Night help

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Bowman31

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Just starting to get my feet wet in the night coyote hunting game my question is I’m looking at some thermal gear and was wondering would I be better off spending money on thermal binos for scanning then when the predators get close turn on my coyote light to kill them or would I be better to just buy a thermal scope and not thermal binos first thanks in advance
 
Why not a thermal monocular with LRF and a thermal scope??

Turning on a light will probably scare them and, you will not like scanning with a rifle in my opinion.
 
Yep… I tried the thermal monocular and shooting light setup. Not good! When you suddenly light them up to shoot they just about turn inside out exiting the vicinity! As mentioned, thermal/thermal is best. Second best would probably be thermal scanner/NV optic. Some have suggested in the past running a thermal scanner along with a red headlamp which you would keep in the animals eyes while they approach and when you turn on your shooting light.

The last option is how many of us started night hunting, but by adding the thermal scanner you will have better detection ability. The faster you get a light pointed in their eyes the better your chances of them approaching.
 
I agree with DDW a monocular‘s over binos. My reason for this is I scan with my right eye and shoot with my left. For me there is always an adjustment period. In other words if I’m scanning using left eye, I can’t go straight to the scope and make a quick shot. Also like he said kinda sucks to scan with a rifle but I often have to. As my area is often thick going from scanner to scope has cost me a few yotes. Things typically happen fast. Now for pigs I use it all the time.
 
Yes… I agree also with monocular over bino. Scan opposite your shooting eye as you will lose any night vision clarity from looking at the bright screen in your device.
 
hunt0168 said:
Yes… I agree also with monocular over bino. Scan opposite your shooting eye as you will lose any night vision clarity from looking at the bright screen in your device.
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Ok so it’s not just me. I kinda wondered as people I’ve told that to sometimes have no clue what I’m talking about.
 
Bowman31 said:
Just starting to get my feet wet in the night coyote hunting game my question is I’m looking at some thermal gear and was wondering would I be better off spending money on thermal binos for scanning then when the predators get close turn on my coyote light to kill them or would I be better to just buy a thermal scope and not thermal binos first thanks in advance
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I would say the scope 1st. You won’t wanna use a light after spotting in thermal.
 
Save your money and just get a thermal scope…then figure out what else you might want. Only been doing this a little over a year but went with a thermal over using my wicked light. I was so impressed I bought another thermal as a backup and used it as a scanner until I bought another rifle and put that thermal on it.
So now I just scan. When my son and I are together it’s much easier, he scans one way and I scan the other. I still manage to do alright by myself though. It wasn’t the scanning part I had to learn, it was don’t turn on that caller until your on the scope and ready to shoot, lol.
Now here’s my dilemma, I can get a lower end scope cheaper than I can get a thermal scanner.
 
I have a couple pieces of digital IR nightvision, a couple red gun lights, a couple white gun lights, and now a thermal scope and scanner. If I couldn't take out my thermal scope and scanner combo, I would absolutely take just my thermal scope and scan with that before using any other combo of thermal scanner + lights or nightvision on gun. Granted those combos can work, but my personal preference when I have all options available is to shoot with my thermal scope.

So i suggest getting a thermal scope first. I have LRF on both my scanner and scope. Starting over I would get LRF on the scope only. I rarely use the LRF on the scanner.

Sometimes I take a friend out with me (non-shooter) and they just scan with my scanner and I scan with my rifle on the tripod while also running the remote for the caller. Although I prefer to have my own scanner also, this method works pretty well and I usually don't mind scanning through my scope and rifle on the tripod.

I use: Scope: Pulsar Trail 2 XQ50 LRF. Scanner: Pulsar Axion XQ38 LRF.
 
I gave my opinion to this question in "soup's" post about shotguns at night. I am opposite what most are telling you here but, in my terrain, I cannot imagine trying to scan with the gun (on a tripod or not).
 
Definitey IR scanner vs NV binos. IR scope. Scanner is great but how fast can you switch from it to rifle when a yote shows up? If rifle is supported (tripod or other) scan with the scope. Not really dangerous to scan with the scoped rifle - unless you are stupid. Scanning monocle is nice but not nessesary.
 
Bowman31 said:
Thanks for the info what is a scanner you all are referring to ?? Binos or monocular?? My terrain all over the board
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Monocular......I just listed a great Bering Optics Phenom 640 thermal scanner in the classifieds:


Phenom 640 2.5-8.0 x 35mm

Phenom 640 2.0x35mm Thermal Monocular with 4.0x, 8.0x digital zoom, and Wi-Fi capability, VOx 640x480 core resolution, 50Hz refresh rate The Bering Optics PHENOM 640-35 handheld Thermal imager features premium, high sensitive Vanadium Oxide (VOx) 640x480pxl 17µm pixel pitch LWIR core with...
thermalopticsplus.com

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I have an ATN ots lt 160 5-10x I'll probably sell, replaced with rattler 384. They do work good. Gboys don't seem very interested in nite hunting.
 
70-80% woods. Open is hay and pasture/fallow. Steep hills/hollows. Lots tight places mixed with some that l can see a few/several hundred yards. All of these long sight lines are across hollows or ridge field to the ridge field on the next ridge.
 
If I were you, I would buy the iRayUSA Finder for $2400. 640 scanning unit with LRF. Scan, range, wait, kill light, bang.

Then when you can afford a thermal scope see what's out there, because it will be better and cheaper than what's out there today.

I have used the Finder in the field and it is great.

Their 5 year / 5 day warranty is good sleep insurance too.

Sendit
 
Lights are for picking up brass you can't find with your handheld thermal and checking to see if the coyote you killed was male or female and how worn his or here teeth are. Coyotes won't even tolerate an ir glow much less a light especially one that is all of a sudden flipped on.
I'm not sure why guys want the lrf on the scanner either. If it's on the weapon mounted thermal there is no need to switch back and forth on moving critters.
 
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