There are quite a few critters we can continue to hunt after dark. For decades I have counted on lights to do so. But what if we could continue to hunt after dark and have the advantage of a thermal sight?
Something New
Infitac has brought an affordable option to the market. No, not just another rifle scope which the market appears to be flooded with. A pistol optic and a rifle optic that can be used as a stand alone or a clip on. That is a lot of options given the price point of these optics (prices left out to not get flagged on social media).
Dash Outside
These optics were shipped to me for review just a few weeks ago and I began to test them immediately. That first night I took both optics outside as a hand held and began scanning around town. I was immediately impressed with the pistol optic as I was able to see quite a ways. From the top of the hill where I live I could clearly scan houses, cars, and so on. The picture was crisp and I could clearly identify window frames, doors, light poles, and cars at well over ¼ mile.
Critter Detection
With hunting being my primary focus I had to look for critters in town. We have a pretty good size resident deer herd in town. Locating mule deer at 200 or more yards was simple and the picture was clean and clear. I would have had no trouble identifying them and taking a shot in those conditions.
Not all critters we hunt are deer size. Being in a town there are obviously small pets running around. House cat size animals could also be identified easily at distance. There is a lot of promise for these optics just from a few quick peeks outside. Sadly, I didn’t read the instructions, I just ran outside and played! I didn’t know you could take pictures with the optics. But don’t worry, there are tons of pictures on Infitac’s social media of people doing the same tests. I can confirm the optics display the images just like they show online.
Durability
It’s great that the optics provide a good image, but that doesn’t mean squat if they can’t run on the gun!
Infitac’s FML19 handgun thermal is obviously my main attraction here; handgun hunting is my passion after all. Most would assume I would slap this on some hand cannon right away, but that is not the best way to test it.
A semi auto handgun actually abuses an optic a whole lot more. With the slide slamming back and forth it applies forces to the optic that no revolver can match.
Mounting
For any optics mounting we must have a solid foundation. The FML19 is designed to work with RMR footprints via their proprietary adapter plate. This plate could be directly mounted to a slide that is cut for an RMR or it can be stacked with other plates.
I selected the STP SWAT to mount the FML19 on. This 9mm 2011 uses its own plate system which required me to stack the Infitac plate system with the STP plate.
They provide all of the screws needed to mount the plate. I would recommend some form of removable thread locker as there is quite a bit of force applied to the screws when firing.
Mounting the FML19 was simple. Some basic tools, removable thread locker, and a little drying time and you are off to the range.
On the Range
Hitting the range with the pistol thermal was literally a blast! Zeroing was simple with its touch screen. Yes! It has a touch screen. Makes it so simple that a not so tech savvy person like myself can figure it out.
I did hit one snag though. In Wyoming trees and shade are in short supply. With direct overhead sunlight, using the sight was difficult. Just like using your cell phone in bright sunlight, the screen tends to appear very dark and difficult to see. Taking the optic on a covered or indoor range to zero eliminates this issue.
This sight is larger than any red dot optic I know of and weighs more than most. With that said I experienced zero negative impacts on the cycling of the STP SWAT 9mm. It ran flawlessly with this optic.
With the sunlight limitations, it may limit this optics use during the day time. Early mornings, evenings, and in darkness will not be an issue. This opens a whole new world up to the handgun hunter for their next hog hunt!
Rifle Optics
As stated earlier, Infitac also sent a rifle optic. Their IOL25 can be used as a stand alone optic or a clip on.
What does stand alone and clip on mean?
Stand Alone: The optic can act independently as a thermal rifle scope. Has aiming points and adjustments so that it itself can be the scope.
Clip On: Mounts in front of your zeroed traditional rifle scope. Allows you to look through your rifle optic and have the advantages of a thermal.
Advantages of Clip On VS Stand Alone
Both of these methods of use have their advantages. As a stand alone thermal you are limited by the thermal optics limitations during times when your traditional scope is more useful.
As a clip on, you can remove the thermal when it is not needed and use your traditional rifle scope. This requires a lot of rail space and you lose some features of both the thermal and rifle scope during use.
Rifle Optics Mounting
Typically you would see an optic like this mounted on an AR15 rifle; I had to be different. At Shot Show I picked up a Steyr AUG rifle and figured that would be a suitable platform to stand out from the crowd.
My AUG is set up with a 20 inch 1/7 twist barrel, Silencer Co Velos LBP 556K suppressor, EOTECH Vudu 3-9, JARD trigger, and a few other small accessories.
Mounting the optic is simple. It comes with its own quick release mount that attaches to your standard picatinny rail. You can adjust a small thumb nut on the mount to change the amount of locking force that is applied when you close the cam lever. It’s literally that simple.
If you want to use it as a clip on, zero your traditional scope first. Then mount the thermal in front of your day optic. You will need to then focus your thermal via the ocular adjustment on the IOL25. With my Vudu it limited me to 3-5 magnification to be able to focus the thermal. That is plenty of power for most night hunting.
Zeroing the optics takes a little tinkering as all of the adjustments are done with one control knob. By pushing and turning the knob you cycle through menus to adjust the zero. You will do the same to collimate the thermal during clip on mode. The manual does a good job of explaining the process in detail, so there is no need for me to retype that process.
Pistol and Rifle Optic
With both optics I found that both the hand warmer method and foil tape method worked well for zeroing.
The hand warmer method involves taping a heating pad on the target so that you can see your aiming point through the thermal. The foil tape method allows for a much more fine aiming point. A 2” square section of foil tape shows up well in the sunlight.
Both optics also allow you to change the colors of how target heat is displayed. With various backgrounds one method may work better than others. White hot, black hot, red hot, and so on can all be selected and changed as needed.
Conclusion
Both of these optics show a great deal of promise. Easy to zero, easy to mount, good clear pictures at distance, and a reasonable price point. Being a handgun hunter you know I am already planning to put that rifle thermal on a single shot. It does have unlimited eye relief!
If you are a hog, coyote, or other type of vermin hunter both of these optics have a place in your kit.
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