jamie g 17 Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 The Merlin may be just a toy but it works for me never had a bad night with it good shooting mate got some great bags there Quote Link to post
richie 1 Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 NV really does work, but to be honest any scope that costs under £1k is just a toy, and the dif between a £500 unit and £1500 is out of this world. If I was only in a possition to buy at the bottom end, I really would stick with a good standard scope and lamp combo. anything under £1000 is a toy ? do you have any experience with nightvision units, either dedicated or add-on systems ? have you looked through a cobra merlin whilst used with a 90mw laser ? i myself use a cobra merlin add-on with 90mw laser & have no problem seeing clearly out to 150yds+. this is more than enough to use with a rimfire. these add-ons cost a good part of £600, their not a toy. yeah, using a lamp is good for night work, but not put up against a nv unit. its chalk & cheese. now dont get me wrong, gen 1 compared to gen 2 is different, & probably twice as good, but it all depends on what your needs are. richie Quote Link to post
Guest Lord B Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 NV really does work, but to be honest any scope that costs under £1k is just a toy, and the dif between a £500 unit and £1500 is out of this world. If I was only in a possition to buy at the bottom end, I really would stick with a good standard scope and lamp combo. anything under £1000 is a toy ? do you have any experience with nightvision units, either dedicated or add-on systems ? have you looked through a cobra merlin whilst used with a 90mw laser ? i myself use a cobra merlin add-on with 90mw laser & have no problem seeing clearly out to 150yds+. this is more than enough to use with a rimfire. these add-ons cost a good part of £600, their not a toy. yeah, using a lamp is good for night work, but not put up against a nv unit. its chalk & cheese. now dont get me wrong, gen 1 compared to gen 2 is different, & probably twice as good, but it all depends on what your needs are. richie Experiance.....not really no, I spent 5 years as an infantry officer, then 2 years with G3 and a further 3 with Pilkingtons working on cuntracts for optict with the MoD and DoD before seetting up my own field sports business at home. Now run 2 medium sized shoots, 6 miles of double bank fishing and boar and deer hunting in Poland and large game on 20,000 hctrs in SA. We are an RFD and part of the business we have just sold is a small gun shop. So no real exp no. I understand what you are saying above, and perhaps my use of the word "toy" was missplaced, but I still hold firmly by the fact that the dif in quality between the two price brackets is dispraportionate to the actual dif in price. And unless I was in a possition to buy at the highest end of that scale, I would stick with a good scope and lamp combo. Its just my opinion. Based on my own, little experiance. Quote Link to post
richie 1 Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 NV really does work, but to be honest any scope that costs under £1k is just a toy, and the dif between a £500 unit and £1500 is out of this world. If I was only in a possition to buy at the bottom end, I really would stick with a good standard scope and lamp combo. anything under £1000 is a toy ? do you have any experience with nightvision units, either dedicated or add-on systems ? have you looked through a cobra merlin whilst used with a 90mw laser ? i myself use a cobra merlin add-on with 90mw laser & have no problem seeing clearly out to 150yds+. this is more than enough to use with a rimfire. these add-ons cost a good part of £600, their not a toy. yeah, using a lamp is good for night work, but not put up against a nv unit. its chalk & cheese. now dont get me wrong, gen 1 compared to gen 2 is different, & probably twice as good, but it all depends on what your needs are. richie Experiance.....not really no, I spent 5 years as an infantry officer, then 2 years with G3 and a further 3 with Pilkingtons working on cuntracts for optict with the MoD and DoD before seetting up my own field sports business at home. Now run 2 medium sized shoots, 6 miles of double bank fishing and boar and deer hunting in Poland and large game on 20,000 hctrs in SA. We are an RFD and part of the business we have just sold is a small gun shop. So no real exp no. I understand what you are saying above, and perhaps my use of the word "toy" was missplaced, but I still hold firmly by the fact that the dif in quality between the two price brackets is dispraportionate to the actual dif in price. And unless I was in a possition to buy at the highest end of that scale, I would stick with a good scope and lamp combo. Its just my opinion. Based on my own, little experiance. no need for the sarcasm..... i was only asking you. my point is, when your only hunting rabbits theres no need to spend thousands when a £600 unit will do the job & more. in my opinion & probably everyone else that uses the merlin, they would rather use it than a lamp. but let me ask you, have you ever looked through a merlin, illuminated with a laser ? richie Quote Link to post
Guest Magwitch Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 Experiance.....not really no, I spent 5 years as an infantry officer, then 2 years with G3 Is G3 the classical boy band that nearly won Xfactor? only kidding, The reason i brought my Merlin was for lamp shy rabbits. Quote Link to post
