Thermal hunters, scanner or weapon mounted first?

[Chipz]

Looking to pull the trigger this winter on a thermal. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to go with, but I only have the budget for one of these this winter, not both.

1. Helmet scanner only (TW w/IRay ML19)
2. Hogster Vibe 35

Mainly going to use for yotes. Everything I've heard says a scanner is the way to go first and that its a pain in the ass to just use a weapon mounted sight for scanning. I hunt both MO and KS, in MO I can use a spotlight during peak coyote season, so I thought that may be a good in between if I go the scanner route. KS I am out of luck due to regs. So what to acquire first, scanner or weapon mounted thermal?

 

[dirtytough]

I bought a weapon sight first. After 2 stands I went home and ordered a scanner. That scanner was a Hogster 35. It worked pretty decent as a scanner. I never did try it as a weapon sight.

I would think about buying a weapon sight that could also work as a scanner. Try hunting with it mounted. If you don’t like it then just use it as a scanner. I personally hated not having a scanner.

If you night hunt without a scanner I would make sure I had a great tripod to shoot standing from. Trying to scan with a weapon mounted thermal from the sitting position sucks. Standing is the only way to really do it.

 

[Skerhunter]

To scan with a scope on a gun you really need a collapsible or folding stock (guys who complain about it probably fight having the stock in the way, but I know people who do it). If scanning that way is the hardest thing you do all week, you don't work very hard. You need a good tripod/head no matter what you do (to make good shots). Tripod is going to run you at least $200-$300+, keep that in mind.

If scanning with a weapon mounted scope you really need to think about safety/where you loaded gun is pointed (bolt action is safest - just don't close bolt until you need to).

The hogster vibe 35 would work just fine. You can also use a thermal/nv combo (thermal to scan/NV to shoot). That is probably the cheapest way to get into it "the right way", since digital NV scopes are way cheaper than thermal scopes.

I messed around with lights because guys wanted to go, but didn't want to spend the money. Most of the time the coyotes spooked before they could get a shot off.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

tough call because i always tell guys who are just getting into thermal to buy the best scanner you can afford because you will be looking through that 95% of the time and your scope maybe 5%. Scanning with a weapon mounted thermal will last maybe one night before you realize that is a real pain in a$$. Not sure what the terrain is like where you are hunting in MO & KS but ifs its fairly open and a majority of your shots are going to be 100+ I wouldn't want to the vibe35 just because its base mag is 2 and if you didn't know every time you zoom you lose half your resolution.

I don't know how set you are on the 2 options you listed but have you thought about maybe purchasing the AGM Fuzion LRF TM35-640 for a designated scanner and just use your lights with shooting for this year (we shot a lot of coyotes using lights before thermal was allowed). The AGM is a 12micron 640 unit with 2x base mag which is ideal for scanning vs. the vibe which is a 17micron 384 unit. The AGM also gives you the added range finder feature the other units don't provide.

I also thought starting Jan 1st, 2021, you could legally use thermal & night vision in Kansas from January 1st - March 31st if you purchased a $2.50 special equipment permit.

 

[Chipz]

tough call because i always tell guys who are just getting into thermal to buy the best scanner you can afford because you will be looking through that 95% of the time and your scope maybe 5%. Scanning with a weapon mounted thermal will last maybe one night before you realize that is a real pain in a$$. Not sure what the terrain is like where you are hunting in MO & KS but ifs its fairly open and a majority of your shots are going to be 100+ I wouldn't want to the vide35 just because its base mag is 2 and if you didn't know every time you zoom you lose half your resolution.

I don't know how set you are on the 2 options you listed but have you thought about maybe purchasing the AGM Fuzion LRF TM35-640 for a designated scanner and just use your lights with shooting for this year (we shot a lot of coyotes using lights before thermal was allowed). The AGM is a 12micron 640 unit with 2x base mag which is ideal for scanning vs. the vibe which is a 17micron 384 unit. The AGM also gives you the added range finder feature the other units don't provide.

I also thought starting Jan 1st, 2021, you could legally use thermal & night vision in Kansas from January 1st - March 31st if you purchased a $2.50 special equipment permit.

Thermal and NV is legal in KS, yes, visible light however is not, so I wouldnt be able to use a gun mounted light if I went the scanner route this year.
The AGM looks great but doesnt look compatible with a helmet which is what I want for a scanner.

 

[Mssony352]

Both. But first a gun mount. Can’t shoot with a scanner. And a good lightweight tripod Swiss Arca. I hunt with two others and they both use a scope to scan so it does work

 

[Mssony352]

I had a PVS 14 for helmet but like my Thermal hand scanner better.

 

[yeahkkyle]

I bought both at the same time but agree with the posts above, if I were to buy just one it would be a good scanner. 95% of time is using the scanner and I have hunted with a few who use a red light still to shoot. We would just use my scanner until they got well within shooting range and when the red light shooter was ready he would flip the light on quick and shoot. I already having a thermal scope just followed them in with my gun.

