1187Shooter
New Member
I'm looking for a thermal sight for an upcoming Texas hog hunt in December, and I've been googling back and forth between a few in my range.
My top end is going to be around 25-2800. Right now the units I've looked at are from lowest to highest:
Pulsar Core RXQ30L
Armasight Predator 336 2-8x25 (60Hz)
FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS233
Pulsar Apex XQ38
Pulsar Apex XQ50
I don't really have the option to handle any of these right now, so I'm doing as much research as I can.
The RXQ30L is the cheapest, and gets great reviews, but I'm a little concerned about longer range ID... however I do have a couple of Digital NV scopes with good IR illuminators for longer distance if necessary.
From what I could see online, the Predator is great but the image quality might be a little lacking compared to some of the others. Again, this is just from what I can tell through videos and images.
The FLIR looks like a good option too but I'm worried it won't arrive in time to get it mounted and sighted in and get familiar with it before the hunt. Also read some things that make me question FLIR's CS... which is relatively important.
I'd really like to see a side-by-side video between the FLIR and the Predator... these two seem to be the closest in comparison to each other, and relatively close in price. The new FLIR core looks impressive, but is it that much better than the TAU 2? I use thermal cameras for work on a regular basis, so I am familiar with the technology, as it relates to industrial maintenance, but I know there a some significant differences.
The Apex models look great, and I like the PinP feature. Are they really that much better than the others to justify the higher price? How does the XQ38 compare to the RXQ30L?
My total budget as it stands now is going to be around $3000, and I'd like to not have to use it all on the scope, as there are a few other pieces of gear that I need to pick up as well, including possibly a new rifle for the scope to ride on. That would point to one of the first three on the list, but if the Pulsars are that much better, then I may bite the bullet and just improvise on the gear for this year. Wouldn't be the first time...
I guess I could look at the ATN Thor as well, but I have an ATN X-Sight II, and although I like it, I'm not sure I feel confident that Thor would be reliable. There are a lot of horror stories circling around ATN's HD optics.
All this to say, I figured coming here, to the guys who use this stuff daily would be the best research tool I could have. Any help you guys may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. I've had a few people "in the know" point me towards the Pulsars, but there are a lot of unknowns for me still.
My top end is going to be around 25-2800. Right now the units I've looked at are from lowest to highest:
Pulsar Core RXQ30L
Armasight Predator 336 2-8x25 (60Hz)
FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS233
Pulsar Apex XQ38
Pulsar Apex XQ50
I don't really have the option to handle any of these right now, so I'm doing as much research as I can.
The RXQ30L is the cheapest, and gets great reviews, but I'm a little concerned about longer range ID... however I do have a couple of Digital NV scopes with good IR illuminators for longer distance if necessary.
From what I could see online, the Predator is great but the image quality might be a little lacking compared to some of the others. Again, this is just from what I can tell through videos and images.
The FLIR looks like a good option too but I'm worried it won't arrive in time to get it mounted and sighted in and get familiar with it before the hunt. Also read some things that make me question FLIR's CS... which is relatively important.
I'd really like to see a side-by-side video between the FLIR and the Predator... these two seem to be the closest in comparison to each other, and relatively close in price. The new FLIR core looks impressive, but is it that much better than the TAU 2? I use thermal cameras for work on a regular basis, so I am familiar with the technology, as it relates to industrial maintenance, but I know there a some significant differences.
The Apex models look great, and I like the PinP feature. Are they really that much better than the others to justify the higher price? How does the XQ38 compare to the RXQ30L?
My total budget as it stands now is going to be around $3000, and I'd like to not have to use it all on the scope, as there are a few other pieces of gear that I need to pick up as well, including possibly a new rifle for the scope to ride on. That would point to one of the first three on the list, but if the Pulsars are that much better, then I may bite the bullet and just improvise on the gear for this year. Wouldn't be the first time...
I guess I could look at the ATN Thor as well, but I have an ATN X-Sight II, and although I like it, I'm not sure I feel confident that Thor would be reliable. There are a lot of horror stories circling around ATN's HD optics.
All this to say, I figured coming here, to the guys who use this stuff daily would be the best research tool I could have. Any help you guys may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. I've had a few people "in the know" point me towards the Pulsars, but there are a lot of unknowns for me still.
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