Thermal - went with Bering Optics Hogster 25 mm

[mblackmon4]

Pretty cool write up. I just got the Burris bts 50 for my primary thermal and I was looking at the hogster 25 for a handheld scanner unit and can throw it on a gun if someone wants to hunt with me.

[lazyengineer]

Pretty cool write up. I just got the Burris bts 50 for my primary thermal and I was looking at the hogster 25 for a handheld scanner unit and can throw it on a gun if someone wants to hunt with me.

You bet. Have run it on several hunts. Nothing compared to the extensive usage others here do, so I can't definitively say much. But I ran it for several hours straight a few times, and have run it maybe a dozen or so times between range outings and hunts. (btw, you can daylight shoot at paper targets with Thermal, better than I was expecting. You don't need hot-pockets). I quite like it, and when comparing it to Pulsars, found it half the weight and half the price for the same image quality (maybe better, depending), and same durability. The only field failure I had was initially I was running a battery pack in my back pocket with the power cable. Bad idea - as hunting is just hard on stuff, and the cable connector to something not mounted directly with the gun, got crushed as I went from sitting positions in the dark and back and forth. Didn't hurt the scope, but did trash the cable in my back pocket.

So I changed that up. Here's how I run it now, with a very light 1" diameter Li-rechargeable batter on an offset quick release flashlight mount. Doesn't weigh anything. This way I keep it running all night via external battery power, and then the onboard CR123 batteries I use as the back-up, should the external power fail. the external batterie was like $10, so I bought two. I went this route, as uninterrupted power, even in failure mode; and also, the Bering optics guy warns against internal rechargeable CR123 batteries, as he's seen several very expensive destroyed scopes come back from those when they fail.

The rig is a minimal weight approach concept, just because that's what I wanted to do. So light weight profile 15" pin and weld to 16", with magnesium light weight lower, and light 10" handguard. And this very light Thermal (it's even lighter than its small size looks). When I hunt, I run just a standard 17 round E-Lander, not the bigger mags then that. Sometimes just a 10. I don't run suppressed to keep it light and simple. That, and I don't really have anything registered, and in my own experience, for the weight, expense, regulation, and bulk, I personally have not been satisfied with the degree of suppression one gets from suppression. Obviously, many other folks are. So I just run a simple break to get back on target; with electronic muffs when I hunt for the amplified hearing. But anyway, my point is this Thermal fits in tidy with a weight and bulk minimalist approach, if that's what you are pursuing. And gets you there at about the lowest price point that gets you into the Thermal game, which may be appealing to the twice-a-year level hog hunter.

It ran just fine all night long without every have to be shut off, and never reset or anything like that. A damned nice change from my prior ATN, I'll say that. My ATN prior experience with their basic IR, was not a good experience.

[biodsl]

Great post, LE. Brillant application for a 1 inch mount and battery pack!

[Popeye212]

I have the Hogster 35mm and all I can say it was a game changer for night hunting. First night 2 hogs I wouldn't have seen with IR or green light method. I hunt from stand with 2 feeders and also suppressed. A cover for the suppressor is a MUST. Daytiime heating alone heats the suppressor enough to distort the thermal. With my old eyes 130yds is the max distance I am comfortable with although I can identify a rabbit at 325. I do wish it had the recording built in but external recording is possible with a jack for an external device. Battery life on the CR123 is acceptable when you use the standby mode. I use an external power source that would last a couple of nights. Lazy thanks for putting that external batter pic up I just ordered 2 also. Much better setup then the one I have. The suppressor in my experience has allowed me to get at least another hog apparently they can't identify what it actually is vs a gunshot that scatters em.

[lazyengineer]

I have the Hogster 35mm and all I can say it was a game changer for night hunting. First night 2 hogs I wouldn't have seen with IR or green light method. I hunt from stand with 2 feeders and also suppressed. A cover for the suppressor is a MUST. Daytiime heating alone heats the suppressor enough to distort the thermal. With my old eyes 130yds is the max distance I am comfortable with although I can identify a rabbit at 325. I do wish it had the recording built in but external recording is possible with a jack for an external device. Battery life on the CR123 is acceptable when you use the standby mode. I use an external power source that would last a couple of nights. Lazy thanks for putting that external batter pic up I just ordered 2 also. Much better setup then the one I have. The suppressor in my experience has allowed me to get at least another hog apparently they can't identify what it actually is vs a gunshot that scatters em.

Happy to see I was of help!

Just beware, it's tricky finding a round battery the correct diameter for the round flashlight holder. I am really happy with the set up, once I found a true 1" battery to match my 1" mount. I also bought a 6" USB-C cable for it, that has 90degree plug to keep it all tidy and snag-free as possible. The batteries are so cheap, i bought two. By the way, notice the electrical tape on the battery? Most battery packs come with tiny little indicator lights on them, that become Fricking Air-Raid lights, in the middle of the night while hog-hunting, just so you know. These particularly units are less obnoxious than most, but all the same that's why I keep a piece of electrical tape already on-hand, just in case I want to cover that up.

[Popeye212]

Lazy I found em on Amazon...Thanks Again

[BluntForceTrauma]

Battery pack in a flashlight mount! Good thinking. Love it!