30% of gun shop sales are Thermal Gear

[MG5150]

There are a number of smaller thermal cameras (that tend to plug into your smartphone and turn them into thermals) not specific to hunting that electricians and electrical repair device technicians can use to find short circuits. Is this what you mean rather than the hunting ones?

[MG5150]

Here is some footage with the Mars 1000 for those who were asking

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... KvN0-BCmAN

I've only ever seen two foxes come out on our block in over 20+ nights sitting gon the shed roof... managed to have 4 coming out and get every single one

[ColdStart]

Here is some footage with the Mars 1000 for those who were asking

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... KvN0-BCmAN

I've only ever seen two foxes come out on our block in over 20+ nights sitting gon the shed roof... managed to have 4 coming out and get every single one

Thanks for the footage, looks good. I have a IR scope already but what I don't like about it is finding animals in it is a pain in the ass, added to that is the focus plane is small and you need to refocus a lot while scanning. I was thinking of getting a thermal monocular, but figured just get a scope and be done with it and carrying extra stuff.

How do you find the focus plane? do you need to re focus a lot? I guess the difference between a IR and thermal is I need to refocus to find the animal in the first place and with a thermal I can refocus once I get a heat signature, which would be way way better.

[niteowl]

There are a number of smaller thermal cameras (that tend to plug into your smartphone and turn them into thermals) not specific to hunting that electricians and electrical repair device technicians can use to find short circuits. Is this what you mean rather than the hunting ones?

If you are referring to my previous comment, then no. The devices for electricians etc are specifically devices to check electrical gear, motors, switchboards etc. and indicate actual temperature, not just show what is hotter than everything else in view. Fireys use them too at times. But they are thousands cheaper.
A hunting device will show you what object is the hottest in the scene, but that may only be an animal or whatever. Not something that is going to burst into flames or melt.

[MG5150]

Here is some footage with the Mars 1000 for those who were asking

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... KvN0-BCmAN

I've only ever seen two foxes come out on our block in over 20+ nights sitting gon the shed roof... managed to have 4 coming out and get every single one

Thanks for the footage, looks good. I have a IR scope already but what I don't like about it is finding animals in it is a pain in the ass, added to that is the focus plane is small and you need to refocus a lot while scanning. I was thinking of getting a thermal monocular, but figured just get a scope and be done with it and carrying extra stuff.

How do you find the focus plane? do you need to re focus a lot? I guess the difference between a IR and thermal is I need to refocus to find the animal in the first place and with a thermal I can refocus once I get a heat signature, which would be way way better.

If you've already got a NV unit I'd get a thermal monocular to help you spot the animals then try to pick them up with the NV and shoot.

If you've got enough dosh to get a monocular and a thernal scope then you're laughing.

You don't really want to be trying to use your rifle scope to scan and find the animals as you'll tire yourself out really quickly.

[Wapiti]

Actually, a mate and I went for a drive with the archaic 75 watt HID lightforce on the buggy, you know, the kind of run where you are looking at real images on the back of your eyeball. Rather than looking at an image on a tablet or the screen on your fancypants Ranger's TV-sized screen dash by wifi.
And crash into a stump.
I had forgotten how fast and easy and actually spot-on precise the exercise was. We cleaned up. Those of you who can't afford $X,XXX for a thermal that will be superseded in a years time, and your cat-litter-tray-liner shooting mag's ads will remind you of such, don't despair.

[MG5150]

Actually, a mate and I went for a drive with the archaic 75 watt HID lightforce on the buggy, you know, the kind of run where you are looking at real images on the back of your eyeball. Rather than looking at an image on a tablet or the screen on your fancypants Ranger's TV-sized screen dash by wifi.
And crash into a stump.
I had forgotten how fast and easy and actually spot-on precise the exercise was. We cleaned up. Those of you who can't afford $X,XXX for a thermal that will be superseded in a years time, and your cat-litter-tray-liner shooting mag's ads will remind you of such, don't despair.

