Thermal Scopes Are Fantastic!

Came up to my other hunting tract yesterday to turkey hunt and try out my thermal scope on these hogs.

Could've killed 3 or 4 hogs yesterday afternoon, but only had turkey gun with me and with $15/round TSS...so, NO!





After nightfall, it didn't take long to find targets with the thermal AR. Dropped six hogs/pigs pretty quick. Took pics of em this morning after I was blessed with tagging my 2nd gobbler (see Georgia Turkey Hunting thread).


Going back out this evening and tonight with the thermal...

What thermal are you using

Had to be a blast! Did it feel like cheatin'? If so, it will soon be illegal. After all, everything fun seems to be illegal these days.

AGM Rattler V2 384 resolution

Yeah....but these hogs are public enemy #1.

Great job! Happy for ya man! Those things are awesome and addictive, lol. No videos???

Yep your ruint for life now, lol.

So you didn`t keep any meat?

Haha, here we go, lol!! They did the same thing about my pigs I shot. When you can smell the pigs before shooting them, then that’s how it’s gonna taste. Again, sometimes buzzards won’t even touch them, you can bet we ain’t.

Swamp, now get you a suppressor and you’ll really be impressed!!

I see you've gone over to the dark side . ...Enjoy!

You'll put yer eye out with those things!

J/k. Nice shooting Swamp.

No Biden is.

Yes. Videos of all shots. Gotta figure out how to post.

Like WB said....this could get addictive.

That's a fact! Diseased rascals.

That's next and not too far away.

Some screenshot pics from last night...

That’s the one I have, not the best out there but it does the job, no pigs here but it works great on our local coyotes

Yessir...but at $2500...I'm more than satisfied. Especially with the clarity and battery life...9 plus hrs and it came with 2 batteries and charger. Has audio recording too.

I can ID deer or hog at over 400 yds. Can't ask for better without shelling out another $1500 to $2000 extra.

The pics I posted...the doe is about 40yds....the group of pigs is 100yds plus.

Totally agree, would I like one of the higher end units no doubt but what I have fits the bill just fine

Amazing just how fast they are advancing

Sure is...the model I bought reportedly has the sensor in it of a $4000 scope only 1.5 to 2 years ago.

Located 2 ferals that made ìt out of field. Shot one Friday night and another last night.

I’ve thought of getting night vision and would if I was a young man. I know a guy with a $1,000 one and he shoots coyote and wolves but said you can’t tell what you’re shooting. Last year in southern Wisconsin a couple buddies went out night hunting with the cheap ones and split up and one of them shot and killed his friend. 2 lives ruined. Be careful to anyone using a cheap one.

I have the strangest feeling I know why. I have had alot of guys say that and when I look at their rig they don't have their IR illuminator either on , zeroed or it's just way too low powered. That or your day time cap is still in .

This is @ like 175 with my x site 2 it's a 10-12 yr old model and with a

See my pics above. Not too hard to tell what you're shooting at. But this is a $2500 scope. In a year or two, the way the tech is advancing and prices are dropping, one like mine will be $1000.

BIG...BIG difference between night vision and thermal!!!

Yes there is but the problem is still not having positive ID on what your shooting at, what your looking through is immaterial to that (basic gun safety) a few years ago a couple out hog hunting using good thermal scopes and one sees a hot spot in some bushes and shoots at it, turned out to be a homeless man who had crawled into the bushes to sleep, they killed him

They were charged with manslaughter

Good grief! Why would somebody shoot at a target without 100% positive ID???

Here’s a deer at about 75yds or so…

Not only can you tell it’s a deer but you can tell it’s a buck.
I’ve called in a pair of bulldogs at night and could tell exactly what they were.
Hogs are definitely easy to pick out in a thermal. And just shooting at something “black or white” deserves punishment.
I’ve given this advice to everyone that’s new to a thermal. Take that scope out at night just to look. Go to known areas and look around and just try and identify everything you see. I don’t really ever take mine off base magnification, so look through it how you be shooting with it.

