Thread: Night vision vs hunting torch update.

From a previous posting of mine regarding PARD 008's and Sytong HT-60:

I have two PARD's, one on a .17HMR (Gen1) for rabbits and one on a Creedmore (Gen2 with OLED screen) for deer on private land. They are excellent.

Advantages:
1/2 the weight of the Pulsar's
While they look 'different' they actually have good ergonomics once mounted
Battery life is excellent, and easy to replace because its a standard 18650 - no special battery.
I can get 4-6 hours out of a single battery hunting rabbits with the laser illuminator on 100% output, but turning the screen (and illuminator) off between shots while looking for the next candidate with the thermal bino's.
'Instant on' from cold or screen off mode is very quick. From the screen off mode it is instant. This means you can single push the power button to shut the screen off, then push it once and it will instantly turn on.
You can program the unit to start up from cold in a bunch of different modes - colour/black and white, illuminator on/illuminator off, illuminator power setting, magnification, etc. This makes it super easy to have it preset for opportunity shooting - oh look, a deer ..... hit power button and its good to go.
The laser illuminator (yes, it is a laser, not a 'torch') is switched on/off with the screen to conserve battery. This means you don't have to be turning it on/off separately.
The laser illuminator has plenty of boogie for any hunting out 100-150m. Beyond that, I wouldn't feel safe squeezing the trigger.

Disadvantages:
I find the magnification a bit high. Using thermal bino's set to 2.5x for scanning rabbits, then having to change over to 6x IR takes an extra couple of seconds to adjust to. 3-4 power would be ideal.
An 'issue' for all IR units, is that the objective lens needs to be focused on a regular basis depending on hunting distances. This is not the easiest thing to do if you are trying to hold the rifle up unsupported while using your non trigger hand to adjust the focus. Shooting off a bi-pod or tripod is no issue.
The Gen2 model with the OLED screen is a sales pitch only, and I actually prefer the non-OLED units as there is less (no) fishbowl effect. I would happily swap out an as new Gen1 for my Gen2 if anyone wants to swap??
IR wash out is an issue if you have ANY reflective objects in close proximity to your rifle eg, long grass, vehicle, ground contour, tree, etc. This also applies to any haze in the air eg smoke or fog. Not an issue for thermal.
They are not at their best in the middle of the day under very bright sunlight (high contrast), but sill perfectly usable. They are excellent in the dying light when normal optics has long gone, or in low light looking into shadow areas.


I also have a Sytong HT-60 3x-8x for the lower magnification mounted on a dedicated .22LR shooting CCI Quite segmented ammo for close range instead of buying a PCP.

My thoughts on the Sytong:
There really isn't anything in it when comparing the Sytong and the PARD. On my units, sitting side by side, I would rank them Gen 1 PARD, Gen 2 PARD, then Sytong in terms of image quality. Between the Gen 2 PARD and the Sytong you really are splitting hairs on visual quality. If you owned one or the other, you wouldn't be wanting to sell the one you have to buy the other for image improvement, so don't make your purchase decision based on that. I still rate the Gen 1 PARD highest as it has the non-OLED screen.
The lower magnification of the 3x-8x is definitely an advantage at .22LR and PCP ranges. Big, big, plus. But, if you are shooting a .17HMR and hunting rabbits out beyond 100m, that is where the higher magnification (native) comes into play. Don't be fooled by the zoom - it is not an optical zoom, its digital, and the picture quality degrades very quickly. You need to work out if you want 3x, or 6x and buy the unit accordingly, or get a clip on, for which I have zero experience with.
If you are looking to hunt larger game (pigs and deer), I would favour the lower magnification Sytong in 3x.
The one small problem I have run into with the Sytong, on my CZ .22, is that the side mounted IR illuminator (compared to the top mounted illuminator on the PARD) seems to bounce spent cases back into the action when cycling the bolt. I have to rotate the rifle as I cycle the bolt to ensure I don't get a jam. Different bolt cycle speeds makes no difference - they bounce back every time. If this was on a rifle that I was using a bi-pod with, I would need to go for a higher mount setup. I currently run mine as low as I can, with only just enough height for the bolt to clear the bottom of the optic.

Hunting recommendations:
Anyone who has used thermal/IR for any reasonable duration of hunting will tell you that trying to use a rifle mounted thermal/IR for scanning is extremely tiresome. The very best solution is a thermal hand held and either a thermal or IR rifle scope, so keep that in mind when you are doing your budget - you will ultimately want a handheld.
Get a red led headlamp for safely walking around in the dark to get from shooting spot to shooting spot without spooking your game. I use a Aliexpress one that takes 18650 batteries and it works a treat.
I find with rabbits, where I shoot, seem to feel safe when I have the red torch on up to about 90m. Closer than that and they will start to move off, For that reason, I use the .17HMR.
If you are hunting by walking around, I strongly recommend a standing height shooting tripod. I use a Primus trigger stick https://www.primos.com/shooting-stic.../PO-65815.html Yes, they are expensive, but they are light and instantly adjustable for the ground conditions and the rifle height required. If you are not using a handled for spotting, factor one of these into the cost of an IR scope because I can guarantee you will end up getting one.

Now you have a problem - you have to carry a rifle, a tripod, and a handheld, and they are all expensive pieces of kit that you don't what to get banged around.
My solution and current setup is as follows:
Set your rifle up with a sling that allows "in the front, barrel down carry", like the good old days when you used to own AR's. This make it super easy to have your rifle slung across your front, your trigger stick tripod in your weak hand, and your thermal handheld in your strong hand.
With the front mount sling, it is super easy to stand the tripod up and place the rifle on the yoke without having to adjust your sling length.
For handheld thermal storage while shooting, I have one of my old (AR) mag dump pouches mounted on my belt on my strong hand side with a piece of sleeping mat foam cut to fit the bottom of the pouch to keep it open like a bucket. Super easy to flip the lens cap closed and drop it into the mag pouch (bucket) rather than trying to fiddle it into or out of its case. Its protected by the foam. Having it on your belt keeps it away from your rifle which is slung across your chest ie a chest bino harness wont work.

Further to the above I would also add:

• IR NV is very susceptible to illuminator flair as stated above, including rain, cloud, fog, smoke, or any close reflective surface including grass if prone. If its raining/foggy/low cloud, grab a different gun or stay home. If the grass is long, shoot standing up, not prone, or go thermal. I've spotted rabbits with my thermal bino's but when you bring the IR up to shoot, you cannot see a thing but long grass.
• For this reason, IR is useless in bush hunting eg shooting possums. If you are chasing possums at torch light distances, IR will offer you no useful advantage.
• Thermal is only partially effected by rain, cloud, fog or smoke. Therefore be careful when pairing it with IR. Just because you can see it with your thermal handheld, doesn't mean you will see it with your IR.
• 850nm IR - I have played around trying to scare game with the 850nm illuminator on the PARD (850nm is visible as opposed to 900nm which is not). To date I have only had one hind that got titchy with me, as I was trying to reposition myself for a better shot on her and was waving the gun around, including at the ground in front of me. I have found that provided you point the gun at the animal before you turn on the illuminator, they may lift their head for a look, but usually go back to feeding without disturbance.

Using IR NV is a very effective method of open ground pest control.

Hope this helps.