Which Night Vision Scope

[Sniper4Life]

Having been inspired I have decided to buy a night vision scope. I really dont care about the magnification, I have $500 max to use, I would prefer something that could go out to 250yds, maybe even 300yds. Know of any night vision scope that matches the above description?

Thanks

 

[slzy]

i don't have a modern nvs,but i used an an/pvs2 if iirc,and it is out of the $500 range. i have a real first generation ppn2 soviet design. it looks like the night sight on a m3. it has a large battery for the ir source,and is cumbersome. it would have been practical only in defense.keeping in mind i have never even held,much less looked through,a modern $500 scope,i could be very wrong. but you will probably need a good ir source to see 250 yards away,especially on a very dark night. the way i use mine,is i energize the scope,but not its ir source[cause it would run the battery down]and use a hand held light from a 12v battery with an ir filter. it is really funny to look at cats in the dark. possums,dogs,don't notice,but the cats know something is up but can't figure out what. i digress. the best i can say is borrow one,bite the bullet and get one. as usual,check back in and let us know how it turns out.

 

[roscoe]

$500 is a bit low for a decent night vision scope, I believe.

 

[Gordon]

I have an Israeli reconditioned ANPVS-2 on my OLD Springfield M-14. It is heavy, but useable clarity ect, and is reliable. I strapped a Russian IR laser illuminator to the bayonet lug and suddenly the thing is as bright as my ANPVS-4 on an old Colt Car I have (ANPVS-4 go for around $1400), maybe brighter on most dark nights.
However I bought a Sibir Yukon first gen + from Kalinka optics about 5 years back for $500 and it works very well on an 1100 Remington 12ga. for protecting livestock. It is made of titanium and includes the same IR laser illuminator I used on the M-14. It has given me zero problems on the 12 ga. and is very clear and bright to the 100 yard max range of the system.

 

[WinchesterAA]

NV is cool and all, but what about thermal scopes? Are there any that are avalible on the civ market that work fairly well?

 

[slzy]

i have seen thermals for sale one priced at $14,000 the other $16,000.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Yes, I've been looking at thermal technology as well and my consensus is that the technology hasn't arrived yet. Yes, it's there, but us plebes can't afford it at the moment.

Tube based NV seems the way to go, and if you want anything useable for more than plinking at cans at 25 yards in the dark you're going to want a Gen. 2 or above, which automatically puts you over the $1k mark these days.

Gen. 1 night vision is, quite honestly, no better than the naked eye adjusted to the dark with the caveat that it can see otherwise invisible infrared light. Without the illuminator you're seriously better with no optics than Gen. 1 night vision.

 

[.45Guy]

Gen. 1 night vision is, quite honestly, no better than the naked eye adjusted to the dark with the caveat that it can see otherwise invisible infrared light. Without the illuminator you're seriously better with no optics than Gen. 1 night vision.

I must respectfully disagree. The so called generation 1+ intensifier tubes are more than capable of performing beyond 25 yard can plinking. And 36,000x ambient light is a wee step up from the naked eye...

 

[Sniper4Life]

Ok I found this yukon nightvision scope, I am thinking about it. So your saying that if I put another IR laser on my gun It will improve it from gen 1 right?

 

[Chris Rhines]

$500 is not enough to buy an NOD worth having. $1500-2500 will get you in the door.

Save up!

- Chris

 

[slzy]

not a lazer,but a light of some sort,i think i got a 3 million or so candlepower light you plug into a cars lighter,or attach to a twelve volt battery,with an ir filter taped over it. i am sure there are other ways.

 

[TIMC]

$500 is not enough to buy an NOD worth having. $1500-2500 will get you in the door.

Save up!

That's about the size of it.
For $500 you can find a generation 1 scope and will be able to see deer size game pretty well at 100 yards as long as there is a contrasting background but that is about it. As said above a good NV scope will run $2500+.

 

[slzy]

continuing on furios styles line,the lower priced models will also "bloom" if a bright lite is suddenly encountered.

 

[V-fib]

Sportsman’s guide has a Yukon genI for $399.97 Russian made and uses AA batteries, which is a plus. I have a Russian monocular GEN I that uses a 9V battery. Works well out to 100 + yards. But, as others have said I would save up for at least a G II if I were going to get a riflescope. My bro in law used his thermal imager from the fire dept he works for to find a downed deer and said it was amazing! But, at $20,000 it will be awhile before I get one of those.