Night-vision scope

This illuminator is a beast. 

If you’re looking for the best night vision scopes for long-range use, this review’s Editor’s Choice is your best bet. 

Not only is it seriously long range, but it’s well-built and easy to maneuver, as well. 

It has some weight to it, aside from being a bit bulky. Mounting was no problem. It proved to be easy even for beginners. The mount piece felt kind of plastic-y, which doesn’t go with the whole of the scope as everything felt solid and durable. 

On the other hand, the adjustment on the mount felt a bit tight but still manageable and sturdy in the end.

In case you’re wondering…

…this illuminator is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. Charging time took 12 to 24 hours at most, but with its battery life, I’d say it’s pretty well worth it. 

Run time is around 1.5 hours if on high, about 8 hours on medium, and a staggering 20 hours on low!

Now, on to the burning question…

Was it bright enough for pitch darkness?

The answer is yes! We deliberately tested it out for the first time on my property on a moonless night. The sight was difficult, and at 100 meters, my companion could barely see me. 

I let him stand different distances away from me. At 50 meters, everything’s super bright, and it’s as if it’s daytime and the sun was up high. At 100 meters, he’s still visible, as well as at 150 meters. The visual was still perfectly detailed. 

At 200, my target started to look a bit unclear, and at 350 to 500 yards, I was still able to see him but couldn’t make out his shape. 

In short…

…at its maximum, you can definitely still see your target, but you might not be able to make out what it is. 

Brightness also weakened gradually as the battery ran out.

You may also want to take note that it would be almost way too bright if it’s mounted on the scope itself. When I tried mounting it way front on the muzzle of my shotgun, it became just the right kind of bright. 

I also appreciate that its adjustment has markers in it,- so I was able to easily know what direction I should go. 

The exterior is mainly made from aluminum, so even if it’s a bit weighty, it’s still lightweight enough to not tire your hands or add more weight to your hunting gun. 

Night vision scopes that are so well-built at this price range are hard to come by. So we were thrilled when we saw this Banner Dusk & Dawn Multi-Reticle scope by Bushnell. 

Most of us have a Bushnell or two (some even have more) so we’re already aware of the almost indestructible quality this brand has to offer. 

At first touch, this Banner immediately gave the feeling of a solid and well-built scope, and it proved so later on, making it this review’s Best Value night vision scope.

It has the standard bushnell design, which is a 1-piece tube construction. I personally prefer this design as it’s not prone to breaking at all. 

The material is mostly plastic but a hard one that almost felt like steel. 

In fact…

…this night vision rifle scope is actually made for shooting just as it’s made for hunting. That means that it’s constructed with a tactical quality that will keep it from breaking or shattering with gun shots. 

And indeed, it took recoils very well. I actually didn’t only use it for hunting but also for two shooting games just to test out its tactical capability. 

At the end of the day, it emerged damage-free, and even scratch-free. 

Oh, and about that…

…this night vision rifle scope is actually designed to be waterproof and fog-proof. That said, it soon became my go-to scope when we were out hunting on the highlands. 

Unlike the editor’s choice illuminator, this one is a bit more old-fashioned and basic. So that makes it perfect for beginners. 

In addition to that, it doesn’t have an illuminator, but it works well in low light conditions. It sure didn’t perform perfectly when used on a completely dark and moonless midnight, but it was perfectly bright and clear with the aid of the moonlight. 

Furthermore…

…it also boasts three to nine times magnification and a 40mm objective lens. 

Aside from its fully multi-coated optics, it also has a multi-x reticle for the fast and accurate acquisition of your target. 

Just so you know, its reticle is a crosshair. But they’re darker than other scopes’ even though they’re thin. Shooters have different preferences, but I can confidently say that these fine crosshairs gave my scope more accuracy. 

And speaking of accuracy…

…finding my scope was a bit of a challenge, and the moment I found it, I couldn’t move much anymore as the slightest movement could make you lose the scope or make your target inaccurate. 

The windage (that is resettable) and elevation adjustments are all covered with caps to protect them from wear. 

The adjustment was pretty easy, and it made a clicking sound whenever I adjusted it, so that was also kind of satisfying.

If you’ve been using night vision scopes for a while or you’re quite tech-savvy, then this digital night vision scope is for you.

Actually, digital might be an understatement. It’s an actual computer with a load of other features that make it one of the best night vision scopes with an actual razor-sharp vision at a certain distance, making it this review’s Top Pick. 

