Help with stepping Into night vision

[Beagle boy]

Good evening everyone, I do enjoy a good night lamping. But a permission I’m on is a shared permission with the land owners friend.
I went lamping the other night and everything has gone from not lamp shy at all, to diving head first into cover as soon as the lamp hit the field.
So I was looking into night vision, I have used and shot rabbits with one years ago with a friend but I have never really been familiar with it.
I’d like it to go on the hmr, most for rabbits and the odd fox.
Where do I start with the choices and what would I need?
I like a good vision up to 200 ish yard.
I did look at an alpex a50ts and a pard mini night stalker. But being honest im not sure what the differences are
What would you all recommend?

Cheers Rob

 

[Andydorset]

I do 90% of my shooting in the dark, use a pard add-on for my scoped .22 as its a classic, and want to keep glass on it and it to be a lite setup and a Alpex on everything else, the plus point on the Alpex is its zeroed on all my rifles, and with my quick release mount, i can swap it to each, the downside it is rather heavy, but in comparison what it does is well worth it.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Hik Alpex would be my first avenue.
DNT would be my second.
Beyond that I am not sure how the competition compares

 

[BenBhoy]

I'd say it depends what ratio of your shooting is day:night. Only you can answer.

If most of your shooting is daylight (including paper targets) then even the most entry level glass should be your go to + combined with whatever pard007 takes your fancy/budget. Add a 3rd party ir and it's all you'll ever need.

If your shooting time is more than 70% at night, then I'd suggest a digital day/night scope. The choice, on your suggestions, if you have picatinny rail, then zulus mk1.

 

[Mr Tree]

A good scope can still be used for lamping plus daytime clarity & low light.
Personally I use a Meopta Optika 6 56mm,
A Vulpine add on will give you night time clarity way beyond ranges I would shoot, when paired with this scope. I cant see any reason why I would change.

 

[nocturnaldave]

This is going to end up as a balance of day to night shooting, budget and comfort behind the rifle. If your intended use is on a 17hmr they will all pretty much cover the likely shot range quite comfortably. I use a a pard add on, the new 4k lrf one is brilliant. So why this choice? 1. I enjoy a good daylight proper glass scope for daylight shooting. 2. I can move the add on to any of my other rifles without having to re zero anything. I can put it on the 17 and rabbit hunt out to about 150 with ease. I can drop it onto the 22250 and fox out to silly ranges (400j if I want. 3. I can go out on a permission and shoot all afternoon through glass and then stay on for a nights foxing by just dropping on the pard. 4. Budget friendly
The only downsides or things to be careful of with an add on….. 1. They tend to work best with an additional ir source if you want to push the ranges out a bit. 2. Make sure your day scope has a low base mag (down at about 2-3) Most add ons have a base mag of about 4 so when you multiply this up you can be left with a very narrow field of view, especially at close range. 3. If your stock has adjustable length of pull you will find it easier to get comfy behind the add on.
Only my experience…..

 

[nocturnaldave]

In addition to above…. A good shooting buddy uses the dedicated day night digital pard. Forget what it’s called but the front of it looks like the starship enterprise! Good enough for 17 ranges during the day and excellent at night. Has all the drop down reticle/ballistics, normal eye relief/comfort and not expensive compared to other options. He has one on his 17 and enjoys mopping up bunnies. He also has one on his fox rig and I’ve seen him drop foxes at 300 yards with it(additional Ir on the fox rig) but not on the 17.

 

[Beagle boy]

This is going to end up as a balance of day to night shooting, budget and comfort behind the rifle. If your intended use is on a 17hmr they will all pretty much cover the likely shot range quite comfortably. I use a a pard add on, the new 4k lrf one is brilliant. So why this choice? 1. I enjoy a good daylight proper glass scope for daylight shooting. 2. I can move the add on to any of my other rifles without having to re zero anything. I can put it on the 17 and rabbit hunt out to about 150 with ease. I can drop it onto the 22250 and fox out to silly ranges (400j if I want. 3. I can go out on a permission and shoot all afternoon through glass and then stay on for a nights foxing by just dropping on the pard. 4. Budget friendly
The only downsides or things to be careful of with an add on….. 1. They tend to work best with an additional ir source if you want to push the ranges out a bit. 2. Make sure your day scope has a low base mag (down at about 2-3) Most add ons have a base mag of about 4 so when you multiply this up you can be left with a very narrow field of view, especially at close range. 3. If your stock has adjustable length of pull you will find it easier to get comfy behind the add on.
Only my experience…..

