Tips For Hunting With Thermal Optics

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Get To Owning The Night With Pulsar

During the filming of Hook & Barrel’s “Lights Out,” series, we met Pulsar Prostaffer Henry Howard and picked his brain for his best tips and tricks for hunting with thermal optics. Next time you’re heading to the fields with thermals in tow, use the following expert advice to stack the deck in your favor.

Keys To Thermal Success

1. Get a thermal optic that will be relevant in the space you're hunting; not necessarily the most popular thermal optic.

2. Buy quality products that will last.

3. Be familiar with all your gear and set your gear up correctly.

Common Thermal Hunting Mistakes To Avoid

1. Getting an optic with greater magnification than they’ll need (for example, assuming they’ll take their shots at 200 to 300 yards while most night hunting happens within 70 to 100 yards).

2. Not being familiar with the environment in which they’ll be hunting.

3. Not choosing the proper rifle round. Is it going to knock down the animal? What’s the round’s effective range? Does it have enough energy to get the job done? Is the recoil manageable for a follow-up shot?

Setting Up Your Thermal Optic

“The thermal is important, but the mount is extremely important too,” Howard warns. “Knowing how to set up your thermal correctly, that’s more important than anything. Establishing a good zero is key. Even if you have a lower-grade thermal, but a really good zero, you can still apply solid shooting fundamentals. Once the setup is right, It all goes back to shooting fundamentals. Thermal optics are just a great tool that can make you a better hunter.”

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