Budget night vision ATN X sight II 5x20

[Schandler]

Looking for opinions on ATN budget night vision. All I need is 100 yards or less for skunks coons possums at night terrorizing chickens. Should I hold out until I can afford thermal or will this get me by ? Don't need all the extras on the x sight but they sound pretty cool. Does it hold zero and can I see 100 yards out Attic fan and skunks around at night just ain't working out too Open for suggestions on other setups in the same price range Thanks for any input

 

[JaoeyP]

Never owned one but have played with them a few times at trade shows. I agree they have too many features. I was thinking of buying one about a year and a half ago and started following their Facebook page. There were a lot of questions about how to fix stuff and issues with firmware on the Gen I X-sights, and a little bit with the Gen II when they first released, but that all seems to have quieted down now.

 

[Schandler]

Surprised there hasn't been more responses on post but since I posted I have acquired an x sight 2 5x20. It was used but in great shape and a bargain. It came with larger IR light and the standard light but I did have to buy memory card and all batteries. As suggested by a lot of owners I purchased a battery pack instead of aa batteries. I have to say it is all I need. It works great and pretty easy to set up. Being able to watch/record and set up on an iPad is really nice. As far as being able to see in pitch darkness well it works and you can see well enough to identify what you are looking at. I have not used it for anything over 125 yards. Easy to focus and sight in. I updated software in about 5 minutes and took lees than that to sight in. I am really pleased with it. I am a bolt kind of fella but did buy an ar long ago so I put it on an AR 15. Not my normal type of rifle but it's the only semi that I don't hunt with. Perfect pair and I think it will do exactly what I need

 

[JaoeyP]

Very nice. I'd buy one in a heart beat if they were legal for use at night on coyotes in Missouri!

 

[Outrider27]

Very nice. I'd buy one in a heart beat if they were legal for use at night on coyotes in Missouri!

Just a random thought, since I don't know what Missouri laws are for night hunting, or even if it is allowed at all; here in PA, you can get exceptions for some hunting laws under the depredation law(s). If something is actually damaging your property (which includes crops and livestock), the state can grant you an exception to either cure the problem or offset the loss, whichever is more appropriate. When I was a kid (longer ago than I care to remember) my grandfather would be permitted to take one deer out of season (like July or early August) to make up for crop damage they caused - even the electric fence only slowed them down, lol.

 

[JaoeyP]

Just a random thought, since I don't know what Missouri laws are for night hunting, or even if it is allowed at all; here in PA, you can get exceptions for some hunting laws under the depredation law(s). If something is actually damaging your property (which includes crops and livestock), the state can grant you an exception to either cure the problem or offset the loss, whichever is more appropriate. When I was a kid (longer ago than I care to remember) my grandfather would be permitted to take one deer out of season (like July or early August) to make up for crop damage they caused - even the electric fence only slowed them down, lol.

I believe there are similar laws here, but it's pretty hard to get approval to night hunt them with night vision/artificial light. It's legal to hunt at night under moonlight. You need a full moon, cut crop field is decent, full moon and snow is awesome. But we sometimes go a few years without a good snow blanket.

 

[Schandler]

I got this for mainly skunks and possums. Not sure how he got in but went to let chickens out and a possum was asleep in one of the straw filled spots for eggs. He had not hurt a chicken yet and when I went in he was not playing possum. Showed his teeth at me and hissed. Well needless to say he met maker. Skunks at night are bad and something reached in lot through chainlink fence and held onto a chicken and ate what it could get to. Figure a fox or coon Then there is fruit and nut trees chewed on until they kill them - that would be mr deer. Game warden told me I didn't need any kind of permit as long as deer doesn't leave my property I can eat em or leave for coyotes I will say I didn't ask about shooting at night with x sight !! Maybe I need to ask but I figure dead is dead and whatever it takes to save trees and chickens. I used to hunt a lot but have to say I have killed more deer lately than I ever have when I was hunting I can see all of back yard just have to be willing to spend the time watching. The battery pack I bet will last all night Or longer than I will last watching when leaves fall I can see a 1000 acre corn field through the woods As long as animals stay out there they will be safe Come into yard they will have a problem. Looking forward to using it in middle of the night

 

[Outrider27]

Jaoey, another random thought - yeah, we're beginning to play with the edges of the law here. The ATN X II is not, strictly speaking, a night vision sight, it's a digital sight which allows you to take photos and videos through it's optics, among other unusual features, from the screen they put it on inside the scope, and because of the sensitivity of the electronics, it happens to work well at night as well as in the daylight. It might be worth getting a read from a legal authority (maybe your local game warden, if you are on good terms) with regards to whether a digital sight that "also works well after dark" is a night sight by Missouri's definition. Around here coyotes are treated as unwanted non-native predators (and I'm the local on call predator harvester if the neighbors need a hand in this rural area), so as long as I keep it on my property or one of the neighbors requests a hand, the game warden doesn't care what I use for sights or what time of day it is. Garretsdad's description of its performance has intrigued me, so instead of getting something normal for my next scope, I'm saving for one of them. Maybe I'll put it on my K-Hornet, the usual coyote gun....

Mike