Black Friday ciber Monday.

[JeremyV]

Any venders out there that you guys know of that will be having good sales coming up? Been saving my Penny's for awhile now and am about to buy my first thermal thinking probably the
ARMASIGHT Zeus 640 2-16x42 30Hz
Or the IR hunter mark ll

This will be on my ar 556 and be used for close in work that's why I don't want the higher magnification scopes.

Quick question about these scopes.
The Zeus has a standby mode.. I'm wondering if this shuts off the whole unit or just the display? Also does the IR hunter have something similar? I have a helmet mounted gen3 pvs14 and want to be able to use this with my IR laser on the AR without the thermal screen washing out my image so wanted to know if standby turns the screen off quickly and back on or if thats not how it works.

Thanks for any help

Jv

 

[slim_shady]

Send a pm to ********.

******************* | Lone Star Boars

 

[JeremyV]

Pm sent
Thanks

 

[JPK]

I don't know about the Zeus, but the MK II does not have a standby. However, IMO, the preferred eyecup for the MK II for light discipline is a shuttered eyecup.

Fwiw, the Pulsar XD 50 does have an imeadiate one button standby feature.

I predict that not long after you start hunting with your thermal you will find the laser redundant.

Also, with 640 resolution, like the Zeus and MK II, you will find 4x digital zoom usable, which means 8x and 10x total zoom respectively. Personally, I find 2-3x native magnification about prefect for both the predator and hog hunting I do.

JPK

 

[JeremyV]

Thanks for the info. I really hate the shuttered eye cups but that might be my only option.

I know the laser will be redundant but it is very useful for out of position shooting and shooting on the move.
This thermal will pull double duty and be on my Defensive rifle. I shoot a 45degree offset red dot for close fast shots in the day and IR laser at night. Thermal will be awesome addition to this setup.
I'm afraid of the lower resolution of the pulsars and pretty sure the 640 is what I'll need. Don't want to buy this then need a better one right away... Hopefully if I get a 640 core I'll be ok for a few weeks before I decide I need something else lol.

 

[JPK]

I didn't like the shuttered eye cup at first, but got used to it on the MK II and a Patrol I had. Learned to really appreciate the enforced light discipline.

I have a MK II 35mm, and it is a great thermal scope, you won't go wrong if that is your selection (no extended experience with the Zeus.) I also have a Pulsar XD 50S, and it is remarkably good, and really all a hunter needs. I am jonesing for a REAP-IR, but every time I turn on the Pulsar to set it up for my son or bud for the hunt I am re-impressed and reminded that nothing more is really required for hunting.

If you can swing the difference between the MK II and REAP-IR I would suggest going with the REAP-IR. It has an even better view in a smaller, lighter package, and can be used as a spotter as well. I had a Patrol (which I really miss,) and the DLOC mount returns to zero with no issues. Moreover, for a mixed use rifle, the REAP-IR, like the Patrol, allows the use of BUIS, whereas the MK II or III doesn't, at least wrt to eye relief for me. The LaRue QD mount on the MK II or III is faultless wrt returning to zero.

On mixed use rifles, my Pulsar (and the Patrol before it) gets used on a 5.56 rifle, with BUIS and a red dot in a quality QD mount. My Pulsar uses the UNV DLOC QD mount. So I swap out the thermal for the red dot for daylight use.

A second mixed use 5.56 is set up with BUIS and with a QD EOtech far enough forward to accept a PVS 14 behind it, using a DLOC weapon mount. Plus a laser. For night hunting the EOTech comes off and a USGI 3x magnifier goes on the PVS 14; the laser provides the "reticle." Makes for a handy 3x NV "scoped" rifle. I have a S&W 15-22 set up the same way for whacking coons and other small pests.

BTW, if you select the MK II get the UNV rechargeable battery pack, also available through ********. Works great, provides all night plus use, saves $'s pretty quickly compared to buying a s--t ton of 123A's. If you go REAP-IR, I think stick with the 123A's to maintain the ability to detach and use as a spotter.

My two cents, worth what you paid for it!

