RIX Tourer T20

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OKRattler

Well-known member
Does anyone have any experience with this Night Vision scope? If so, what are your likes and dislikes about it? I know thermal is the big thing now days but I would like something that I can actually see the animal I'm shooting at. To me that's all part of it. There comes a point or at least it has for me that it's just too much like a video game shooting at coyotes through a thermal. Plus I feel like I can ID animals that much faster if I were to get Night Vision.

What would be your choice if you were just now getting into the Night Vision game?
 
So have you ever looked through a thermal I can see what the animals I am shooting at very well. Dnt optics make a thermal and night vision i one package.
 
Make sure you have a BETTER than decent IR Illuminator when using Night Vision.

Some will give off a glow and the coyotes will see you moving it!!
 
I've looked through a few different thermal scopes and scanners. Some definitely were better than others but at a distance I still struggle to tell what's what even out of some very expensive thermal. Once they're in shooting range then I can tell of course. But I guess there's just something about being able to actually see the animal I'm shooting at that I like. Just having a heat signature out there is fine but I just like being able to see the detail of what I'm looking at. I can't really explain it or know why I'm like that. I get way more out of seeing a coyote run in during the daylight than I do seeing a heat signature get closer. It's just not the same to me. It's still a coyote but I guess it just takes the realistic aspect out of it a little bit for me.

I know that sounds absurd maybe to some people. I just don't get that adrenaline rush like I do during the day. I think that's why it's almost too much like a video game or something. I can have 4 coyotes out there and I may as well be looking at 4 empty beer cans moving closer that
I'm getting ready to shoot. It just don't get me shook up even slightly.
 
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Dead Down Wind said:
Make sure you have a BETTER than decent IR Illuminator when using Night Vision.

Some will give off a glow and the coyotes will see you moving it!!
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I wasn't aware of that. I do know RIX offers a $250 light for that scope specifically that is supposed to be a better one than what comes with the scope.
 
If the coyote is too far out for the IR capability you may just see eyes glowing, then you need to ask yourself, is that a farm dog, a coyote, a Mule deer, a cow, a horse, a bobcat or a whitetail????


Nothing gets away from Thermal……..

I have a gen4 NV scope which hasn’t left the house since I got thermal.
 
OKRattler said:
Does anyone have any experience with this Night Vision scope?
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Sorry, no.
OKRattler said:
If so, what are your likes and dislikes about it? I know thermal is the big thing now days but I would like something that I can actually see the animal I'm shooting at. To me that's all part of it. There comes a point or at least it has for me that it's just too much like a video game shooting at coyotes through a thermal. Plus I feel like I can ID animals that much faster if I were to get Night Vision.
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I agree
OKRattler said:
What would be your choice if you were just now getting into the Night Vision game?
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Take a good look at the AGM Spectrum 4k LRF. Awesome scope for what you pay.
outdoorlegacygear.com

AGM Spectrum 4K LRF 3.5x-28x Digital Night Vision Scope

Description The Spectrum LRF 4K is one step in the continuous evolution of full color digital electro-optics. New and improved 4K digital sensors are now naturally more sensitive to infrared than older models once were, which means the unit should require much less external Infrared light while...
outdoorlegacygear.com outdoorlegacygear.com

.....and if you're looking for the best IR light on the market, take a look at what Sniper Hog Lights has to offer.

Hunting Lights - Brightest Long-Range Predator Hunting Lights | Sniper Hog Lights

Hunt with the brightest predator lights on the market. Sniper Hog Lights delivers long-range bow lights, rifle lights, feeder lights, and headlamps built for serious night hunting
sniperhoglights.com sniperhoglights.com
 
Dead Down Wind said:
If the coyote is too far out for the IR capability you may just see eyes glowing, then you need to ask yourself, is that a farm dog, a coyote, a Mule deer, a cow, a horse, a bobcat or a whitetail????


Nothing gets away from Thermal……..

I have a gen4 NV scope which hasn’t left the house since I got thermal.
Click to expand...
That's true but my buddy is running thermal. I think with him scanning with thermal I'd be less likely to skip over anything. Plus I plan on getting at least a thermal scanner so I can pick it out then get on the gun when it's close enough to shoot. That would be my game plan anyway because I do agree it's hard for things to hide from thermal.
 
Don_P said:
Sorry, no.

I agree

Take a good look at the AGM Spectrum 4k LRF. Awesome scope for what you pay.
outdoorlegacygear.com

AGM Spectrum 4K LRF 3.5x-28x Digital Night Vision Scope

Description The Spectrum LRF 4K is one step in the continuous evolution of full color digital electro-optics. New and improved 4K digital sensors are now naturally more sensitive to infrared than older models once were, which means the unit should require much less external Infrared light while...
outdoorlegacygear.com outdoorlegacygear.com

.....and if you're looking for the best IR light on the market, take a look at what Sniper Hog Lights has to offer.

