Thermal Scope Recommendations?

[Red Leg]

I have used an ATN for several years and other than its controls, which are not particularly intuitive, it has worked perfectly. I can identify species out to nearly three hundred yards and it will easily handle a shot to two hundred. @gizmo has used them pretty extensively in his operation in North Texas.

My favorite, however, is my Leica clip on. Not in your budget, but something to consider eventually. I simply clip it on the scope of any rifle with the correct size objective for the mating ring, switch it on, and head out the back door. It is 640, so when combined with German tech, it is an amazing device.

I have an ATN monocular for scanning while calling or for finding game as @mdwest suggests.

 

[HankBuck]

Questions you should be asking yourself:

How often will the thermal be used?
At what max range will the thermal be used?
Is this a designated night rifle or a used for day and night?
Which is better use a clip-on or a full thermal scope?
What functions are: needed, wanted, nice to have?
Can the budget be stretched?

Currently I have one designed night rifle. I went with a DNT335. The DNT335 is a multi functional digital day and night thermo scope. And although it has more functions than I need or use I'm satisfied that I purchased it.

@Ridge Runner - I’ve got to try a “clip on” as You and a couple others have told me they can work great (If Clip Ons can be easily switched from one scoped rifle to the next?) —- that would add several other rifles to the night hunting game with minimal cost and set up time. All of my scopes are 1” tubes and most have 40mm objective. How easily and quickly can you switch between rifles and do you need to ‘check zero’?

 

[Muskox]

@Ridge Runner - I’ve got to try a “clip on” as You and a couple others have told me they can work great (If Clip Ons can be easily switched from one scoped rifle to the next?) —- that would add several other rifles to the night hunting game with minimal cost and set up time. All of my scopes are 1” tubes and most have 40mm objective. How easily and quickly can you switch between rifles and do you need to ‘check zero’?

As you would imagine the mount for the clip on is everything. Make sure your dealer sets you up correctly. If in doubt send a note to www.opticstrade.com and have them tell you what you need.

 

[Ridge Runner]

@Ridge Runner - I’ve got to try a “clip on” as You and a couple others have told me they can work great (If Clip Ons can be easily switched from one scoped rifle to the next?) —- that would add several other rifles to the night hunting game with minimal cost and set up time. All of my scopes are 1” tubes and most have 40mm objective. How easily and quickly can you switch between rifles and do you need to ‘check zero’?

Unfortunately I don't have nor ever used a clip-on, although that was what I was originally looking to purchase because of being able to switch from one rifle set-up to another.

In talking with various reps at SCI 2025 and with a couple of members on the AH forum who who do have experience with clip-ons. Rotating the clip-on from one scope to another is simple as long as your using the proper adapter set-up for the clip-on.

As for rezeroing; according to the reps it's just a matter of taking the thermal off the current scope and clipping it onto another scope, no rezeroing needed. However, I would definitely check my zero to make sure my bullet point of impact is the same as my point of aim.

It's more about having the correct objective lens adapters than tube size. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer as to the smallest adapter, most of the clip-ons required a 40mm or 42mm minimum objective.

Perhaps AH members with experience using adapter type thermal clip-ons will chime in on the pro and cons using 1" tubes. I prefer scopes with 30mm and larger tube sizes and 44mm to 50mm objective.

 

[HankBuck]

Unfortunately I don't have nor ever used a clip-on, although that was what I was originally looking to purchase because of being able to switch from one rifle set-up to another.

In talking with various reps at SCI 2025 and with a couple of members on the AH forum who who do have experience with clip-ons. Rotating the clip-on from one scope to another is simple as long as your using the proper adapter set-up for the clip-on.

As for rezeroing; according to the reps it's just a matter of taking the thermal off the current scope and clipping it onto another scope, no rezeroing needed. However, I would definitely check my zero to make sure my bullet point of impact is the same as my point of aim.

It's more about having the correct objective lens adapters than tube size. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer as to the smallest adapter, most of the clip-ons required a 40mm or 42mm minimum objective.