Adding another plug for the AGM Fuzion LRF TM35-640. For the price it is well above the others in its price range and having the LRF is an added plus and something I felt I was missing with the Taipan 19/Super Hogster combo. I still have an AGM Taipan 19-384 but the Fuzion 640 blows it out of the water in image clarity and ability to see inside tree lines. If you can swing it, get a 640 scanner first and can easily get away with a 384 scope.

 

[Samson7x]

Um, weapon sight first. You can't hunt with a dedicated scanner.

I scanned with the scope for a little before adding a scanner. That is not ideal and will get very old quickly, but it works.

 

[BadgerTac]

Honestly both is the way to go. But if I could only buy one now, I’d buy a rifle mount and scan on the tripod.

I need to upgrade my scanner because I find myself scanning more with my rifle than I do my scanner. Helmet mounted scanner would be the route I’d go, you’d be surprised how tired you get holding a scanner up for 30 minutes at a crack

 

[Chipz]

Honestly both is the way to go. But if I could only buy one now, I’d buy a rifle mount and scan on the tripod.

I need to upgrade my scanner because I find myself scanning more with my rifle than I do my scanner. Helmet mounted scanner would be the route I’d go, you’d be surprised how tired you get holding a scanner up for 30 minutes at a crack

Thing is I dont have a tripod and dont plan on dropping $500 on one anytime soon. I'm pretty married to doing sits in a chair with shooting sticks at this point. They weigh nothing compared to a tripod and I usually do pretty long hikes into sets if i got the room for it.

 

[BadgerTac]

What type of terrain are you hunting? At night it’s easier to stand with a tripod imo. Can see better, especially if the fields have any little elevation changes. I’ll gladly strap my tripod to my pack and walk however far is necessary

 

[plwrigley82]

I bought the Iray Rico GL35 R G Series LRF with quick detach mount. I can scan with it, take 1 second to mount on the gun already on the tripod and shoot. I plan on gettin a new scanner also but for this it’s best case scenario for me

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Thing is I dont have a tripod and dont plan on dropping $500 on one anytime soon. I'm pretty married to doing sits in a chair with shooting sticks at this point. They weigh nothing compared to a tripod and I usually do pretty long hikes into sets if i got the room for it.

I understand not wanting to spend the extra money at this moment but there is a reason that nearly every single guy who stacks fur using thermal does it behind a tripod mounted gun and a helmet/handheld scanner. I wish you the best of luck with your marriage to the chair & sticks but i see an ugly divorce in your future. The extra weight is a non-issue to me, but I am also used to packing out mule deer & elk quarters so a 12lb tripod & ballhead setup is nothing.

 

[satchamo]

The best is going to be both but IMO if you don’t have 5k ready to spend, don’t bother going both. You need to plan on at least 3k on the scope and 2k on the scanner (give or take)

If budget is a concern - grab an agm taipan tm19-384 scanner and get an NV scope on your gun. This is very effective but does limit your range a bit more than a thermal scope.

If I really had to pick just one - definitely a scope. If you have a good tripod with a nice smooth head, it’s not bad to scan on a gun IMO but you just have to be safe about it if hunting with a partner.

 

[yeahkkyle]

I think if I had to scan with a gun mounted optic only I would just wifi the scope image to my phone for viewing. This would limit movement/noise by just having to swing the gun side to side as opposed to your entire body.

 

[jaredg]

Before I got my second thermal (Pulsar XP38) I hunted with a weapon mounted Pulsar XP50. I used a ZRODLTA mount on the Pulsar that attached on and off of the rifle in about a second. Sometimes I didn't even tighten the spring loaded mount.

So you could do with one unit that quick releases on / off the weapon and use it to scan.

But if you stay in the game for long you will have a scanner and weapon mounted optic

 

[Hydro557]

I bought my Super Hogster first and used it for scanning as well(LaRue QD mounted).

Then I bought an AGM Taipan scanner.

The SH has a superior image, but I much prefer this setup having a second unit dedicated to scanning.

 

[duckp]

i bought a thermal for the gun first it really not that hard scanning first you have to have a tipod and i never sit . 98 percent of the time im by myself so i dont have to worry about aiming at somebody the more you scan the better you get i never go round and round ill put one leg towards me and just pivet from side to side with other legs are up in the air so my body is not really moving much. get backed door once and a while but usualy have a good idea where they are going to come from. did that for about 2 years and finaly got me a scanner and i have to tell you the scanner is really nice

 

[WCB]

Don't know where guys are hunting or terrain but standing with a Tripod in wide open snow covered areas is an absolute no go for coyotes where I hunt. You'd be spotted in .5 seconds. I would personally get a thermal scanner and something like a Sightmark Wraith to start with. Buddy has one and has shot a pile of coyotes with it and with an upgraded IR illuminator says he has no reason to get a thermal scope.

However if you are absolutely tied to being able to only get one a gun mounted optic would be most beneficial as pretty hard to shoot what you can't see through a scope.