What is the most affordable Thermal Riflescope?
- Thread starter SonOfAGun
- Start date
That really depends on what you are going to use it for, desired size, platform it will be mounted on, and lastly what your definition of “affordable” is. As a benchmark, a quality thermal scope with reasonable resolution and at least 60hz refresh rate will run you between $3-5k+. And then there are ATN, and Pulsar……which are less than $1k. This is definitely a situation where you get what you pay for.
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To complement BigVitamin's post, I have seen affordable thermal scopes, but I have not seen one I would use to hunt with.
The ones under $600 USD, some of them could be decent spotting scopes, i.e. you could pair them with a proper IR scope when you are ready to shoot.
The ones under $600 USD, some of them could be decent spotting scopes, i.e. you could pair them with a proper IR scope when you are ready to shoot.
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I think the AGM Rattler is a nice affordable unit. I have the TS 25-256 and it does everything i need
when shooting rats, etc. I do also use their monocular ASP-Micro-TM160 to locate rats when I'm using
my ATN night vision scope. Or and mix or the two. Don't get confused between night vision and thermal.
Both work very good for me. It's a situational thing when to use what.
Now get busy....
when shooting rats, etc. I do also use their monocular ASP-Micro-TM160 to locate rats when I'm using
my ATN night vision scope. Or and mix or the two. Don't get confused between night vision and thermal.
Both work very good for me. It's a situational thing when to use what.
Now get busy....
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I've used several atn thermals 320 sensor is smallest I'd go and with a 320 your going to want a higher base mag like 3 or higher 160 sensors aren't worth it in my opinion
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@SonOfASlug What's your budget? What's affordable for some of us may be expensive to you or vice versa. It also helps to you know your intended purpose is for said thermal riflescope. What range(s) do you intend to shoot and at what sized target(s)? There are a dew good threads on thermal monoculars and riflescopes on AGN. Here's one for informational purposes https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/thermal-optics-for-hunting.1199364/
Check out some of the others.
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My budget is around 2500CAD. I have found a couple suppliers here in Canada but their prices are way out to lunch. On amazon.ca I can get an ATN THOR LT 160 3 x 6 for 1500CAD. That is the cheapest i see. I will check out that thread! Thank you for that -
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Not sure how you intend to use a thermal riflescope, but I strongly suggest looking at units with laser rangefinders (LRF) if you intend to shoot at night with airguns. The ATN Thor or AGM Varmint are thermal rifle scopes that you may find within your budget. Especially if you catch them on sale or buy used, refurbished, or demo units. Just ask if used, demo, or refurbished units are sold with a warranty. From what I’ve seen the image quality isn’t so great on those brands at high magnification. I’ve owned an AGM Rattler TS35 (384 sensor) and promptly returned it. I suggest considering no less than an 384 sensor if you need to use the zoom on them.
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This is what I have on my .25 Sumatra that I used for medium game ranged hunting. I bought it a few years ago for $5k+. This site has them on sale at a killer price: https://gearcentralsupply.com/store/Steiner-S35-Thermal-Pre-Order-“Read-Description”-p567029449
im not familiar with the site, so do some research, there maybe even cheaper ones out there on sale of this model. This model will give you an idea of the specifications of a top quality thermal scope to compare others to. Pay attention to resolution, thermal sensor size and sensor resolution (this one is 640), as well as refresh rate, which is crucial for hunting anything that moves at any pace or distance. keep in mind this model is now several years old and doesn’t represent current technology advancement in the realm, but is still a very functional and feature-rich optic from a well established optics company. Hope this helps!
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Right now the most affordable is probably the Sightmark.
outdoorlegacygear.com
Sightmark Wraith Mini 2-16x Thermal Rifle Scope
Description The Wraith Mini Thermal offers the same peerless quality of Sightmark’s Wraith Mini digital night vision models on a digital thermal riflescope. The new Wraith Mini Thermal comes equipped with a powerful 384x288 sensor resolution which enhances imaging algorithms to create a crisp...
outdoorlegacygear.com Upvote 0
They've never stopped any of my orders.
Thermal gear is perfectly legal in Canada. You can import, as well. We have restrictions on export of some items (via US treaties), but that's the only restriction I know of.
I've also sent thermal gear to Ukraine without problems.
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This is good news. Much appreciatedDo you have a site I can check out?
Domestic: Brandon Optics, they're in Vancouver. As far as I can tell, the best selection in Canada. I've never had a problem with them.
The cheap stuff? Amazon, Ebay, ali-express, etc. Basically that's a sliding scale. Amazon will treat you the best, generally be reliable, but have the highest prices. Ebay is significantly cheaper, but it might be difficult to find a vendor you trust and shipping & returns can be sketchy, and ali-express is further down that rabbit hole.
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@SonOfASlug Buy from a reputable vendor. If you need to make a warranty claim you'll want to contact the vendor and you'll regret buying through Amazon.
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