Very Cool Stuff

Mine stayed on 3x past 2 nights. I saw no need to zoom.

Last night, I saw a small creature about 60yds in front of me in some dead grass....it was hopping and standing on hind legs. Thought it was a young rabbit at first. It ended up being a field mouse. Had to get within 30 yds to positive ID....lol

I put my new iray to work last night as well. Forgot to record it though lol

Yes there is but the problem is still not having positive ID on what your shooting at, what your looking through is immaterial to that (basic gun safety) a few years ago a couple out hog hunting using good thermal scopes and one sees a hot spot in some bushes and shoots at it, turned out to be a homeless man who had crawled into the bushes to sleep, they killed him

They were charged with manslaughter [/quote]
Good grief! Why would somebody shoot at a target without 100% positive ID???[/quote]
Didnt you used to be a game warden? And you still have to ask that question?

Bearcat,
Failure to positively identify your target is the cardinal sin in hunting and shooting.

I've never got a clear answer to that question.

This group was my first thermal kills last Friday night. Never shot with a thermal until this first group of hogs. One appears to have escaped, but he came back out in field a few mins later....bad mistake.

First shot was off a tripod rest. Running shots were freehand and I struggled some.

https://youtu.be/8mFgVbBUcNM?si=8E9SdSPvDNIgjUeV

I didn't have the audio on....but I turned it on later that night. Still learning about the scope settings.

Nice shooting SWAMP!!! 5.56 at how many yards?

WRR,
Yes...5.56...hogs in video were about 75 to 80 yds.

Long ago when we first started getting these they were 12 grand! Nice to see the price is coming way down on them.

Outstanding shooting Swamp!!! If I had fields to hunt I might consider putting one on an AR platform. I have shot three on the first go around with a bolt and higher elevation. I “try” and set up my bait sites for multiple shots. Unfortunately when folks call me to take care of some problems their feeders are never in the open and always around cover.

Thanks!!!!

Awesome video and great shooting! A hunt like that the first time out takes the sting out of the price of the thermal doesn't it? LOL

Ol dad

My Hero!!!! Looks like FUN!!!!

Sure does. I could've killed several more but got tired of walking across the fields. Got up to take a leak at midnight Saturday night and took a look across field by my camphouse. There were 35 to 40 hogs scattered across back of field about 500 yds away. I turned scope off and went back inside....lol

What state you in now Swamp?

Looking forward to the 1st coyote......

Southern Georgia

I'm still stuck on the $15/round to kill a corn buzzard.

They are like squirrels around here. People are hitting them on the roads.

Could probably use a stick.

Georgia gobblers nothing like what you're describing. Our birds are actaully wild turkeys...not domestic corn buzzards.

TSS turkey loads have many advantages...extended range, denser patterns, shot remaining in bird is rare.

20ga TSS is only about $12 a round!! I’m coming out cheaper with all the benefits of a 12ga, lol!

Hay that is pretty good shooting for off hand. Not many here can do as well, congratulations......jk

I won't post the videos where I didn't do as well.....lol.

Here's another...125yds approx.

Free hand shot. 1st shot was lethal. Other 2 missed. Bigger hog...200lb boar.

Watch small tree shake when hog ran into it. He was DRT.

https://youtu.be/tkkQ9jsgl2E?si=lDlFRsubre1Tq8nD

See deer at end of video wondering what the heck is going on.

And another...100yds approx.

This was also a bigger boar...about 175lbs.

1st shot was lethal. He made it into woodline and piled up...after he ran thru a bunch of other hogs and deer....limiting additional shots.

https://youtu.be/hBO_X6RM0Hs?si=0GfVVqOG3OmHjCBM

On my wish list.

