So what’s the best Thermal Night Vision device? There are many variables to answering that question such as; are you looking for a thermal scope to mount on an AR-15 style rifle or just a thermal monocular/viewer? Thermal monoculars are generally going to cost less for the same performance/capability meaning for the same range and resolution a thermal scope will cost significantly more than a viewer. The reason is that the scope will need to have an adjustable reticle that you can zero to your rifle, as well as the thermal scope will need to have some recoil protection/ shock mitigation system so you don’t destroy the sensitive thermal core the first time you shoot with it.
Many hunters are now going with a hybrid set up where they will use a thermal viewer/monocular for detection in conjunction with a very high resolution dedicated night vision scope for target identification and precise shot placement. The reason for this two device approach is that even the best thermal scope will not come close to the resolution as a high quality Gen 3 night vision device, and for many animals their heat signature will make it very difficult to identify what type of animal you could be shooting at.
However a good piece of thermal will be superior for detection purposes while the NV will be superior for identification. Thus for the price of a high end thermal scope, one could get a good thermal viewer and an outstanding night vision scope and use the viewer for scouting/scanning and the scope for magnification and taking your shot. This set up will also enable a hunter to not have to hold up their rifle the whole night to see. An excellent and popular example of this combo is our thermal night vision which gives you the best thermal resolution possible in a handy light weight pocket size monocular used with our Night Vision Scope.
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