silent_varmintor Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 Hello lads.A while back I bought a second hand Archer Grade D NV Gen3. When I bought it I knew it had a really bad laser burn to the tube due to previous owner using IR Laser's at too close range. Main reason i bought it was cos i had got a price from Starlight for a new tube but this one was a Grade A ( best tube available ) and was going to cost £700. I got this price before i went and saw the Archer that was for sale. I bought the second hand unit for £800, so in theory I would have the best grade unit for half the price.Finally got round to sending it away to get the grade A tube fitted and holy crap what a difference. I will do a before after video on the tube difference when i get a chance to. Recently I bought a Guide IR 518C Thermal unit. Plan was to use the Thermal to spot to the quarry as picking up heat signature would be better and easier than spotting with NV. As i have been working a fair bit recently i've not had much of a chance to use it properly.A couple months back i started baiting an area i thought would be good for foxing. Plan was to bait from monday night through to thursday and go on the friday night and wait for the fox coming back. All was going really well, bait was getting taken away but nothing was showing on the trail cam. On the friday afternoon I got a short notice call from work to leave on the Sunday. Thought it'd be best to spend time with the mrs before leaving cos i knew it was gonna be a 3 week job. So i got back from the job and went to check the camera and there was the fox on the friday night at 10:00 !!! DAMN !!!Was working a fair bit away offshore with very little time at home so couldnt get any shooting done. This time at home i've got a bit more time off so i started baiting the area again. Laid down a rabbit and tied it to the post where the trail cam is. Went back next night with another but rabbit not been touched from before. So i go back home with the other rabbit leaving the 1st one there, let it smell up a bit more. I went back the day after and the rabbit has been demolished, i tied up the second one and swap the SD cards in the camera only to find bloody buzzards eating the rabbit that afternoon, and also a badger came for a munch to. Next night i go back and the second rabbit is gone, torn the body away from the leg that was tied up. Swap the SD card again and this time i lay down the guts of a roe that i shot, i put it in a black bag and froze it. This time the camera shows what im looking for, Charlie !! 1st time in at 21:40 stayed for about 10 mins munching and then came back at 01:20 and again at 03:30. Yesterday afternoon I got all the batteries charged up for the Thermal, torches and NM800IR. Got into position in the field with the truck and all my kit looked out ready to hand so i know where it is in the dark. I got there before sunset and the weather turned crazy. I stuck the wind meter out the window, jesus its showing 30mph !! Later it calmed down to a nice 15-20 mph cross wind. Once it got dark i turned on the Archer and admired the new tube. Was like daylight, could see everything around me for miles.It was coming up for 21:00 now so I stuck it back on the scope and turned on the thermal for gander around me. A group of cows 350-400 yards away lit up on the thermal straight away. Had a look to the left, nothing there, a look to the right and there is a Roe just casually walking down towards my bait / camera area. Turned from white hot to black hot to see the difference but i prefer white hot. I took a small video of it just wondering around the area. It seemed on edge though, always looking back to where it came from. It then turned round and ran off into the bushes and it was gone. 2 mins later i had a look back and a white blob is walking down the bush line towards the bait area. It then squats down for a pee, yip its a fox. Start a small video of it walking down and into the bait area. Now i switch to the NV and turn on the nm800IR . Clear as day i can see the fox sniffing around the guts but it didnt like it, it walked up about 5-10 yards towards me about turned, back to the bait and then back into the field it came from. At 1st i thought id lot the chance of getting a shot off. Picked it up as it came out the bush and was walking up the field. Got the crosshairs on it and a quick squeek stopped her in her tracks. Slight pressure on the 1lb Jewell trigger and THUD ! Straight down and never moved again. I went to retrieve her showing a vixen. Another happy farmer and another good outing. Perfect way to finish a weekend before i head to Holland on Tuesday with work.When I get back from work, ill start the baiting process again, this time ill be sticking with rabbits for bait. That'll also keep the mrs happy with not having Roe guts in the freezer lol.ThanksCraig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot man Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 Good combo buddy and glad to hear you like the new tube. I'm spotting with a pvs14 and on the rifle I have a longbow with a pvs7 tube in it and like you I'm over the moon but at approx 9 k the pair you need to be lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent_varmintor Posted September 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 thanks mate. Yeah the new tube is fantastic. Massive difference to the old tube. The Guide is something else. Cant wait for the long dark nights to come in haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldie Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Nice work do you like the night master better than the fire fly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