I see you’re embracing the dark side quite well. Wait until you add a suppressor, lol. You go full Darth Vader then!
Great shooting.
I have the Gen2 trigger stick tripod and like it a lot for pigs. If I’m going calling, I’ll take the DeathGrip.

Gotta get me a set of sticks!

Keep the videos coming!

I'm still kicking around whether to build a 6.8 SPC or ar-10 (.308), or just keep punching holes with a 5.56. It seems lots of hogs run after being hit with a 5.56, unless hit perfect right behind the ear. I think the .308 would change that but recoil would probably make for harder follow up shots. The 6.8 spc II is somewhat of an inbetween round.

Would be fun if the state allowed us to shoot rabbits with a suppressed bolt action .22 short. You could go full on sniper mode!

With the price of thermal scopes becoming more affordable, who else thinks there is going to be an uptick in the number of B&C entries over the next few years. lol

ol dad

Probably so about the big deer being killed illegally. I'm sure it's already occurring down here.

Game wardens caught a guy 2 hours northeast of here last fall that shot from a public road using a thermal scope. They temporarily seized his rifle with thermal scope. A search warrant was obtained for the electronic recording device (the scope) and they discovered deer being shot at night, multiple without permission kills, and many, many shots from public roads.....ALL recorded with dates and times...and locations. He lost his equipment and a few $$.

Ol'boy didn't think about that when he was poaching with that high tech gear....lol!!!

I have seen a couple nice bucks with the thermal even during season and the thought has never even crossed my mind. I’d rather sling an arrow through a buck any day of the week.

AR’s are fine for hunting, but add a thermal and suppressor and that weight gets on up there. If I could find a base .308 starting out about 6# or so I might. But that DPMS I have weighs in about 12# or more with a full mag and decked out with everything. And the way our land is set up I may have a 400yd walk or more to get to the pigs based on not being seen and the wind. That plus a tripod just gets a little much, especially during our hot humid nights of Summer.

I'm considering weight on my AR, too. Thinking about a new 5.56 upper and going ahead and starting the suppressor process. But, the weight and I've already seen I must have a rest of some sort to shoot standing. So, all that is gonna be cumbersome.

In the near future, most of hog killing will be from baited stands or blinds at night.

Ours are wild (trapped in Missouri and relocated here in 1971)

They are all corn buzzards. I see them on my dead piles, even. I've eaten a few. Won't do that again. They aint no butterball.

Even the USDA is killing them now (as a nuisance critter).

The Farmers here see them on the same plain is the pigs...but of course the pigs are a lot worse (unless you don't get your corn out before winter) then the results the same.

Most wish they could get rid of them but of course the state touts them as a great game bird. Most of us know better. Follow the money.

Different parts of the Country = different attitudes.

Part of the problem is you live in "metro" MN.

I live and hunt in the woods.

They are good eating, if you know how to cook them. I take the breasts and chunk them into "nuggets" batter and deep fry. The legs don't taste bad, but they are like chewing gum unless you want to boil them for a day or two. So all I do is cut the beard off, slit the hide up the middle of the breast, pull it back and slice the meat off the breast. Then grab them by the feet and wing the rest of the bird over the hill.

Problem is that a turkey tag costs the same as a deer tag, and there is a heck of a lot less meat on one. I get one turkey with my Sportsmans Package or I would never buy one, the price is ridiculous for what you get out of them. And I certainly wouldn't be spending no $15 a round on them. I do like shooting 3 1/2s and I've shot quite a few over 60 yards with them, so what is the advantage of these high priced rounds? Would prefer to use a rifle over a shotgun.

There’s a difference in hunting turkeys and shooting turkeys. And I dang sure ain’t doing it for the meat, lol. Don’t get me wrong, the meat is great, but factor in licenses for multiple states, tags, airline tickets, gas money, and all associated equipment and it boils down to about $50 for every bite of those birds. I tell my wife this is the most expensive meal you’ve ever eaten, lol.

You didn't even mention the enjoyment of hunting them, hearing them gobble, calling them in. What is that worth?

