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(Starlight?) Archer Nightvision Monocular


Guest JohnGalway

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Guest JohnGalway

Hi folks,

 

Please read the post fully before answering, there are a lot of questions! Thanks

 

Am looking for owners of the Archer NV monocular unit please for some info.

 

I watched the You Tube bunny video last night, it was good, 140 yard shootablt rabbits on 4x to 12x magnification (even though it took hours to download on my elastic band internet connection).

 

First off, as people will know I'll want NV for shooting foxes 99% of the time, with 1% bunny bashing. I'll need to know a few things from the users such as;

 

1. What grade tube did you get? B, C or D? (I probably won't be able to afford anything outside of D or C myself). Or did you go for another type? I'm not interested in the complete NV scope set-up, just an add on.

 

2. What method of illumination do you use with it, laser or lamp with IR filter?

 

3. Which do you find to be better for scanning as a monocular (detached from the scope) and which is better for (fox) shooting with?

 

4. Is it easy to use the unit off the rifle to scan around for eyes and can it be quickly reattached to the scope?

 

5. Does it need to be adjusted when switching from monocular use to scope use? (Using up valuable time).

 

6. How far can you spot fox eyes with your Archer? Please remember to say what grade tube and type of illumination you have/use.

 

7. How far have you shot a fox? How far can you clearly see a foxes body with your unit?

 

8. I have heard that it's hard to judge range using NV, is this true? I've also heard the NV is hard on the eyes, is this true?

 

9. What scope do you use, make model etc.?

 

Please, please feel free to volunteer loads more information and questions and anything you think I have left out

 

Thanks in advance for the help,

 

John

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  • 7 months later...

Hi folks,

 

Please read the post fully before answering, there are a lot of questions! Thanks

 

Am looking for owners of the Archer NV monocular unit please for some info.

 

I watched the You Tube bunny video last night, it was good, 140 yard shootablt rabbits on 4x to 12x magnification (even though it took hours to download on my elastic band internet connection).

 

First off, as people will know I'll want NV for shooting foxes 99% of the time, with 1% bunny bashing. I'll need to know a few things from the users such as;

 

1. What grade tube did you get? B, C or D? (I probably won't be able to afford anything outside of D or C myself). Or did you go for another type? I'm not interested in the complete NV scope set-up, just an add on.

 

2. What method of illumination do you use with it, laser or lamp with IR filter?

 

3. Which do you find to be better for scanning as a monocular (detached from the scope) and which is better for (fox) shooting with?

 

4. Is it easy to use the unit off the rifle to scan around for eyes and can it be quickly reattached to the scope?

 

5. Does it need to be adjusted when switching from monocular use to scope use? (Using up valuable time).

 

6. How far can you spot fox eyes with your Archer? Please remember to say what grade tube and type of illumination you have/use.

 

7. How far have you shot a fox? How far can you clearly see a foxes body with your unit?

 

8. I have heard that it's hard to judge range using NV, is this true? I've also heard the NV is hard on the eyes, is this true?

 

9. What scope do you use, make model etc.?

 

Please, please feel free to volunteer loads more information and questions and anything you think I have left out

 

Thanks in advance for the help,

 

John

hi john i will reply to this post tommorow because im out tonight with the archer just swapped it onto a 17 annie and its the first night out on this gun so ill post sunday with any results,cheers, gary

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Hi folks,

 

Please read the post fully before answering, there are a lot of questions! Thanks

 

Am looking for owners of the Archer NV monocular unit please for some info.

 

I watched the You Tube bunny video last night, it was good, 140 yard shootablt rabbits on 4x to 12x magnification (even though it took hours to download on my elastic band internet connection).

 

First off, as people will know I'll want NV for shooting foxes 99% of the time, with 1% bunny bashing. I'll need to know a few things from the users such as;

 

1. What grade tube did you get? B, C or D? (I probably won't be able to afford anything outside of D or C myself). Or did you go for another type? I'm not interested in the complete NV scope set-up, just an add on.

