Anyone have any suggestions on how I'm likey going to use this? Our hogs out out in the fields come 10pm....everywhere. On the one hand I know there is always some scanning, but I'm thinking it's going to be very little driving b/c they all come out in one section from the swamp mainly. My thinking is to start out with it on the rifle and then change to hand held/tripod if it turns out differently. I don't know what I don't know at this point. Would love to hear from the experienced crowd. It's odd we had a guy scanning when it was dry and we coudln't find a hog, rains came and they live in the fields from 10pm til wee hours. BUT we never know b/c no one had every done much with hogs or at night.
Thanks for any ideas, thoughts, ball busting, berating and all around shennaningans(that place out by the interstate...meow)
The scope is mostly alloy with some polymer parts. It is supposed to be waterproof unless you use the external power adapter. I think the eye-cup helps prevent light splash that would reveal your position and cushion any recoil to your face. I have found that the Core and my PVS-14 work best if I take my glasses off and get the eye-cup against my face. I get better field of view that way. There is sufficient adjustment in the diopter for me.
I usually scan with the helmet-mounted PVS-14 to locate and identify targets. The image in the NVG is more precise in general for ID purposes. I will stalk in closer and when in acceptable range, put the rifle up on the tripod shooting sticks and use the thermal for aiming.
However, I have found that when CAREFULLY scanning with the rifle-mounted thermal that I can see critters with the thermal that I did not pick up with the NVG. Last time out, I could see two tangos at over 1000 yards but could not tell what critters they were. I could not see them with the PVS-14. I stalked up to 600 yards at which time I could ID them as whitetail deer with the thermal, but still could not distinguish them with the NVG. The 3/4 moon had just come up. Even though the image is not precise in the thermal, after you have studied the movements of the various critters, you can distinguish what is what.
My hunting partner has an ATN x-sight II which works well for scanning and shooting as well as recording. You must maintain discipline when scanning with the scope mounted to the weapon, ie. safety and and he always stays left of 12 o'clock and I stay right. It would better to remove the Core using the QD mount and scan off the rifle, but I am not sure how practical that is in the dark.