Night hog hunters, I understand the benefits of both units, however if on a budget, you could only have one, would you choose something like the XLR250 or VRL-1 (green LED), or an entry level ($200-$300) NV monocular.
Let’s say a combination of open fields and wooded areas, stalking and stand/blind hunting.
Forget the cheap NV ocular and wait until you can afford the real thing that is going to cost 10X that amount.
In the meantime, a KLR 250 with both red and green LEDs modules (total investment $150) will do you well for 95% of everything that you will do scanning wise out to 200 yards.
A small Olight M-20 Crimson Red LED weapon light will top off the other 5 % (another $90).
If you want the best LED for longest range, get an Olight M3-X with Cree XM-L LED with a green ground glass filter and have at it out to 300 yards.
Do NOT put a red filter on a white LED, they only allow about 2% of the light through. If you need red, get a real red led.
Green however is a predominate wavelength from Cree white led emitters and will work just fine.
That should keep your freezer well stocked for at least a couple of years…
You can really do allot of hunting out to 200 yards with some quality LED torches before you hunker down and get some expensive NV or Thermal gear. Three hundred dollars worth of quality LED night lights can put away allot of hogs!
Most hog hunting is not sniping anyways and the majority of kills, especially here in Florida, are going to be under 100 yards which is perfectly manageable with a KLR-250 Red and/or Green LED, Olight M-20 Crimson Red LED, etc.
The bad thing about it though, is that once you get out there and find out what a damn fun time you are having, you end up going whole hog on the TactiKool equipment…
Here is an easy setup I used for shooting a 275 pounder last weekend @ 225 yards.
Olight M3-X with ground glass green filter and LDI DBAL-I2 visible green laser, don’t need any sights or scope or night vision equipment.
I had the Olight M3-X on the hogs for a full five minutes while I was setting up my sniping shot and not one of the two dozen hogs ever once paid any attention to the light.
If you have a good light and a good laser you can kill allot of swine out to 200 yards without a problem…
The tenderloins were marinated in Worcestershire Sauce, Brown Sugar, Orange Blossom Honey, Bread Crumbs, Bacon, and Gorgonzola Cheese and it all melts in your mouth!!!
haha, they scattered around but came right back in, I could have easily shot at least 5 of them if I wanted, but both my freezers are completely full, as are three of my buddies freezers too.
BTW, the PVS-14 and Eotech 552 NV works just as great if not greater, it just costs more, as it took down a 450 pound hog at the same distance with one shot below the ear with a Barnes 70 grain TSX…
BTW, here is a day time pic of my stand so that you can put into perspective the night gear photos above, it is 225 yards out to my game cam and feeder…:o
That is my coyote decoy standing next to the pine tree about 50 yards out.
stay away from cheap NVG
a good red or green LED light (I am testing a green from Selph Arms and it’s good to go out to 200 with a decent scope)
I have been testing a Pulsar N500 digiital NV and I just don’t trust it, last weekend we were out hunting and I chose to run the Selph green LED instead
my hog wacker
Wilson Combat 6.8, 16" lightweight barrel, S&B 1.5-6 flashdot #9. Selph Arms green LED