covers the target. But to be honest, I think that with the equipment that's available today, by and large, I shouldn't need to shoot foxes at greater distances than that. I shoot over mainly fairly small fields where most of the foxes I shoot are between 100 and 150 yards away and from a safety point of view it would be unwise to shoot at greater distances.
I find the F455 works very well at the distances I shoot at, but as always with NV the IR source is critical to success.

 

[TomTalks]

OK, I settled on a different solution.

I briefly neglected my own advice.
Buy right, buy once!

The original thought was to purchase a forward mount NV unit for use with two differing rifles.
Then buy a decent thermal spotter for night-time foxing and day time use elsewhere.

Hence an FN455 was the front runner.
However! (Even if some folks disagree with the following) There are a lot of reports of the forward mount unit moving the scopes zero!
If there is even a slight chance of this I cannot have equipment introducing possible failure, with a missed shot, or worse, injured quarry.

The .22LR is only for close-range foxing, as such only needs an NV scope.
So I settled on a Pard NV008P LRF from Blackwoods, (I did consider ATN but prefer my scopes shorter than the rifle it is mounted too )
A great laser, that is kept on near full tight beam, works very well indeed.
I'll get a thermal spotter next, then a thermal for the .300 AAC later.


So back to the Pard NV008P LRF

So far so good, Tuesday evening, one of two lamp shy foxes is no more.
Have a date with its partner this weekend.....

 

[Ghost-Recon]

What distance was that fox (head) shot at and was it with your .22?

Is the Pard easy to set-up/zero and is the LRF addition worth the extra few £££?

 

[mealiejimmy]

Can't answer the question about the fox, but the PARD is not difficult to set up and zero and, for calibres where the bullet trajectory is distinctly curved e.g subsonic 22, the rangefinder is worth it.

Cheers

Bruce

 

[TomTalks]

What distance was that fox (head) shot at and was it with your .22?

Is the Pard easy to set-up/zero and is the LRF addition worth the extra few £££?

Hi - it was 64 yards with the .22

I’ll only take face on, headshots on a fox with a .22 .... why?
Because when I was much younger, soooo many years ago, before I even began with the foxes I accompanied a more seasoned lamper.
I lamped, they shot.

I will never forget one fox in particular, it was literally cut in half, I can still see it trying to crawl away with its entrails , trailing behind.

It was a good experience for me because it was an absolute moment.
I will absolutely, never, ever, take a shot unless i know with certainty it will drop a fox humanely, I.e. they do not know anything about it.

 

[TomTalks]

Can't answer the question about the fox, but the PARD is not difficult to set up and zero and, for calibres where the bullet trajectory is distinctly curved e.g subsonic 22, the rangefinder is worth it.

Cheers

Bruce

Re easy to set up.
Once I read the instructions correctly........

One shot for reference.
Adjust, very clever way they do this!
Second shot was on target... and I mean, it was dead centre on point of aim.

Range finder is genuinely worth it, it is not just an accessory you would never use.
At night, distance is deceiving, the LRF in real terms let’s me know when foxy is in the optimum kill zone.
So in terms of level of confidence, it is worth every extra penny
Only tiny gripe, I may need to acquire an additional IR in the 915 + range as the integral one is visible.

PS buy extra batteries.
Max is sub 40 minutes use across two hours, the remainder being on standby.
Not that bad when you consider one smallish battery is running screen, IR, LRF, laser dot (never use the dot.... it’s not call of duty

It only takes seconds to swap out the batteries.
Make sure you but high capacity batteries

 

[old keeper]

Is the 150 yards limitation down to inability to resolve targets properly beyond that, or down to accuracy issues?

Neither really! I seldom shoot at foxes beyond that distance and out to that the F455 does the job perfectly well. I've had no accuracy issues and found with the Z6i it's one of the few Nv add ons that works really well. It's the illuminated ret Swaro so rear add ons are a no go.

 

[markha]

Had a 455, really good, but just swapped to a digex - even better as a dedicated scope and no issues with the onboard IR.