IanB 0 Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 Is anyone tempted to go for the new thermal rifle scope the XD75 with its higher optical mag range? http://www.blackwoodoutdoors.co.uk/pulsar-apex-xd75-thermal-rifle-scope Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rabid 1,936 Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 No but I have been looking at the pulsar xd50 for some time now Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IanB 0 Posted August 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 Why the XD50 over the higer mag XD75 Rabid? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hutchey 147 Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 Thermal scopes are too unreliable (if you look at the pulsars that keep needing to get sent back) not enough mag and unable to pick up if any branches etc are in the way of the shot. Then there's the price - way too high. Mind you that might be a good thing or everyone will be using them and shooting whatever they see in pitch black. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IanB 0 Posted August 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 I wouldn't say thermal is unreliable, mines been spot on the last two year, any glitches TJ sort out straight away and replace them if needed. Personally I wouldn't own an Apex XD38S or XD50S but I would the XD75 because of the increased magnification. I agree the price is high, but you get on target pretty quick! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hutchey 147 Posted August 10, 2015 Report Share Posted August 10, 2015 True but it had better be an open shot because you can't see foliage etc along the bullet path with thermal. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IanB 0 Posted August 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Depends on the use mate, I've just received some XD75's so I'll be trialling one tonight, I like the drone and the photons, but theres no faffing with IR or scanning to find after you put the thermal down, its just on target, just checked and the image is very good, better than my HD38S, sensor is the same, but refresh rate is higher and lens a lot bigger, the focus adjustment is slick to use too.. I'll let you know my verdict when I use it in the field. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dicehorn 38 Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I have the HD50S and have had it now for a couple of years - great bit of kit for spotting before going onto the Archer on the rifle. I would never contemplate having a thermal rifle scope and it come down to this - with a thermal rifle scope can you tell the difference between a fox and the farmer's dog. Them that have the thermal rifle scope in my opinion are on borrowed time if they shoot foxes. No problem with rabbits or rats. I write the above because I was in that situation myself - saw 'fox' through the TI which the Archer confirmed it to be a collie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IanB 0 Posted August 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Dicehorn I agree thermal can be dangerous if things are mis-identified, but depending on the quality of the thermal unit, recognition can be improved a lot. I took an XD75 out tonight and the image quality was excellent, much better than the hand held quantum range. I would normally be against thermal rifle scopes unless you spend serious money in the region of 10k and I think a NV Scope/Thermal combinations are excellent , but I'm very impressed with this new dedicated thermal scope for the money, there still expensive, but if it was genuinely not up to the job, I'd be the first to say it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IanB 0 Posted August 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2015 I was out last night and shot about 50 rabbits, I had a Quantum HD38s Vehicle mounted to the Landy and my mate was using the .22 rimmy and I took the HMR fitted with an XD75 out...wow! I mean I have a few digital night vision scopes, Drone, LRF870, Photon...but this thermal mounted rifle scope is lethal, no faffing with IR torches, massive field of view, everything in your display, like the handheld quantum thermals, but target acquisition is rapid, no thinking wheres it gone carry on, the picture in picture function is great for more accurate shots at range I was dropping rabbits easily at upto 150yds with the HMR and in scrub and long grass, there light compared to some scopes and the picture quality like I say compared to the handheld quantum range is much better. I've got some footage, I'll put up, some of its not great due to compression and as I never adjusted brightness/contrast,I was just playing to be honest.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IanB 0 Posted August 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 The compression on the video has degraded the image a lot. Some of these shots were out to 150yards, a lot of the rabbits were in long rape stubble, scrub and grass. Foxes stand out a mile, I just missed getting some footage of three together, and pulled out the .243 instead, as the battery died, a lad was with me with an air rifle and night vision, and had real trouble spotting them and getting a shot, just couldn't see half of them, thats a downside of NV and anything obscuring clear shots. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bobba_fett 117 Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 what kind of battery life does it have and does it have to be a really cold night for this kind of detail? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IanB 0 Posted April 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 Battery life depends on if your using rcr123a batteries or an EPS3 pack.. with the EPS 3 it will last all night left on, with RCR123 will last around 2-3hrs on. Dry colder nights give the best detail and contrast, but its usable in all conditions to be honest, its much better than the likes of an XD50S monocular as a comparison. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
goldfinger 135 Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 I use a Pulsar Apex xd75 and I tell you all now its the dogs nuts, its all I use now, and with it having three separate zero points that can you store I use on three separate rifles,Tolled one landowner that I've haven't seen many hares this year,first time out with thermal spotted 20 of them in adjoining woods and on his land in fields and woods/hedge rows,you can see foxes coming in from 600 mtrs plus see them hiding in hedgerows and woods,rabbits as far as your eye can see in daylight in any conditions day and night,mice and rats playing in fields,and from a safety point of view you can see vehicles people walking hiding behind hedges shrubs etc,foggy misty condition its sees right though as though it wasn't there,I've used and still got infrared I found fox and rabbits noticing the dull red glow emitted by infrared and being spooked at times so that's why I bit the bullet and went thermal never looked back since its a totally different world out there with this scope,if want a downside to this scope it has only one and that the price but what the heck you only live ones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rabid 1,936 Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 How easy it it to define rabbits for head shooting using this thermal ? I currently use nv, and I can clearly take head shots every time out to 100 yards with this, but is thermal as clear, I would presume not. I agree, it's the price tag that's making me hold back some, it's a lot of dough. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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