Post by malewithatail on Sept 12, 2023 13:36:32 GMT 10
Ive been using my NV gear quite a bit lately, as we have some critters (is that the right term ?), digging holes in the garden beds.
The main thing I have got from all this use is the need to walk around your property, at night, noting landmarks that stand out in the IR gear, such as large rocks that hold the heat, and trees. WTSHTF, you don't want to have to show a light, however small, to be able to navigate your way around. Get used to the way things look through the IR gear, its totally different to normal daytime vision, the contrasts are wrong, and things are not in color, even with IR enhancement turned on, its still shades of red/orange at best.
Get used to holding your rifle and balancing the IR monocular at the same time, looking through it with one eye, and walking around without seeing the ground directly under your feet. What did you say ? Too much stuff on the ground to be able to walk without looking ? Then clear it so you can, and that also removes cover for the bad guys to hide in. Noise will be your enemy as well, a crackle of a broken branch will alert the prey/game that somethings up and it may spook the critter enough that you lose out on that food source, or alert the bad guy that you are there. I'm working on some form of head harness to do hands free with the IR gear.
I would be lying if I said it wasn't fun to wander around in total darkness, observing whats going on around you without disturbing anything. The pony's at the end of one tree, the cows in road paddock, one of the farm cats hunting in bush paddock, the rat foraging in the compost heap, ducks on the dam, kangaroos on the wetlands, bandicoot in the yard and so on.
The saying "I know it like the back of my hand" takes on a whole new perspective when you start wandering around in total darkness. Also, its not quite total, as when your eyes get accustomed to the dark, and that takes upwards of 30 minutes, starlight is quite bright enough.
Another interesting thing to do is to point the unit at the night sky. No clouds, yet there are patches of warmer air, very cool to see. You cant see through a closed glass window or door as it doesn't transmit IR, but you can see your own IR reflection in the window, even though you cant see it with your eyes. Fascinating stuff this IR.
Actually, I think its one of the best $1,000 I have ever spent. The advantage it will give is almost incalculable. I now own the night as well as the day.
Everybody seems to practice shooting during the day, do some range work in the dark, then we will see how good you really are at aiming !
The main thing I have got from all this use is the need to walk around your property, at night, noting landmarks that stand out in the IR gear, such as large rocks that hold the heat, and trees. WTSHTF, you don't want to have to show a light, however small, to be able to navigate your way around. Get used to the way things look through the IR gear, its totally different to normal daytime vision, the contrasts are wrong, and things are not in color, even with IR enhancement turned on, its still shades of red/orange at best.
Get used to holding your rifle and balancing the IR monocular at the same time, looking through it with one eye, and walking around without seeing the ground directly under your feet. What did you say ? Too much stuff on the ground to be able to walk without looking ? Then clear it so you can, and that also removes cover for the bad guys to hide in. Noise will be your enemy as well, a crackle of a broken branch will alert the prey/game that somethings up and it may spook the critter enough that you lose out on that food source, or alert the bad guy that you are there. I'm working on some form of head harness to do hands free with the IR gear.
I would be lying if I said it wasn't fun to wander around in total darkness, observing whats going on around you without disturbing anything. The pony's at the end of one tree, the cows in road paddock, one of the farm cats hunting in bush paddock, the rat foraging in the compost heap, ducks on the dam, kangaroos on the wetlands, bandicoot in the yard and so on.
The saying "I know it like the back of my hand" takes on a whole new perspective when you start wandering around in total darkness. Also, its not quite total, as when your eyes get accustomed to the dark, and that takes upwards of 30 minutes, starlight is quite bright enough.
Another interesting thing to do is to point the unit at the night sky. No clouds, yet there are patches of warmer air, very cool to see. You cant see through a closed glass window or door as it doesn't transmit IR, but you can see your own IR reflection in the window, even though you cant see it with your eyes. Fascinating stuff this IR.
Actually, I think its one of the best $1,000 I have ever spent. The advantage it will give is almost incalculable. I now own the night as well as the day.
You will still need a decent green/red dot sighter and a powerful torch, scope etc on the rifle, but these are not needed until the last seconds of the hunt. The scope isn't needed at night as the green dot lights up bright enough to just point and shoot. You can also see just how shaky your hand is !
Everybody seems to practice shooting during the day, do some range work in the dark, then we will see how good you really are at aiming !
