Polecat in the Hen House - Night Vision Help
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:43 pm
Living out in the country with no close neighbors it is very dark. Last night was not the first time that I had an unwanted four-legged visitor around the homestead. It didn't help that the polecat was in the egg rollout when I opened it late last night to gather the eggs. Fortunately he didn't get me. I thought about shooting him with my 9mm I was carrying but really didn't want my ears ringing all night so I ran back in the house to get the .22. Now I'm trying to find the skunk with a .22 rifle and a flashlight. Even if I would have found him I don't know that I could have been coordinated enough to hold the flashlight, rifle, and line up the peep sight to get a shot. I've had similar experiences before with unknown visitors upsetting the chickens but when I turn the corner with a flashlight they are gone before I even know what it is or where to look. I need something a little more stealthy.
That got me thinking about night vision (again) and I went back and looked at TAMs thread on night vision http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... ght+vision which lead me to Bitter Clinger's link for the Bushnell http://defenderoutdoors.com/bushnell-26 ... t-ar-mount
Does anyone have any experience with the Bushnell Equinox? It sounds promising for what I need, seeing varmints around the yard and immediate area. It says to use is with a "night vision red dot" but could you use a regular scope with it? Would the reticle be visible? Can you use a regular red dot turned down to the lowest setting? It looks like you could even swap it between platforms and not have to worry about re-zeroing since you're only moving the NVD. I really don't quite understand how it all comes together so I'd appreciate any insight.
I had been looking at the ATN Smart scopes, and while they seem to be a good product at a reasonable price point, it is just more money than I think I want to spend for an occasional hen house raider or transient coyote. If (OK when) I decide to take that plunge I'll move up to thermal. Right now I just need to be able to see around the yard with some degree of clarity.
That got me thinking about night vision (again) and I went back and looked at TAMs thread on night vision http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... ght+vision which lead me to Bitter Clinger's link for the Bushnell http://defenderoutdoors.com/bushnell-26 ... t-ar-mount
Does anyone have any experience with the Bushnell Equinox? It sounds promising for what I need, seeing varmints around the yard and immediate area. It says to use is with a "night vision red dot" but could you use a regular scope with it? Would the reticle be visible? Can you use a regular red dot turned down to the lowest setting? It looks like you could even swap it between platforms and not have to worry about re-zeroing since you're only moving the NVD. I really don't quite understand how it all comes together so I'd appreciate any insight.
I had been looking at the ATN Smart scopes, and while they seem to be a good product at a reasonable price point, it is just more money than I think I want to spend for an occasional hen house raider or transient coyote. If (OK when) I decide to take that plunge I'll move up to thermal. Right now I just need to be able to see around the yard with some degree of clarity.