I need some good advice on the right night sight.

I know you can get the military versions for 1000's of $'s, but I want something in the rangefinder price class, that works.....

The last two words are the most important.

I will be using it for Leopard, Bushpig, Jackal and Caracal hunting, as well as security at home and on the farm. So it needs to have a clear picture......

Any suggestions? I have someone that can bring it from the US or Europe for me if I can find it......

Your help will be much appreciated...

Regards

Charl
www.infinito-safaris.com

Anything less than Generation 3 is useless. And generation 3 are very expensive, so take your choice.

Thanks Saeed, looks like it will have to be the expensive road then....as most people told me.

Will give it some time and see what some of the other members come up with........

They are illegal for hunting in France and therefore rarely available. They may in fact be classified as military matériel and therefore require special authorization. I don't know about other European countries.

Have to agree with Saeed. Have tried using gen 1 and Gen 1+ kit from both Russian and American sources for night PAC and anti poaching. Waste of time - when you can hear the elephants in the feild but cannot see them it is very frustrating.

From a blind watching a bait some of the American Gen 1 or Gen 1+ kit would be OK. You need to pre focus both occular and objective lenses for the distance being observed. Done right they give a reasonable picture. We mainly used Gen I kit for spotting poachers fires. The light from a fire reflects off the trees and is visible at up to 30km with even second rate kit. The Yank special forces working with us on the anti poaching made a generous donation of a large ammount of Russian kit captured in the first gulf war. For putting in an op and looking for fires it was fine.

For walking in on the bad guys we had US or Brit supplied head sets. Presume generation III but not sure. Very good - Sadly it was all withdrawn once diplomatic relations between the west and zim got strained.

To get gen III kit out of the USA you need an Export permit. It is quite a process!!! Am in the middle of trying to sort out a couple for the lion research programme!

The very best is a devise that mounts in front of any conventional scope making that scope usable at night to its full daylight capabilities. This devise is called a MUNS and I only know of 1 available. It will cost 12,500.00. I have used them and they are unbelievable, the best BUT they are not cheap.


Perry

To throw my oar in; when the gen 1 scopes came out, really, all you could see was a green blob roughly the shape of a human form; of course, the presumption was all blobs to your front was a gomer. Another thing to remember is these units are image intensifiers, which means there must be some ambient light for the scopes to intesify. I have been in forest areas where there simply was not enought ambient light for the units to work. Year before last we were leopard hunting in Zim and it was so dark that I doubt any night vision other than infrared would have been effective. Also, the older units did not have much, if any, magnification. Additionally the older units did not have any anti-blooming ability. Rifle fire or a match, or any other source of light would over power the unit causing you to see nothing but a green field of view for a few seconds.

1sst gen are a tube unit with a lifespan of about 6000 hrs, but their capability decreases throughout lifespan. if you are looking at say 50 yards with a IR illuminator you can see the shape of your target. (incidently many animals see IR light) gen II are still tube type with a much longer lifespan, again decreasing. at your 50 yard target you will be able to see a much more distinct form, but again will need the illuminator unless its a bright night. Gen III are solid state without lifespan or decrease. your 50 yard target will now be a clear green image. gen 3+ make the gen 3 look cheap. you can see at 200 yards what you did at 50 with gen 3. weapons sight are much more expensive than viewers. For a gen 1 sight you can find for 150, gen II for about 600 and 3 for about 3500. 3+ are not really to available but are in the 6-12000 range. Thermal sights are worse in cost a good one is going to set you back about 50000. An alternative is to place a gen 3 viewer (about 1500) in front of the scope. You will then see your target viewed through the scope. the disadvantage is that they are really not made to take recoil, thus you stand a good chance or breaking the viewer unless you are using something with a very low recoil. Just isn't a cheap good way out.

elcan makes a low light version of their digital hunter that is an infrared unit so it works great and you can use an illuminator that you and the animals cant see with your bare eye. lights them up like daylight plus the scope takes a picture or video of what you shoot. be sure it is the low light model with illuminators.it is about 1500 bucks I like it but its up to you.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/elcan-digital-video-riflesc...ight-riflescope.html

Charl,
Have you tried red lenses on varmits and predators? We used them with great success before any night hunting for predators was banned (Thanks Deer poaching SOB's). Red light didn't bother them at all. Powder River.....and cheap. Let me know, we have plenty of options here.
David

If you had a Gen 3 monocular, what would be involved to take one with you on a hunt to Tanzania?

I have a gen 2 on an ar-15. It has 3x magnification and is very useful to 75 yards, 100 yards is the edge of its usefulness.

Thanks guys.

I am not looking for a scope, but more something like a monocular or binocular.....nightsight.

It is for animals and poaching control/general security. Thanks Ganyana, your contribution helped a lot. I have a couple of buddies in the US/UK ex-special forces, but the problem to get some of that kit is ridiculous expensive (not to mention illigal)

I have been giving a lot of things to think about now. Thanks again....

www.infinito-safaris.com

http://www.gbsights.co.uk/digital_al.htm

VERY good reports and a major reduction in price point compared to equipment available only a year ago.

Budget around £800 GBP for kit that can be used as a monocular or attached to your existing scope for night work.

Have a look at the video footage on the site - could be the answer to your needs. Especially if used in conjunction with IR light.

Rgds Ian

Thanks Ian. I liked the video material. It shows you what you can expect from the goods...

My main use for it will be bushpigs in the fields, and from blinds.....so I need something that gives a clear VOW up to about 80-100 yards.

The price seems decent enough. Will have to ask some of my UK buddies to check it out for me.

Thanks again

Don't buy the Gen 1 Newcon unit...I had one on a 45 LC Contender and it shook apart before I could finish sighting it in. After a fight, I got a replacement from NEWCON and went down to a 221 fireball..have taken 2 yotes with it so far and it works fine to 100 with the IR illuminator. Moonlight you don't need the IR. But the sight pic isn't greatn when you turn the reticle on..you just aim for center of mass.

There is a new unit available from Yukon (hope that's not the same outfit as Newcon).. http://www.yukonopticsusa.com/index.php?good=82&detail=yes#begin
has anyone tried one of those. Not too expensive but Gen 1.

...none of the good ones (Gen 3) made in the US, are inexpensive.

I purchased NVEC which is a hand-held device utilized in military survival vests.

Their website: www.nvec.night-vision.com
Or the phone number: 1-800-797-2849

My 2.5 - 10 x 56mm with Gen 3 can identify domestic animals out to 750 yards.



Domestic dogs and coyotes can be totally surprised at just 150-200 yards in the dark.

Deer can be evaluated (buck or doe) out to about 400 yards or more depending on back ground.

The Infrared iluminator (flashlight) can light up areas in deep shadow, like inside a barn, out to about 150 yards.

A small red LED light is useful for checking your external elevation and windage adjustments.

If you can legally purchase and hunt with one a Gen 3 is worth it.

Andy