Just got back from hog hunting in East Texas. Got to try a couple different thermals out. Was going to give you my feedback if you haven't decided one yet. I've got some videos I can post up if you want.

Ol dad

Did you mean SwampWolf? I posted on this last week.

If so, I haven't purchased yet. But, I have determined that I need to spend a little more $$...and to stay away from ATN products.

Looking hard at this one...

https://thermalopticsplus.com/produ...thermal-riflescope-with-free-accessories

Yeah, sorry I meant swamp wolf. Tired and been a long last few days.

I'm uploading some videos to YouTube now so I can link them to trapperman.com. I got to hunt with AGM adder ts35 and an ATN. Both 384's and in your price range. I'll post up the videos here in a few minutes once they're uploaded.

Ol dad

First two videos are from the AGM adder ts35. The first one is of a boar that I shot at about 125 yd. The second one is a sow that I shot at around 100 yards under the feeder. Followed up with a third shot on a different sow. You can see a deer in the first video just in front of the boar. I really like this scope for the money. I watched some deer from about 200 yards and the image was sufficient to tell what they were but you could tell the outline was a little more fuzzy. I think for a little extra money it would be worth getting the 50 mm objective just to make follow-up shots easier. The last video is of an ATn Thor 1.5 power. That hog was shot at about 85 yards. In my opinion the AGM is far better quality than the ATn. None of our crew had a pulsar so unfortunately I can't comment on that one but I've heard good things from some friends about them. I don't think you could go wrong with the AGM or a pulsar.

The AGM was mounted on an AR platform chambered in 6.8 spc. The ATM on a AR platform chambered in 300 blackout. Both the boar and the sow in the first two videos ran about 50 yards before expiring.








Ol dad

Thanks for the info. Cool vids!

No problem. Not the best videos but all I got. Was watching your thread before I left and was hoping to have something to report for you.

Ol dad

A couple trophy shots and images looking through thermal scope of deer and rabbits








Ol dad

What power scope was the AGM?

https://www.agmglobalvision.com/thermal-imaging/thermal-weapon-sights/adder-ts35-384

Here is the link to that scope. Looks like 3x power base magnification.

I should mention that these videos are ones I took with my phone while they were playing on the computer screen and are a bit misleading as to the quality of the image you see through the scope.

Ol dad

The Base magnification on thermal scopes is very important when deciding on a scope. The sight picture starts getting grainy very fast as the power is turned up. Just to say that it is very important when comparing scopes to compare those with not only equal resolution, but equal base power. My son in law has a good deal less expensive scope than mine that is 4x base power - same brand as my much more expensive base 1X - and the identification range on his is twice the distance as mine.

Nice videos my brother just left for Ga this morning to do some hog hunting he usually sends a video or two I should go with one of these years

I want one, but honestly I can kill as many coyotes in the daytime...Seems like the night hunting pressure is helping with that.

Technology is changing so fast anything you buy will be soon outdated, but that's the same with a lot of things.

Hogs on the other hand....Might be necessary.

I'm leaning hard to make the purchase mainly for hogs.

But, Georgia is about to legalize the taking of fox and bcats using electronic calls. Prior, coyotes were the only land-based critter you could call in and kill using electronic calls. My next purchase will be a good e-caller.

The difficulty for me in justifying spending a lot of money on a thermal scope is that it relies on batteries and software. Without those two things you have nothing. Of course the crosshairs could be damaged in a traditional scope but it would be a rare occasion for that to happen. Traditional scoops have stood the test of time. Thermal scopes have not. I'm not sure I'm ready to spend four or five grand on something that if the software goes bad in 5 years there is no support for it. And then you're stuck with something of no value.

All of our shots are generally a hundred yards or less as that's where the feeder is placed. So I could get by with a 384 and low base power. That puts me in the 2k to $3,000 range. I'm still uncomfortable spending that for something that may or may not have any value in ten years. Obviously it's up to each individual person. I know I have drank that much and peed it out on the ground during my lifetime, so why buying an expensive thermal gives me reservations I'm not sure. LOL

Ol dad

I've been bouncing this ^^^ around in my hollow skull too.

It would sting pretty bad to have a $3000 piece of useless junk in my gun cabinet.

This is also one of the reasons I've turned away from any ATN products.....Customer service reviews are all over the page. From shockingly terrible to outstanding....

I won’t persuade one brand or another, but I’ll say this. You get what you pay for with optics. Yes there are some decent scopes for $3K and there are some really nice scopes for $5K. On a purchase like a thermal, I didn’t want to look back three months later and say “I wish I would’ve…”
Base mag was in my equation and I actually didn’t go with what was recommended (low for hogs) and don’t regret my decision. I still kill from 25-200.
The biggest thing to me is POWER…what powers the scope? Internal or external power or both?

If I had one complaint and it’s really not a complaint unless I was some type of influencer, is sound. Neither of my scopes have sound. Again, that may be a good thing, lol. They might not be suitable for entertainment if they had it.
I think most have their own WiFi, I think. Haven’t really tested the AGM. My main thermal does and I can download the videos immediately while still on stand if I want and sometimes I have done it. Some of my videos are for entertainment, mostly it’s to show the landowners a video then a pic of the dead critter. If I’m getting paid to hunt at night, I like to show something in return. And before posting I get permission. It’s their land and while most people wouldn’t be able to tell through a thermal video where it was, someone might recognize something and I want the landowners permission before he gets a phone call asking if so and so is supposed to be hunting their land at night.

With remote.

Ol’ Dad, did you like the white hot or black hot better?

I'm a hired trapper, but doubt I'll be a hired shooter.

I'm think I'm gonna pursue getting a suppressor also.

Didn’t want to mention that. Figured overwhelming an “older” guy like yourself might just put you over the edge!!!

But yeah, here’s the deal with a suppressor…Once you shoot a gin with one, you won’t want to ever shoot one without one, lol!!! I’m pulling the trigger on another as well, lol. I just want to shoot to hear that bullet travel and the thwack of impact. With that said, you definitely know when you miss too! That’s the sound you DON’T want to hear…just that bullet!

Not a hired gun, just paid for what I kill whether it’s caught and shot or just shot.