Zeroing A Thermal Scope

[jonny.c]

I use a cigarette as I smoke and works fine for me not everyone is a smoker but at 100 it’s perfect for me. 100 yard zero 22-250

 

[Glevum]

A Thermal imager detects energy emitted from a surface.

Different materials have different emissivity. So a matt black surface will emit more energy than a polished aluminium surface at the same temperature.

You will get a good result with a black painted board with strips of foil on it. The foil needs to be stuck or pinned on the board. If you cover it with clear tape you will not get as good results due to the tape having a higher emissivity than the foil. It will work best on a dry sunny day.

 

[kieran222]

They do different things.

Thermals are great for night shooting vermin or culling deer where there is no alternative. But they have limitations. Resolution means it’s much more of a gamble shooting at longer range. Anything past 200m is very iffy on smaller targets. You also struggle to see obstructions clearly - especially small twigs and grass. It can be very hard to judge body angle. It’s not possible to judge wind. And it’s not really possible to dial for elevation.

A lot of the Thermal scopes now have ballistic calculators and will automatically provide a revised cross hairs based on the calculation, mine does.

 

[Mungo]

A lot of the Thermal scopes now have ballistic calculators and will automatically provide a revised cross hairs based on the calculation, mine does.

This is a good point.

Strange to think that the tech moves so fast that ‘just’ a thermal scope is already obsolete!

 

[foxinmad]

They do different things.

Thermals are great for night shooting vermin or culling deer where there is no alternative. But they have limitations. Resolution means it’s much more of a gamble shooting at longer range. Anything past 200m is very iffy on smaller targets. You also struggle to see obstructions clearly - especially small twigs and grass. It can be very hard to judge body angle. It’s not possible to judge wind. And it’s not really possible to dial for elevation.

Glass is (currently) much more precise. It allows you to clearly see both the target and what’s around it. You can see obstructions. You can see wind indicators. You can dial for elevation. You can see body angle much more clearly. You can shoot to whatever distance you’re comfortable with.

I love thermal in the specific context of pest control at night when you have to get numbers. But I much prefer glass when I have the luxury of shooting by day.

This ^

 

[finnbear270]

A lot of the Thermal scopes now have ballistic calculators and will automatically provide a revised cross hairs based on the calculation, mine does.

This is the way to go.^

 

[jtl]

i use 3inch nail or screw, your chiose! into a board with a small hand off tin foil screwed round it. keep ,cheerful but seems to work

 

[Mike1979]

3 inch screw into the middle of a board and out with the blow torch I have some hardox gongs and they are even better for a quick check as the blowtorch doesnt tend to lead to burning like with the board (if I get carried away).