Night Vision Devices

Night vision devices for hunting

Night vision devices are mainly used during nighttime ambushes for wild boar hunting. Wild boars have become more secretive in many areas and are therefore more active at night. However, in complete darkness or cloudy nights, regular optical sights provide insufficient visibility. This is where night vision and thermal imaging devices come in.

How does a night vision device work?

Night vision devices are also known as image intensifiers because they electronically amplify the remaining available light.

When used for hunting as an attachment or standalone device, they allow you to maximize the performance of regular optical sights even in minimal light conditions.

Night vision device plus infrared illuminator: Seeing in absolute darkness

However, even the best image intensifiers have their limits in extreme darkness. That's where infrared illuminators come in. They work like flashlights but emit invisible infrared rays instead of visible light.

Infrared rays are not visible to humans and animals, but night vision devices can convert them into visible light. This enables the image intensifier to work normally even in maximum darkness, ensuring effortless night vision.

What are the advantages of night vision devices over thermal imaging devices?

Night vision devices provide highly detailed images and have no time delay. These are significant advantages for accurately identifying game and taking a safe shot at fleeing wild boars.

Another advantage of night vision devices is that you don't need to re-zero your rifle with the attachment. This is because, unlike thermal imaging devices that rely on a screen, you look directly through a lens, similar to binoculars or a rifle scope.

TIP: Despite this, we still recommend making a test shot at a shooting range when using an attachment device for the first time, just to be on the safe side.

How does a thermal imaging device work?

Thermal imaging devices use infrared radiation to make the invisible body heat radiation visible to the human eye.

The thermal imaging device highlights everything that emits warmth with different colors. This is very helpful for hunting, as it allows you to quickly spot nearby game without extensively scanning the surroundings. This can be a significant advantage during nighttime hunts and can contribute to hunting success.

What are the advantages of thermal imaging devices?

One advantage of thermal imaging devices over night vision devices is that they don't require any light to function. In contrast, night vision devices rely on remaining available light to amplify.

Furthermore, a thermal imaging device can be used both during the day and at night, making it much more versatile in its applications.

However, one drawback is that when using a thermal imaging attachment, the rifle needs to be re-zeroed since you're looking at a screen. This is only necessary for the initial use. If you want to use the rifle without the attachment again, you will need to re-zero it.

Conclusion on night vision and thermal imaging devices

Both devices have their advantages and disadvantages. The choice of the right device for you ultimately depends on your preferred features.

If you're looking for a single device for wildlife observation and reconnaissance, we recommend a thermal imaging device.

For attachment devices or precise target identification, we recommend an image intensifier.

Important: Please familiarize yourself with the specific legal regulations regarding the use of these devices in your state or region.