Best Night Vision Scope 2023
Coyotes and jackrabbits can be hunted at night, but you'll need a night vision scope to see them.However, there are a variety of models out there, and picking the right one might be challenging. To help you compare brands, we've picked models at random to test and report on. Let us fill you in on the ins and outs of using them and hear about our personal experience with them. We've included a brief buyer's guide that explains how these devices work so you know what to look for when shopping.
Come along as we examine several factors such as focusing power, magnification, range, and usability so that you may make an informed choice.
The Best Night Vision Scopes: Reviews for 2023
1. Sightmark Wraith HD Digital Riflescope: Best Overall
The Sightmark Wraith HD Digital Riflescope is our top night vision scope for good reason. It offers full-color day and night modes. Night mode uses the wide 50 mm objective lens and the IR flashlight to gather as much light as possible. You can view the night image in black-and-white or green-and-black.
The IR flashlight can see 200 yards, and you may get stronger ones to see beyond that. The scope offers magnification from 4 to 32 with 10 reticle types and 9 colors for easy targeting. It has a high-definition sensor for filming and is easy to focus. Plug your scope into the USB port if the batteries die near your car or home.
We liked evaluating and filming with the Sightmark Wraith scope. The scope's size and weight—nearly 3.5 pounds—were our only complaints. We think this is the greatest night vision scope this year.
Pros
- Day and night mode
- Full-color viewing
- Video recording
- 4-32 x 50mm magnification
- Ten reticle options with nine color choices
- Save settings
- Long battery life
- USB power
- 200-yard detection range
- IR flashlight
Cons
- Huge size
2. Firefield NVRS Night Vision Riflescope—Best Value
The Firefield NVRS Night Vision Riflescope is the most affordable night vision riflescope.It has 3 x 42 magnification and brightness settings to brighten the image and reticle. It contains a high-definition sensor and a quick-release mount, so you can attach and remove it faster than most scopes on this list. The ergonomic design of the rifle's built-in IR flashlight lets you see in the dark with invisible light.
The Firefield NVRS weighs two pounds, which is a drawback. Small black specks on the screen were bothersome and more visible in brighter situations. The infrared flashlight is dim and only operates at 50 yards. This is our best value night vision scope.
Pros
- High-definition sensor
- 3 x 42 magnification
- Quick detach weaver mount
- Brightness adjustments
- IR flashlight light
- Ergonomic design
Cons
- Two pounds
- Black dots
- Short-range
3. ATN Thermal Rifle Scope—Premium Choice
The ATN Thermal Rifle Scope is our top night vision scope. The lightest scope on our list, it weighs 1.4 pounds. This model uses a heat detection sensor for night vision, unlike prior models that used an infrared flashlight. Heat sensors let you see at night and in fog, rain, and other low-visibility conditions. This model can see in the dark from 100 to 200 yards away and pick up heat signatures from farther away than an IR flashlight. After a shot, it calibrates the scope automatically. The recharge lasts almost ten hours.
We were impressed by the ATN Thermals' ability to pick up objects over 100 yards away, but their low magnification made those objects difficult to view. Our screen froze often, needing a reset. We didn't expect freeze-ups with costly scopes.
Pros
- 4 pounds
- Heat detection sensor
- Easy to zero in
- Long-range
- Includes charger
Cons
- Screen freezes
- 3 6 x magnification
- expensive
4. Night Owl Optics Night Vision Riflescope
The Night Owl Optics Night Vision Riflescope is simple to use and quick to target. It has a 100- to 200-yard range and an IR flashlight. If needed, more powerful IR flashlights can extend range. The scope's 640 x 480-pixel display is high-resolution. It weighs about 1.3 pounds and is waterproof.
The Night Owl's high-quality image and fast target acquisition impressed us. The 3x magnification makes many objects too distant to see. You must remove the scope from your rifle to change the batteries, which drain quickly. Er-zeroing the scope after changing batteries is time-consuming and inconvenient.
Pros
- Easy to use
- 100 to 200-yard range
- High-resolution display
- Built-in IR flashlight
- Waterproof
- 3 pounds
Cons
- 3X magnification
- Short battery life
- You need to disconnect the scope to change batteries
5. Sightmark Photon RT Digital Night Vision Riflescope
The Sightmark Photon RT Digital Night Vision Riflescope has various features not found on other models. The scope's image can be sent to your phone via wi-fi remote view. The scope records 768 x 576 video with its high-resolution sensor. Its one-shot zero mode makes spotting easy. It has 4.5x and 9x magnification. Its quick-change battery pack makes battery replacement simple.