I don't have a 4WD, Quaddie or ATV (which all cost a lot more than thermal gear). I've got to do everything on foot.

[Wapiti]

Mate, I bought a Javalot Turbo 2 torch, after such a success with the old Mk1 version, and as the second spotlighter and shooter (mate driving SxS) this thing actually has more reach. AND it's a cr@pload lighter than a thermal when on walkabout.
With a mount on a rail or small bit of pic rail out front, it lights where you're pointing.

I've done a fair bit of thermal sit-and-wait spotting, so much in fact that I'd dismissed the spotlight/torch combos, mainly due to the saturation of marketing absolutely everywhere. yep, there are certain animals, times and circumstances where one is better than the other, and times when they crossover.
Spotty shooting was our staple and was very successful, so to actually swap over to thermals, even for me which everything is a tax deduction, it took a bit to convince me.

One thing is for sure, looking at a nicely spot-lit image of an animal that is undisturbed through a nice bit of glass is way more clearer than the best thermals, which even though I reckon they are way better than they were, are still a poxy tiring image to look at. Even the latest European Pulsars at the fact night I went to recently still didn't come up to my expectations.

There are definitely times where either will suit, or where one definitely will not work out.
Pigs don't care whatsoever, nor do deer. Dogs too, if they know you are there a thermal is no advantage. I've had dogs sit and stare right at me into a 100W spotlight, not moving until I made a sound with a rifle action. I've had foxes running right into me with a spotlight and whistle, yet again bolt when they see a light.

Just saying, not everyone can afford all this stuff, in that case save your money and put it into fuel and actually go hunting with what you got.

[MG5150]

On the few times I've been out with more experienced foxers they are driving around at 20-40km's and using the Olights to pick up eye shine where I've been struggling to keep the thermal still. They definitely ahve their advantages.

One thing I can't figure out is how to get the fox to come in to you while you're shining a torch at it. It might be that the foxes at this block have been shot at so many times they trust nothing, but it's very different to what I see in the videos.

[Finniss]

Not sure what you've seen in videos MG5150, but tricks depend on area, food source and hunting pressure. Whistles and squeaks can work of course, but one out of the ordinary trick I've seen is to hold the light just off them and they move into it. Saw a bloke bring one 150m closer this way.

[mchughcb]

Actually, a mate and I went for a drive with the archaic 75 watt HID lightforce on the buggy, you know, the kind of run where you are looking at real images on the back of your eyeball. Rather than looking at an image on a tablet or the screen on your fancypants Ranger's TV-sized screen dash by wifi.
And crash into a stump.
I had forgotten how fast and easy and actually spot-on precise the exercise was. We cleaned up. Those of you who can't afford $X,XXX for a thermal that will be superseded in a years time, and your cat-litter-tray-liner shooting mag's ads will remind you of such, don't despair.

You obviously have a mental image of something I've never seen. People who drive around shooting in range rovers while having their images transmitted to their dash or tablets.

Where did you get this mental image from?

[Wapiti]

You mightn't have seen it mate but I have.
Coincidentally, not so long ago in a local gun shop customers and the two staff were discussing their gear doing just that, thermal on a spotty remote and wifi'ing to the vehicles screen. But hey, we're just straw chewin' country bumpkins right?
You don't have to be a smart @rse just because you haven't, either. Maybe some people get out more that you, eh?

[mchughcb]

You mightn't have seen it mate but I have.
Coincidentally, not so long ago in a local gun shop customers and the two staff were discussing their gear doing just that, thermal on a spotty remote and wifi'ing to the vehicles screen. But hey, we're just straw chewin' country bumpkins right?
You don't have to be a smart @rse just because you haven't, either. Maybe some people get out more that you, eh?

I don't know I don't drive a Range Rover or know anybody that does.

