Different styles of thermals

Rifle scopes, iron sights and optics. Spotting scopes and target acquisition devices.

Different styles of thermals

Post by Shootermick » 22 Jul 2023, 9:00 pm

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Apart from the obvious looks.
What are the differences, pros and cons between a traditional looking scope thermal, and one of the more compact looking type that are set back on a mount to achieve the eye relief.?
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by stihl88 » 22 Jul 2023, 9:45 pm

Not a lot of difference but the main reason for the traditional tube thermals is their appeal to the tradionalist otherwise they're pretty much the exact same.

The tube style will need scope rings purchased whereas the modern style usually comes with a mount. Even though mine came with a QD mount I went to the trouble of purchasing a German made QD return to zero Innomount. If you're considering a thermal, there's a couple of brands that have built in range finder with ballistic calculator that will auto calculate hold over based on the measured distance and ballistics entered in by the user.

Probably stay away from the clip ons...
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Billo » 23 Jul 2023, 10:27 am

Yeah Clips ons seem to be a less than popular trend due to the hassle and size.

I've noticed mates are using the more compact style of Thermals and it what I'll do next year when the prices come down and the features increase
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by niteowl » 23 Jul 2023, 10:55 am

I would stay away from "clipons" unless they are rail mounted.
The compact ones are without question the way to go. I have NEVER seen the need for R Finders when using the best selection of cartridge for the job, short or long range shooting. (That is long range for thermal shooting, up to about 400y).
There is only one brand that I would consider, can't mention it here as I am connected with them. Genuine professional quality, not just so called by the Chinese.
Yes expensive, but long term far better value.
This comes from about 14 years of working with thermal.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by brinny » 24 Jul 2023, 7:44 pm

niteowl wrote:I would stay away from "clipons" unless they are rail mounted.
The compact ones are without question the way to go. I have NEVER seen the need for R Finders when using the best selection of cartridge for the job, short or long range shooting. (That is long range for thermal shooting, up to about 400y).
There is only one brand that I would consider, can't mention it here as I am connected with them. Genuine professional quality, not just so called by the Chinese.
Yes expensive, but long term far better value.
This comes from about 14 years of working with thermal.


Geez....i wonder what brand that could be..??? :silent: :silent: :silent:
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by niteowl » 24 Jul 2023, 10:04 pm

brinny wrote:
niteowl wrote:I would stay away from "clipons" unless they are rail mounted.
The compact ones are without question the way to go. I have NEVER seen the need for R Finders when using the best selection of cartridge for the job, short or long range shooting. (That is long range for thermal shooting, up to about 400y).
There is only one brand that I would consider, can't mention it here as I am connected with them. Genuine professional quality, not just so called by the Chinese.
Yes expensive, but long term far better value.
This comes from about 14 years of working with thermal.


Geez....i wonder what brand that could be..??? :silent: :silent: :silent:



I wonder :unknown: But they are very good I believe :thumbsup:
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Shootermick » 26 Jul 2023, 5:58 pm

So, do people find the compact scopes a bit high to look through? Need a cheek riser? Or just get used to it?
Last edited by Shootermick on 26 Jul 2023, 8:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Die Judicii » 26 Jul 2023, 6:20 pm

Billo wrote:Yeah Clips ons seem to be a less than popular trend due to the hassle and size.

I've noticed mates are using the more compact style of Thermals and it what I'll do next year when the prices come down and the features increase


Pardon my mirth,,,, :lol: :lol: :lol:
Did you say "when the prices come down" ??
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Die Judicii » 26 Jul 2023, 6:30 pm

niteowl wrote:I would stay away from "clipons" unless they are rail mounted.
The compact ones are without question the way to go.

Yes expensive, but long term far better value.
This comes from about 14 years of working with thermal.


I would beg to differ,,,,,
I own two of the higher end brand "clipons" and not only love em, but get consistent & excellent results.
And I'm using them in a semi professional manner.
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
And,,,,It's been proven,,,,, the most trustworthy females in my entire life were all canines.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by niteowl » 26 Jul 2023, 10:12 pm

Die Judicii wrote:
niteowl wrote:I would stay away from "clipons" unless they are rail mounted.
The compact ones are without question the way to go.

Yes expensive, but long term far better value.
This comes from about 14 years of working with thermal.


I would beg to differ,,,,,
I own two of the higher end brand "clipons" and not only love em, but get consistent & excellent results.
And I'm using them in a semi professional manner.


I guess I need to clarify here, clipons do work, no problem there. The problem that arises with clipons is that when attached directly on the day scope and they are a bit heavy, as some are, and if you are using a fairly high recoiling firearm they will damage the day scope in time, if not immediately, due to the force exerted on the day scope, and on top of that I feel they tend to be cumbersome in most situations.
I am a contractor and use thermal scopes almost exclusively but always have a dedicated thermal scoped rifle and the same with a day scope in all the firearms I use.
I will only use a high end brand (Not Chinese) and can be a bit expensive for some people..Although you may be surprised at how many people do use them too.
The top end ones are good for ALL calibres and also include machine guns.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Faedy » 26 Jul 2023, 10:46 pm

Ive tried several brands, and own IAiming 612.
I love it even though it isnt a traditional shape.
The larger batteries have great duration.
Each to their own,but they are all so good now days
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by stihl88 » 28 Jul 2023, 11:40 am

niteowl wrote:
Die Judicii wrote:
niteowl wrote:I would stay away from "clipons" unless they are rail mounted.
The compact ones are without question the way to go.