The Sightmark Photon's viewscreen icons are small and hard to read, making it difficult to perform its functions, especially the one-shot zero. The scope's black-and-white viewscreen makes daytime use difficult. Wi-fi didn't work.
Pros
- Wi-fi remote view
- Video recording
- One-shot zero
- High resolution
- Six reticles, four colors
- 5-9 x 42 magnification
- Quick change battery pack
Cons
- Hard to read the menu
- Wi-fi doesn’t work well
- Hard to zero
6. Pulsar Digex N455 Digital Night Vision Riflescope
The Pulsar Digex N455 Digital Night Vision Riflescope can capture 1280 x 720 video and photos with its sensitive night vision sensor. This scope lets you stream live videos to social media and control them with your smartphone. Each of the ten reticles has a wide range of colors. Its all-metal housing is strong and waterproof, so you don't have to worry about rain. It can live for over 300 years.
The Pulsar Digex N455 is weighty, especially when connected to a rifle. The scope buttons are fragile, making it easy to shoot past the selection you desire. At maximum range, day mode's black-and-white image blurs. Live streaming was also difficult.
Pros
- 4–16x magnification
- 1280 x 720 HD sensor
- Multiple shooting profiles
- Remote operation
- Waterproof
- 10 reticle types
- Long-range
- All-metal housing
Cons
- Four pounds
- Flimsy buttons
- Black and white day view
- Blurry at extreme zoom
- Hard to get the stream working
Buyer's Guide: Choosing the Best Night Vision Scopes
Consider these night vision scope factors:
How does a night vision scope work?
Using infrared or thermal imaging, your scope can see in the dark.
Infrared
Night vision scopes use infrared to see in the dark. This system requires an infrared flashlight to emit invisible light. The scope's light sensor will detect an image. This light is invisible to you and animals, so your scope will not reveal your location.
Infrared scopes can pick up light from other scopes, so if you're hunting with a friend, you can spread out to create a bigger visible area for everyone. In fog, snow, and rain, these scopes won't have much range. You may get a more powerful IR flashlight with many scopes. Satellite flashlights on your property may illuminate a large area.
Thermal
Thermal scopes employ heat sensors to create images. This system requires no flashlight, and range is determined by heat sensor sensitivity. These scopes can see farther than infrared scopes and are unaffected by fog or snow. Only serious hunters use these scopes since they are more expensive than infrared scopes.
Magnification
Magnification isn't usually the most crucial factor when buying a scope. Infrared light simply requires clean vision. Magnification is normally 4.5–9 x 42. This indicates the scope has a magnification of 4.6 and 9X. The objective lens is 42 mm wide. Many of the models on our list have 3x magnification, which may be enough for many uses, but we found 4.5x to be considerably more useful and scopes with variable magnification the best.
Objective Lens
The objective lens, farthest from the eye, gathers light for your scope's image. Night vision scopes can use smaller objective lenses because they add infrared light. Smaller lenses reduce scope weight and cost. The scope uses more light and provides a smaller image with the smaller lens.
HD sensor
The HD sensor in your scope lets you record video and take images. Some models can stream to your preferred social media network. Training and keeping track of animals seen and lost can benefit from this feature.
Reticle
The reticle is the dot or crosshair in your display center that shows where the bullet will hit. There are several reticles, but the dot and crosshair are the most prevalent. Some of our models let you choose reticules and colors. We discovered that red made the target pop out at night; therefore, you may want to seek this feature in your future night vision scope.
Conclusion
A bright flashlight and a clear image are the most significant features of a night vision scope. Our top pick, the Sightmark Wraith HD Digital Riflescope, offers both. The scope's day mode lets you view in full color in bright light. At night, choose a black-and-white or black-and-green screen depending on visibility. It has several reticules and magnification. Our premium option is for extreme cases. A thermal sensor gives you the best night vision with the ATN Thermal Rifle Scope. It doesn't need an IR flashlight, so it's lightweight and can be used in any condition, including severe fog.
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