I have a question regarding Thermal Scopes for coyote hunting. With a $3,500 budget would you rather have a 640 resolution scope with no LRF or would you rather have a 384 resolution scope WITH LRF? This would be mainly used for open country hunting.
Night Vision Thermal Purchase Question (for coyote hunting)
- Thread starter OnCall605
- Start date
It depends.
Do you have a nice 640 scanner? If not I’m getting the 640 weapon sight.
What’s the base mag on the weapon sights? I wouldn’t want 2x base mag on a 384 for open country coyote hunting.
Let's just assume I have a 384 scanner. And the base mag for the weapon sight is 3x.
I hunt coyotes up here in MT...I have a few setups.
Older Pulsar XG50, no RF. Pulsar Xq38 LRF scanner. You can range with the scanner and sometimes get on your gun fast enough to get er done. If they are coming hard to a call it can get tricky.
My go to now is the same scanner where I detect a coyote-like blob and move to my Halo XRF to shoot them. It is SOOOO NICE to have a constant range on your target as they are moving. It sucks not having a scanner, but I would rather have my RF in my weapon sight than a scanner.
Older Pulsar XG50, no RF. Pulsar Xq38 LRF scanner. You can range with the scanner and sometimes get on your gun fast enough to get er done. If they are coming hard to a call it can get tricky.
My go to now is the same scanner where I detect a coyote-like blob and move to my Halo XRF to shoot them. It is SOOOO NICE to have a constant range on your target as they are moving. It sucks not having a scanner, but I would rather have my RF in my weapon sight than a scanner.
$3,800 no LRF, but has ranging capability that uses set stadia to get a rough estimate. It's pretty accurate. It also has fantastic image and video quality and is capable of detecting heat signatures up to 2,500 yards/meters. I really like mine so far.
AGM RATTLER TS50-640 | AGM Global Vision
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www.agmglobalvision.com AGM Rattler TS50-640
The LRF is super helpful for open country. I wouldn’t want to mess with stadia lines to estimate ranges when coyotes are coming in. Things can change quick if wind shifts, they spook, etc.
I have the iRay Rico MK1 640 with the RF and it’s been awesome. I have a Burris handheld scanner (400 res) and it’s ok for detecting a heat signature, then I hop to my rifle.
I’d save a bit more and get a 640 unit with LRF.
I have the iRay Rico MK1 640 with the RF and it’s been awesome. I have a Burris handheld scanner (400 res) and it’s ok for detecting a heat signature, then I hop to my rifle.
I’d save a bit more and get a 640 unit with LRF.
It measures for you, it just uses a set stadia line size in its calculations, but the stadia changes sizes (like an FFP scope) when you zoom the scope in or out. That's how it does it without an LRF, and it's just a rough estimate, and not as precise, it just gives you an idea.
I understand how they work, they’re just not ideal (in my opinion). My burris scanner also has a stadiametric rangefinder, but it’s buried in the main menu and takes several presses of a button to activate. Not sure how the AGM is laid out, but the less fumbling around in the heat of the moment, the better.
The AGM is the same way... Gotta scroll through the menus, but when you exit out of the menus, and then pop back into them, it stays at the same place you left off, so you can get to it relatively quickly if you left your menu scrolled to it when you exited the menus. Just hold the button down and the menu pops back up, and it's already there, just click on it.
Not ideal, but was just pointing out that it does have that function incase the OP was curious. If that’s what you can afford the 3x LRF 384 would probably be the most beneficial.
I don’t see you being more successful with a 3x 640 non LRF.
And using any type of stadia rangefinder on coyotes is useless. Anyone that kills them consistently knows they are moving too much for it to be useful.
I don’t see you being more successful with a 3x 640 non LRF.
And using any type of stadia rangefinder on coyotes is useless. Anyone that kills them consistently knows they are moving too much for it to be useful.
A lot depends on the user. I have shot over 1300 coyotes in the last 4 coyote seasons. The majority of these are using thermals in very wide-open country. I have been doing this for a lot of years, so experience with the same thermal of similar FOV and magnification can help. I didn't know if a LRF would really help me or not as I moved to the Bering Optics Super Yoter LRF this year.
Is it night and day, the difference in how many coyotes I kill, no? Does it mean a few extra coyotes in the back of my truck at times, yes but a big reason for the smaller impact is my experience with thermal hunting. However, for a new nighttime coyote hunter the difference is larger. The majority of all nighttime coyotes are killed inside of 200 yards. A person doesn't need a rangefinder to shoot 200 yards with most modern centerfire guns. For me, the main situation where it helps is with multiples. After the first coyote is taken, too many people in my opinion open up and mag-dump on the remaining coyote or coyotes. Personally, I will normally wait for a few seconds, hit them with a sound they can't resist and stop them. This is the 2nd or 3rd coyote when they have run out a distance when it really helps. Guessing 275 vs 325 yards or the other way around is probably a miss even with the flattest shooting calibers.
The LRF provides confidence because it always nice as you are calling in coyotes to know when a coyote has gotten into point-blank range. Any shots taken from here on in are going to be aiming with no adjustment or hold-over. There is also the occasional coyote that has been educated by hunters that will stop at longer distances or attempt to do a large circle around the sound source. In these situations, a rangefinder can also be very helpful.
This was a long answer to say, for a new user given the choice of 384 with LRF and 640 without, I would probably lean towards 384 with the LRF. The better answer is 640 with LRF, but I realize this isn't in everyone's budget.
One of my roles with Night Goggles is helping people find the right thermal for them. I will send you a PM with my direct contact information. I don't work in sales and don't get paid by commissions, so I will shoot straight with you.
Is it night and day, the difference in how many coyotes I kill, no? Does it mean a few extra coyotes in the back of my truck at times, yes but a big reason for the smaller impact is my experience with thermal hunting. However, for a new nighttime coyote hunter the difference is larger. The majority of all nighttime coyotes are killed inside of 200 yards. A person doesn't need a rangefinder to shoot 200 yards with most modern centerfire guns. For me, the main situation where it helps is with multiples. After the first coyote is taken, too many people in my opinion open up and mag-dump on the remaining coyote or coyotes. Personally, I will normally wait for a few seconds, hit them with a sound they can't resist and stop them. This is the 2nd or 3rd coyote when they have run out a distance when it really helps. Guessing 275 vs 325 yards or the other way around is probably a miss even with the flattest shooting calibers.
The LRF provides confidence because it always nice as you are calling in coyotes to know when a coyote has gotten into point-blank range. Any shots taken from here on in are going to be aiming with no adjustment or hold-over. There is also the occasional coyote that has been educated by hunters that will stop at longer distances or attempt to do a large circle around the sound source. In these situations, a rangefinder can also be very helpful.
This was a long answer to say, for a new user given the choice of 384 with LRF and 640 without, I would probably lean towards 384 with the LRF. The better answer is 640 with LRF, but I realize this isn't in everyone's budget.
One of my roles with Night Goggles is helping people find the right thermal for them. I will send you a PM with my direct contact information. I don't work in sales and don't get paid by commissions, so I will shoot straight with you.
On the LRF vs. not, I just figured 1) the price I got my Rattler 640 at, I couldn’t argue, and 2) I can get my hide setup, go out right before dark, laser my permanent markers nearby from my position so I have some good set reference points, and then I have less to worry about. Plus, my 6 ARC shoots pretty flat to about 300 yards, so that helps.
Before I had a halo XRF, I had an XQ50 lrf (384) and a 640 scanner. A lot of times I don’t think the extra jump was really that beneficial and sometimes I think the range finder is a hindrance because I want to range even when I know the dog is easily within shooting range
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