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Night Vision Best thermal scope for 6k

onajoyride

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Minuteman
Jan 16, 2010
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Farragut, TN
I am so inexperienced with the best brands and cores for thermal units. What is the best thermal scope for 6k? Thanks for the help
 
It would help to know what the needs are such as hunting style, terrain, and range needed. Do you need a scope only or scope and scanner?
 
I am looking for a scope only. I simply want the most versatile and best unit for that price range. I'd prefer a 640x480 unit
 
The distance is a huge variable. Could be as close as 60yds and could be a long ways. Completely depends on which spot I go hunt. I'd prefer to optimize the 150-350 range. I am leaning towards the 35mm reap ir. As far as my research it seems like the trijicon cores are good and the entire package is user friendly and has a solid company backing it up. I like the smaller form factor of the reap over the hunter which is why I was leaning that way. I'd really prefer to have 1.5 or 2x base mag so it seems like the reap 35mm is the direction I'm leaning. Thoughts?
 
If you're stuck in the very unfortunate position where your thermal weapon scope (TWS) is also your only thermal scanner (highly UNadvisable), then FOV becomes more important. Since I run with Skeets or ENVG fusion, I am not faced with this unfortunate deficit, which is why I want the absolute maximum optical magnification on my TWS I can afford, which is why I LWTS-LR, UTC-Xii, Halo-LR, ReapIR 60.

If you can afford it, get a CoronaSkeet as well and stick it on your melon. Underpowered TWS are for the poors. :giggle:
 
If you're stuck in the very unfortunate position where your thermal weapon scope (TWS) is also your only thermal scanner (highly UNadvisable), then FOV becomes more important. Since I run with Skeets or ENVG fusion, I am not faced with this unfortunate deficit, which is why I want the absolute maximum optical magnification on my TWS I can afford, which is why I LWTS-LR, UTC-Xii, Halo-LR, ReapIR 60.

If you can afford it, get a CoronaSkeet as well and stick it on your melon. Underpowered TWS are for the poors. :giggle:
So which one would you advise to purchase first? Coronaskeet or tws?
 
I have a helmet, mod3 WP filmless pvs14 and laser setup. I had been considering a knights bridge/ corona skeet and running a hybrid l2 thermal setup. The gap I felt would be in the engaging targets 150-350 yds out in that setup. I was leaning towards thermal scope so I can have a decent 2 man setup and then adding the corona skeet later on.
 
If you up your budget $1k you can pretty much buy a Halo LR, any of the Trijicon Hunters, or a Reap 35. I do recommend reconsidering a scanner. Not just because it is tiresome scanning with a rifle mounted scope, but it is extremely dangerous when more than one hunter is in the field. In open terrain maybe not so much, but in the woods.....well I have first hand seen folks highly trained in firearm safety swing that rifle round without a thinking and not really knowing where everyone is located....throw in a sounder of pigs and adrenaline......I learnt real quick when I first got into thermal hunting the importance of a scanner. Now each rifle and each hunter has one, and the rifles only come up to shoot. It is good you already have the 14.....it is a big help safety wise as you can keep track of those around you.
 
Get the scanner first since you already have the helmet going I'd my opinion

You could also look at a magnifier for your 14 to help id stuff in the dark

Then if I couldn't hit it with a ir laser at a hundred yards I'd have a bright light mounted to my rifle scope so I could decide I'm taking a shot before I even turn the light on... Lights on, and fire I don't think will be near as much of an issue as trying to scan with visible light which may make them run for the hills

This is all coming from a guy who got the higher magnification thermal scope first and it was the wrong way to go looking back for me
 
My halo lr is amazing. From 30-500 yards its very clear and easy to use. I can detect wayyyyy past that and if i had brought my terrapin i could have ranged things in real numbers, but mosquitoes were taking a pint every 5 minutes. I HAD to leave. You can spend a few more hundred and get a halo, i highly doubt you’d be disappointed. After hearing trijicons failures and warranty issues, i could not buy thier product.
 