It sure doesn’t look like much at first glance. But I was instantly amazed by its design. It has good ergonomics, so I didn’t have any problems holding it for an extended period of time, even if it’s a bit hefty for a scope. 

It’s made from synthetic materials, but it didn’t really feel like it. Aside from being quite hefty, it’s also solid to the touch with none of the hollow feeling I get from cheap scopes. 

Like the Best Value scope…

…one of its purposes is also tactical. So expect it to be tough and even shock-proof. 

The charging time was okay. It took overnight but not as long as the Editor’s Choice scope. 

As for the mount, it’s quite easy to mount, too. But the ease of use would probably end there if you’re a beginner. 

I mean, don’t be intimidated, of course. It just means that nothing is basic with this digital night vision scope. There are things to learn before you’re able to use it, but it’s honestly not that hard. 

But here’s the kicker. 

This boss has wi-fi and Bluetooth capability as well as a picture and video recorder!

Its video recording is at 120 FPS, along with a recoil-activated video so you can record and keep your most badass moments. It’s also connected to its own app (software), so you can save your photos and videos there and get back to them later. 

In addition to that, one of its highlight features is its very own ballistic calculator. 

It sure sounds like only military personnel or shooters would only need it. But if you’re a survivalist or a hunter, it will also prove useful to you, just like how it did to me. 

Basically, the ballistic calculator will give you all the data you need in an instant so you can gauge your target better and adjust for better accuracy if needed. This is where the Bluetooth and wi-fi capability come in. 

It’s quite versatile, too, and can go with most night vision devices. 

Its runtime is up to 18 hours, and that’s when it’s used continuously (I did) so just imagine how long it would be if it’s not continuous!

As for its range, it’s sufficiently bright and clear as day at 100 meters but becomes somewhat slightly grainy at 300. 

And in case you’re wondering, it also has infrared light for the best night vision optics, so it worked for us even on a very dark moonless night. 

If you like to keep things simple and uncomplicated, this is the right night vision scope for you. It caught our attention due to its great following, thanks to its easy assembly and operation. 

And it’s digital, too!

This may look intimidating, especially to beginners, but installing it was such a breeze. Aside from the part where you’d have to carefully and critically follow the instructions so you won’t get confused with the number of components and rings it came with, everything can be done by anyone with no prior knowledge about scopes. 

Seriously. 

Just remember…

…to make sure to tighten everything and every ring, as the tightness of these components would affect the image quality of your scope later on.

Going to the more exciting part, it’s both a daytime and nighttime scope. It gives full-color images during the daytime and black and white but HD images at night. 

What’s cooler is the same 720p resolution I got when the sun was up was still consistently 720 when it’s already dark!

Details were still very much visible, except for one flaw. 

The IR light could be too bright at times that it was kind of hard to see the details of the target. I mean, I was still able to see it, but I just wasn’t able to make out its shape. Now, if you already know your target’s location, then you’re good. 

Fortunately…

…it’s also highly adjustable in many ways, which proved to be an advantage, too. 

You can adjust the image’s saturation or color, contrast, and of course, brightness. So whenever the image appeared way too bright, I just had to adjust these settings, and I’m good. 

Like most night vision scopes in this list, this one also performed very well at 150 yards and even at 200. It’s not very long range, but I still appreciate that it can get as far as that. 

The zoom area is quite big too, which was satisfying, and the sharpness was very easy to adjust, as well.

If there’s one thing I kinda hate, it’s the fact that it uses batteries that are not so common, so when I went out to buy some, I made sure to buy extra. They’re good investments, after all. 

This IR scope and illuminator are so customizable that it was quite a blast using it. 

Like the previous scope, this one is also digital minus the complicated software. 

Its first point is brought by its assembly (and overall usage) that’s very easy to do and even beginner-friendly, I must say. 

Aside from the instructions already included, I also received a manual via email just after I received it. It came with a number of components, but everything was assembled in just under 10 minutes.

This Megaorei is a day and night scope, so it has an IR light for nighttime. During the daytime, I was given clear and colored visions that were sharp as heck. 

It has a zoom adjustment, and the picture still didn’t lose its impeccable quality even at 150 yards. 

Although…

…it started to become a bit difficult to adjust once it went beyond 150. It took me a few minutes to perfectly focus on the target. 

But the cool thing is, it’s amazing at nighttime!

In case you’re wondering, yes, you can definitely use it on a moonless night. I made sure to use it on our field when darkness was pitch black. I turned the night mode on and the IR, and voila, the view was clear as day. 

Zooming in and out also didn’t influence its clarity, as long as it was still within the effective range. 

