Photon XT 6.5x Review

6mm06

6mm06

Well-known member

I have had a Pulsar XT 6.5x digital scope for several months now and am just getting around to do a review.

This latest model scope has the small circular piece that punches out of the lens cap which controls light entering, therefore giving a clearer view. The old model 4.6x that I had earlier did not have this circular piece, so the scope either had to be used with the lens cap closed or completely open. I found the old model scope to be very lacking with regards to clarity and was never able to get a good focus. The view always appeared grainy and blurred. Thankfully the company upgraded the simple lens cap feature that helped quite a bit.

For the past two nights I have conducted video tests along a trail in the woods behind my house. There are a lot of trees, the night was dark with very little ambient light. I placed a coyote mount at 60 yards and 94 yards for the test.

Here is a video of the results.









I mounted the Photon on a Bergara .308 and did some testing. The scope is rated for up to .308 and it handled the recoil of my rifle just fine.
I used medium Warn Quick Detach rings, 30mm. As is common with so many Photons, I found that in order to sight the scope I had to use a
20 MOA rail since I ran out of adjustment with a 0 MOA.

This combination will be my hog hunting outfit and I hope to give a good try this coming April in south Georgia. I have been testing
Barnes 150 gr. TSX and 130 gr. TTSX. Both are giving very good accuracy.






I have taken two gray fox this winter while using the scope.






I purchased the TR-38 illuminator from the UK. The light is very adaptable and will easily accept pills in 850nm, 940nm and
red lens by simply screwing them in place. Different head sizes are also available and I purchased a 50mm head to try as well.
I have found that the 38 works great and didn't notice any significant difference between it and the 50mm.

The illuminator has the 50mm head installed and the 38mm one is beside it.






I also tested the Photon on my Dtech 6x45 and had a problem that is common to the scopes, that you either run out of adjustment,
or the crosshair is not centered in the view. In the case with the Dtech, the crosshair was high and left in the view.






Overall I like the Photon XT 6.5x scope. It gives up some field of view, but for hunting coyotes at distances or over bait,
or hogs at a feeder, the added magnification seems to help my aging eyes.


 
Thanks for the review. I recently purchased a Photon 6.5x50L model. Can't wait to get it mounted up and do some hog hunting!
 
Nice review David. My 6.5 has been very dependable, was simple to sight in, and seems to be holding zero just fine. I took a red at 190 yards with it the other night, my longest shot to date on a predator at night.
 
How are the lens cap different on the 4.6 and 6.5? Just bought a new 4.6 and it just has a hole in the cap for day use I suppose.
 
If you will look closer, you'll notice there is a punch out where that little center holy is. It is about 3/4 inch in diameter.
 
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I'm thinking about getting the same model just to have something different to play with. Will I be upset and disappointed after being used to a Gen 3 PVS setup
 
Digital is a different type of night vision and can sometimes be a little grainy whereas a Gen 3 PVS 14 has a cleaner, smoother view and green while the Photons have the white view. Digital is just of a different nature, but the Photons are pretty good scopes for general shooting and especially given the price point. They are not without issues, however, as mentioned earlier in my initial post, such as the crosshair not remaining centered when adjusting, and many of the scopes will need a 20 MOA rail or some other one of various degrees.

I used the scope with the piece pushed out and not completely open. With the lens cover open, the view is more grainy and has a less focused view. The scope is light-sensitive and controlling the amount of light entering by using the center punched out gives the best view.
 

UPDATE: I have added more video to the one above that shows how the Photon performs in snow and full moon conditions with no illumination. It begins at the 5:50 mark.

Here it is again in case you want to check it out.







 
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