Decoding Darkness

So why do we care about a larger field of view? Every degree added increases what you can see in the dark without panning your head around.

In this article, I cover the IRay ZOOM, which offers a unique feature to a thermal scanner.

If you are going to shoot in two different spectrums, you need the ability to illuminate and target ID in both of them.  Enter the SureFire M600V Scout Light. SureFire’s dual output weapon light, helping you see in the visible spectrum as well as IR (infrared).

After running the Pulsar Thermion 2 XP50 for around 6 months through many nights out in the field, I will share some of the features and my experiences with this optic. animals, thermal is king.

I dropped down onto the other side of the ranch gate and onto the saturated soil. I was hunting private property south of Longview, Texas, in early April 2021, and it had been raining much of the last 24 hours. It had been raining pretty steady for the last three days of my time here in East Texas, which made the fields and pastures even more inviting to the feral hogs that so love to root up the ground.

The Bering Optics Hogster Stimulus is no question fantastic for the dollar, if you are on a very limited budget. At $1599, you would be hard pressed to find something that will hang with it as far as capabilities go. But what if you have a little more in the tank? To answer that question, we took a look at the Stimulus side by side with Hogster R-35.

That was one of the furthest shots I’ve even made with a thermal optic, at night, on a hog. My guide and fellow hunters were cheering my shot, and I certainly felt good about it. But I also knew the REAP-IR made the shot possible.

I’m an unashamed shotgun nerd, and I love all types of shotguns. This includes guns that are technically not shotguns but use shotgun patterns, shotgun ammunition, and the like. You know, those pesky little firearms like the TAC-14 and Shockwave firearms. These guns tend to be tough to aim and tough to shoot, at least compared to a stocked shotgun. Crimson Trace has your back in making that a fair bit easier via the Crimson Trace Laser Saddle.

Thermal optics have long been the domain of the, uh, not poor. While some people have a job that can justify the upfront cost, it has not been a realistic option for the masses. Granted, prices have gone down. But not down to the point of accessibility to the masses. Until now.