Help me with thermal

[Orange Dust]

I am about to pull the trigger on my first thermal scope. Now that we can hunt coyotes and pigs at night, I'm going to get after them after duck season. I've been looking at an ATN Thor 4 640 2.5-25X. Its going on an AR with an ARP 6.8 barrel on it. Anyone have a better idea? AND is it worth the extra grand over a 384 4.5-18X? Its a lot of money and I don't have any way to compare these things. If I am barking up the wrong tree, please enlighten me. I'm all ears.

 

[Bucklowery]

Pulsar would be my choice for better customer service over ATN


Thanks

Buck

 

[shooters]

Halo LR and Trijicon Mk are neck and neck. The best.
Pulsar Trail is ok. There a 250 yard and under thermal. Meh.

ATN...garbage.

Ive had them all and and been using for years. If the ATN is all you have for $$$, then wait another year and save your pennies.

 

[NY_K9Sniper]

I am about to pull the trigger on my first thermal scope. Now that we can hunt coyotes and pigs at night, I'm going to get after them after duck season. I've been looking at an ATN Thor 4 640 2.5-25X. Its going on an AR with an ARP 6.8 barrel on it. Anyone have a better idea? AND is it worth the extra grand over a 384 4.5-18X? Its a lot of money and I don't have any way to compare these things. If I am barking up the wrong tree, please enlighten me. I'm all ears.

Have one of best thermals out there hands down selling for $3000 pulsar trail xq50 lrf 2 months old paid over 4500 have mount. Extra 7mh battery , my loss your gain if you know thermal it's best feature to have is rangefinder. Still has box pw and factory warranty 3 years to be filled out by owner I've only had 2 months but shot 9 dogs .

 

[Orange Dust]

Have one of best thermals out there hands down selling for $3000 pulsar trail xq50 lrf 2 months old paid over 4500 have mount. Extra 7mh battery , my loss your gain if you know thermal it's best feature to have is rangefinder. Still has box pw and factory warranty 3 years to be filled out by owner I've only had 2 months but shot 9 dogs .

What do you have your eye on when you sell it?

 

[Scott E Ames]

I have the ATN Thor 4 1.5-15 dual core and think it is fantastic. You don't need a high power scope however. You are not going to be doing any long range thermal shooting at night. 200 yards is about all you can reasonably shoot. Even your first shot is usually at a walking target and once everything starts moving and running different directions you are sending more $$$ down your barrel than kill shots. Again the high power makes it hard to get your scope on running targets. I have mine set on 4-6 power and it is on a 6.5 Grendel AR. Works great and automatically records in the micro SD card all your shots on video. I got mine on some sort of special for around $3K. I would recommend it. Some of the bargain price ATN's have had issues but mine has been problem free.

 

[1000yards]

I have the ATN Thor 4 1.5-15 dual core and think it is fantastic. You don't need a high power scope however. You are not going to be doing any long range thermal shooting at night. 200 yards is about all you can reasonably shoot. Even your first shot is usually at a walking target and once everything starts moving and running different directions you are sending more $$$ down your barrel than kill shots. Again the high power makes it hard to get your scope on running targets. I have mine set on 4-6 power and it is on a 6.5 Grendel AR. Works great and automatically records in the micro SD card all your shots on video. I got mine on some sort of special for around $3K. I would recommend it. Some of the bargain price ATN's have had issues but mine has been problem free.

Has anyone used a clip-on thermal? Seems like a good concept just have not heard much feedback on them.

 

[NY_K9Sniper]

What do you have your eye on when you sell it?

Diapers lol. Nothing shot so many dogs now it's taxidermy time serious tho if spending 3000 on atn. Lrf can tell you how far shooting this is a 5,000 setup for 3,000 fellas like new still has warranty card for new buyer

 

[NY_K9Sniper]

What do you have your eye on when you sell it?

Diapers lol. Nothing shot so many dogs now it's taxidermy time serious tho if spending 3000 on atn. Lrf can tell you how far shooting this is a 5,000 setup for 3,000 fellas like new still has warranty card for new

 

[NY_K9Sniper]

Blackie put me into retirement at taxidermist now full body

 

[Kmccord]

Looks almost like a Belgian Malinois, very pretty.

 

[Revolting Peasant]

Went through this with friends and family. Mulled it for years before I made my choice and purchased a thermal scope, had a thermal monocular/ night vision long time. I found a lot of people wanted me to buy what they had, it was the greatest. It was the only one they had ever used.

Decide realistically what your base magnification needs to be. What range and how much detail do you really need for your targets? Are you shooting at 25-50 yards at moving targets? Or popping pigs under feeders and called coyotes at 100-200 yards? Longer?
I take more shots at feeding hogs and called coyotes. Potentially shoot exotics and need the detail. I like to be able to tell a boar from a sow and shoot the biggest sow in a sounder at 100-200 yards. I really like to have the ability to identify and shoot raccoons and varmints at 100 yards. Head shots. I seldom get more than 3 shots off due to the amount of brush. I went Halo LR. Fits my needs.

If I was hunting grain fields and shooting lots of moving targets my needs would be different. Yes you can digitally zoom, but it is not ideal. You end up shooting center mass of the blob.
Decide your needed base mag. Then find what's in your budget. It will really narrow the field for you. I have seen more thermal scopes for sale/trade because folks didn't correctly identify their needs before the purchase. Most folks will gladly let you look through their scopes and answer questions. At one time I had a group with about 6 different scopes out on my range after dark, swapping back and forth. Had a hog in a trap and raccoons under a feeder there. It was great and finalized my decision. A few guys changed their minds on what to buy.

If you make the correct purchase it is a life changer. Your hair will come back thicker. Your cholesterol will drop. You will be wanted by all the women,,,and half the men. Good luck. You owe me $0.02 Rev P

PS. I covet the black coyote.

 

[NY_K9Sniper]

I actually just sold pulsar trail lrf thermal. I am now rocking a pulsar thermal scanner and a sightmark wraith nv with a reaper xxl it light it's a bada__ss setup. I also like to be able to identify exactly. What I'm shooting. Scam for heat with thermal get on em with the pew pew. That black one was dog #7 I am now on #10 and looking for #11-20

 

[Revolting Peasant]

I used a Thermal Eye monocular and a Pulsar Digisight for years. Worked well but range was somewhat limited. Positive id was a plus. Good ir light was a major help. Thought I was the Pork Terminator. Gave the coyotes quite the lifestyle change. What kind of range do you get out of that setup? Will that light focus the beam wide to narrow?
Our coyotes are generally so mangy you hate to touch them. Use a piece of wire to drag them if they need to be moved.
I am mostly culling hogs now. 26 so far this season. Finally got them a little gun shy, off the feeders and out of the open. Haven't shot every one I see or I would never get to shoot deer.
I second the comment on Pulsar customer service. They have taken excellent care of me for years. A+. I went through multiple generations of night vision with them. A good reliable dealer is a plus also.