 

2. What method of illumination do you use with it, laser or lamp with IR filter?

 

3. Which do you find to be better for scanning as a monocular (detached from the scope) and which is better for (fox) shooting with?

 

4. Is it easy to use the unit off the rifle to scan around for eyes and can it be quickly reattached to the scope?

 

5. Does it need to be adjusted when switching from monocular use to scope use? (Using up valuable time).

 

6. How far can you spot fox eyes with your Archer? Please remember to say what grade tube and type of illumination you have/use.

 

7. How far have you shot a fox? How far can you clearly see a foxes body with your unit?

 

8. I have heard that it's hard to judge range using NV, is this true? I've also heard the NV is hard on the eyes, is this true?

 

9. What scope do you use, make model etc.?

 

Please, please feel free to volunteer loads more information and questions and anything you think I have left out

 

Thanks in advance for the help,

 

John

 

C tube. B'S and D's aren't always bettter or worse. Had the pick of a few and just went for the brightest.

Use a laser illuminator. Penlight size.

I use pvs 7 d night vision binoculars fwith a 3 times mag for scanning. You can use the monocular as it gives a greater field of vision than when on the rifle. Plus as you know, not a good idea to be scanning with your rifle.

Takes 5 seconds to get it on and off the rifle even inthe dark.

Only need to adjust the focus to infinity when putting it back on, less than 5 seconds.

Fox eyes off the rifle probably 300 yds with a laser illuminator Fox eyes on the rifle probably 500 yds plus.

Furthest rabbit shot seeing body 220 yds. furthest fox shot 280 yds. and yes, you can see the body.

Ranging is just a matter of practise. Go out on land where you know distances and look at rabbits, you'll get the hang in a few evenings. Not hard on eyes.

Scopes. Schmidt and bender 4 - 16 x 50 swarovski 5 - 24 x 50 leupold gold 2.5 - 12 x 50 . It works on every scope I have tried it on. Obviously the better the scope the better the light transference.

It doesn't have any drawbacks. Some foxes and rabbits can be spooked by the laser but only a very small percentage.

I've upgraded to a dedicated night scope so hence why it is for sale. Very adaptable bit of kit, brilliant for lamp shy foxes, used it on a 17 hmr 223 and 22.250. Biggest advantage seems to be rabbits aren't spooked very much by the crack of the 17 hmr as long as no lamp is used, so it is possible to virtually empty a field of rabbits - much better than with a 22.

Tube went in December and Julian fixed it under warranty no problem.

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Hi folks,

 

Please read the post fully before answering, there are a lot of questions! Thanks

 

Am looking for owners of the Archer NV monocular unit please for some info.

 

I watched the You Tube bunny video last night, it was good, 140 yard shootablt rabbits on 4x to 12x magnification (even though it took hours to download on my elastic band internet connection).

 

First off, as people will know I'll want NV for shooting foxes 99% of the time, with 1% bunny bashing. I'll need to know a few things from the users such as;

 

1. What grade tube did you get? B, C or D? (I probably won't be able to afford anything outside of D or C myself). Or did you go for another type? I'm not interested in the complete NV scope set-up, just an add on.

 

2. What method of illumination do you use with it, laser or lamp with IR filter?

 

3. Which do you find to be better for scanning as a monocular (detached from the scope) and which is better for (fox) shooting with?

 

4. Is it easy to use the unit off the rifle to scan around for eyes and can it be quickly reattached to the scope?

 

5. Does it need to be adjusted when switching from monocular use to scope use? (Using up valuable time).

 

6. How far can you spot fox eyes with your Archer? Please remember to say what grade tube and type of illumination you have/use.

 

7. How far have you shot a fox? How far can you clearly see a foxes body with your unit?

 

8. I have heard that it's hard to judge range using NV, is this true? I've also heard the NV is hard on the eyes, is this true?

 

9. What scope do you use, make model etc.?

 

Please, please feel free to volunteer loads more information and questions and anything you think I have left out

 

Thanks in advance for the help,

 

John

ok john lets start in order of your ?.

