P Dog Hunting in SD with a thermal scope

Stugotz

Stugotz

New member
I am in the process of selecting either a thermal scope (N-Vision HALO 50 LR) or just go with N-Visions Atlas 50 binocular. This will be a 3rd rifle (this build will be a 204 Ruger) and I have an extra NF 3.5-15x56 scope I can mount on it. FWIW, my other 2 builds are 26".223's with the same scope mounted.

I love the portability of a thermal binocular but have to consider a thermal sight mounted on this new build. (Another 26" heavy varmint barrel - with the thermal, NOT very portable...) Does anyone have experience with a thermal scope shooting P Dogs out in South Dakota? I'd like to hear about it. TIA Stu.
 
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Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnoti have to ask, why thermal on a pd rig?


Well I had a guy shoot them with a .50 bmg . So i guess at times the question becomes " Why Not ? " LOL
 
I'm trying to make a choice on which of the 2 thermal vision systems will make the most sense for my application.

I hog hunt in Florida. A childhood friend owns 400 acres of dense acreage infested with lots of hogs. When I'm hunting with him on his property, I employ a rifle I own with a Gen 3+ night vision scope mounted after an Aimpoint M4S with a quick flip Sampson 3.5 magnifier. I have also installed an infrared light on this system. In this scenario, the Binocs would be the better choice. Here in Minnesota where I live, I also coyote hunt. We can night hunt on private property. Strictly in this scenario, the better choice (I believe) would be the HALO scope mounted on one of my varmint rigs.
What I'm looking for is some real world experience of someone using a quality thermal on a hot day hunting P Dogs.
 
Haven’t done it but don’t think a thermal would work well on a hot day. Thermal doesn’t work well in woods in the winter on sunny days that have warmed the bark on trees or anything that has absorbed a day full of sunshine.
 
I've been part of a group shooting prairie dogs and some had scopes costing $2500.00 but I've never heard of someone shooting prairie dogs with a $3,000+ thermal. I don't see why someone couldn't, using a stand-alone thermal or clip-on, as they sight those units in during the day.
 
Please correct me if I'm wrong. But on a thermal unit, it is like a TV screen the image appears on? If that is the case a 4x would work just as well as a 20x with a clip-on, and have the same sight range?
 
Kinda - the average cost clip-on's have a max daylight scope magnification - I think most are in the range of 3 to 6 power. Then you get into the higher end puppies ($) and the magnification can go a little north of 20X but you're probably putting out $20K+.

Here's a fairly recent article by an experience person who has the bucks to experiment with the latest & greatest and he's probably seen most, if not all, over the years.

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/genesis-apocalypse-a55-thermal-modular-system.7034456/
 
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I decided to just build a dedicated upper and have ordered a 22" Criterion match grade bull barrel. This will be chambered in 6.5 Grendel and the HALO LR 50mm thermal will be mounted on it. I will certainly be taking this upper out to the Dakota's for a prairie dog hunt, but it will be more of a novelty with it's primary purpose to be used for hunting coyotes here in Minnesota and hog hunting down in Florida at a buddy's ranch.

Thank you all for the info! Stu.
 
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Does sound interesting, unusual too. Prairie dogs are known for liking sunny days, don’t know how the thermal scope would factor. I will admit, my experience with thermal scopes is close to zero.

There may be a way to hone skills or equipment primarily used for other hunting situations. I don’t know how a thermal scope behaves under average daylight shooting conditions?
 
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