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Night vision scope

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shooter4 View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
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    Posted: September/16/2009 at 03:48
Gentlemen
 
Is there a true nightvision riflescope on the market today?  I mean something you can use when its total darkness and still see your surroundings clearly?
 
I doubt I will buy something like that in the near future ($$$?) but it still would be fun to learn more about the subject.
 
thanks
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote silver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 05:20
There are lots of them... The good ones are going offshore to support the various conflicts going on right now. 
 
The absolute like a coal mine you will need something like an IR illumintor.  Other wise you can have too much light in a lot of places.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shooter4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 13:07
Can the public buy a nightwision scope?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 13:23
Yes, the public can buy night vision.

The good stuff is expensive, but it works very, very well.


Did I mention it is expensive?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shooter4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 13:26
OK. I went to ebay and wrote "night vision rifle scope". Came up with some stuff priced from 500$ and up. What you say, does a 500$ NV scope provide good visibility in the middle of the night in the woods?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 14:51
No!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ccoker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 15:15
some info:

posted with permission from HTR from 68forums
he posted this and I asked for permission to post here
he also does guided hunts out of Goliad
Wild River Ranch, LLC
361-779-4530

I have no affiliation with him just providing some good info
I will say that every post made by someone in the hunting forum on 68forums has had nothing but glowing reports from the hunts with him and he does guided NV hunts

POST:

I see it is time for me to render a comprehensive NVD eval. here for you guys. I am happy to do that:

Let's start with requirements:

1) Do you really need high resolution...enough so that you can tell the difference between a small pig and a raccoon, or a huge hog and a calf, at 100 or even 150 yards?

2) Do you need a variable gain feature? Will you be entering widely varied light fields? I.e, will you go quickly from the pitch blackness of the woods to the lights of a street or house?

3) Will you need magnification?. Will you need a reticle in the optic, or just a viewing device? Do you have experience with lasers? Are you familiar with infrared technology?

Let's now supply some answers to the above:

1) If you need fine resolution, enough to tell the difference between small animals at ranges of around 100 yards, you need Gen III. If you are going to be looking around your yard, or walking around your deer lease, simply navigating in the dark, then Gen II will work fine. However, be aware that in very dark conditions, even Gen III usually also requires that you use some sort of IR illumination. The bottom line? If you can even remotely afford it, get the Gen III.

2) Variable gain is my favorite feature of the PVS-14. I lament the fact that my D-740 does not have it, and that cost me $4300 Shocked However, my D-740 is "auto-gated." This means that when I suddenly enter a high light field, the tube cuts the receiving intensity by a sufficient amount to protect from damage to the reflector plate. This also means that you can zero the night optic at daytime without damaging the tube. The newer Gen III ITT Pinnacle model PVS-14's are all autogated, and have a single battery. They are fantastic units, and can be purchased from Victor Dicasola at Tactical Night Vision company. I would not now buy a new PVS-14 if it were not autogated. Again, the bottom line is that Gen III is the top of the line in performance and if you can find a way to afford it, that is the way to go.

3) A D- 740 is a dedicated 4x or 6x (the D-760) night scope and has a reticle built in. You really cannot effectively move if from gun to gun, because no QD mounts are being made yet. You simply switch it on, and use it like a traditional scope. You can also get a Gen II SHP D-740, and this might be a good option for some of you. A PVS-14 is a monocular. The D-300 is a less expensive monocular. The MUM is a monocular of high quality with no variable gain feature.

There is no reticle in a monocular. There is no magnification. You will also need to buy the 3X magnifier separately. This means that you still need a sighting device to use it for a weapon. Take your pick. You can add the Aimpoint or Eotech NV compatibles for an extra $4-500. You can also go crazy with PEQ's, and other such laser devices in the $1000-2000 range. Some of these setups require that you also buy a monolithic rail handguard so that you can move everything forward sufficient to get the NVD behind the sight. Again, if you buy a D-740, you simply strap it on the gun, zero and kill, kill kill.

IR illuminator. Do I need one?

If you hunt at night as much as I do....YES. About %70 of your hunts will be with extreme low light. Either a waning moon phase, or cloudy nights. If there is no moon, and low ceiling, no NVD performs very well, without some sort of IR illumination. MY D-740 is amazing in these conditions all things considered, but I still have to use the Torch IR (basically an IR LED flashlight). A Gen II with no IR illumination renders you blind on at least 50% of the nights you will choose to hunt, unless you never go out with anything other than full moon and clear skies.....yeah right. Rolling Eyes a Gen III with an IR illuminator gives you near impunity from dark conditions.

Some other things to consider:

1) if you put a NV compatible Aimpoint or Eotech on your rifles, and sight them in in the daytime....as long as you put them far enough forward,....you can now use the Eo in the daylight, then simply strap the PVS-14 on the gun behind it once the sun goes down and you don't have to re-zero anything.

2) there is a UNI-mount which will adapt a PVS-14 to a dayscope / glass optic. This can work pretty well in certain circumstances, such as, when you don't want to use an AP or Eo on a rifle for its daytime use, or, when you have high light (full moon) and you can get away with using high magnification.

2) Newer designs like the PVS-22 are generally restricted to LE sales right now, and are almost impossible to get. Cost is around $8000 if you get lucky, $10,000 if you buy retail. Yes, they are incredible and even beat the D-740 and PVS-14, but they are mounted in front of the optic so you don't lose resolution and light transmission the way you do when the NVD has to be viewed through the glass of another optic... usually one that is not designed to "gather" light.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SD Dog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 15:50
8 to 10K.  A long way from 500 on ebay.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shooter4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/16/2009 at 16:02

Right, no way I can afford this stuff, but its still fun to learn more on NV. Thankd for this description.

 
You guys know any good youtube videos that show these things in action?
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