Night vision or lamp??

[ruger mini 14]

Hi there,

Night vision or good old red lamp?

My stalking butty (yes... I'm Welsh) has just bought an infrared filter for his deben, i have a Yukon NV monocular and the other night we went out foxing and gave this night vision thing a go.... before going the whole hog and buying a dedicated NV scope for his .243.

while holding the NV and infrared lamp the fields were lit up like a summer afternoon (I'm sure some of the older lad/ladies on here can remember the sun shine) and as expected, along came charlie.... clear as day. "THERE'S ONE.... Shoot it" I shouted through a wispered voice, "WHERE" my mate said, turning to look at him with dismay I realised he couldn't see a thing.... "brilliant these NV things" "Aren't they" i said smiling.

Off with the filter and boom with the 243 saw that one off and we took all the NV stuff back to the car and had a good night with the trusting old red lamp.

I think the NV kit is great if you're a loner but it makes the lamp man a bit redundant.

 

[see it shoot it]

give me a lamp any night of the week,fast to operate and you know if theres a safe shot,NV is ok for sitting on your own if thats your thing,I can see it has its uses around a pen with poults in but driving around the land use a good old lamp

 

[varmint223]

Good NV scopes are fantastic .........but very expensive ! but as you say it makes the lamp man a bit redundant

 

[woodfordfallow]

The new Pulsar is very good.But i still like the trusty lamp and filter. woodfordfallow

 

[ruger mini 14]

I think we're going to combine both ideas...

While sitting and waiting, one of us will use the NV and filter so as not to put to much light around but when we're on the move or ready to take the shot it's going to be the lamp.

The other thing i noticed with the NV was when i took it away from my eye, i had lost my own night vision and it took a while to come back.

 

[woodfordfallow]

I think we're going to combine both ideas...

While sitting and waiting, one of us will use the NV and filter so as not to put to much light around but when we're on the move or ready to take the shot it's going to be the lamp.

The other thing i noticed with the NV was when i took it away from my eye, i had lost my own night vision and it took a while to come back.

Yes i know what you mean about your own night vision. i always look through the n/v with my left eye and shoot with my right.Because i do like looking with my n/v when you have spotted a fox go n/v untill the gun is ready.The two systems can work well together. woodfordfallow

 

[willowbank]

I think we're going to combine both ideas...

While sitting and waiting, one of us will use the NV and filter so as not to put to much light around but when we're on the move or ready to take the shot it's going to be the lamp.

The other thing i noticed with the NV was when i took it away from my eye, i had lost my own night vision and it took a while to come back.

I have been using NV for a good number of years now and the temporary loss of clear vision is worrying as it seems to take longer to get vision back to normal these days, is it doing our eyes any permanent damage?
Do we have any opticians in the house?
Regards WB

 

[wraith]

I think we're going to combine both ideas...

While sitting and waiting, one of us will use the NV and filter so as not to put to much light around but when we're on the move or ready to take the shot it's going to be the lamp.

The other thing i noticed with the NV was when i took it away from my eye, i had lost my own night vision and it took a while to come back.

I have been using NV for a good number of years now and the temporary loss of clear vision is worrying as it seems to take longer to get vision back to normal these days, is it doing our eyes any permanent damage?
Do we have any opticians in the house?
Regards WB

will do you no permanant damage bud i worked for a night vision companey looking thro hundreds of units every day and use n/v for hunting over the last 20years earley n/v used a radioactive battery and cancer was a big thing in the eye that looked throe the n/v we no longer use batteres of this kind eney more so as safe as looking at the tv all day hope that helps

 

[ruger mini 14]

I think we're going to combine both ideas...

While sitting and waiting, one of us will use the NV and filter so as not to put to much light around but when we're on the move or ready to take the shot it's going to be the lamp.

The other thing i noticed with the NV was when i took it away from my eye, i had lost my own night vision and it took a while to come back.

I have been using NV for a good number of years now and the temporary loss of clear vision is worrying as it seems to take longer to get vision back to normal these days, is it doing our eyes any permanent damage?
Do we have any opticians in the house?
Regards WB

I think it takes longer to get normal vision back these days because the old eyes are not as young and reactive as they used to be, when I'm at the range with my 15 year old lad i find myself struggling to focus on the target once he's set the parralux on the scope and i have to move it to find my own focus.

 

[shootingduckdog]

NV has revolutionised foxing. Spotting with NV and shooting with the lamp is certainly one way but to be honesT I find the reverse the best strategy. A quick cast with a lamp reveals eyes and causes most foxes to look at you. Spotting a fox hunting the bottom of a hedge with NV is tricky as they have no reason to look at you. Once you have seen the eyes, and a fleeting glimpse is all you need, then keep the light off and shoot with the NV. I have dealt with many a lamp shy fox this way. I accept that it is less sociable but if you have a good spotter they read your body language and are also there for a result.

Getting older is to my mind the single biggest factor in getting your own NV back, much the same as I now find it awkward to read my phone and then look through my scope. Age is a basteward aint it!!!!

