Thermal, where to start?

[Pellet Pinger]

I’m going against the comments of not finding shot quarry, in my experience thermal is brilliant for this.
Before I had one I used to spend more time looking for dead rabbits than shooting them, when I’m out I eject the cases straight into my hand (don’t like leaving any brass) a kill goes in my front pocket and a miss goes in the back, that way I know exactly how many I’ve shot. Before thermal I could quite easily come away with leaving 10 or more and at £2 a rabbit that’s some ammo money lost! Now it’s near on 100% found and means I can shoot for longer and further into fields without trying to remember where each one lies at the end of the night.
Dead rabbits lying in stubble are almost invisible with a torch in darkness, beacons through thermal.

Same with foxes, you can shoot one and come back to it 2 hours later and it lights up without waving a torch around letting the entire county know you are there.
Obviously there are occasions where they do drop out of sight and can be obscured by a tussock or long grass, this is where a thermal with LRF earns its money, presuming you have pinged him before setting up for the shot you know how far he is, if he drops out of sight all you need to do is pick something in the distance as a reference point to walk towards and count your steps, more often than not you will walk straight on to him.

 

[Blackwood Outdoors]

i just sold the xq38 to buy the cyclops 350 i was out last night. mate was using the xq38 i was using the cyclops 350 the cyclops 350 was showing the best image look on you tube under b4ger731 the image is outstanding

They use a HIK sensor and Thermtec Core. In good conditions the image will be nice, in average or poor conditions its dire... I have used them...
100% the XQ38 will out perform it in poor conditions..

 

[DVS1]

The Axion XM30S was a great little unit, still is to be fair and a few are up for sale around the 1k mark if not a bit under, will do all you need

 

[72 line per]

i was out in the rain and mist the other night with both the pulsar xq38 and the cyclops350 the 350 gave the better image

 

[Foxyboy43]

Piece of string question….
I dipped into thermal earlier this year after a pal lent me his Axion for a week. I immediately took advice and bought the Axion 35XQ and have been delighted by it - maybe a bit outside your price range but the 30 is also an excellent piece of kit for nearer your budget.
Picking up on what has been said above a good thermal really is a gamechanger and will bring a completely new dimension to your outings, you will be fascinated by all that you see but in fairness they are not a 100% “magic bullet” for night shooting. I recall my first sighting of a fox in chest-high (fox’s not mine) grass and thought it was something more like a leg-less ferret - soooo an early lesson that anything that is not blocked by some element of cover can be clearly seen and likely identified whereas anything behind cover may possibly be identified or more likely only be detected with identification having to follow - hopefully.
Lastly and with what I know now, for the price of a day on the hill I would rather have something which should give many years of great enjoyment every time I go out. No brainer….
Good luck.

 

[72 line per]

I know what you mean, I was out one night with the pulsar xq50 on my 223, it had been raining, there was something in the field with the sheep i could not identify. fox, badger i don't know. any other night i would have seen it clear. what a scope brill.

 

[villaman]

Well been down this road for the last 3 years . Started of at £1k then £1300 , £1800 so on , but finely took the plunge a few weeks ago with pulsar xg 35lrf . Well what a unit even in heavy mist last night. Totally game changer that’s for sure plus find shot rabbits and fox with no problem at all . Glad Ian blackwood twisted my arm that tight to buy thermal spotter, hurt at first but now pain has definitely gone

 

[72 line per]

i have been using a gen 3 bino kite for years. i the bought thermal. the gen 3 in the cupboard.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Well been down this road for the last 3 years . Started of at £1k then £1300 , £1800 so on , but finely took the plunge a few weeks ago with pulsar xg 35lrf . Well what a unit even in heavy mist last night. Totally game changer that’s for sure plus find shot rabbits and fox with no problem at all . Glad Ian blackwood twisted my arm that tight to buy thermal spotter, hurt at first but now pain has definitely gone

Classic illustration of “no pain no (thermal) “gain”.
Watching two mice at distance eating blackberries and a woodcock rising from a field with a 2ft “rod” shooting out if it are pretty unique experiences. Oh and you can see lots of foxes too……..

 

[EssexBigMac]

Do not go down the thermal route biggest mistake of your hunting life. Why? You’re all asking, you become obsessed….
As a few mentioned above, you realise how much is out there day or night, it’s a true game changer. Mice, birds, deer , foxes and mainly for your safety from walkers, cyclists and other colourful characters who walk through fields 24/7.
I have a helion xp50 and wouldn’t be in the field without it just make sure you know your craft before going to thermal as it’ll feel a bit like cheating.
Put up a wanted ad in the classified forum and members are more than helpful to find a quality 2nd hand Pulsar for the £1k-£1.5k. If going down 2nd hand route before purchase ask for the serial code and email The Brands We Distribute - Thomas Jacks Ltd to check for previous issues and service history then you will feel more assured you’re not buying a dud unit. You can easily go over budget so I would just spend what you are happy to. You’ll quickly learn to identify the difference in species. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[Foxyboy43]

“Obsessed” ain’t even close. You will be entering into a pact with old Nick himself!
You have been warned…….

 

[Pete6.5]

I will also go against what most people say and say most of the time it makes it dead easy to find shot game. Yes there is times that it doesn't help. But the thing I love the most is when sat up a seat for hours it adds a whole new level to wild life watching. And even though you should not rely on it for safety what's not to like about another extra check

 

[hunta]

Buy Freeforester's Pulsar. I have the same model and they are excellent. So good, in fact, that I won't be selling mine any time soon.

 

[Boosh]

Finding shot quarry is not a given due to having thermal.
Without a line of sight a £10 Ebay led torch performs as well in the darkness.
With a line if sight you are golden.
Even with mid - top end thermal, in certain terrain/cover/distance you are questioning ID.
I'd say up to 200 mtrs most mid ranged thermals that have been around for years will clearly show what target you are looking at. Mannerism's are what give the animal in question away.

 

[Phil_H]

Just an observation on Pulsar. Can't knock it. Quite possibly the best thermal device out there.
However, if I had believed that a Pulsar thermal was the only one ever worth having, as others seem to think, I still would be without a thermal unit......quite simply because I can't afford the Puslar range....and I would also be without the 17 deer and 39 pigs that I have taken at night this year using thermal units......OTHER than Pulsar.

I don't personally believe that Pulsar is the ONLY answer to Life, the Universe and everything else in between.

Just saying....

Cheers
Phil

 

[Koenig]

Worth looking at Sportsman GC (that’s where I got mine) for a new Pulsar on 0%. You then get the warranty. There may be deals fo be had with Black November (or whatever it’s called) looming.

 

[villaman]

Worth looking at Sportsman GC (that’s where I got mine) for a new Pulsar on 0%. You then get the warranty. There may be deals fo be had with Black November (or whatever it’s called) looming.

By far better places to buy pulsar from , blackwoods, Grampian guns , R macload & son ,

 

[hogsnest]

I've got the best unit ever made for finding aninals at night even in the thickest bush..A dog..found everything I've ever shot at night since he was 12 mths old reckon he won't break down for at least another 7-10 years

 

[72 line per]

if your thinking about buying a thermal go look at you tube bager731 footage of the cyclops 350

 

[Taffy597]

As above Hikmicro LH19 is a great shout!