Night sights again......Pulsar N550, performance advice please.

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Soap

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Hi, visited the Sportsman gun centre today, they have some of the old model pulsar digisights for sale for £870.
Seems like a bargain.
I have read reports, some good some not so, do any of you learned gents have first hand experience?
I am after a N/V scope to fit on a .223.
This is a lot of money for me to outlay (if my wife found out I intend to spend that much it may end in divorce) so I want to make sure the unit is fit for purpose.
would you be able to shoot a Fox at 200 yards?
Is the battery life so bad that you do need the battery pack?
How about in the field...........

Any advise would be appreciated.
 
It should do but you will need to buy an extra illuminator. There goes another£125. Have a look at the nitesite. Variation on the theme but does work well and is cheaper. However you will need a side parallax scope.
 
Thanks, its so difficult to make a decision as I havnt any first hand experience.
Dont want to end up buying something that wont do the job.
There is no way I can try all the different options, so I must rely on your advice.
Do you mean the DFA75 ? or another forward mounted unit?
 
If you can't afford it mate, i wouldn't bother buying one. I sold mine after owning it for a month, it did what it was supposed to but i was irritated by the short battery life and the fiddling with buttons/ knobs constantly. Also the 4x mag was a limiting factor. It may have got better if i had spent some time learning the system but i already had a gen2+ so i guess i had been spoilt. With so much new stuff appearing, it might be worth waiting a bit longer for something better.
 
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I'm not that impressed with my N550. It works but I don't think its well made or particularly shooting friendly and its been unreliable. I've got a drunken reticle and it won't hold zero, and that's on a .22 LR. There's a load of crap on them which you're paying for but will never use and the ergonomics are terrible. I wouldn't want to tie down a .223 to night time only use and the Pulsar won't make the most of the potential range. You're better off squirreling maney away with the aim of getting an Archer while keeping an eye on the matket to see what else comes along. Unless you win the lottery or go for strategic divorce thermal imaging is out so you'll need IR illumination whatever you get. The Nightmaster 800 is leading the pack. You could always buy one with the red and IR LED in the meantime.

One thing I will say for Pulsar, they've introduced shooters to the advantages of digital NV. Whats really needed is an objective Digi add-on that works. But I've got doubts about Pulsar pulling it off. They strike me as being the Amstrad of the optics world.
 
Thanks Finch, you dont get that sort of information in a magazine article but its invaluable.
I think the massage is not bother with a 550.
 
No problem. The price SGC are quoting is only a 10 percent discount. If it was £500 or less it would be worth a punt. When a quality digi add-on does come on the market at a good price, N550s and even 750s will be going for a song. Trouble is an add-on from Pulsar will be way overpriced so they don't devalue their other scopes to the point they're unsalable. I think there's a shake up comming in the digi NV maket.
 
I would recommend having a look at the Yukon Photon when it comes out.

Newer sensor, chip etc than N550 and for the money that combined with a Night Master NM800 will be fantastic value for money.

Adding a Night Master NM800 makes a remarkable difference to digital kit, which is reliant on high IR levels.



photoncomingsoon.jpg
 
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get a tubed n/v digital stuff is not at a level with tubed units as yet im sure it will get better biggest problem to much to fiddle with vladimer think on -of simples and your ideas will taik off until youkon etc give prototipes to hunters your going to have to much crap on the digital that no hunter neads mr fox is not going to stand around all day while you twiddle with ret selection contrast brightnes etc point and shoot on -of looking at the scope aboufe why side paralax and front paralax and if its front paralax onley when you go to turn it your hand is in front of the iluminator the reach over the scope will make it imposable to to hold the gun and shoot standing if you have to focuse the front youkon contact me get me back in touch with vladimer regards rob ex soviet bazare
 
A Pulsar N550 can made to work out to 200 yards plus with good IR but it will need a doubler and these come with their own problems.

The current crop of digi NV is almost as good as Gen3 and the reason for this are the advances in LED illuminators, the latest LED IR chips really are streaks ahead of the older ones and apparently even more efficient ones are already in the pipeline. I have an N750 with doubler and a PVS-14 with a Gen3 Pinnacle tube and there really isn't much between them in terms of viewing distance but I prefer to use the N750 to shoot with rather than an add-on.

The next crop of digi NV should be really ineteresting, the futures bright...the future is digital. :) :)

Please remember there are dealers on this thread, they all have their own axe to grind. Get out and try some of this stuff for yourself and make your own mind up, one man's soup is another man's gravy and all that.
 
i have new n550 and 808 laser for sale
due to not haveing to deadicated fox rifle that i can put it on and do not wish to keep moveing scope of .243 i am selling it , what will be the price of scope and unit .will you be at the shooting show :thumb:
 
We have demo units of Pulsar digi equipment you can try at home for 7 days should you wish to borrow a new N750, NS200 etc or indeed a Photon when they arrive.
 
would like to have a look at photon set up but i would need to sell n550 and lith-battery pack L808 and mpr before i move forward but thanks for chance to wet my lips :tiphat:
 
What a minefield!, I think I will be contacting Scott Country when the Photon units arrive to arrange a demo.
Thanks for all your help.
 
Soap said:
What a minefield!, I think I will be contacting Scott Country when the Photon units arrive to arrange a demo.
Thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...

In the midst of all the choice and confusion, one thing is worth bearing in mind. I assume your .223 is the only fox/vermin calibre you have. If so tying it up as a dedicated nightshooter really limits the potential of such a useful rifle. A user-friendly quick to deploy add-on coupled to a quality compatible scope is definitely the way to go.
 
Yup, what he said. Mind you. I use my 223 99 per cent at night. Mind you once the days draw out I may have to do the occasional evening. But I do use add on myself. Howeve I am thinking about trying a dedicated.
 
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