Maybe you should just buy one in a grocery store and save your money and those 3 5" loads.

Is it all about $$ to you?

I'm glad I don't have your attitude about hunting and out wildlife. Very sad.

I 2nd bear cat on cost of tags. That's why I don't hunt them myself, I do take the boys. Youth license is included and cheaper though have gone up in price. My small game and fishing combo was $32 yesterday it used to be 24. Deer tags used to be 12 but I think they are above 24 now don't know have not bought any since they went to 24.

Yes I can afford it but think it's to high. It's also why I don't hunt in IL or KY for deer out of state rage for a deer at to high so I don't go. So fare no license needed to hunt mushrooms but I expect that will be coming soon.

I did buy the boys some tss shot and chokes to try out for turkey. Now I have never seen patterns so tight and dense in my life 8 to 10 in patterns at 40 yards. But I didn't want the kids shooting patterns that would be 2 in at 20 yards and miss with the excitement so we went with the old standard 3-in number fives good thing because they shot their turkeys 13 and 15 yd.

I like being out and will drop way more cash when it's a trip for the boys and gear for them to hunt. But when it come for me to hunt I'm not going to be dropping much cash. I will be in work cloths boots and with whatever old bear up gun bow or x bow I have had fore a few decades. Kill plenty when I decide to pack a gun or bow. I just rather take kids. I don't really need to do the trigger pulling anymore. Probably why I don't mind spending money for and on the kids hunt but won't do so for me to hunt.

If there aint spring gobblers in heaven im not sure i want to go..

Ol dad

Does this price come with a range finder? How do you get accurate distance after dark if it doesn't?

For my PNW trips I’ll spend right at $600 in license and tags. But, that’s for 3 states…Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
That doesn’t include gas while hunting there…cheaper in Idaho.
And it doesn’t include airfare or food.

I hunt turkeys for the challenge and enjoyment of it. Seeing different States and wildlife are a huge bonus. Different species sound different and react different. They’re all turkeys, but each species has its own personality. It comes down to be able to adapt to the different types terrain features.

I realize some places have turkeys that act like pets. Unfortunately I have never hunted anywhere with turkeys like that, lol. I’ve been successful in the first day or two, and I’ve finally filled my tag on the last day there. It’s a personal sense of accomplishment to “scout” areas on a map from almost 2000 miles away and then show up and be successful. I’m always full of anticipation on the flight out and generally sleep the entire flight back due to exhaustion. A flatlander heading to elevation is rough! By the same token, a person coming from a low humidity elevated area down to the swamps or open pines with 60-70% humidity is rough for them. It’s being able to adapt to your environment that helps with success.

I don’t hunt them because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. Something happens during the Spring that compels me to get out and chase those birds. It’s almost primitive in nature. I gave up decoys and fans many years ago. Now it’s all calling and woodsmanship. It’s anticipating what that birds next move is. The very art of turkey hunting goes against nature. I’m trying to reverse nature and make that bird come to me vs what a real hen would do. His gobbles and drumming brings the hens to him…I have to convince him to come to me. It’s that challenge that keeps me up at night and rising well before dawn to pursue that gobble.

Every hunt is like a game. I equate it to baseball. Sometimes I never get in the stadium. Sometimes I’m actually in the game. I don’t always score or win, but I never lose. I learn…

I very seldom call them in, I find it much more enjoyable to run them down and shoot them than to sit on my butt and have them come to me. I know a lot of people, especially back east, really get into hunting them. That's fine, different people like different types of hunting, I really like hound hunting, which a lot of people don't. But to me turkey (and deer and elk) hunting is a mildly enjoyable way to put meat in the freezer. And I think the price of tags is ridiculous, I'm sitting here watching about 50 out my window while I type this. We can get several tags here, turkeys are certainly not rare, in places you can shoot half a dozen of them. So other than being a tremendous money maker for Fish and Game, why the ridiculous high prices on tags, for what you get out of them?

