Looking for a cheap night vision scope for shooting rats and other pests around the farm. Maybe 40 yards max.
Looking to spend 1k or less,with less being better.
Looking to spend 1k or less,with less being better.
Night Vision Cheap night vision scope for short range
- Thread starter quietmike
- Start date
Well, for rats, I definitely recommend thermal. Rats around our ranch like to hide in vegetation, dirt piles, wood piles, etc. They don't always stand out in the open. The cheapest thermal I've seen that might work, is the Sig Echo ... shown price $960
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/6...-30-hz-206x156-picatinny-style-mount-graphite
Beyond that, the next step up is the pulsars which for under 100yds ... you can get by with the fixed focus unit. Which is going to run around $1,700
https://www.opticsplanet.com/pulsar-pl76483q-core-rxq30v-therml-scp.html
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If you are bound and determined to use NV ... then the Photon is usable ... shown price $600
https://www.hueyoutdoors.com/product/photon-rt-4-5-9x42-digital-night-vision-riflescope/
But you will need a better illuminator like a T-20 ... shown price $45 with the below mount, though you should be able to do better. Find one without the pressure pad and without the scope mount. Don't need those.
https://www.amazon.com/UniqueFire-850NM-Infrared-Flashlight-Pressure/dp/B011I9Q1OK?crid=2JPY1HRC4BEKN&keywords=infrared+illuminator+for+night+vision&qid=1539092542&sprefix=infrared+illuminator,aps,1646&sr=8-3-fkmrnull&ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3
With a pic rail mount ...
https://www.amazon.com/Olight-Offse..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=FJJXZG84GC8DEVJ4WF12
The key to getting rats with nv is to light up their eyes with the illuminator, it is about the only way you can see them when they are hunkered down in concealing terrain ... you'll get a lot of headshots doing that as they are usually looking at you to see what you will do next. I've done ratting with nv ... with pvs-14 and ir-laser, but found thermal is much more efficient in terms of rats per hour.
coons and opossum are much larger so easier targets, but often those will be out a bit farther ... though any of these items will work out to 100yds.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/6...-30-hz-206x156-picatinny-style-mount-graphite
Beyond that, the next step up is the pulsars which for under 100yds ... you can get by with the fixed focus unit. Which is going to run around $1,700
https://www.opticsplanet.com/pulsar-pl76483q-core-rxq30v-therml-scp.html
==
If you are bound and determined to use NV ... then the Photon is usable ... shown price $600
https://www.hueyoutdoors.com/product/photon-rt-4-5-9x42-digital-night-vision-riflescope/
But you will need a better illuminator like a T-20 ... shown price $45 with the below mount, though you should be able to do better. Find one without the pressure pad and without the scope mount. Don't need those.
https://www.amazon.com/UniqueFire-850NM-Infrared-Flashlight-Pressure/dp/B011I9Q1OK?crid=2JPY1HRC4BEKN&keywords=infrared+illuminator+for+night+vision&qid=1539092542&sprefix=infrared+illuminator,aps,1646&sr=8-3-fkmrnull&ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3
With a pic rail mount ...
https://www.amazon.com/Olight-Offse..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=FJJXZG84GC8DEVJ4WF12
The key to getting rats with nv is to light up their eyes with the illuminator, it is about the only way you can see them when they are hunkered down in concealing terrain ... you'll get a lot of headshots doing that as they are usually looking at you to see what you will do next. I've done ratting with nv ... with pvs-14 and ir-laser, but found thermal is much more efficient in terms of rats per hour.
coons and opossum are much larger so easier targets, but often those will be out a bit farther ... though any of these items will work out to 100yds.
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momma and 5 babies ? This was about 10m worth of work ... one of the more efficient stalks, with the .22LR(16) and Olde Armasight Q-14 thermal.
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Three from around the woodshed, one behind the woodshed ran up in the crook of a tree, I stalked all the way around the woodshed, getting another rat in the woodshed along the way, to get behind the first rat still hunkered down "behind" (now in front) of the crook. Then got third rat 10yds away along the creek bank. The woodshed is a favorite visiting spot for the rats, though they don't last long there, I can spot them pretty easily.
Still using the .22lr(16) ad Q-14 for these.
==
This pair, also from the woodshed, might have been back from the days when I was using the pvs-14 on head, with ir-laser on the .22lr(16) and had the q-14 around my neck on a lanyard as a spotter. That worked, but I quickly figured out that the q-14 on the rifle was more efficient. But I was using either the illumiator on my helmet or the laser itself to light up the eyes.
==
I'd estimate I've gotten 180 (60 per year) rats/mice with the .22lr during 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons with the bulk of them being around the change of seasons, they seem to be moving around more during those periods. We have 15 bait boxes around our 7 buildings, that probably takes out 80% of the rats, maybe I take out another 10%, but the remaining 10% is enough to replenish the "supply".
Though this year with the drought we've had, rat/mice spottings have been dramatically down. That could be changing now as we're in the middle of our 5th day of rain, the creek is roaring and the ground is like walking on a sponge.
==
Three from around the woodshed, one behind the woodshed ran up in the crook of a tree, I stalked all the way around the woodshed, getting another rat in the woodshed along the way, to get behind the first rat still hunkered down "behind" (now in front) of the crook. Then got third rat 10yds away along the creek bank. The woodshed is a favorite visiting spot for the rats, though they don't last long there, I can spot them pretty easily.
Still using the .22lr(16) ad Q-14 for these.
==
This pair, also from the woodshed, might have been back from the days when I was using the pvs-14 on head, with ir-laser on the .22lr(16) and had the q-14 around my neck on a lanyard as a spotter. That worked, but I quickly figured out that the q-14 on the rifle was more efficient. But I was using either the illumiator on my helmet or the laser itself to light up the eyes.
==
I'd estimate I've gotten 180 (60 per year) rats/mice with the .22lr during 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons with the bulk of them being around the change of seasons, they seem to be moving around more during those periods. We have 15 bait boxes around our 7 buildings, that probably takes out 80% of the rats, maybe I take out another 10%, but the remaining 10% is enough to replenish the "supply".
Though this year with the drought we've had, rat/mice spottings have been dramatically down. That could be changing now as we're in the middle of our 5th day of rain, the creek is roaring and the ground is like walking on a sponge.
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