Guest Lord B Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 I'm not doubting the Merlin, looking at the results its working well for those of you that use it, and NO I have not looked through a Merlin unit but will have to give one a try just to see. I agree about the price and practicallity for lamping, the majority of guys, me included would not want to spend top end money solely for use on bunnies for sport, its just not financially viable for most - hence my preferance for the lamp and a good S&B which is the combo on my CZ .22 and .17HMR; as for the Merkel .243 for Charlie well that does have NV, a G3 unit. My point wasn't that cheaper units are cr*p, just that they are dissproportianetly poorer in quality than the more expensive ones; not that the expensive units may be financially practical. But before making any investment in NV/IR one should try and exp a "£1,500 + unit to get a comparrison and then decide if they want to make the investment in a less expensive unit, or stick with the age old lamp combo. Its what works in a given situation, for each individual. As for the sarcasm, I was just trying to put my experiance accross and explain where my opinion was coming from and what it was based on. Quote Link to post
richie 1 Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 I'm not doubting the Merlin, looking at the results its working well for those of you that use it, and NO I have not looked through a Merlin unit but will have to give one a try just to see. I agree about the price and practicallity for lamping, the majority of guys, me included would not want to spend top end money solely for use on bunnies for sport, its just not financially viable for most - hence my preferance for the lamp and a good S&B which is the combo on my CZ .22 and .17HMR; as for the Merkel .243 for Charlie well that does have NV, a G3 unit. My point wasn't that cheaper units are cr*p, just that they are dissproportianetly poorer in quality than the more expensive ones; not that the expensive units may be financially practical. But before making any investment in NV/IR one should try and exp a "£1,500 + unit to get a comparrison and then decide if they want to make the investment in a less expensive unit, or stick with the age old lamp combo. Its what works in a given situation, for each individual. As for the sarcasm, I was just trying to put my experiance accross and explain where my opinion was coming from and what it was based on. i know where youre coming from.... gen2 & 3 would be like chalk & cheese compared to a gen1, im not doubting that for one minute, but i couldnt justify spending more on a unit for controlling bunnies, especially when im only using a rimmy. when i do move up to 17hmr i might opt for a gen 2 if im shooting out to distances further than 125 or so yards so i can clearly see way beyond my target.. if you ever get the chance, do take a look through a merlin, very good value for money & they do work well for shooters that control rabbits... ill be honest, before i bought one, i must of asked every question to the suppliers & people who used them, but still wasnt sure i wanted to take a risk & buy the unit as i thought the same as you " how can £600 get you a decent nv unit ", so i ended up meeting the owner of the firm geoffrey as he only lives a short way from me & he let me try before i buy, after that i was sold.. ill try & get some pictures taken through the scope if i ever get round to it... click on the link below. this is where i get my gear from. http://www.nightvisionsuppliesltd.co.uk/merlintac.php richie Quote Link to post
Guest Lord B Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Thank you Richie, I've taken a look, they look a good spec for the price. I'd be interested in seeing some pics through the sight. I'd find it hard to justify (as do most) that sort of money for rabbits, but can because of the type of business I'm in justify £1500 on a scope for my foxing rifle, and on that of my keepers. I "could" be tempted by a Merlin type unit as an addition to my rimmy for more fun; but from a purely busines point of view I'd stick with Gen2 on the fox rifle and a lamp for bunnies. Like I say, each to their own based on their circumstances and needs. But I would be interested in seeing the pics and might even have to find one to give it a whirl. Quote Link to post
bullmastiff 615 Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 (edited) I agree about the price and practicallity for lamping, the majority of guys, me included would not want to spend top end money solely for use on bunnies for sport, its just not financially viable for most - hence my preferance for the lamp and a good S&B which is the combo on my CZ .22 and .17HMR; as for the Merkel .243 for Charlie well that does have NV, a G3 unit. Selling rabbit's at 75p - £1.00 each = between 600-800 rabbits sold to your local game dealer could pay for the Merlin! even taking it steady on land like Magwitch's will have it paid off in a couple of years. so in four years you could pay off the bill for a £1500 gen 3. - it's all just a question of money management!!! How many foxes would it take to pay off a GEN 3!!! Edited December 11, 2007 by bullmastiff Quote Link to post
Guest Lord B Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 I agree about the price and practicallity for lamping, the majority of guys, me included would not want to spend top end money solely for use on bunnies for sport, its just not financially viable for most - hence my preferance for the lamp and a good S&B which is the combo on my CZ .22 and .17HMR; as for the Merkel .243 for Charlie well that does have NV, a G3 unit. Selling rabbit's at 75p - £1.00 each = between 600-800 rabbits sold to your local game dealer could pay for the Merlin! even taking it steady on land like Magwitch's will have it paid off in a couple of years. so in four years you could pay off the bill for a £1500 gen 3. - it's all just a question of money management!!! How many foxes would it take to pay off a GEN 3!!! I hear that, all our rabbits though end up in the hounds and as for the cost of a fox, well if one of them gets in our pens, priceless....... Quote Link to post