JPK

 

[Chopperdrvr]

I have an IR Hunter MK II and just put a butler creek flip up lens cap on the eye piece. It is spring loaded and just takes a flip of the thumb to open. The rest of the time, no light is escaping.

 

[JeremyV]

I have an IR Hunter MK II and just put a butler creek flip up lens cap on the eye piece. It is spring loaded and just takes a flip of the thumb to open. The rest of the time, no light is escaping.

With that setup don't you get backsplash onto your face while looking through the thermal?

 

[JPK]

I use a Butler Creek on the ocular of my Pulsar XD 19A spotter (and an 8 f stop filter inside the BC to dim the view through the 19A.) It works. I prefer the shuttered eyepiece on the MK II.

The light on the face when the gun is mounted doesn't seem to cause issues, but flashing a beam of light around that hits your chest, arms, under your chin, which happens when their is nothing to block the light coming through the ocular, has caused me issues.

JPK

 

[JeremyV]

I use a Butler Creek on the ocular of my Pulsar XD 19A spotter (and an 8 f stop filter inside the BC to dim the view through the 19A.) It works. I prefer the shuttered eyepiece on the MK II.

The light on the face when the gun is mounted doesn't seem to cause issues, but flashing a beam of light around that hits your chest, arms, under your chin, which happens when their is nothing to block the light coming through the ocular, has caused me issues.

JPK

Yea I'm not too concerned with pigs and coyotes seeing the light. my concern ismore the more dangerous animals

 

[Ncorry]

My non-Pro Zeus' standby mode turns the whole thing off. If I use the remote to turn it on/ off standby, it has to go through the warm-up process the same as if I use the main power switch.

 

[JPK]

Yea I'm not too concerned with pigs and coyotes seeing the light. my concern ismore the more dangerous animals

Hopefully about the time some threatening ahole is thinking, "Hmm, what is that faint glow over to the ...." he stops thinking.

But on a more serious note, that is exactly why the shuttered eyepieces were developed.

JPK

 

[JeremyV]

Hopefully about the time some threatening ahole is thinking, "Hmm, what is that faint glow over to the ...." he stops thinking.

But on a more serious note, that is exactly why the shuttered eyepieces were developed.

JPK

Agreed!
I was just hoping the standby was like an instant on/off for the screen but seems that's not the case so I'll have to go with the shuttered eye cup.
They just never seem to fully open for me but I have a different shaped head. Binoculars don't fit me well either.

Thanks for all the replies.

I got a zeus 2-16x42 640 30hz on order from ********! Great guy and worked with me to make me a deal I couldn't refuse.

Here is a short video of me learning how to shoot and move with my pvs14 and my rmr on my pistol not a great video but was a fun quick session.

 

[FrankT]

hey that was fun and you were good!! what are you shooting there?

 

[JeremyV]

hey that was fun and you were good!! what are you shooting there?

Shooting the Walter Q5 match 9mm it's basically a Walter ppq with longer barrel and slide. Got an aftermarket trigger Magwell and light/laser. It has a removable plate that my rmr bolts onto.

 

[FrankT]

Very nice, looks like you compete alot

 

[JeremyV]

Very nice, looks like you compete alot

I shoot 3gun and pistol matches as well as am a firearms instructor. I'll be making some videos of fast shooting with my new thermal both day and night. Day will be through smoke and brush for hidden targets. I'll have the offset rmr on a 45degree mount for close fast targets in the day then an IR laser at night used with my head mounted PVS 14

 

[FrankT]

Well that will be a new and exciting way to show thermal...Thanks and welcome to the site

 

[keatonskidmore]

Doesn't armasight make a remote view finder that is in a package like a PVS-14 so that its helmet mountable? Something you may be interested in is having a bridge mount with your PVS-14 on your weak eye and the thermal view finder for you scope on your strong eye. That way you don't have to have a constant cheek weld to be scanning for hidden targets.

 

[JPK]

Cool video.

On the shuttered eye cup, either mine got softer with use or I unconsciously figured out how to make it open because at first I had the same issue. Less eye relief is helpful.

JPK