Hunting Lights - Brightest Long-Range Predator Hunting Lights | Sniper Hog Lights

Hunt with the brightest predator lights on the market. Sniper Hog Lights delivers long-range bow lights, rifle lights, feeder lights, and headlamps built for serious night hunting
sniperhoglights.com sniperhoglights.com
Click to expand...
Good info, I will watch some reviews on the AGM and read up on it.

As for the IR light I do have a Wicked Light. I bet I could change out the LED bulbs and put in an IR bulb to use in it. That's what I have planned anyway. That would be great because that would save me some money on getting a whole different light. I'm going to do some research and see if Wicked Light offers that option.
 
Completely agree that a 940nm emitter will get you busted far less than an 850nm emitter. The 850 is visible as a red orb if you look directly at the light from a distance. The 940 is barely visible.
 
I started with a Sightmark Wraith and a cheap AGM 160 thermal to scan with. It works okay for what it is. With a good IR light you can see as far as you probably need to be shooting IMO. Make your first shot count cause the smoke will white you out for a second or two after your first shot. IMO good night vision is better than low resolution thermal to ID with. When you go to thermal get at least 384 or you won't be happy, I have 256 and past 80-100 yards id'ing is sketchy. I have it on a 22 mag and limit myself to 100 yards and in. It takes a little time to ID with low resolution thermal and you have to watch how there moving and little clues.
All of this is just my observations and opinions. If I had the money I would buy the best thermal there is but the fact is I have too many hobbies like fishing with live scope, building rifles,on and on. In addition the prices on thermal keep coming down every year and sooner or later 640 resolution will be old news and more affordable.
 
I will have to take that into account for the IR light because I was a little confused on what the difference was between the 850 and 940nm light modules. Honestly I would have never guessed either one would be visible to a coyote. So basically the brighter of the two would help in terms of seeing clearer in the scope but the downside is the coyotes will see it? I don't see myself taking very far shots at night. Nothing like I would during the day so not being able to see quite as far probably wouldn't hurt anything. If they're close enough to see with night vision that's probably about as far as I'd want to be shootin at night.
 
OKRattler said:
I will have to take that into account for the IR light because I was a little confused on what the difference was between the 850 and 940nm light modules. Honestly I would have never guessed either one would be visible to a coyote. So basically the brighter of the two would help in terms of seeing clearer in the scope but the downside is the coyotes will see it? I don't see myself taking very far shots at night. Nothing like I would during the day so not being able to see quite as far probably wouldn't hurt anything. If they're close enough to see with night vision that's probably about as far as I'd want to be shootin at night.
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I should have added a dimmer switch style is best. I setup and adjust the light to the furthest distance then turn it off to save battery, I have the scope on standby. So if I detect something with the scanner one touch turns the scope on, another touch turns the light on. I practiced these simple steps because I was fumbling around at first. Secondly I found that I needed to let lead fly quickly, several times they would see the light and freeze for a second trying to figure out whats going on, that's when I shoot. Even if they spook at the light I've been able to stop them with a bark usually.
 
Situational disclosure:

My findings and recommendations are based solely on my personal experience. My hunting situation is limited to setting up in a small building (the size of a baby barn type building) which looks out across a lake 150 yards to my bait station, usually a road kill deer carcass or two. So all my shots are in the 150 to 160 yard neighborhood. Other geography or distances might provide different results but I wouldn’t know because I’ve never done it. I’d like to hunt some open ground where you can call them and see them coming from 300 – 500 yards off but I just don’t have the availability of that type property. Anyway…..

I’ve found both the 850 (for sure) & 940nm are visible to a coyote (deer, fox, coons, fishers, etc). Some may say the 940nm is not visible to animals but I have seen for myself where all these animals stop and look my way when I turn on my 940 from 150 yards away (low power setting set on flood, not spot). Especially owls, they can see 940nm very well. They’ll fly away as soon as they see me looking at them. The others show interest and their demeanor changes to increased caution but they usually don’t bolt away like they have done when I light the 850.

As Kwarw1 has said, the rheostat switch is a must have and BIG help. With the switch turned on low there is a perceptible increase in visibility (at 150 yards) but it is still very low, but not enough for me to shoot with. When I see the coyote shows little or no interest I’ll slowly raise the brightness to where I can see well enough to shoot. Been working pretty good so far, haven’t had any run using this method.

If you’re shooting 100 yards or less, definitely get a 940nm module with a dimmer function switch. The brightness will be more than enough. I’m using mine at 150 – 160 yards and still haven’t needed full power. (Sniper Hog Light Hyperion 66 or a 40, both with 940nm modules)
 
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