Hello, new to the forum. Ive used my buddy's ir defense thermal a few times and I'm addicted. Definitely going to get one soon. I was curious as to how you guys sight in or practice with your thermals? We used hand warmers and they worked fine but have you guys found a better way to sight in or work on shot placement?
Thermal Targets?
- Thread starter Aden
- Start date
Mcallister
New member
Hand warmers is what I use too. The first time I sighted it in I forgot them at home and I just grabbed a damp leaf off the ground and pinned it to the target. Had to swap leafs every couple shots but it worked in a pinch. Lol
Gman757
Active member
Take a toe warmer and fold it a few times then stick it under a self adhesive target onto a piece of plywood. The target will stick better if you staple a piece of cardboard to the plywood first.
Just make sure your target is not in direct sunlight.
You can see where you hit on these targets and repair them so that you should be able to get your scope zeroed with one target. You can see where I was walking this new ammo in with scope adjustments. I just use a pair of binoculars at 100 yards to see the impact holes. Shoot groups of 5 then repair and adjust your reticle then shoot another 5 shot group.
When I get it to MOH.....Minute of Hog... I call it done.
Just make sure your target is not in direct sunlight.
You can see where you hit on these targets and repair them so that you should be able to get your scope zeroed with one target. You can see where I was walking this new ammo in with scope adjustments. I just use a pair of binoculars at 100 yards to see the impact holes. Shoot groups of 5 then repair and adjust your reticle then shoot another 5 shot group.
When I get it to MOH.....Minute of Hog... I call it done.
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What about these?
http://www.downrangethermal.com/#!thermal-targets/cnib
We are going to order a couple and try them out. Kind of pricey but looks like you can patch them. My buddy says he used something like these from helicopters in the army. I think being able to see where you are hitting the pig would be cool.
http://www.downrangethermal.com/#!thermal-targets/cnib
We are going to order a couple and try them out. Kind of pricey but looks like you can patch them. My buddy says he used something like these from helicopters in the army. I think being able to see where you are hitting the pig would be cool.
Gman757
Active member
Originally Posted By: AdenWhat about these?
http://www.downrangethermal.com/#!thermal-targets/cnib
We are going to order a couple and try them out. Kind of pricey but looks like you can patch them. My buddy says he used something like these from helicopters in the army. I think being able to see where you are hitting the pig would be cool.
Waste of money IMO. I have to agree that being able to see where you hit the pig is cool though.
http://www.downrangethermal.com/#!thermal-targets/cnib
We are going to order a couple and try them out. Kind of pricey but looks like you can patch them. My buddy says he used something like these from helicopters in the army. I think being able to see where you are hitting the pig would be cool.
Waste of money IMO. I have to agree that being able to see where you hit the pig is cool though.
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Have you used them? Do they suck?
Thought it would be advantageous to shoot at something shaped like what I'm hunting. Kind of like when I requal at work we shoot at LE silhouettes instead of bullseyes
Originally Posted By: Gman757Originally Posted By: AdenWhat about these?
http://www.downrangethermal.com/#!thermal-targets/cnib
We are going to order a couple and try them out. Kind of pricey but looks like you can patch them. My buddy says he used something like these from helicopters in the army. I think being able to see where you are hitting the pig would be cool.
Waste of money IMO. I have to agree that being able to see where you hit the pig is cool though.
Thought it would be advantageous to shoot at something shaped like what I'm hunting. Kind of like when I requal at work we shoot at LE silhouettes instead of bullseyes
Originally Posted By: Gman757Originally Posted By: AdenWhat about these?
http://www.downrangethermal.com/#!thermal-targets/cnib
We are going to order a couple and try them out. Kind of pricey but looks like you can patch them. My buddy says he used something like these from helicopters in the army. I think being able to see where you are hitting the pig would be cool.
Waste of money IMO. I have to agree that being able to see where you hit the pig is cool though.
Gman757
Active member
Originally Posted By: AdenHave you used them? Do they suck?
Thought it would be advantageous to shoot at something shaped like what I'm hunting. Kind of like when I requal at work we shoot at LE silhouettes instead of bullseyes
Aden.... if you enjoy shooting at silhouettes then it will be worth it. I thought the point of the exercise was to sight in a scope. For me the less ammo used the better.