223magic Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Nice work do you like the night master better than the fire fly? Hi I just thought I would have a bit of input here as I have been testing illuminators this weekend, so Iam running a Longbow and PVS and an Archer, the current illumination I have tested is the NM800 deerlight, the starlight firefly the NV1000 from clive ward and a new Dipol L3 laser. First of all the NM800 makes a great torch I have the IR the red, yellow, and the white light. I have it set on a double battery set up, I have also put a searcher head on. Great torch but as an IR illuminator I just cant get on with it. The square illumination has a dark area right where the cross hairs sit, also it is just another bit of kit added to everything and its easy to knock etc. The Dipol L3 is weak and a gives a dirty picture and as this is new will be going back. The starlight fire fly is a good bit of kit although overpriced for what it is, and its a pain to have to tweak it with an alan key when I move it to another rifle set up. Now on to the Nv1000 I love it ! no alan key required very powerful and fully adjustable with one hand. It may be not as covert as the others due to its power but that does not bother me as it gives me enough illumination to shoot out to 250 yards confidently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent_varmintor Posted September 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Im the opposite to you im afraid 223magic. I cant fault the NM800 at all and rate it much better than a laser. I dont use the NM800 with the tighest focus, i have it about 80% focused and you cant even see the dark strip in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldie Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Can you see further with nv1000 than you can with the fire fly? Have you tried a IR 530-810 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaz6br Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Nice work mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
223magic Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Can you see further with nv1000 than you can with the fire fly? Have you tried a IR 530-810 The NV1000 is more powerful than the fire fly and I can see further you can also reduce down the beam more than the fire fly which gives you more distance once you have located your target. The fire fly is a good bit of kit but I would say they are eye safe so the power is not quite as good as the NV1000. I have not tried the 530 must admit Iam tempted. But the NV1000 does the job very well and to much light will damage the tube in time so iam cautious. Has anyone used the IR 530-810 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent_varmintor Posted September 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 I went back out last night to the same farm just to try my luck, didnt think i was going to get anything tho. I put my digital fox caller on the roof of the truck and started calling about 21:15 with the jack rabbit call and by 21:25 i pick up a fox about 70 yards away staring at the truck. Put the thermal to one side and got the rifle on the rest on the window. Turned on the NV and switched on the IR and focused in on the fox. Its now about 90 yards away, swift flick off with the safety and another quick squeek stopped him for one last look round at me. Gentle squeeze and sent the 60gn V-Max into the engine room sending him to the deck.I kept the rifle on him just to make sure he stayed down, then as im away to take the rifle away i see something further down the park. My 1st thought was crap i've not properly put him down so a quick reload but hes now jumped into the other park. I get myself comfy again and get the crosshairs on him, another quick squeek and hes now coming up the park towards me but only a couple of steps, i gave another squeek and he didnt move so i thought that baring in mind i've just show his pal literally 5 seconds ago he's away to bolt so at around 175 yards ( before it got dark i lasered all posts and obvious bigger bushes for distances ) i holdover and aim on the chest as he's facing right towards me. As i sent that 60gn V-Max pill his way i got a massive gust of wind pushing it off. All night it was gusting to about 20-25 MPH. I watched the dust kick up to his right which would have been a direct hit in the chest. Now he bolts without a second thought of stopping.I tried to squeek to stop him but no joy, he was lucky this time. I put back on the thermal and i've still got the white patch lying on the deck from the 1st shot. Which was weird cos i only had the 1 fox on thermal at the start, i never saw the 2 of them otherwise i'd a been ready for the 2. Only thing i can think of is that there is a line of bush and tall grass that runs up the 2 fields i was covering. He must of been in the thick of it and thats how i missed him.Not to worry though, ill be be back out for him soon enough.Went down for a look and he was a fair size of Dog fox, a lot bigger than the vixen i got on friday night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
223magic Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 Sounds like fun, nice one. What is the stock on the rifle ACIS ? do you find it helps with the Add on. How much wind drift did you get ? do you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onelesscharlie Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 Thermal imaging and nv are a killer combination, went out recently with 223 magic, him spotting and me shooting. Can only say that he made my job so much easier, he got us that close to most targets even I could hit them. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent_varmintor Posted September 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 onelesscharlie : you are right the both together are certainly deadly. by the way its me that you are making the stainless mod for the 6.5x47 russell gall build Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent_varmintor Posted September 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 223 magic: im not sure how much wind drift i got on the off shot. Yeah it is a AICS. I over came the problem with eye relief and NV add on by getting athird eye tactical base, im able to move the scope far forward as possible on the base for NV use with only 2 clicks to the left for zero. For day use i take it all the back to the rear of the base for day use. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onelesscharlie Posted September 4, 2013 Report Share Posted September 4, 2013 Hi Craig Cant wait to see it fitted to one of Russel's rifles. Im sure you will post some pics. best regards Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent_varmintor Posted September 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 as soon as i get it from Russell i'll be taking lots of pics of it. Cant wait for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ergid Posted October 18, 2013 Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 Im the opposite to you im afraid 223magic. I cant fault the NM800 at all and rate it much better than a laser. I dont use the NM800 with the tighest focus, i have it about 80% focused and you cant even see the dark strip in the middle. I also prefer the X sercher with IR and only get the dark strip if I turn the the head right forward. what scope have you got on your setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seprim Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 good prep well done Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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