Best Night Vision Scope – Top 10 Night Vision Scope on the Market Review

Night vision optics are becoming more and more common every day. What used to be high-grade military technology can now be used by just about any shooter who can afford a conventional scope.

Night vision technology is now sold in many gun shops and sporting goods stores across the country, but the Internet has opened more access to night vision optics than any other source. A quick trip online can lead you to hundreds of models from dozens of companies manufacturing night vision optics specifically for civilian hunting and shooting.

Night vision optics are certainly accessible for anyone who shoots, they certainly have their idiosyncrasies and there are a few quirks you have to get used to before you can successfully use this equipment.

Here are the best night vision scopes on the market for civilian hunters and shooters, and a quick buyer’s guide filled with tips and tricks for buying night vision optics.

How to Choose a Night Vision Scope?

#1. Budget

Night vision optics are much more expensive than conventional optics. That’s not to say that you can’t find conventional optics that cost more than mainstream night vision, but entry-level pricing for night vision generally starts at over $500 for a value minded scope, but realistically cost at least $1000.

#2. Clarity

The resolution clarity offered by night vision scopes is nowhere near that offered by conventional optics. However, the latest night vision generations are much better than what you may have used or seen in years past.

Many optics designed for sportsmen and hunters are perfectly good for hunting coyotes out to 200 yards with good shot placement. However, don’t expect to be able to identify a person from 500 yards.

#3. Range

Try and anticipate the ranges you are going to be shooting at. Night vision optics don’t allow for very much magnification if any at all. Most often, you trade magnification for field-of-view when using night vision.

Even modest magnification by conventional standards like 3x magnification will amount to as little as 13° field-of-view. That means you can easily lose your target at as little as 50 yards in the dark.

#4. Reticle

Don’t expect a BDC reticle when it comes to night vision scopes. Most often you’ll get a very simple duplex, or even dot optics. There are several magnifiers and night vision devices that attach to standard scopes on the market that are compatible with red dot optics. This is an ideal solution for lightweight carbines and modern sporting rifles like AR 15’s and AK-47s.

#5. Battery Type & Life

Make sure you get information regarding the required battery and expected battery life before you start using night vision. Many military grade optics use batteries that are expensive in the civilian world and are not rechargeable.

If possible, choose a night vision optic with a common battery, like AA, or buy high-grade rechargeable batteries. Make sure you have a fully charged set or two with you each and every time you go into the field.

#6. Depth Perception

It may come as a surprise, but you will lose all sense of depth perception when viewing the world through night vision. Because the night vision gathers light and transmits a digital copy of it to your eye, it doesn’t account for things like shadows or differences in perspective.

Everything around you will seem flat and take some getting used to. If you decide to use night vision goggles as well as use night vision on your rifle remember to never drive or operate machinery with it on until you get a lot of experience with it!

#7. Day & Night Use

Some night vision scopes have the capability to be used at night, as well as during the day. Most of these scopes need to be manually switched from day to night mode, although some can determine day from night themselves.

The scopes tend to be heavier and bulkier, decide whether or not you’re going to need the scope before you commit to the expense and bulk they require.

Top 10 Best Night Vision Scope on the Market Review

This scope mounts to a standard weaver rail and includes many features that you would be used to on the standard rifle scope like illuminated reticle and fully multicoated optics.

The only thing different from a standard rifle scope is the addition of the auto brightness control module, that automatically accounts for how dark it is outside to allow for optimal site picture.

One of the great things about this night vision scope is that is fully set up for hunting at extended ranges, with no magnification modules or extra focusing need it.

This is without a doubt one of the best night vision scopes for hunting. This is an extremely versatile 4.6x42mm scope that brings all the capability of a Gen 1 night vision scope but adds in a higher magnification and illuminated red reticle.

This scope features 33% longer battery life over previous generations and 30% lighter weight than its competitors. Most other digital night vision rifle scopes on the market will be much bulkier and heavier and the batteries will not last throughout an entire night. This is certainly not a problem with the Sightmark Photon XT.

If you’re looking for one of the most technologically advanced rifle scopes on the market, this is it. This scope literally incorporates a miniature computer to give you just about everything you would need to shoot and hunt at long ranges.

For starters, this scope from ATN is named the X-Sight II and is built around an adjustable 5-20x power magnification lens and 85 mm objective lens. That gives you ample magnification and light gathering ability to use day or night out to the very edge of most cartridges ballistic potential.

This is an excellent, easy to use night vision rifle scope made by Night Owl Optics called the Night Shot. Many night vision sights are designed to do many things well. This is one of the few night vision scopes made specifically for hunting at night.

