Got a new EOTech XPS2-Z site in on Thursday, I had time to sight it in between jobs on Friday. That evening, the last day of February I had a bit of time to hunt. I carried the X320 thermal device with me. A lot of people think of thermal devices as night vision for night hunting, which is not correct. We use them during the day as well, especially in thick timber. Thermal can be very helpful spotting bedded animals or animals in brush before you get close enough to spook them. That was the case on this hunt. I spotted a big hog in the brush with many young ones with her of all sizes, indicating that they were not all hers. Just about the time I would get a clear shot the little pigs would run towards her and she would try to get away from them. This cat and mouse game led me to more bedded hogs and I noticed a young spotted boar. I squeezed a .223 round through the brush and dropped the hog right there. I got it set up, took pics and moved on. I moved on and got on hogs again dropping a small for the smoker!
I was standing about 60 yards in the direction the hog is facing when I made the shot.

How do you like that X-320 scanner, I saw them at the Shot Show and tried them out there at the l3 bOOTH, but have not seen anyone that had them in stock to sell as of yet. They look pretty nice for the price and should cover most of what anyone needs a handheld for.

I just got a FLIR M-18 last week for the same situations that you mentioned above, it is a killer handheld scanner.

it is the clearest handheld I've use so far. I really like it. I have the old model and it is waaaaay better than it.

Thanks Glenn, I thought so, it is a major improvement over the previous versions, glad to hear ya like it.

Here is a pic of the M-18:



And a view at 175 yards to my game cam tree;



I've got a FLIR PS-32 and LS-64 and the M18 is the top of the line in handhelds, we use them all the time and they really are great to have in the field at night, and as you mentioned, during the day too!

BTW, nice to see ya with a T-shirt on out in the woods, last time it looked like you were on the North Pole!!! lol

What would you estimate the range is on a hundred pound hog on a 65 degree day? What factors affect it ?
Thanks

we were back at the North pole this morning! Saturday the high temp was 77, this morning started at 9 the high was just about 4pm at 31! About an inch or so of white stuff.

I've spotted them from nearly a mile away, maybe further. High humidity is the worst thing with thermal. You can still see animals, but it is harder to make out what they are. In really high humidity as in 100% you can spot animals, but it makes it harder to judge distance because you can't see trees and such to judge by. I recently hunted in such conditions and the thermal devices worked, but were real grainy. However lights were of no use whatsoever!

Glenn, here are some germanium extender lenses that you can get to put some really long range on your unit if you need that:

http://www.tplogic.com/products/afocal_access.php

Hope it warms up some again for ya out there....

For really long range, you can get some germanium extender lenses for them too:

http://www.tplogic.com/products/afocal_access.php


Sorry, dupe....