 

[willowbank]

NV has revolutionised foxing. Spotting with NV and shooting with the lamp is certainly one way but to be honesT I find the reverse the best strategy. A quick cast with a lamp reveals eyes and causes most foxes to look at you. Spotting a fox hunting the bottom of a hedge with NV is tricky as they have no reason to look at you. Once you have seen the eyes, and a fleeting glimpse is all you need, then keep the light off and shoot with the NV. I have dealt with many a lamp shy fox this way. I accept that it is less sociable but if you have a good spotter they read your body language and are also there for a result.

Getting older is to my mind the single biggest factor in getting your own NV back, much the same as I now find it awkward to read my phone and then look through my scope. Age is a basteward aint it!!!!

It certainly is lol, that is the way I prefer to go foxing, a quick one sweep across the field noting eye shine then back to the spot with the NV, its almost clinical but I am there to do a job and dead foxes make happy farmers.
Regards WB

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Lamp? Oh the thing you use after you have shot the prey? We have no problems. One spots with his Nv, the other shoots with his own unit on the rifle.
Just a different way of doing it.

 

[al4x1]

NV has revolutionised foxing. Spotting with NV and shooting with the lamp is certainly one way but to be honesT I find the reverse the best strategy. A quick cast with a lamp reveals eyes and causes most foxes to look at you. Spotting a fox hunting the bottom of a hedge with NV is tricky as they have no reason to look at you. Once you have seen the eyes, and a fleeting glimpse is all you need, then keep the light off and shoot with the NV. I have dealt with many a lamp shy fox this way. I accept that it is less sociable but if you have a good spotter they read your body language and are also there for a result.

Getting older is to my mind the single biggest factor in getting your own NV back, much the same as I now find it awkward to read my phone and then look through my scope. Age is a basteward aint it!!!!

snap thats what we do in many areas, harvest its hard to beat the lamp but this time of year when you never know what is shy NV really comes into its own. We have a 15acre piece with chickens on that is plagued with foxes 20 plus so far this year and had another 3 this week just lamping to spot then straight off and call and go to NV. Its helpful here as you can observe and let them get to a safe point before shooting which was always the issue lamping them you just had to be too quick

 

[Paddy_SP]

I shoot with NV most nights of the year. I use an NV spotter or a mini thermal to find my fox, then shoot it with the dedicated NV riflescope on my .22-250. I had my 161st fox of the year last night, so I must be doing something right!

With regard to eye black-out - that is very common with cheap NV systems. The decent ones have manual gain control which allows you to turn the tube brightness right down. If that option isn't available, then just get some red film and put it over the eyepiece.

 

[sir-slots-alot]

NV is more effective, but it can be a lonely experience unless your shooting pals has a top NV spotting aid.

Lamping is more skillful - shooter and lamper have to work as a team - which is a great experience for both parties.

I prefer lamping for the social pleasure as much as the shooting - but for sheer numbers the NV kit puts more charleys on their arse


Alan

 

[BunnyDoom]

I couldn't get on with the cheaper NV stuff, and though I like the GenII and upwards spec stuff it is expensive (£2k+) and adds to the weight too. I don't rate the pulsar as I think it looks like an old B&W TV image and is very flat even compared to normal NV images.

The other issue with NV is there's no depth perception - everything is judged by the size. So whilst that's not an issue with centrefire trajectory's it can be an issue with .22lr and air rifle.

My lamping buddy always uses NV (as he can't lamp), and I always use a scope mounted lamp with a filter (as I can't NV). As a duo we work well together as he spots stuff for me to shoot and I can provide the extra ilumination he needs at distance with the NV (if I have a red filter attached).

As for the lamp-man being redundant, I disagree - now you both get to shoot!

Whatever works for the individual I reckon!

 

[al4x1]

Its not quite the lamp man being redundant but if he doesn't have NV all he gets to see is erm nothing, Mine takes instructions on squeaking because he needs instruction on when to stop. I have to say NV here some of my recent shots haven't exactly been long range, 25 yards was the closest with a fair few up to 50 they just seem to keep on coming

 

[shootingduckdog]

One comment you are making amazes me cos I reckon aside from cubs I would be lucky if 5% of my foxes will call. In most cases I am afraid to call at all as it seems to simply empty an area. And before you all question my calling I have had great success in other areas and I also use electronic and mouth calls. Most foxes still alive around here have seen and heard it all before.

 

[d foxxer]

One comment you are making amazes me cos I reckon aside from cubs I would be lucky if 5% of my foxes will call. In most cases I am afraid to call at all as it seems to simply empty an area. And before you all question my calling I have had great success in other areas and I also use electronic and mouth calls. Most foxes still alive around here have seen and heard it all before.

if they wont come to calling have you tried bait and wait

 

[Bramble]

I go single handed mainly from high seats, Kite spotter with illuminator, watch fox until in range, then to nv add on and shoot, one place has very lamp/call shy fox's,nv seems to work very well for those, can't cover as much ground as lamping but it certainly isn't a spectator sport.