If you’re far-sighted…

…this might also be the one for you as it has a diopter lens for better clarity.

Aside from that, it also has a well-designed silicon rubber eye cap that prevents leaking of light and makes your eye comfortable as you use the scope. 

And the best part? 

It has a camcorder! You can take 1280*720p HD photos and videos so you can go back to your adventures later on. The camcorder is also adjustable up to 360 degrees and can do both day and night visions. 

In case you’re sensitive about recoils, some of its key components are also wrapped in silicon to make this unit anti-recoil, which is one of my favorite parts about it. 

And the best thing about this scope? It’s compact and lightweight, as if it doesn’t carry this many features! That means it won’t weigh your rifle down or won’t be hard to hold. 

Lightweight, small, and high-quality. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this reasonably priced camouflage night vision scope. 

Aside from its prints, its overall design and construction is quite unique compared to most night vision scopes. 

For one…

…this baby is very lightweight, not to mention small, as well, so it’s very easy to hold and won’t easily tire your hand. 

It has a soft and wide hand strap that’s also printed with camouflage prints. Nice feature, but it could prove to be quite awkward if you’re holding it with your left hand. 

Nonetheless, I also like that it’s quite versatile. As a matter of fact, it even has a socket for a tripod along its rails! Although the socket is also positioned quite awkwardly, it worked great for us anyway, so all is still well.

But here’s the kicker. 

You can use it on a completely dark night. Yes, even without moonlight. That alone made it a worthwhile purchase, but it’s also very bright and has a long reach. 

And speaking of reach, its vision was sharp and detailed up to 150 to 200 yards in pitch black darkness. Can you imagine that?

On the other hand, with ambient lights, it can reach up to 250 yards. And yes, still sharp and clear. 

It also has dials to adjust the IR brightness, so in case the image ends up too bright, all you have to do is adjust it so you won’t get blinded by the light. The buttons were just, again, a bit awkwardly placed if you have small hands. But hey, it worked for me, and that’s what mattered.

It’s so compact that it may not look like it, but it can also capture photos and even videos. Interestingly, the videos look clearer than the pictures to me. 

In addition to that…

…it already comes with a 32GB memory card, so you won’t have to buy one. You can also transfer the files and recordings through the USB cable it comes with. This cable also acts as a charger. 

And speaking of charging, it may be one of its weak points as I was only able to get 2 to 3 hours of use out of it. But to be fair, charging time is also short at 5 hours only. 

Aside from the camera, it also has a microphone to record your audio, although the sound was not of the highest quality. 

This night scope comes with a number of accessories that give this purchase great value for money, such as a carrying case, charger, battery, memory card, and a wiper, among other things. 

Yes, indeed. A digital night scope can also be uncomplicated and easy to navigate, even with all the features it has got! At least that’s what we got from this Sightmark Wraith scope. 

It sure looks quite simple at first, but this thing is huge. That’s to say that it also has some weight to it, but the good thing is it’s made of aluminum, so it’s somewhat still a bit light for its size. 

Mounting was very easy, which was kind of surprising but a welcome surprise nonetheless. 

Like most digital scopes, this can work day and night. Day viewing has a 1080p resolution, so it’s perfectly sharp, especially at shorter distances. 

On the other hand…

…it can go as far as 250 yards, which is impressive for its price point. At nighttime, it can go up to 200 yards, still with high definition pictures. 

Now, this is my favorite thing about this unit. It has 10 reticle options to choose from! They most probably understood that not everyone likes crosshair, so we’re given more options to guide our accuracy. 

But that’s not all.

It also has 9 different colors to choose from! The basic ones are black and white as well as emerald green. For better sight and accuracy, I like sticking to black and white at night with a red sight and reticle that make up a strong contrast and better accuracy. 

Even better, it also has 5 weapon profiles or basically a memory feature. You can record your weapon and the caliber and save the settings so you won’t have to do it again next time. Naming convention was limited to only the caliber and weight, though. 

So how was it?

As mentioned earlier, it has quite an impressive range. To add to that, it’s also sufficiently bright. And if it’s still too bright for you, you can always tone it down with the adjustment buttons. 

And speaking of that, the buttons were also strategically placed, so they’re easy to find and hold. 

If there’s anything you might want to know, it’s the fact that it’s a second focal plane scope, so the reticle won’t change its size even when you zoom in and out. Just putting it out there. 

But then, its magnifying power is also impressive at 8x on digital and a staggering and up to 32x optical magnification!

