Night vision Fun

[Steve]

If you have a built in IR illuminator, as most cheap NV systems do, you can make your range indicators of reflective tape or, more stealthy, burnt sticks. The charred end of a stick shows as a really black object in the generally greenish washed-out image and doesn't spook wildlife.

Cheap NV systems really benefit from extra IR illumination, I have a couple of ways. First and smallest is an 80mW Dipol IR laser which mounts on the scope, it is adjustable from spot to flood so you can tweak it to match the field of view of your scope. Mounting the laser on the scope is way better than having it mounted on the NV unit itself, because if the NV unit is moved slightly off line as you use it the IR Laser is moved right off the target. You can also mount it on the rifle somewhere, but I have found scope mounted is best. If you use a laser tape a piece of tube to the front to keep raindrops off the lens as this ruins the beam and ends the hunt - no way you can dry it in the field.

Second system I use is simply a sheet or IR filter plastic clipped over a Lightforce halogen spotlight, also scope mounted but much bigger than a laser or LED illuminator and also requires a heavy battery pack. However, when I switch it on the field lights up like daylight ( through the NV ) which makes shooting much easier. My Lightforce has a dimmer switch built into the cable which I can use to slowly raise the light level, this spooks rabbits and foxes less than simply switching it on full power.

Both my light sources are visible to the naked eye as a dull red glow, because my early Gen1+ NV only works with near infra red. More modern digital units are sensitive to light further from the visible spectrum so the illuminators can be totally invisible.