Friday night field report 2

[8x57]

Check this out BLR. Some of the toys we were playing with last night.

Lithgow 6.5cm, MDT chassis, Pulsar Trail xp50 LRF
Tikka t3x .308, MDT chassis, Pulsar Thermion XP38
The Fix .308 (made by a company called “the Q”), Night
Tech MS42 scope
Pulsar Helion xp28 monocle
Pulsar Accolade XP50LRF

Ferris which of those scopes has the best performance ?

[Ferrisweil]

The Thermion or Trail are def better than Night-tech (just my opinion)
I really like the night-tech, and on paper it’s a great buy. It’s also great to look through BUT, the battery indicator on this one has been playing up and that was its first time on a 308 last night and it kept turning off every time you fired the gun, (recoil sensitive?) so it’s going back to the store this week.
As for the Trail vs Thermion....hmmm, they both rock, but if it was going on smaller cal (say a .243 or less I’d get the Thermion, if it’s for a larger cal (say a Creed, 270 or 308) I’d get the trail. It just seems to have a bit better eye relief. If you need a range finder the Trail has that as well.
You wouldn’t be disappointed with either though.

[Stix]

Good shot FW...

The footage looks good...

[Ferrisweil]

Thanks mate

[Die Judicii]

BUT, the battery indicator on this one has been playing up and that was its first time on a 308 last night and it kept turning off every time you fired the gun, (recoil sensitive?) so it’s going back to the store this week.

Ahhhhh yes,,,, I've had similar problems with a rifle mounted camera.
Easy fix,,,,,, (if possible,,, I'm not familiar with the model) but if you can run/power the unit from an external battery pack via a lead, you can put it alongside the rifle or in your pocket.
In other words isolate the battery/s from the recoil. The recoil bounces the batteries in their mounted position thus causing momentary loss of power.
Although only for the briefest moment,,,, it is enough for the unit to shut down.

So if you took it back to the store, it would test AOK,,,, unless it is rated for such recoil in which case the store/distributor would have to rectify things.

[Ferrisweil]

Ahhh cool, thanks mate. Hadn’t thought of that. I’ll pass this info onto the owner. I think he’s hoping to return it and upgrade to Pulsar or ATN...

[Blr243]

Good point DJ. I never experienced it but I was thinking it might be the unit itself not being up to the recoil but when the battery itself suffers an immediate serious jolt it’s easier to understand how that could happen

[8x57]

The Thermion or Trail are def better than Night-tech (just my opinion)
I really like the night-tech, and on paper it’s a great buy. It’s also great to look through BUT, the battery indicator on this one has been playing up and that was its first time on a 308 last night and it kept turning off every time you fired the gun, (recoil sensitive?) so it’s going back to the store this week.
As for the Trail vs Thermion....hmmm, they both rock, but if it was going on smaller cal (say a .243 or less I’d get the Thermion, if it’s for a larger cal (say a Creed, 270 or 308) I’d get the trail. It just seems to have a bit better eye relief. If you need a range finder the Trail has that as well.
You wouldn’t be disappointed with either though.

Thanks Ferris appreciate the information. I’ve a got a pulsar monocular which has made a real different in the way I hunt just need a thermal scope.

[Ferrisweil]

Seems you’ve taken the same path as me 8x57. Saved the bikkies for bloody ages to get a monocle. Loved it so much and decided I needed a scope as well. Kept using torches still while saving for the scope.
If youre out at night a lot, it’s well worth it!!
We thought we did alright for years using torches/conventional methods but thermal taken it to new levels.

[Blr243]

Even though I had a thermal at the time I did an experiment one night on a mob of small pigs that I could not be bothered shooting I flashed red light at them and shook it around madly to create shadows I got no reaction they just kept feeding. But I could not see well at all if I was useing a rifle to shoot one. Then I tried the green light to see if I could Illuminate one well enough to place a good shot but within half a second of the light hitting them they were bolting for the hills as if their lives depended on it ... thermal means I’m going to be shooting at a relaxed animal that has no idea of my presence so I can take the time under no pressure and place a bullet perfectly

[8x57]

[quote="Ferrisweil"]Seems you’ve taken the same path as me 8x57. Saved the bikkies for bloody ages to get a monocle. Loved it so much and decided I needed a scope as well. Kept using torches still while saving for the scope.
If youre out at night a lot, it’s well worth it!!
We thought we did alright for years using torches/conventional methods but thermal taken it to new levels.[/quote

They’re certainly not cheap but definitely produce the results, hunting’s getting more popular every year so more hunting pressure, you’ve got to be one step ahead of the crowd these days. It’s interesting to swing a white light around and see nothing then switch on the thermal and see wants really out there.