The hallmark of this scope is being portable and having a large clear field of view. The greatest thing about this scope is when you’re using this scope in an open area, you can identify targets out to well over 150 yards. Where other night vision scopes fall short, this scope will allow you to see.

Not all night vision scopes are ideal for modern sporting rifles or lightweight carbines. They tend to be bulky and have a lot of features that weigh the optic down. This model from Firefield is certainly not one of them.

You have 3x magnification with a 14° field-of-view. Generous eye relief and built-in infrared illumination means that this scope is designed for rifles like the AR 15 or AK-47.

When it comes a sporting optics, there are few companies out there that have the market cornered like Bushnell. Bushnell is one of the largest manufacturers of optics in the world, making some of the highest-quality precision rifle scopes used by elite military and law-enforcement as well as having some of the best budget optics that can be picked up at Walmart for cheap.

Their night vision line-up falls mainly into the budget category of the market, but what they offer far surpasses the competition for the amount of technology and features you get for the money. This is a generation two night vision scope for fast shooting at moderate distances.

This scope is built around 4.5 power magnification and a 40mm objective lens. It is one of the cheaper digital night vision optics on the market but still provides enough magnification and light gathering ability for you to be able to hunt with it at decent ranges. This one of the best scopes for an Eotech set up built for hog hunting at night.

This scope features adjustable infrared brightness levels and integrated mount and an extremely long battery life. This scope is primarily designed to give the shooter outstanding optical clarity and an extra wide field-of-view for cheap.

This scope includes digital features like image capturing, video recording, daytime color and can even be detached from a rifle and mounted on a tripod for scouting and for varmint control. This is one of the few scopes on the market that is ready to go out of the box with virtually no learning curve. Excellent for a first night vision scope and getting the most bang for your buck.

Thermal Vs Night Vision

Many people wonder about the differences between night vision and thermal optics. While the science that makes them work is completely different, many people assume they are used in the same way in the field.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, they are miles apart in both capabilities and applications. If you can afford it and are serious about hunting at night, you should have both. Most people will agree, including virtually all professional guides or government hunters, thermal is more useful for locating animals at night.

With thermal, you can identify a heat source several hundred yards away. In some cases, with professional grade optics, you can identify heat sources from over a mile in open terrain. However, thermal rarely provides you with enough detail to make an accurate shot.

Night vision gives you much more clarity and definition when viewing through the scope and allows you to make an accurate hit on the game animal you’re shooting at. In fact, on all but the smallest of varmints and at close ranges it is unethical to use thermal optics.

Especially on medium-size game like nuisance deer or hogs. There is not enough definition to be able to place a bullet in the vitals. In short, locate the animals with thermal and kill them with night vision.

How to Zero Night-Vision Scope?

Zero Night & Thermal Imag​ing Rifle Scopes

A Note on Legality & Ethics

Before you step into the field with night vision optics, particularly if you’re going to be hunting, make sure you know what you’re doing. Of course, you need to follow all safety rules for firearms, particularly in the dark when you may not be able to see what is on the other side of your target very well.

However, you need to make sure that the equipment that you plan on using is legal in the area that you are going to be hunting. This is of concern for people who will be hunting outside the United States, even carrying military or civilian grade night vision optics outside the country for personal use is considered exportation and will require permission from the State Department.

However, in all 50 states there are regulations regarding when and where night vision and thermal optics can be used for hunting. Particularly out West, were big game species are vulnerable to poachers taking advantage of large game like elk or grizzly bear.

However, ethics dictate you don’t use thermal or night vision optics for other purposes. Namely, for game species that aren’t allowed or in methods that are not allowed. A perfectly legal example of using night vision or thermal optics is trailing wounded game.

However, many times the lines get blurred. For example, using thermal optics to locate turkeys on the roost in total darkness is unethical, and in many states and counties is illegal.

As a sportsman, you must make a judgment call whether what you’re doing is fair. Using thermal optics or night vision in the off-season to scout for deer is one thing. As a rule, do not use hunting technology to change the general methods and tactics that you would use to kill game. Simply use it to make the old tactics and methods more effective while still maintaining a fair hunt.

The Verdict

Night vision optics are an incredible piece of technology. Not only because they allow for more effective varmint control in areas of the country experiencing severe damage due to coyotes and hogs, they provide a new level of safety and efficacy for hunting at night.

If you are going to take advantage of this technology, spend some time familiarizing yourself with the science that makes them work, and the quirks that come with using it. Night vision optics are sure to get better and better over the years to come as technology gets cheaper and manufacturing improves.

For now, though, these models are the best of the best night vision scope for sportsmen looking to expand their season or protect crops and property. Hunting and shooting at night can get expensive and dangerous very quick, know what you’re doing before you head into the field and enjoy it!