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If you're stuck in the very unfortunate position where your thermal weapon scope (TWS) is also your only thermal scanner (highly UNadvisable), then FOV becomes more important. Since I run with Skeets or ENVG fusion, I am not faced with this unfortunate deficit, which is why I want the absolute maximum optical magnification on my TWS I can afford, which is why I LWTS-LR, UTC-Xii, Halo-LR, ReapIR 60.
COTI?
 

Well... that too, but no.

This:

DE6E5E83-F5A9-4302-83BA-48C5D7DE8A16.jpeg


Way better than this:
F793E938-E301-4FEF-9809-0F501272401F.jpeg
 
I ended up buying a Halo LR. I should have it in a couple days. I'm Pretty excited to get my first thermal unit.

LR is awesome. I think it’s the best TWS on the open commercial market. Honestly, I like it better than my LWTS — and that’s saying a lot.
 
They are claiming 2000 yards effective range. Is that correct :p?

LR is awesome. I think it’s the best TWS on the open commercial market. Honestly, I like it better than my LWTS — and that’s saying a lot.
 
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I can see cows that far with my Reap-ir in the fall in Idaho (cool with almost no humidity). Just white dots. No shape at all.
 
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They are claiming 2000 yards effective range. Is that correct :p?

That may be optimistic. Maybe, under the most optimal conditions, you might see a pixel moving around at that range — unless you’re talking detection of large structures, then sure, 2,000 yards is probably accurate.
 
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They are claiming 2000 yards effective range. Is that correct :p?
Detection range. I was looking around with mine in the desert last night, something was wayyyyy off in the distance if if i had to estimate id say at least 1500 yards, but I didn’t give it much thought as I didn’t have a ranging device with me and I was looking for the coyote i saw. Not even sure i have it set up optimally yet.
 
LR is awesome. I think it’s the best TWS on the open commercial market. Honestly, I like it better than my LWTS — and that’s saying a lot.

You saying this a few times was a key factor in me looking more closely at the LR. Thank you for taking the time and giving me your opinion.
 
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You saying this a few times was a key factor in me looking more closely at the LR. Thank you for taking the time and giving me your opinion.

The ReapIR 60 v2 is nice, but I can’t emphasize enough just how much I HATE their menu system and that silly Joynub thing. The Joynub would be OK if the menu system was designed to make better use of it. Why the hell can’t I jump from Menu 5 straight to Menu 1, and vice versa?!

No factory way to use an external battery pack?! WTH Trijicon? I had to go buy a $150 Super Funky aftermarket cable just be able to use my $20 Anker pack!

The image quality, for all practical purposes, is identical. That neither have front-focusable objectives is a cardinal sin, but a survivable omission.

Controls and simple menu on the Halo CRUSH the ReapIR.

Price is definitely skewed in the Halo’s favor.

Reticle(s) are better in the Halo (BDC). Again, Trijicon, WTH?!

At the SAME price, I’d take the Halo-LR. If the ReapIR was >$1K cheaper than the Halo, that’s the only way I’d consider buying one over the Reap or Hunter (I’d never buy a Hunter anyway).
 
Played with the LR for a bit today, in daylight, about 95* and low humidity, i could easily see airplanes at a minimum of a mile out, id range them, but that shit is frowned upon. Ill get something ranged and thermaled that isnt redneck guestimated. I was blown away though, so was my buddy who knows his shit.
 
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Congrats @onajoyride, looking forward to your first impressions.

This thread has me jones’n. How much of an upgrade would a Halo be over my 5 yr old Zeus 640-60/3x? Just wondering if there’s enough performance gain to justify the move.
 
Congrats @onajoyride, looking forward to your first impressions.

This thread has me jones’n. How much of an upgrade would a Halo be over my 5 yr old Zeus 640-60/3x? Just wondering if there’s enough performance gain to justify the move.

Noticeable improvement, but not epic or earth-shattering. Both are 640px sensors, or VGA — which has been an extinct species for two decades in every technology except Thermal, which is sad.

HD thermal exists, but that’s obscenely expensive.