To thermal or not to thermal…
- Thread starter Foxyboy43
- Start date
Most people that still own a £5,500 thermal rifle scope arn't going to come on here and say they have made a mistake buying this scope, (well not till after they have sold it)
For me thermal to spot but not to shoot as looking through the above i couldn't 100% id at the longer fox shooting distances, and mistakes could happen ?.
Cats, hares, lambs, badgers, can be mistaken, Yes you can often tell its a fox by the way it moves, but there are time when the vegetation is part way up the animal, or the animal is stationary, nights where the thermal isn't performing well (no background), --------it ok saying if there is any doubt, don't take the shot but ???.
For me the advantages with thermal over good quality n/v is faster target accusation, and no light to spook.
Some of the better digital n/v's have a wide fov so finding the fox is a little harder than with thermal but well do-able, and a lot of nights you can get lined up for the shot without i/r and the half a second of i/r to confirm before releasing to shot.
It doesn't matter how good your shooting gear is, or how good you are at it, you won't get all the foxes you see, things do go wrong out in the field.
Dave (warbucks)
For me thermal to spot but not to shoot as looking through the above i couldn't 100% id at the longer fox shooting distances, and mistakes could happen ?.
Cats, hares, lambs, badgers, can be mistaken, Yes you can often tell its a fox by the way it moves, but there are time when the vegetation is part way up the animal, or the animal is stationary, nights where the thermal isn't performing well (no background), --------it ok saying if there is any doubt, don't take the shot but ???.
For me the advantages with thermal over good quality n/v is faster target accusation, and no light to spook.
Some of the better digital n/v's have a wide fov so finding the fox is a little harder than with thermal but well do-able, and a lot of nights you can get lined up for the shot without i/r and the half a second of i/r to confirm before releasing to shot.
It doesn't matter how good your shooting gear is, or how good you are at it, you won't get all the foxes you see, things do go wrong out in the field.
Dave (warbucks)
Of course an alternative way of thinking is the new Habrooks binos with high end thermal and if not sure then use the 4k nv to identify, then shoot with the thermal scope.
No, I have no idea of total cost. Best not to think about it.
No, I have no idea of total cost. Best not to think about it.
If NV is Soooo good why do you need thermal to spot?
kenbro
Well-Known Member
My lamp used to be on longer than that when scanning for eyes.
Kb.
I use NV and Thermal a lot. The main benefits for me of thermal are fast target acquisition and the ability to track and shoot in cover, plus you do not need bulky IR, etc adding extra weight, you also have the full area and backstops visible with thermal and if anything enters the scene it's instantly visible , like a walker behind a hedge, etc
NV is cheap and good and better ID within a certain distance... Once you commit to decent thermal, it does get addictive , theres some nice kit on the market and it's getting better by the month...
NV is cheap and good and better ID within a certain distance... Once you commit to decent thermal, it does get addictive , theres some nice kit on the market and it's getting better by the month...
A used 50mm thermion can be had for the price of a decent NV scope.
Benefit of good quality thermal, is you can pick up other stuff. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen other stuff in sight picture I could not see with NV. Including a lady jogger answering a call of nature in a bush
Benefit of good quality thermal, is you can pick up other stuff. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen other stuff in sight picture I could not see with NV. Including a lady jogger answering a call of nature in a bush
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
Is that a rifle mounted lamp mate?
I've only been rifle shooting 6 years & went straight into NV, all I've known. But in my yoof I was mad into running dog's, had a right assortment of lamps then, some weight about same as I did!! I quite fancy giving it a go with a lamp on rifle.
What torch are you mounting on your scope, if you don’t mind me asking?
Sniperhog. Scope mounted. Fabulous lamp and dimmable too. Shot close foxes with it barely on.
The other night I saw a roe deer on the hillside and flicked the lamp on to have a look. I could just make out it's shape and see enough to shoot at. I didn't obviously. But I mapped it at 650 Meters away.
The thrill of wondering what might happen it goes on is what makes it. And the image is spot on, old school s and b 8 x 56. Nice
And the best of it all. Sssshhh keep this to yourself...... It's full colour, ultra high definition, in pitch black. I swear it's the future.
Remember. Mums the word!
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Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
That’s me convinced! My friend wants to know if there is any footage…..A used 50mm thermion can be had for the price of a decent NV scope.
Benefit of good quality thermal, is you can pick up other stuff. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen other stuff in sight picture I could not see with NV. Including a lady jogger answering a call of nature in a bush
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
That’s me convinced! My friend wants to know if there is any footage…..A used 50mm thermion can be had for the price of a decent NV scope.
Benefit of good quality thermal, is you can pick up other stuff. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen other stuff in sight picture I could not see with NV. Including a lady jogger answering a call of nature in a bush
#45?
Pellet Pinger
Well-Known Member
You know why!
For detecting quarry in all conditions and environments theres nothing better plus it has far more detection range than Digital NV, its not even really a question.
Shooting through thermal is a completely different ball game to spotting through it, firstly a high end scope is north of 2K and even then as you say you still have to wait for movement to positively ID what you intend to shoot.
Each to their own and everyone has different requirements but i think for most people a thermal spotter and then confirm ID and shoot through NV is the way, for me i just prefer the more detailed NV image seeing the black tips of the foxes ears etc rather than a flat black outline.
Like a Russian doll mate, one bush inside another.That’s me convinced! My friend wants to know if there is any footage…..
Seems you have experienced the poorer end of thermal imaging, you comment around seeing the ear tips differently .. TI that I use gives me differentials in cow hide colour patches, different cloud types, ditches are visible by the temp differences, Tree species can be seen by the leaf shapes, banks of nettles are obvious as are fencing wires.
Just to go slightly of the 'OP's' thread, apologies 'FB', but may be of interest to you anyhoo. Those amongst you that shoot with a TI scope, which colour palette do you find works best for you ? I realise people's eyes vary in how they detect colours, but just interested if there is a consensus ? I prefer 'white hot'.
Nickb
Well-Known Member
I prefer black hot.
White, I have always been the guy wanting the simpler menu contents .... no videos, no sound ... no funny colours ... why not just concentrate on top performance in one plane.?
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