Baiting


All Right Lefty!! Good job and photo.

We need more detail, like the rifle you used, caliber, bullet etc. As well, I would really like to see a close up of your night vision scope mounted on the rifle. You have an interesting setup.
 
Thanks, guys. The gun in the picture is the T/C Venture Predator in .223. Just picked it up around Thanksgiving, and so far no complaints. Has adjustable trigger out of the box, down to around 3.5 which is where I have it set. Shoulders well, nice pull, very smooth feel with 1 - 1 1/2" groups at 100 yds with stock Remington ammo. Since all of my shots will be 50-150 yards, I really don't have any need to burn more expensive specialty rounds through it.

Night Vision is the HTRN PVS-14 monocular with the Jackrabbit quick attach mount. It is very quick to snap on, I can do it by feel with eyes closed, in 5 to 10 seconds. Gen 3 was definitely painful to spend for, but I have NO regrets. Even better clarity and brightness that I had hoped for in best case.

Will try to take some closeup photos tonight and post when I have a chance.
 
Should add to ^^^, the monocular is great to use off the gun for scanning for eyes, etc. Pretty impressed with how simple it is to snap on to my scope with the quick detach mount.
 

I would love to have an outfit like yours, Lefty. But, it's just not meant to be at the moment. Maybe in the future.

 

6mm06 - here's a better photo of the monocular attached to the scope

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and off the gun, the adapter stays - but not really in the way.

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With a decent scope in the two to four hundred dollar range I get a great image up to 6X, breaks up rapidly, not very useable above that, except maybe on nights with a full moon.
Weather's very warm and foggy here tonight - will try to snap an image or two through it mounted, next chance I get. Really opened up a new world for me...

 
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That's a great looking setup, rifle, scopes and all.

Just curious for information sake, on dark nights do you need the illuminator? My bait site is 60 yards from the cabin, and I'm wondering if I could get by without an illuminator. I've looked at the MX-160 also that is sponsored on here. But, that's a lot of money for a chance at a coyote. I haven't killed a coyote all winter, so it's hard to justify that kind of money.



 
Lefty, that looks like a nice set up but I have a question. How is the eye relief? Just curious as it looks like it extends back towards the shooter a good 8 or 10" or so. Is it awkward when you shoulder it with everything attached?

Thanks
 
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Hay lefty just wondering on the price tag for the n/v on the scope cuz I am kicking around and looking for the future investment of n/v I have the nikon coyote spacial and I would like to in the future to add that little itom to my arsenal ? It's probable cheaper than full blown n/v
 
6mm06 - Pretty sure the illuminator is part of the package on both the X160 and PVS-14. On dark nights, it does make a big difference at 95 yds. I totally agree that its hard to justify the cost, given how few critters we get a chance at. I figured it will last at least 10 years. Thinking about all the fun I will have with it over that time period, it's not as hard to swallow that way
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Uncle Mike - the unit measures just 5 inches long, with another 1/2" lost with the quick mount attachment. It comes with a stock extender (4" long, I think), but I shoot mostly from a bench so don't bother with it. Think I will put it on when I'm calling. I'm going to try to get out to do some calling this weekend or next. Will report in with more comments once I have a chance to test in the field.
 
aberry - Got mine from High Tech Red Neck (a sponsor on this site). Kevin was great to work with, returned my calls quickly, no pressure and willing to answer all my questions. All Gen 3 equipment, bare bones monoculars start at 2400, and monocular kits (with quick detach mounts, external IR illuminator, etc. range from 2900 to around 3500, depending on model and tube grading. I went with the PVS14 because it has been around longer and paid a bit of a premium for that, but have seen some very positive reports on the MX-160 which can be bought for hundreds less.
 

Just for discussion, here is a scope I have been keeping an eye on for some time now. It is the Nite Site NS-200 that is made in the UK. It is available for shipping to the US. It cost 599 pounds, which according to the conversion I did a few minutes ago, is currently $946.

There is also a cheaper scope available, the NS-50, but it is designed for closer ranges and better suited for air rifles and rimfires.

There's several YouTube videos on it, just Google Nite Site NS-200 for the company website or go to YouTube and watch some interesting videos.

The thing I like about this scope is that it fits a day-time scope. The reviews I have read say it is a good scope for up to 200 yards. I think this unit would be great for bait site hunting as most of us do. I also have a friend in the UK who has one of these. He really likes it and has taken rabbits and fox with it, some shots around 150 yards or so.

Here's a photo of the setup. This one is mounted on an air rifle.

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The unit consists of a camera that fits onto a rubber sleeve that mounts over the ocular of the day-time scope. The crosshair is seen on a type of TV monitor that can be mounted on top of the scope, or it can be positioned off somewhere, sitting on a table, etc.

The monitor has an IR unit in the front that has 5 adjustable brightness settings. It can also be used with the monitor turned off, but some type of IR source is needed. The IR lights I use at my bait site should work well with this scope.

I have been in contact with the company in the UK and received some information about it.

As I say, I like the idea it can transform a day-time scope into night vision. While no doubt it isn't in the same league as the PVS-14 or the MX-160, this scope is about 1/3 the price of those units. I think this unit would be very good for hunting over bait. A camera recorder is also available as an accessory so that a video of the shot can be recorded.

Here is one YouTube video that I found interesting.





 
After a quick look at the video, the price certainly makes it worth considering for bait hunting. Still, a grand is not small money, depending on how long it would hold up and what other limitations this option would have. Knowing someone who actually has one - and has put it through a season or two of use under a variety of conditions would go a long way towards making the choice. Keep us informed of your developments for sure.
 

You are right, Lefty, that a grand is not chump change. That's quite a bit of money for a scope, but considering other night vision optics, it's pretty cheap unless you go with a Gen 1 scope. This Nite Site is a better unit than a Gen 1 from what I have heard and seen. As well, I really like the idea of moving it from one rifle to another, with relative ease, so you don't have to dedicated a particular rifle to night vision. Even larger caliber rifles can be used.

The limitation that I see at this moment is the lighted monitor putting glare into your face at night. Shooting from inside a cabin as I do would not be an issue. I hear there are filters that can be placed over the screen to diffuse the amount of glare.

One other limitation might be for people like me who wear glasses and have bifocals. I may not be able to see the monitor clearly unless I look through the bifocal of my glasses. Other than these two issues, I can't think of anything bad about the units.

As more and more units are put to the test, I think we will get a better understanding of it.


 
Neighbor just called. Got a dead horse I can use for the bone pile. Never used a horse for coyote bait. Can't wait to find how they like it. Going to try a different site though. The old bone pile has had no action for months.
 
6mm, before i bought my mx160 from htrn i saw that, but there were a few things that made up my mind, htrn nv setups carry a 6 year warranty, gen 3, rugged,and it gives me the ability to easily swap from gun to gun. the camera set up you posted wouldnt be practical for anything other than a bait site, this year so far my bait sites have sucked fo i take my mx160 out calling. belive me it hurt alot to shell out $2900 for a scope( most ive ever spent on a one item hunting thing) but i saved for a few years. like lefty said buy once and it should be good for 10 + years
 

Yea, I'm sure the MX-160 and the PVS-14 are very nice scopes.

I wish I would have had one last night. An animal came to the bait site area, but not up to the bait. I'm not sure if it was a red fox or a coyote. With a quality scope I would have been able to tell.
 
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