The vast majority of my shooting would be at night with the .17
I’d use my 22 for rabbits and squirrels on the feeders, or 22-250 for stuff in the day, I shoot a lot of muntjac with the 22-250 so I’d be hard pushed to move over to a day/night set up as I quite like the scope that’s on it
How much are the add ons?

Cheers Rob

 

[nocturnaldave]

My most recent one was about£600 but there are cheaper options in the pard range

 

[Pellet Pinger]

It really is a simple decision, just buy a Gen 1 Arken Zulus, you’ll find one second hand or now cheap enough to buy new, no need for the LRF version for HMR unless it takes your fancy. Turn it on, bang the bunny!
I love my Alpex’s but i wouldn’t stick one on my little rimfires, theres no benefits for that type of shooting with their added weight and size.

 

[tarponhead]

Just one thing to keep in mind - you have to remember to charge digital scopes and their additional batteries, so planning required. I found this detracted from the experience, but it’s a first world problem, so enjoy!

 

[Bo Diddley]

If the scope you already have on the rifle has side parallax adjustment down to 10-15 yards and a base mag of 2-4x, just buy a 2nd hand or new Pard007, this will do all you need, and is very simple to use.
2nd hand Pard 007 can be had for about £120 - £140, if you wanted to upgrade to something else, you will always get 100 quid for a working Pard, so it won't have cost you much to see if this is the way forward.
2nd-hand digital is as cheap as chips, and stuff like the early Zulus and Pard 008 can be had for next to nothing, loads of it is sitting in people's cupboards festering because they can't bring themselves to sell it for what it's actually worth.

 

[Flash G 74]

Hello, I used a Pard 007 on a CZ 455 years ago and it worked a treat, You see them now S/H as many go to a dedicated Day/Night scope or Thermal, I would check who now in UK is the Pards importer/ sales / warranty/ Co

 

[BenBhoy]

The vast majority of my shooting would be at night with the .17
I’d use my 22 for rabbits and squirrels on the feeders, or 22-250 for stuff in the day, I shoot a lot of muntjac with the 22-250 so I’d be hard pushed to move over to a day/night set up as I quite like the scope that’s on it
How much are the add ons?

Cheers Rob

On any give day in the classifieds there's at least one type of add on 007 for sale can't go wrong with them at 2nd hand price.

 

[Cyres]

For £300 you could get an new ATN X sight 5! More than adequate for your needs. Daylight view is good it comes with mounts and IR torch. Good at night. I have one on my .243.
Battery life is exceptional. Weight wise not much different from a normal scope.
They also do a LRF version and UK based is Hereford. V good customer services.
D

 

[frank666]

I would recommend HMR with the best Zulus you can afford.

 

[nocturnaldave]

One bit of advice/ encouragement I’ll give you for free….. what ever route you go… persevere a little with it. A lot of people put on their first night vision and think this is crap! Learn your new kit. Learn to set it up properly… what the functions do and how to properly focus the reticle and target… they all have their own quirks and to get the best result out of them you need to put in a bit of time before condemning it. They will all pretty much do what you are looking.

 

[Flash G 74]

One bit of advice/ encouragement I’ll give you for free….. what ever route you go… persevere a little with it. A lot of people put on their first night vision and think this is crap! Learn your new kit. Learn to set it up properly… what the functions do and how to properly focus the reticle and target… they all have their own quirks and to get the best result out of them you need to put in a bit of time before condemning it. They will all pretty much do what you are looking.

Hello, Yes some of the new night vision scopes can be quite complicated, I still prefer my Photon MK 1 for ratting, I bought a Sytong HT 60 and was a bit OTT for my knowledge of modern night vision,

 

[Gunner223]

I have 2 007s , 3 008 lrf, and the Alpex lrf, in my view if set up carefully the Alpex is far the best,
but as others have said , start maybe with the 007 and work you way up , depending on your budget

 

[andy R204]

I didn't think I was going to bother with NV again after my Pard 008 lrf purchase around 4 years ago,used 5 times or tried too.I hated it,spent a fortune on mounts,etc.Sold it for less than half price on here.
Last year took the plunge with an Alpex Lrf,love using it.Once the ballistics are setup correctly which can be a little fiddly,it's bang on.
I prefer the traditional scope design.