Hogster r 35mm vs Trijicon IR Hunter MK3?

Rookietjx2

New member
I got my hogster-r in today, and I figured I'd give a little side by side comparison with my Trijicon IR Hunter MK3. If I don't hit on anything you might be curious about, feel free to ask. A few disclaimers...

1. These observations are based on initial assessment of the hogster-r. I don't have any field time yet.
2. These opinions are strictly mine and they may change.

Onto the comparison...

Weight.

The hogster-r blows the Trijicon out of the water. There is a VERY noticeable difference.

View finder.

The Trijicon wins this. The eye relief on the hogster-r sucks in comparison to the Trijicon. If I set the hogster-r the same way on my rifle, it looks like I'm looking through a tube.

Clarity.

This actually surprised and impressed me. While the Trijicon is better, it's not $5,000 better. The Trijicon has a sharper image, but I feel like the hogster-r has a clearer image. I know that sounds confusing, but it's hard to explain. I'm sure some of it has to do with contrast adjustment, but, for now, hogster-r has the edge in clarity, but not sharpness.

Controls.

Hands down, the IR Hunter beats everything out there. In my opinion, there's nothing better. The hogster-r has usable controls, but they are what they are.

Focus.

Once again, Trijicon wins without trying. Of course, Trijicon has "auto focus" so it will always beat manual focus.

Reticle.

Trijicon edges out simply because it's "intelligent enough" to change reticle color. Honestly, I don't really like the reticle on either scopes, but either ones are usable.

Zoom.

Trijicon wins. To be fair, Trijicon has a 640 core, so it better win. Hogster-r has usable zoom, but it's not as good. The PIP is a nice feature I wish the Trijicon had.


Price.

This is kind of tough. Obviously, the hogster-r is almost 4 times cheaper, but I'm comparing 2x magnification to 4.5x magnification. So, for my hunting needs, the Trijicon is better.

Final thoughts...

If Bering optics came out with a 3.5-4.5x magnification for $3,000-4,000, they wouldn't be able to keep up with demand. The Trijicon is a better thermal, but it's not $5,000 better. If Bering Optics came out with more native magnification, Trijicon would have some serious competition.
 
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Very good review. To even have a discussion comparing a Hogster to a Trijicon is a testament to the value proposition it provides. Just a couple of quick comments.

Viewfinder: Since my Hogster was used as a scanner for the majority of the time, I made a shortened version of my eyecup. I am only shooting a 22-250, so there isn't a lot of recoil, so it works well for a weapon's site as well as for scanning. With less snorkel, you loose some of that appearance of distance. Also, make sure the diopter is adjusted properly as this will also increase or change the look and distance of the viewfinder to your eye.

eyepiece.jpg


Focus: There are lots of people who prefer a manual focus because you can dictate what object or objects to focus on allowing for more precise focusing. For coyotes, I agree that not having to mess with the focus can be a good thing. You can see part of my focus extension on the image above. I use an extension on virtually all my front focus thermals. It is much easier to find especially in the dark.

Zoom: For me, I have asked Bering on several occasions to come out with a 50mm Hogster version. I don't foresee it happening based on the conversations. It still wouldn't get to 3.5 to 4.5 but it would get it closer to 3x. I prefer a little more mag than 2x as well. With PIP, you get double whatever the base mag is. However, with that said, the majority of coyote hunters on this forum are probably dealing with a little more restricted cover. When Pulsar came out with the high mag options and dropped some of the mid 1x - mid 2x mag options, many hunters on PM complained they wanted those options. For most coyote hunters, a 2x base with a PIP of 4x will work well. I have made shots past 400 yards with it (probably lucky), but I do agree for my personal hunting preference, I wish they had an option closer to 3x.

Price: Sounds like for your situation, the Hogster as a scanner, and the Trijicon on the gun is a nice option.
 
The very first thing I did was remove the eye cup. It made it better, but it's not as good as Trijicon. No big deal though.

I have an idea for the focus. Stay tuned...

I figure the more people requesting more magnification, the more likely Bering optics will consider it. The longest shot I've made was 650 yards. I don't typically try those shots, but it was a combination of a long night without seeing anything, having a pretty good idea at the distance, and the fact that the coyote was sitting there taunting me. I wouldn't have tried it without 4.5 magnification.
 
The only thing that kept me from buying a hogster is the lower native magnification. Now with all the uncertainty with this dang Chinese virus it is keeping me from spending the money on anything right now. It would have to be a very good deal for me to buy right now.
 
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I told the lady who answers the phone as well as sent in a message about increasing the base mag. maybe adding recording. Keep prodding them guys.
 

Originally Posted By: Rookietjx2 I figure the more people requesting more magnification, the more likely Bering optics will consider it.
Options are great and hopefully they will listen to those who need more magnification. I just hope they don’t go the way of Pulsar by eliminating their lower-priced low mag scopes. If not for a tight budget at the moment, I would be jumping on the R-25. Here in the mountains that one should work well.
 
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