Thought I'd do a little write up on my first experience of this upgrade I've just made.
Context - I've been using thermal full time for the last 2.5 years after going halves with a friend on a Pulsar XM30 Axion Key. At the time this was a "budget" thermal, but was an absolute gamechanger from walking around with a lamp feeling like a lighthouse. I'd never used thermal properly and being able to see wildlife (& foxes) at any distance was a unbelievable step-change.
After 2.5 years of years I cannot recommend this thermal enough for a "first time" user. I've been nothing but impressed with it, and has allowed me to take my shooting game to the next level. I can ID stationary foxes at 100-150 yards, and moving foxes waaaaay further with it on a good night. Was a gamechanger for me.
Despite the above, one does develop an itch for "better". I'd would have liked to ID at further distances, better performance in poor thermal conditions, not have to stand there and try and work out if somethings a hare/muntjac/fox for ages, not get excited and throw my gun onto to sticks to find I'm looking at a badger. All "convenience" points really.
So to rectify this I did some research, called a few friends and spoke with Ian @ Blackwood Outdoors and ended up buying a Helion XP50 Pro as a buy one cry once purchase, and I'm greatful I'm in a position to be able to do this. Very much the other end of the spectrum in terms of cost and supposed performance. I dont spend that much money lightly but felt like I was making an investment in a quality product that has proven performance, service and longevity, even outisde the warranty period.
On Wednesday I recieved the thermal, and immediately spent a good 5 hours in the freezing cold walking around several areas I shoot over. I can safely say I don't regret my decision at all. The level of detail is immense, I could see what I knew were hares hopping from a kilometer away, I could see into fields I forgot existed because they just didnt exist in the previous thermals image. The field of view makes scanning way easier, WAY easier. The digital zoom is now useful. I was swapping back to the Key and thinking "how did I use this for so long?!". I wrote somewhere else its like going from a 50s TV to a full Black and White HD. Long and short of it is it's an immense piece of kit and plenty of reviews and videos out there to tell you so.
As someone who's quite driven by value for money and what can "get the job done", I had been thinking hard about if this represents value for money. I guess I'd summarise as the following when going from an XM30 Axion Key to a Helion XP50 Pro:
- Will you shoot more foxes? Definetely.
- For 3 times the cost, will you shoot 3 times the number of foxes "per hour"? Definitely not.
- Will you waste way less time trying to work out what head sources are and more time covering ground? 100%.
- Is the "experience" better? Yes yes yes.
- Is it worth 3 times the cost for foxes and deer? Depends what you value and what you want from your thermal. I use my thermal every week, multiple times a week. After 2.5 years I felt an upgrade was deserved and justified. I wanted a better overall experience that was more convenient. I wouldnt recommend a new starter to foxing to buy a 3+k thermal, because a 1k thermal will be enough of a stepchange. Then its up to them if they feel like a 3k thermal is justified after they've used one hard.
Summary? In my opinion.. thermals are great. Going from no thermal to a 1k thermal is plenty to start, its an amazing step-change. Going from 1k to 3+k thermal is another stepchange altogether, if you can and want to, dont stop yourself, I honestly dont think you could be dissapointed.
Worth it? For me, definetely.
Bont
Context - I've been using thermal full time for the last 2.5 years after going halves with a friend on a Pulsar XM30 Axion Key. At the time this was a "budget" thermal, but was an absolute gamechanger from walking around with a lamp feeling like a lighthouse. I'd never used thermal properly and being able to see wildlife (& foxes) at any distance was a unbelievable step-change.
After 2.5 years of years I cannot recommend this thermal enough for a "first time" user. I've been nothing but impressed with it, and has allowed me to take my shooting game to the next level. I can ID stationary foxes at 100-150 yards, and moving foxes waaaaay further with it on a good night. Was a gamechanger for me.
Despite the above, one does develop an itch for "better". I'd would have liked to ID at further distances, better performance in poor thermal conditions, not have to stand there and try and work out if somethings a hare/muntjac/fox for ages, not get excited and throw my gun onto to sticks to find I'm looking at a badger. All "convenience" points really.
So to rectify this I did some research, called a few friends and spoke with Ian @ Blackwood Outdoors and ended up buying a Helion XP50 Pro as a buy one cry once purchase, and I'm greatful I'm in a position to be able to do this. Very much the other end of the spectrum in terms of cost and supposed performance. I dont spend that much money lightly but felt like I was making an investment in a quality product that has proven performance, service and longevity, even outisde the warranty period.
On Wednesday I recieved the thermal, and immediately spent a good 5 hours in the freezing cold walking around several areas I shoot over. I can safely say I don't regret my decision at all. The level of detail is immense, I could see what I knew were hares hopping from a kilometer away, I could see into fields I forgot existed because they just didnt exist in the previous thermals image. The field of view makes scanning way easier, WAY easier. The digital zoom is now useful. I was swapping back to the Key and thinking "how did I use this for so long?!". I wrote somewhere else its like going from a 50s TV to a full Black and White HD. Long and short of it is it's an immense piece of kit and plenty of reviews and videos out there to tell you so.
As someone who's quite driven by value for money and what can "get the job done", I had been thinking hard about if this represents value for money. I guess I'd summarise as the following when going from an XM30 Axion Key to a Helion XP50 Pro:
- Will you shoot more foxes? Definetely.
- For 3 times the cost, will you shoot 3 times the number of foxes "per hour"? Definitely not.
- Will you waste way less time trying to work out what head sources are and more time covering ground? 100%.
- Is the "experience" better? Yes yes yes.
- Is it worth 3 times the cost for foxes and deer? Depends what you value and what you want from your thermal. I use my thermal every week, multiple times a week. After 2.5 years I felt an upgrade was deserved and justified. I wanted a better overall experience that was more convenient. I wouldnt recommend a new starter to foxing to buy a 3+k thermal, because a 1k thermal will be enough of a stepchange. Then its up to them if they feel like a 3k thermal is justified after they've used one hard.
Summary? In my opinion.. thermals are great. Going from no thermal to a 1k thermal is plenty to start, its an amazing step-change. Going from 1k to 3+k thermal is another stepchange altogether, if you can and want to, dont stop yourself, I honestly dont think you could be dissapointed.
Worth it? For me, definetely.
Bont
I take my thermal out more than my wife . Worth every penny