That was an honest question on the TSS loads though, what advantage are they over a 12 gauge 3.5"? Fartherest I've shot one with a 12 gauge was a pace over 70 yards, and I've never hit one (I've missed one or two at close range, with a XX full choke it is like shooting a rifle at under 20 yards) that didn't kill it with one shot.

No rangefinder on my scope. Rifle is sighted in to group about an inch high at 100 yds. Out to about 200 yds is about as far as I'm gonna shoot anything. Hold dead on and squeeze....no complications.

Bearcat2,
The advantage to using TSS is mostly the denser loads and extended range.

Extended range is usually not needed, but when it is it can make the hunt.

TSS allows smaller/lighter gauge guns to be used.

Better than a 3.5 lead turkey load? Probably not, but my 3" 12 ga with TSS will likely pattern better than most 3.5" 12s with lead loads. Is it really needed? No....but I don't own a 3.5" gun. Furthest I've killed one with TSS is 38 steps (last weekend).

I've killed 2 or 3 in excess of 40 yds with 3" Longbeard XR 5s.

I've killed 5 gobblers with TSS loads in past 3 seasons. I've yet to find a pellet in the meat...clean pass thru.


I can't argue anymore about hunting gobblers that are near tame compared to our truly wild birds. When wildlife becomes a nuisance in someone's eyes they lose value. Folks hate deer, folks hate turkeys, folks hate anything they're not interested in and de-value it. Really sad.

Sounds like we all need to go to Idaho!!!!!

Idaho birds weren’t exactly easy for me, lol. Bought a 3 day license and finally made it happen on the 3rd afternoon!

TSS actually allows a smaller gauge being equal to a larger gauge. I’ll put my patterns out of my Youth 20ga against any 12ga out there.

As far as distances, yes I’ve really misjudged on range, especially on the prairies of the Midwest. But, it was a dead bird! I won’t shoot past 40 for the most part. I prefer them between 25-35yds. Anything closer and I better not shake, lol. I’ve had to let birds walk off to give me a little distance.

I’m up in the air about a scope with an LRF. I could see where it would be nice for coyotes if you’re in big country. Down here 200yds is considered a LONG shot where I hunt without being elevated. I also know most distances on the properties I hunt. If I don’t, I can use the compass feature on OnX to get distances before hitting the call.

All (most) of my pigs are shot at a bait site with a cell camera letting me know pigs are there. Most pigs can be stalked to the point of too close. In fact I was walking to one of my sites and the pigs had moved and luckily I heard them and when I got the gun up they were within 25yds and closing. When pigs brush your legs when they scatter, you got way too close, lol! At night, that really gets the ticker ticking!

100% correct. I remember when hunting Kansas the farmers talking about how much they hate turkeys and they’d spread corn down the roads during the winter and wait until a flock was feeding and run them down in the roads.
Today Kansas now has a draw for nonresidents and only one bird.
They lost their value and locals decimated the population and now it’s not worth it unless you’re just wanting to cross that State off the list. Quite a few States have reduced their limits and availability to nonresidents.

So if you have a high population, consider yourself lucky. And if you dislike nonresidents, y’all got your wish. A lot of money has been lost from those that like to travel.

This is true to a degree, but I've spent most of my life in the woods (and trapped in several states, some near you) My hunting land (not in the metro) is bordered by miles of woods. Farmers here hate them far far worse than the citiots do. Well, until they start chasing their kids around. Then like always, they have a change of heart. Same with beaver when they do what they do.

But as always, To each his own.

In my opinion, TSS is to make 20 and .410 realistic turkey guns. 12 ga hunters dont need it - plenty of non TSS make a 12 ga a 50 yd gun. If you are shooting turkeys over 50 yards, you are hunting them for the wrong reason.

Won't always be like that^^^

Then yall will be saying "what happened to all our turkeys."