Perhaps AH members with experience using adapter type thermal clip-ons will chime in on the pro and cons using 1" tubes. I prefer scopes with 30mm and larger tube sizes and 44mm to 50mm objective.

@Ridge Runner - Thank you for the details. My prior set up was a Red Light mounted onto a .22-250 with a ‘pressure & dimmer switch’ that allowed me to turn the light ON (at very Low illumination) “After” I had the gun mounted and was already looking thru the scope (so as Not to spook the animal w/bright light). Then I could slowly increase the illumination just enough until I had a clear target outline. My current set up is a Thermal scope on a .22mag and while the Thermal is much better then using a Red Light - the .22 mag is too light to consistently kill Coyote (but does a nice job on Fox & Bobcat without much pelt damage). Although the Thermal has a QD mount it still requires a picatinny base to switch to another rifle and my .22-250 would require a new base to be interchangeable. Also, the Thermal is not as effective during daylight & warm weather and certainly Not as good out to 200-300 yrds as my Trijicon 3-9. So, switching to Thermal would limit my .22-250 during longer range daylight hunting and I want to avoid that. The answer might be to use a .223 for everything or buy another thermal and have 2 rifles set up with thermals. When I hunt from a box blind it’s easy to have two rifles at the ready. When moving & calling - then the more powerful rifle would be the choice. Will experiment a bit and try a few set ups.

 

[analog_peninsula]

I switched over from a LPVO + Clip On set up to LPVO on ADM QD mounts + Thermal on ADM QD mounts. The primary reasons were simply bulk and weight. The combination of a scope + a clip on was just plain heavy. Don't get me wrong, the set up worked pretty well within its limitations, that being a generally useful magnification range of 1.5-3.5x which worked out to maybe 125 yards on smaller targets. The clip on in question was an AGM Rattler 384 unit. I set it up to be exactly inline with my LPVO on the forward Pic rail. Notice in particular that this set up avoided the need to adapt my clip on to a particular scope model with attachments. As long as the centerline of the scope aligned with the clip on centerline, there was no need for direct attachment.



When I switched to the two QD units, it became simple to just swap over my day scope for a thermal unit at a convenient time around dusk. I don't regret buying the clip on; it gave me good service, and I zapped a goodly number of West Texas hogs with it, but just switching over optics around dusk ended up being easier.

 

[Ridge Runner]

@HankBuck, the DNT335 has various features and functions. One is the dual day night crosshairs, which are 2 different sets of crosshairs requiring 2 different zeros. Push the button on the side to switch from day to night or night to day. The DNT335 being a digital scope, the clarity gives a whole new meaning to daytime viewing. With the different thermal settings to choose from the user can easily adjust the thermal setting for heat signature.

I prefer the White Hot setting now. I used the Black Hot setting night hunting in Africa and have since learned that was a mistake. The Black Hot is good for seeing and hunting ground moving critters like coyotes, hogs, etc. IME, the White Hot is better for seeing and hunting tree critters like squirrels, raccoons, etc. and is just as effective on coyotes, hogs, etc.

The other two functions I like on the DNT335 are:

The Range Finder; push the button in front of the day/thermal button and the range finder pops up on the screen.

The Video; (when I remember to push the button, and usually after the shot) allows the user to video: the hunt, the shot, other animals in the area, or for later reviewing areas and animals while just out scouting.

The App; a very, very, good function! Especially when using the thermal. The App allows for connecting via Bluetooth a cell phone to the scope.

This feature protects against eye injury! Because viewing though the thermal for several minutes at a time will damage blood vessels in the eye. This is from first hand experience not only by me, but also by 2 of my PHs (although thier respective experience wasn't as severe) that didn't heed my warning and seeing my swollen blood shot eye.

Once the cell phone and scope are connected the user can "sweep" the area with the scope while looking at what the scope sees on the cell phone. Using the App also allows for others in the blind, on the hunt, etc. to view.