Thought it would be advantageous to shoot at something shaped like what I'm hunting. Kind of like when I requal at work we shoot at LE silhouettes instead of bullseyes
Aden.... if you enjoy shooting at silhouettes then it will be worth it. I thought the point of the exercise was to sight in a scope. For me the less ammo used the better.
My buddy uses thermal and I showed up one day as he was confirming his zero. He used a 9/16 nut heated it with s little torch and then screwed it to the target. Aim small miss small....
In the army we used MRE heater strips to zero our thermals but they only lasted like 5 min.
In the army we used MRE heater strips to zero our thermals but they only lasted like 5 min.
NoName1
New member
Originally Posted By: Clayton86My buddy uses thermal and I showed up one day as he was confirming his zero. He used a 9/16 nut heated it with s little torch and then screwed it to the target. Aim small miss small....
In the army we used MRE heater strips to zero our thermals but they only lasted like 5 min.
I do it somewhat like that...whatever washer or nut and screw or nail that are laying around at the time. Heat it with a little torch since I walk out to the target to look every few shots anyway. It works well enough and I prefer the more pinpoint aiming point than I got from a handwarmer. Even duct taping over the handwarmer I was still picking up the heat and radiant heat on the target with it. I sight in at either 55 or 85 yards and the washer or nut give a little dot to shoot at versus a big square from the hand warmer.
In the army we used MRE heater strips to zero our thermals but they only lasted like 5 min.
I do it somewhat like that...whatever washer or nut and screw or nail that are laying around at the time. Heat it with a little torch since I walk out to the target to look every few shots anyway. It works well enough and I prefer the more pinpoint aiming point than I got from a handwarmer. Even duct taping over the handwarmer I was still picking up the heat and radiant heat on the target with it. I sight in at either 55 or 85 yards and the washer or nut give a little dot to shoot at versus a big square from the hand warmer.
I use a small nail through a 1/4 inch nut and tack it to the target. Heat it with a torch and you're good to go. Trick is to keep the torch from heating the paper too as the thermal scope will see that too. If you leave the nail long and let the nut hang out there, then it's easier to heat without affecting the paper. Skypup's cigarette lighter sounds like it would be better than a torch.
Victor_TNVC
New member
Originally Posted By: SkyPupStick a spent 5.56mm or 7.62mm shell casing in a piece of cardboard and heat up the base (without a live primer or powder/bullet in the case) with a cigarette lighter.
This, VERY easy and not outtta pocket expense.
This, VERY easy and not outtta pocket expense.
The targets I ordered came in. I got a pig, a coyote, and some patches. I will try to post some pictures when my friend lets me use his thermal again, but I will say that I am impressed. For sighting in, there is probably not much benefit in them compared to a handwarmer or hot nail other than the fact that we could spot our shots from 50 yds with a 6.8. The targets reflect cold so the bullet impacts really stuck out. Nice not having to walk back and forth from target. We also shot some at 150 yds with my buddy's 35mm mark 2 Irdefense. Very cool to be able to practice your shot placement/grouping from a distance with the thermal. We have a difficult time judging distance through the thermal and putting out the targets and shooting them at distance was an eye opening experience that I think will help us next time we have a longer shot. The guy who sells these said that you can lock on to these targets with a javelin missile..... lol.
On a side note, just using the patches they sell for patching the targets was pretty cool for sighting in. They are 1 inch square and really bright through the irdefense. There was like 400 of them on the roll they sent. You have to tilt these targets back 10 degrees or more per the instructions to get them to reflect. We put them on 3/8" plywood and leaned them against a fence. I also found some toe-warmers at bass pro that have adhesive on the back that worked pretty good so those are an easy option too.
On a side note, just using the patches they sell for patching the targets was pretty cool for sighting in. They are 1 inch square and really bright through the irdefense. There was like 400 of them on the roll they sent. You have to tilt these targets back 10 degrees or more per the instructions to get them to reflect. We put them on 3/8" plywood and leaned them against a fence. I also found some toe-warmers at bass pro that have adhesive on the back that worked pretty good so those are an easy option too.