Yes expensive, but long term far better value.
This comes from about 14 years of working with thermal.


I would beg to differ,,,,,
I own two of the higher end brand "clipons" and not only love em, but get consistent & excellent results.
And I'm using them in a semi professional manner.


I guess I need to clarify here, clipons do work, no problem there. The problem that arises with clipons is that when attached directly on the day scope and they are a bit heavy, as some are, and if you are using a fairly high recoiling firearm they will damage the day scope in time, if not immediately, due to the force exerted on the day scope, and on top of that I feel they tend to be cumbersome in most situations.
I am a contractor and use thermal scopes almost exclusively but always have a dedicated thermal scoped rifle and the same with a day scope in all the firearms I use.

I will only use a high end brand (Not Chinese) and can be a bit expensive for some people..Although you may be surprised at how many people do use them too.
The top end ones are good for ALL calibres and also include machine guns.


I agree, the clip-ons are tempting at first however I decided against this route in the end and took the approach of mounting picatinny rails and Quick Detach (QD) scope rings to my day scopes and QD to the compact Thermal also. This way i can swap the day scope with the thermal as required. Most Thermals have the ability to store around 5 zeroed firearm profiles so it's easily swapped with your day scope as night falls.

One of the main attraction to the Compact Thermal for me is that it can be placed in my pocket and although not as effective as a spotting thermal it will function very similar to one. My model also has an onboard LRF with ballistic calculator which will calculate and show an adjusted shot placement based on the LRF reading and BC profile. It kills a lot of birds with one stone!

I will look into thermal spotting scope one day, I'm running Gen3 NVG in situé with the Thermal scope which works well for my requirements.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Die Judicii » 29 Jul 2023, 8:42 pm

stihl88 wrote:
I agree, the clip-ons are tempting at first however I decided against this route in the end and took the approach of mounting picatinny rails and Quick Detach (QD) scope rings to my day scopes and QD to the compact Thermal also. This way i can swap the day scope with the thermal as required. Most Thermals have the ability to store around 5 zeroed firearm profiles so it's easily swapped with your day scope as night falls.

One of the main attraction to the Compact Thermal for me is that it can be placed in my pocket and although not as effective as a spotting thermal it will function very similar to one. My model also has an onboard LRF with ballistic calculator which will calculate and show an adjusted shot placement based on the LRF reading and BC profile. It kills a lot of birds with one stone!

I will look into thermal spotting scope one day, I'm running Gen3 NVG in situé with the Thermal scope which works well for my requirements.


When referring to use as a spotting device,,,,, why not do the job properly and get thermal binocs and be done with it ,, with all the trimmings. :thumbsup:
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And,,,,It's been proven,,,,, the most trustworthy females in my entire life were all canines.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Tilb004 » 30 Jul 2023, 11:33 am

I have just bought a second hand rico rh 50 .
Even know i have not yet shot anything , when i was sight it in i was sooting beer cans at 200m .
Its was fully zoomed and still very clear , was filling them with hot water .
I think foxes at 300m shouldnt be a problem .
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by stihl88 » 30 Jul 2023, 12:36 pm

When referring to use as a spotting device,,,,, why not do the job properly and get thermal binocs and be done with it ,, with all the trimmings. :thumbsup:

I guess what i mean is that a traditional tube scope thermal won't fit in the pocket and is awkward as a spotter and the clip-ons usually require an adapter to convert them into spotter mode and constant removal from the scope is not ideal. The compact thermal I have covers all of these issues quite well...

Eventually i'll look at a dedicated spotting scope but for now I don't need it. The Thermal drones are a killer, would love one of these if i had a lazy $18k!!!! Thermal drone identifying pigs... https://youtu.be/TtoxMqtYjLE?t=461
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by AneemA » 02 Jan 2025, 3:31 am

stihl88 wrote:
I agree, the clip-ons are tempting at first however I decided against this route in the end and took the approach of mounting picatinny rails and Quick Detach (QD) scope rings to my day scopes and QD to the compact Thermal also. This way i can swap the day scope with the thermal as required. Most Thermals have the ability to store around 5 zeroed firearm profiles so it's easily swapped with your day scope as night falls.

One of the main attraction to the Compact Thermal for me is that it can be placed in my pocket and although not as effective as a spotting thermal it will function very similar to one. My model also has an onboard LRF with ballistic calculator which will calculate and show an adjusted shot placement based on the LRF reading and BC profile. It kills a lot of birds with one stone!