outshooting 0 Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 NV really does work, but to be honest any scope that costs under £1k is just a toy, and the dif between a £500 unit and £1500 is out of this world. If I was only in a possition to buy at the bottom end, I really would stick with a good standard scope and lamp combo. anything under £1000 is a toy ? do you have any experience with nightvision units, either dedicated or add-on systems ? have you looked through a cobra merlin whilst used with a 90mw laser ? i myself use a cobra merlin add-on with 90mw laser & have no problem seeing clearly out to 150yds+. this is more than enough to use with a rimfire. these add-ons cost a good part of £600, their not a toy. yeah, using a lamp is good for night work, but not put up against a nv unit. its chalk & cheese. now dont get me wrong, gen 1 compared to gen 2 is different, & probably twice as good, but it all depends on what your needs are. richie Experiance.....not really no, I spent 5 years as an infantry officer, then 2 years with G3 and a further 3 with Pilkingtons working on cuntracts for optict with the MoD and DoD before seetting up my own field sports business at home. Now run 2 medium sized shoots, 6 miles of double bank fishing and boar and deer hunting in Poland and large game on 20,000 hctrs in SA. We are an RFD and part of the business we have just sold is a small gun shop. So no real exp no. I understand what you are saying above, and perhaps my use of the word "toy" was missplaced, but I still hold firmly by the fact that the dif in quality between the two price brackets is dispraportionate to the actual dif in price. And unless I was in a possition to buy at the highest end of that scale, I would stick with a good scope and lamp combo. Its just my opinion. Based on my own, little experiance. Bugger me i thought i had done a lot & i am 36, your profile says your only 29 is that correct Quote Link to post
Guest Lord B Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 NV really does work, but to be honest any scope that costs under £1k is just a toy, and the dif between a £500 unit and £1500 is out of this world. If I was only in a possition to buy at the bottom end, I really would stick with a good standard scope and lamp combo. anything under £1000 is a toy ? do you have any experience with nightvision units, either dedicated or add-on systems ? have you looked through a cobra merlin whilst used with a 90mw laser ? i myself use a cobra merlin add-on with 90mw laser & have no problem seeing clearly out to 150yds+. this is more than enough to use with a rimfire. these add-ons cost a good part of £600, their not a toy. yeah, using a lamp is good for night work, but not put up against a nv unit. its chalk & cheese. now dont get me wrong, gen 1 compared to gen 2 is different, & probably twice as good, but it all depends on what your needs are. richie Experiance.....not really no, I spent 5 years as an infantry officer, then 2 years with G3 and a further 3 with Pilkingtons working on cuntracts for optict with the MoD and DoD before seetting up my own field sports business at home. Now run 2 medium sized shoots, 6 miles of double bank fishing and boar and deer hunting in Poland and large game on 20,000 hctrs in SA. We are an RFD and part of the business we have just sold is a small gun shop. So no real exp no. I understand what you are saying above, and perhaps my use of the word "toy" was missplaced, but I still hold firmly by the fact that the dif in quality between the two price brackets is dispraportionate to the actual dif in price. And unless I was in a possition to buy at the highest end of that scale, I would stick with a good scope and lamp combo. Its just my opinion. Based on my own, little experiance. Bugger me i thought i had done a lot & i am 36, your profile says your only 29 is that correct Thats righ, only not for long, the big THREE OOHHHH is not far off. Left school at 18 to go to Sandhurst, and set up the business while I was still working full time. I live for working on the land. Quote Link to post
outshooting 0 Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 NV really does work, but to be honest any scope that costs under £1k is just a toy, and the dif between a £500 unit and £1500 is out of this world. If I was only in a possition to buy at the bottom end, I really would stick with a good standard scope and lamp combo. anything under £1000 is a toy ? do you have any experience with nightvision units, either dedicated or add-on systems ? have you looked through a cobra merlin whilst used with a 90mw laser ? i myself use a cobra merlin add-on with 90mw laser & have no problem seeing clearly out to 150yds+. this is more than enough to use with a rimfire. these add-ons cost a good part of £600, their not a toy. yeah, using a lamp is good for night work, but not put up against a nv unit. its chalk & cheese. now dont get me wrong, gen 1 compared to gen 2 is different, & probably twice as good, but it all depends on what your needs are. richie Experiance.....not really no, I spent 5 years as an infantry officer, then 2 years with G3 and a further 3 with Pilkingtons working on cuntracts for optict with the MoD and DoD before seetting up my own field sports business at home. Now run 2 medium sized shoots, 6 miles of double bank fishing and boar and deer hunting in Poland and large game on 20,000 hctrs in SA. We are an RFD and part of the business we have just sold is a small gun shop. So no real exp no. I understand what you are saying above, and perhaps my use of the word "toy" was missplaced, but I still hold firmly by the fact that the dif in quality between the two price brackets is dispraportionate to the actual dif in price. And unless I was in a possition to buy at the highest end of that scale, I would stick with a good scope and lamp combo. Its just my opinion. Based on my own, little experiance. Bugger me i thought i had done a lot & i am 36, your profile says your only 29 is that correct Thats righ, only not for long, the big THREE OOHHHH is not far off. Left school at 18 to go to Sandhurst, and set up the business while I was still working full time. I live for working on the land. Fair play to you, & reaching 30 isnt that bad, well at least i dont think it was you also have a PM Quote Link to post
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.