anyone fool with thermal imagers?

[Lloyd Smale]

I just ordered one of these https://www.leupold.com/night-vision-thermal-scopes/handheld/lto-tracker-2-hd I thought it would be handy for crop damage deer shooting. Lots of the fields we shoot in are surrounded by 4-5 foot tall elephant grass or swamp and ive done a few all nighters looking for deer that were less then 50 yards from the edge of the field. Aint cheap but if it save even one night of traipsing around in the swamp a year it would be worth it.

[6bg6ga]

I was thinking about some type of thermal system for my back yard. Don't live far from the "10" which is a drug interstate. My east/west road is patrolled daily by Border Patrol with sirens going off on a daily basis. Your link didn't work for me.

https://www.leupold.com/search?q=tracker

This it?

[Lloyd Smale]

do a search for leupold tracker 2 hd.

[Smoke4320]

I have the orignal Leupold Tracker. It has helped me find several deer in the evening for other hunters.
Great for quick scanning of a field up to 100 to 150 yds for pigs and deer.
Lets you know there is something you need to check out with your better higher quality NV or Thermal equiped shootin iron

Stay away from Flir they just dropped all comsumer Thermal.

[Lloyd Smale]

thought about the flir. Lots of guys like them but I just have had such good luck with service from leupold through the year that I could bring myself to spend that much with a company that I know nothing about.

[dangitgriff]

$968 MSRP...with just a 2-year warranty?
No thanks.

[WBH]

ATN makes Binox which is IR based and a full line of IR and Thermal sights up to the $6,000+ range.
Pulsar and FLIR do as well.

Thermal sights are pretty impressive. Watch the vids

[Lloyd Smale]

got it for 650 shipped to my door. Still not cheap though. But I fooled with it last night and it does work. I could pick my dog up as clear as a bell at a 100 yards and the neighbors house lit right up. You can even see the studs and rafters in the house sitting in the living room.
$968 MSRP...with just a 2-year warranty?
No thanks.

[dangitgriff]

Better price but...
That’s still as much as a new rifle to me.
Let me know if you find any bigfoot critters with that thing, that’ll be a definite plus! [emoji1783]

[popper]

IIRC FLIR got out due to export restrictions and liability. I just use my old Sony camcorder with the IR filter disabled.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got 37 rifles and at least that many handguns. I think ill get more use out of this then I would another new rifle.
Better price but...
That’s still as much as a new rifle to me.
Let me know if you find any bigfoot critters with that thing, that’ll be a definite plus! [emoji1783]

[winelover]

ive got 37 rifles and at least that many handguns. I think ill get more use out of this then I would another new rifle.

and your address is?:kidding:


Winelover

[Lloyd Smale]

and your address is?:kidding:


Winelover

right in my avatar! Might get a case of lead poisoning though:coffeecom

[unclemikeinct]

I'm looking into one of these :Night vision, not thermal... https://www.atncorp.com/x-sight4k-pro-day-night-rifle-scope-3-14x?avad=245217_f19814e7d

[Lloyd Smale]

ive heard some positive reviews on them. Many blown away buy performance vs cost. But in MI you cant hunt after dark so I really wouldn't have a use for one.
I'm looking into one of these :Night vision, not thermal... https://www.atncorp.com/x-sight4k-pro-day-night-rifle-scope-3-14x?avad=245217_f19814e7d

[WBH]

I'm looking into one of these :Night vision, not thermal... https://www.atncorp.com/x-sight4k-pro-day-night-rifle-scope-3-14x?avad=245217_f19814e7d

Check out the ATN owners forum. ATN Smart HD Owners. Tons of info. Great help site.
You might want to consider a lower base magnification. They pixilate as
you zoom. Plus your field of view for closer shots will be narrow starting at 4. Nothing like glass optics.

It can be a huge learning curve.

I have the original X Sight and Thor thermal for years. It’s a great workhorse if you stay away from all the
bells and whistles in my opinion.

[bigdog454]

Just bought ATN4 thermal scope, still in the learning on it. You have to realize that it has a built in computer. So far works great on picking up anything warm out to 200+ yards, dont have anything further then that around here do to living in the woods. Have a ATN night vision also, you need some light for that, moon light is good or you have to have a IR light; range is limited to the range of the IR light. ATN has a good vidio on their web site about the thermal scopes. I got the cheaper one with the bells and whistles, ie. records shots,blue tooth etc. cost is $$$$.$$'s but it looks like it is worth it. Planing on a night pig hunt in the south soon will keep informed.

[Lloyd Smale]

this thing seems to work great. It picks up my dog 300 yards away perfectly. But its winter here and I don't know if it will work as well when its 80 degrees outside. Its also great at showing heat loss out of your house. I guess if it finds one deer that ran off quicker then I would have found it on my own its worth it to me. You know "guy with the most toys when he dies wins" If you get one be sure to get the newest version the hd. It has a filter that lets you dial down the sensitivity when an animal is near trees ect that also are warmer then the ground. I think this thing would have been considered a mistake to me without that feature.

[Mark ultra]

Hahaha. I am! I have bought thermal imaging too, but haven't tried it yet. I have bought it here https://www.agmglobalvision.com/thermal-imaging There is also a good choice. You can check something if you want. So, are you a hunter? Do you have any rifles? What is your favorite?

[mvintx]

ATN Thor owner here. Owned it for three years now. Digital zoom just makes the pixels bigger so image gets splotchier. Mine is 1.5 x 5X but the most useful is 3 or less. I consider the maximun useful distance to be about 150 yds for two reasons; pixelation at high zoom levels and difficulty in zeroing at 100 yds and beyond. Zeroing low at 25 yds does not equate to a good zero at 100 yds. I tried that and missed numerous hogs at that distance. Painted a cardboard IPSC target black and on a sunny day, I had a distinct thermal image at 100 yds. With that I learned my previous zero was 10 inches high and 8 inches right.

[45workhorse]

Put a hand/foot warmer on a piece of card board and sight in on that!

[txbirdman]

A small square piece of aluminum foil with the bottom cupped in the center of your target on a sunny day will help get you zeroed in.

[Three44s]

ATN Thor owner, 2015 vintage.

It is a 640 w/ a 100 mm objective.

I have thermaled a half dozen elk grazing at 3.5 miles under ideal conditions. I also picked up coyotes at 2500 yds.

I bought this unit used from a close friend who used it as the saleried predator control person for a local tribe.

Newer ATN units are said to be hit and miss so beware!

If I was going to buy today in the new market for a no nonsense unit, I would go with Trijicon. If I could afford that I would then look at Pulsar.

Three44s

[Lloyd Smale]

thermal rifle scope doesn't do us much good in mich. no shooting after sunset on game. Not even when we do crop damage shooting. Sure wish they allowed it though. Id spend the money in a heart beat.

[Three44s]

They make weapon sights and monocular as well.

Your Governor and ours (Jay Inslee) are neck and neck tied 1st and 2nd place for most stupid executive in the nation. It is close but our idiot can not top yours with the “garden seed” ban!

You “win”

Three44s

[mvintx]

Put a hand/foot warmer on a piece of card board and sight in on that!

Tried it. It's too small. Commercially available thermal targets work great at short distances but not at 100 yds. I used one at 25 yds, sighted in 1.5" low for a 100 yd zero (according to Hornady's ballistic calculator). It wasn't even close.