I will look into thermal spotting scope one day, I'm running Gen3 NVG in situé with the Thermal scope which works well for my requirements.


This is the exact set up I'm going for now. My .22 and .223 both have Leupold pic rails currently. Can I ask what quick detach scope rings/mounts you went with or would recommend?
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by stihl88 » 02 Jan 2025, 7:57 pm

AneemA wrote:This is the exact set up I'm going for now. My .22 and .223 both have Leupold pic rails currently. Can I ask what quick detach scope rings/mounts you went with or would recommend?


Hey mate, i'm running the Innomount QD mount in this pic, they have a huge range and are very well made. I've got the old Leupold lever tighten QD Ring mounts on other tube scopes, they do the job also.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by AneemA » 03 Jan 2025, 2:22 am

stihl88 wrote:Hey mate, i'm running the Innomount QD mount in this pic, they have a huge range and are very well made. I've got the old Leupold lever tighten QD Ring mounts on other tube scopes, they do the job also.


Thanks mate.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Wapiti » 03 Jan 2025, 9:34 am

We LOVE the clip-ons,and cannot understand the reasons people use why they wouldn't suit. Having used three types of thermals - handheld, dedicated scopes and clip-ons, and having given away the scope to a friend that's proof for me but everyone is different.

We use two versions of Nitehog Vipers, 35 and 50, and they are outstanding. They NEVER need zeroing, you can take them on and off as many times as you like, from different firearms.
These clip-ons are extremely compact and light, and if anyone says they can feel the firearm becoming heavier or different handling by installing such a small unit, they might need to so some exercise!
With the ones we use, they do not have the added weight and power drain of video recording, wifi or range finders. These are superfluous to us, rangefinding at night is useless because we know our fields of fire, we realise that there isn't time to stuff around ranging because the dogs we chase just don't wait around. We need to just point and shoot.
And the thought of videoing something being killed is alien to me and makes me quite revolted. I have to kill things, why would I want to relive it or boast of it, or send it to others who actually want to see it?.

When you have a favourite rifle, one that is more advantageous in the situations we find ourselves in, and particularly a style of firearm that because of restrictive laws you can't have a dedicated "night" one for that purpose, they make huge sense.
During the day, a quality normal optic is always quicker and more precise, and to be able to just use the same platform with it's superior field of view and beautiful glass at night just by clipping on your night eyes after dusk or even use it during the day to scan for heat if you have a bit of time, that's why we're fans.

Also, those sporting shooters who only have, or can afford one quality centrefire rifle for both day and night use, they can have a faster, quality glass optic for day use, and simply install a tiny clip-on and make it a thermal. For us, when losing the opportunity to take out an animal that will probably return and cost us huge money and grief, clip-ons work best for us.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by Bello » 03 Jan 2025, 4:16 pm

Hi All
In relation to thermals, I went with the Pulsar Thermion 2 XP50 pro. (Buy once cry a lot, a real lot once) :shock:
I did a bit of research and found this one to suit my needs.
It is almost like cheating, as you can get up fairly close and the game cannot see you.
I chose the version with the internal range finder because at night it is very difficult to judge distance.
The range finder allows me to decide; to take or not to take the shot.
I have also had no issue with getting assistance here with the Thermal scope. If it's because of my misuse or just to clarify something with the scope, I haven't had any issues.
It also allows me to take pics and video of game for later viewing/bragging. :lol:
It has a 2-power base magnification, I would prefer it to be 4 base magnification. But to do that they tell me the scope would be a lot bigger.
I hope I have been of some assistance to you.
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Re: Different styles of thermals

Post by cusco » 05 Jan 2025, 12:14 am

Hi folks, just my 2 cents worth of thoughts. I am now on my 4th thermal scope, all Pulsars which have never let me down. As to which design is best it is up to personal choice on the look as function from one style to another is usually very similar if they have the same specs re resolution/magnification/screen resolution etc. One point for consideration is if you wish to "swap" from one rifle to another. The "tube" style can be mounted with good quality QD rings like Leupold QRW while the other "box" style scopes, you may need to purchase an after market QD mount which can cost 2/3 times the cost of QD rings. I got a Bobro QD mount for my Pulsar Trail 2 XP50LRF which works a treat, holding zero from one gun/profile to another. Also with the "tube" style you can mount the scope way lower than the "box" style. Another point worth considering is the battery location/type. Scopes with fixed internal batteries could have charging issues later in life while scopes that either use their own removable design or generic (example 18650) battery give more piece of mind. You can all ways carry spares!
As to LRFs , I use mine a fair bit as sometimes judging distance can be a bit hard when new to the scope. My main use now for the LRF is for the 300 Blackout shooting 190 Gn Subsonics ( which drop like a brick) for some long shots ( for this calibre/bullet), best so far is 160 yds on a pig.
Just do your research, do not rush into it. Think of your average shooting distance will help with things like deciding on base mag/resolution etc. plus the type/size of quarry
As some one else said "buy once cry once". Hope this helps.
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