[Blr243]

The range is what really does it for me ( often further than I wish to walk ) and I think all the hunting on open barren ground that I do at night is just the perfect scenario for a good thermal. Might take me a while to identify , but at least I know it’s there so I’m on to it The big spotlights I see people useing from vehicles is such a telegraph to the creatures we pursue. Most nights out here I see glowing spotlights out here arcing acrosss the landscape and I reckon some of them are probably 5 k away

[Ferrisweil]

You guys have hit the nail on the head. It certainly keeps you ahead of the pack.... You just see SO much more game and you get to choose the best approach in each situation.
I also get a buzz taking out new people to our sport, as they see everything in a new perspective.

[Blr243]

I used to get a buzz from taking newbies. For me It’s been more fun watching them have a ball than shooting the pigs myself Until someone does , you know.... let’s not go there

[Ferrisweil]

Until they miss?? Yeah, I get “white line fever” for sure. I hate seeing pigs get away but we all miss shots, just some more than others.

[Blr243]

No more like when they start misbehaving and you have to have a talk to them about it

[Blr243]

Ferris , somewhere you mentioned in regard to minimise ing the white back glow on your face / body / ground anywhere really , but I can’t find that post never mind. I always knew there was probably that standby mode but I found it a shade technical so I avoided it altogether and just had it full on or full off. But after you mentioned it I thought I would try a little harder , and really it’s just a tad more thinking about long presses and short presses but as of all of last night I started doing that standby mode , prob saves battery power , reduces glow and quicker start up time ....So very glad u posted it

[Ferrisweil]

All good mate. Glad it helped out. I find it works well because you can have your reticle setup (PiP) and brightness/contrast settings all sorted, so then ya just hit the power button once and you’re away..
I’ve never tested it myself but word is that standby mode still uses a fair bit of battery....
Nice work

[Blr243]

It’s Also good that you have mentioned the bit about pip and other settings because to have those ready to go is a godsend. Pigs are always moving on this place and often change ing posoition in relation to each other and mostly I’m flat out getting the hunt part sorted and remembering to film under stress sometimes. So there’s absolutely no room for me to think of pip as well. But I just had a practice with it and now I’m good to go. So later tonight I hope to report that I have just shot my first pip pig While driving around today in the daylight I had an idea. There’s lots of visible tracks across the cultivation leading to a bush block but the drought has thinned Out a lot of the undergrowth so there is better visibility in there. I had an idea to send my drone up to see all those tracks from the air. Prints easy at the moment with the rain. Hopefully I might be able to pinpoint a day bedding area from the air And also some rain in another district has sent a bloody ton of water along the creek that borders that bush block. So a walk along that creek with my dog helping me to find bedded pigs on the creek might be something I can do tomorrow.... I just have to find the energy because it will be warm and I will be a bit hammered after hunting all night tonight. So much to do in so little time. Oh to be 25 again

[Ferrisweil]

I use PiP every time mate. Works really well. I use the PiP for my first shot (on 3.2 zoom) and then use the main screen on 1.4 zoom for follow up shots.
As for where the pigs are camping; have you ever considered leaving the dog behind (I know this could be sacrilege lol) and maybe going for a walk through that thicker stuff with a shotty/rifle during the day? Move nice and quiet and see what you can sneak up on?
Best fun!!

[Blr243]

I used to do a ton of that when I was younger at moonie amongst the lime bush and Mellon holes , sometimes on foot with a Rossi 357 or pump shotgun or dare I mention the first true love of my life a mini 14 ........ soometines on a Honda 185. I need to work out more about where most of the mobs are camped. Perhaps tomorrow if I have time. I have neglected that part of hunting since I got going with thermals in farm country at night. But I agree it’s great to mix it up.