Night shooting

[chas]

Ray, I'm assuming it's Ray unless you're some sort of moon beam.
You mention a preference for a fixed power scope.
What sort of magnification would you be looking for ?
There's an abundance of 10x fixed mag scopes with either side or rear focus but seemingly few if any of lower magnification ( I did find a 6x and an 8x somewhere once but damned if I can find them again ).
I currently use a 7.5x50 fixed mag with side focus but you won't get one now unless you're lucky, been finished for a while, previously used a 10x and both were/are very good with NV,the simplified inerts of a fixed mag scope do seem to help.

If 10x suits have a look at;
Bering optics.
SWFA.
Ohhunt.
Discovery.
Sightron (rear focus )
Optisan.
MTC.
VOMZ
and
Vector.
You'll have to do your homework on these scopes, bit of an unknown, but would guess most would work well especially the mid range ones.
May be not much help but given you something to look up if you're bored.

[jthyttin]

Taking the price of digitalnightstalker offering in account, it's either very good value or based on lesser camera than E700 (the norm for add-on builds, good price/performance).

Boosting the IR performance with new VCSEL torches and using scopes with parallax down to 10y will get you there but the add-on might be the bottleneck.

If you purchase variable scope you can always leave it on fixed magnification and even fabricate something to make sure it stays there.

Let's put it this way, maybe you have enough equipment now to put together the 22LR (scope with parallax, DNS add-on and torch that goes to 50y)? And you could buy different set-up for 222, better suited for long range? Or sell the DNS add-on and torches to somebody for ratting, and start from there?

[chippyray]

Hi Dave (Warbucks)

Thanks for your advice it makes perfect sense to me and I am looking at taking that route. Cost has to be a consideration. The 007 with an adapter is a more sensible route for two guns. That way I still have my standard scopes as back up's should the new technology fail.

Thanks again

[chippyray]

Thanks again JT, very good advice.

Dave, no not a moon beam, I will follow up on your suggestions. As you say it will give me plenty to look at, I have more or less made my mind up for the Pard 007 and will now chase down the scope.
Everyone on here has given good advice and although I have been shooting over 50 years I have learnt something from everyone who has been good enough to to take the time to advise me.
I believe Bruce is putting together a scope selection for add ons (I read it somewhere on another forum)
Bob where about's in Essex I come from Ilford

Thanks again everyone I will let you all know as and when I have spent me money.
Ray

[chippyray]

Update:

Having done my research and taking on board all the advice given on this forum. After looking at the costs of new scopes to fit to both rifles. Knowing I could get away with a Hawke 3-9 x50 AO but seeing the problems with adjusting the AO whilst lying prone. I have decided to go for the Pard NV 800. With the intention of fitting it to my 22 rimmy. I will leave the 222 with a standard 8 x 56. Should I feel the need for more legs on my shoots I can swap the scope over.
On that note Bob57 can you put me in contact with your mate for a price.

Once again thanks to all, for your very sound and helpful advice.

[warbucks]

Ray
If your shooting golf courses i assume it will be mainly rabbits with the odd fox ?
With your 222 and n/v you will have success because you will be able to walk the rabbits down to a (point straight at it range), your .22lr will give you some problems at night with n/v.

Firstly the loopy trajectory, you need to guess/range find the rabbit and use holdover.
Secondly i have found that when rabbits have been shot at before you can only walk them down to around the 80 yd mark before their off.

You can buy independent n/v rifle range finders, but built in one's like the Pard 008 laser range finder one's are better ----------even so id be careful of spending lots of money on the .22lr to bag rabbits in the dark -------ive always used the hmr for this type of work and its been very successful.

Its just a pity we are under lock down at the moment as you could have asked some one on here near you to look through their n/v, as there is nothing that beats looking at live quarry in field conditions.

Dave (warbucks)

[Bob57]

Hi ray,
It's kevguns mate who has the pard 008lrf, if you look in for sales ,Pard 008lrf, abullock is asking who has a pard for sale and kev replied with a link in there.
As Dave(Warbucks) says the 17hmr is a better tool for rabbit shooting at night, flatter which makes for judging range in the dark more forgiving, I shoot .17fireball for rabbits and also use it on a golf course with the standard 008 which works no problem being such a flat round, but if you already have the 22lr rifle you will get the best out of it with the pard 008 Lrf.
Ilford, that brings back memories,, I worked on a building site there in about 1977, Friday lunchtime down the pub just round the corner was a bit lively with the strippers that performed there shame we're in lockdown as if you're in Ilford I'm just north of you up the M11, you could look through my pard 008, drone pro10x, nitesite eagle, nitesite spotter extreme and thermal spotter, which has cost me a fortune so make sure you get it right first time

[chippyray]

Dave,

Thanks for the post and the interest, I have had 17hmr very nice flat shooter and can see what you are saying. But I can reload my own 222 ammo for 2p more than I can buy 17hmr. I have more brass than I will ever use. I am very fortunate in that I was given loads or 223 brass when I still had my 223, which I have resized to use in my 222, a hundred new Lapua that I still haven't got to, again given to me by a bloke packing up. Lucky again my barrel loves the Sierra Varmint 40 grn bullets at 20.00 per hundred. CCI small rifle primers are 4.50 hundred. I can also reduce load it down to hornet specs, and I thoroughly enjoy reloading.
On the two courses I shoot, there a lot of trees, mounds and bushes etc, So I tend to go early set up get comfortable and ambush them. I rotate when and where I shoot as long as you know your ranges and your ground a 22 rimfire is fine and very quiet. There are however some areas where the ground is flat and the shots can be long. Also my sister in law lives in Glenrothes and a friend of hers is a game keeper and I go shooting with him for Roe deer. So 222 with 50grn soft points.
Over the years I have been lucky enough to own 308 bolt, 243 bolt, 44 magnum under lever .223 target with set trigger, 22 Ruger semi auto rimfire, magnum bolt rimfire, 17hmr bolt and 22lr bolt plus shotguns and air rifles. I no longer range shoot and in the 222 and 22lr I have everything I need plus a smaller cabinet.
You are so right about the rabbits, you always know when ground has been over shot, you can't get anywhere near them. So ambush is often the only way with 22lr.
I see you are one of Gods chosen people, I am a chippy by trade but retired now, at least in principle. You never retire if you have a trade.
Be lucky mate

[chippyray]

Bob 57
I Ieft Ilford in 1981 mate, I live in Lincoln now. Where was the site, what was the name of the pub?

Here I am cutting down on my kit and it sounds like you are building an arsenal

Be lucky

[Bob57]

Bob 57
I Ieft Ilford in 1981 mate, I live in Lincoln now. Where was the site, what was the name of the pub?

Here I am cutting down on my kit and it sounds like you are building an arsenal

Be lucky

Hi ray, sorry didn't look at your profile, can now see Lincoln
It was a long time ago when I worked on that site and can't remember the name of site or pub, all I can tell you I remember driving on main road through Ilford ( heading Southend direction) and turned right on a set of traffic lights the site was just along there on the left, 3 story flats, the pub was on the corner near the traffic lights, we probably never looked at the name of pub being too eager to get inside for a beer and the lunchtime show