[mchughcb]

You mightn't have seen it mate but I have.
Coincidentally, not so long ago in a local gun shop customers and the two staff were discussing their gear doing just that, thermal on a spotty remote and wifi'ing to the vehicles screen. But hey, we're just straw chewin' country bumpkins right?
You don't have to be a smart @rse just because you haven't, either. Maybe some people get out more that you, eh?

I've hooked up a nocpix a tablet in WA with the app for a mate who was fox shooting and took a couple of minutes. But he wasn't driving a Range Rover.

[ColdStart]

If you've already got a NV unit I'd get a thermal monocular to help you spot the animals then try to pick them up with the NV and shoot.

If you've got enough dosh to get a monocular and a thernal scope then you're laughing.

You don't really want to be trying to use your rifle scope to scan and find the animals as you'll tire yourself out really quickly.

I was thinking of that, but they aren't much cheaper and I saw you can use Mars 1000 like this in any case that is why I am thinking of getting it.

[ColdStart]

You mightn't have seen it mate but I have.
Coincidentally, not so long ago in a local gun shop customers and the two staff were discussing their gear doing just that, thermal on a spotty remote and wifi'ing to the vehicles screen. But hey, we're just straw chewin' country bumpkins right?
You don't have to be a smart @rse just because you haven't, either. Maybe some people get out more that you, eh?

I don't know I don't drive a Range Rover or know anybody that does.

I think when he said Ranger, he was referring to the Ford Ranger aka the new commodore/falcon, not Range Rovers

[mchughcb]

You mightn't have seen it mate but I have.
Coincidentally, not so long ago in a local gun shop customers and the two staff were discussing their gear doing just that, thermal on a spotty remote and wifi'ing to the vehicles screen. But hey, we're just straw chewin' country bumpkins right?
You don't have to be a smart @rse just because you haven't, either. Maybe some people get out more that you, eh?

I don't know I don't drive a Range Rover or know anybody that does.

I think when he said Ranger, he was referring to the Ford Ranger aka the new commodore/falcon, not Range Rovers

Fair enough. Make it a raptor then.

[MG5150]

I was thinking of that, but they aren't much cheaper and I saw you can use Mars 1000 like this in any case that is why I am thinking of getting it.

You can buy a quick-detach mount which would let you use it as a monocular then attatch it to your rifle quickly.

https://oneleaf.ai/quick-detach-cantile ... scope.html

[OyKurwa]

Here is some footage with the Mars 1000 for those who were asking

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... KvN0-BCmAN

I've only ever seen two foxes come out on our block in over 20+ nights sitting gon the shed roof... managed to have 4 coming out and get every single one

Thanks for the footage, looks good. I have a IR scope already but what I don't like about it is finding animals in it is a pain in the ass, added to that is the focus plane is small and you need to refocus a lot while scanning. I was thinking of getting a thermal monocular, but figured just get a scope and be done with it and carrying extra stuff.

How do you find the focus plane? do you need to re focus a lot? I guess the difference between a IR and thermal is I need to refocus to find the animal in the first place and with a thermal I can refocus once I get a heat signature, which would be way way better.

If you already have an IR on the rifle investing in a thermal monocular will improve your night hunting dramatically.

Thermal to spot and IR for the shot is very effective with a little practice. Once you know an animal is present from the thermal, picking up the eye shine and getting it on the IR is easy.

You do have to learn how to focus in your IR optically and also how to focus in the IR torch on it to minimise backsplash but these things become second nature with a bit of use.

Always carry with the IR scope on low magnification and the IR torch on wide/flood, then the process flow goes: pick up animal on thermal -> transition to rifle IR and pick up eye shine/animal -> focus in IR torch -> focus image -> zoom in if needed -> shoot.

That may seem like a lot but it really isn't once you get the controls down.

I have a DNT Zulus 3-12 on my 300BLK and it's an amazingly good piece of kit for the price. On the Saturday before Xmas I shot a Fallow 150m up a wooded hill with it on a property I shoot on. I recorded it and from the moment I got behind the scope it took me 6 seconds to get the shot off.