1/i got c grade didnt see a lot of differance between the others .pick the one with the least amount of dark spots on the image mine has 2 and both are on the edge of the image.

2/laser on mine havnt tried it with the lamp but then again if your on your own that would be a lot of messing about.if your 2 men lamping then again the lamp has to be where you want it to be,id say solo is the best way iv found that to be the case up to now.that doesnt mean you dont need 2 men it still works i will scan the fields first[with the archer] to see if theres owt about if not call repeat the scan,if charlie shows up then your good to go with the nv,you can bring em in real close without spooking them.if not and your in an area with a good vantage point a quick flick over with the lamp saves a lot of time on the nv.

3/th archer wins hands down for scanning when off the rifle i was watching some cubs last week on our shoot waiting for the dog/vixen to come in to feed them i was about 90 yds away down wind of them me and my mate took it in turns to observe from our cover[we had our backs to a pond we shoot with lots of dense cover behind us]we waited until 1.30 and didnt see any sign of dog/vixen.we found out last night by again watching the cubs the vixen is taking them away to a small spinney about 120 yds from the earth to drop food for them we watched this last night.we are going to alter our strategy now we know whats going on the crafty cow has us sussed. :clapper:

when scanning for rabbits you can walk up to them 40yds away without spooking them so rimfire territory but on the hmr last night 80-90 yds shot 8 bunnies in total after fox duty.as for shooting fox then yes -but iv just swapped to the hmr so no fox yet,i had the unit on my 17 rem[tikka] before and shot 9 foxes in 4 months that were all jittery on the lamp.you can call em in real close -nearest 40yds and i had to stop that one from running right up to me! furthest shot 115 yds this vixen ran in to the call and decided something wasnt right so just stood there trying to fathom out what was what so i dropped her there.only draw back with fox is if there moving all the time it dodgy moving a loaded rifle about on the sticks trying to keep up with a fox ,if they run in straight to you which 7 out of the 9 have then all you need to do is stop them with a bark or oyy!

4/i found it hard at first attaching the unit to the mount without any light to help but practice at home this helped and i also removed the rubber ring from the out side of the scope mount and polished the mounting ring on the unit it now slips on with ease in 2 seconds.

5/no when you set the unit up you adjust yuor scopes parrallax and mag to suite the unit i use a leupold 4.5-14 vari lll and just leave it alone.you do have a focusing ring on the unit for longer ranges this is easy to operate whilst observing.

6/ again c grade observe fox at 300yds+ eyes at 400.when i bought the unit from a gun shop in north yorkshire the illuminator was very poor so i rang julian who makes the archer and told him,he invited me over to his base and swapped the shop illuminator for one of his own a 120 mw laser the differance was amazing hence the 300-400 yds range.i think that answaers Q7as well.

8/at first it was a mare to judge distance its alien to the human eye is nv so you have to practice .i shoot a lot of bunnies with my 17 rem to get used to it after 4 weeks i felt confident to go on fox .first night out 2 foxes.the affect you get when you switch the unit off is like welders flash your eyes adjust after 2-3 mins.

9 as above leupold.you do need a scope with side focus[parrallax adjustment] and the better the scope the better the image,if you already have a decent spare scope then no problem if not its more money out of the piggy bank!

hope this helps you john.as for advice then id say look through one first before you .im happy with mine its a toss up between a dedicated nv scope or the archer type units.me id go for archer it gives that added use as a monocular and when you get used to it ,its easy to use no swinging the rifle around etc.the only draw back is [well not a draw back]that you may have to get a rail fitted to your gun of choice to get your scope forward to mount the unit in the natural head position for your eyes[if that makes sense]i have a rail for the tikka-[£90] and one for the annie[£80] then just mount your scope forward about 8in.overall im well pleased with it even though it leaves a hole in your pocket.but then again i dont drink or smoke and shooting in all forms is my hobby/passion so money well spent.just as a side note i just picked up a 17rem fireball custom rifle last week as a present to myself :whistling: so im load developing at the minute after running in the barrel FOXES WATCH OUT!

hope this helps john any more ? ill try and answer for you.cheers mate.

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