In addition to that, it also has an IR illuminator and eyecup that are removable for daytime. And of course, you can capture photos and record videos with it. I’ve seen some Wraith night vision scope reviews, not liking the avi. format the videos are saved in, for me, it’s not much of a big deal. 

It’s just a bummer that its battery only runs for 3 to 4 hours (which is a bit insufficient for me but already long for other people) but then, with all the features it has, it’s already very well worth it. 

This Hojocojo night vision scope is so versatile that I’ve decided to get another one after testing it out. As a matter of fact, it can actually be used in many ways. 

For one, it’s an ideal night vision scope for your weapons. Aside from that, you can also connect it to your devices, such as your tablet or smartphone, so you can view it on a bigger screen, thanks to its impressive wi-fi connectivity. 

There’s more, but…

…if you really want to know the real deal, well, the good news is that we’re able to view as far as 400 meters down our property! Imagine that. 

I can’t say it totally worked in pitch darkness, as the image became a bit unrecognizable with no ambient light at all. But using it on one overcast night with very little moonlight, the IR illuminator was able to take what tiny amount of light there was and convert it to a very bright illumination for my viewing!

Its aperture is noticeably larger than most scopes,’ and we found out that it was deliberately made so to make the most out of the light source you have on the field so that the image could end up being sufficiently bright and clear. 

In addition to this…

…the F1.2 aperture also gave my view a nice dimension, with a bit of a blur on the field and a nice and sharp focus on the target. 

The reticle is crosshair, but the good thing is you can always conceal it if you don’t like it. 

Like most of the scopes on our list, it can also capture photos and videos. This scope is capable of storing 32GB worth of files. 

But the exciting thing is…

…you can hook it up to your phone or tablet if you just want to do night viewing and not hunting. 

It works through an app that will let you see the view of the scope. What’s cooler is you don’t have to mount it to any weapon to be able to use it!

Now, the thing is…

…it’s really not a literal night vision scope, but rather a night vision scope adapter. That said, you’d have to attach it to your scope before you get a clearer night view. So that also means that you’d have to be sure of your scope’s size before getting one of these. 

As for me, I’d say it’s well worth that little trouble as I’m still enjoying the versatility that makes me want to carry it 24/7. 

Now, this is one strange-looking scope. But in a cool way, I must say. 

Just to let you know, right off, this Night Owl Optics night vision scope is quite long and bulky. But that might just be an indication of its build because this thing is sturdy. It doesn’t feel hollow to the touch at all, despite being made of plastic. 

The package came with instructions that were very spot on and easy to understand. Installation wasn’t very basic, but anyone could still do it, even first-timers. 

It can be mounted to both Picatinny, and Weaver rails, which is pretty awesome as Weaver rails’ slots vary in size. 

In case you’re wondering…

…it’s compatible with any magnum or non-magnum rifles under 30 caliber bullets.

Another plus point for versatility is its batteries. It just needs four AA batteries to work, but I suggest you find lithium ones as they’re the ones that will last as long as the product promises. 

How about the vision?

It’s made mainly as a night vision scope, so its IR light is already built in. It’s not as powerful as the more heavy-duty NVS, but it does its job and does it well. 

As a matter of fact, I was able to night-view as far as 150 years in typical nighttime environments. It was dark but not moonless. The IR was also pretty bright but not blindingly bright, so I could still see the details of the target. 

In addition to this…

…you can also change the scope’s radical and choose between black or white to suit the environment or the current lighting. And because it’s made to be a tactical scope, it can also withstand a bit of a shock. 

During the daytime, it’s even much brighter that I wasn’t able to see my target’s details, just their outlines when the sun is high. 

As for the controls, they’re also straightforward and easy to get. Its display isn’t as high-end as the others, but at 640 by 480, it’s still great. 

Buttons are very, very simple. There’s one button for the power, one for brightness, and another one for the IR light. 

Windage adjustment was also very easy and straightforward, and I like how the adjustment wheels have caps to secure my settings as I view. 

How about the charging time?

It charges around 3 to 5 hours, but the IR life tends to eat much of the energy. At high brightness, it could go from 3 to 4 hours and 7 hours at low. 

This night vision scope is so agreeably priced that we couldn’t believe its features. 

For one, it doesn’t only have a video recorder but streaming capabilities, too!

Yep, we’re not playing here. 

You can insert a memory card and be able to transfer your picture and video files to your computer or tablet, or you can just stream live!

It connects through its wi-fi capabilities and to its own app that you install on your phone or tablet. Then you just stream your hunting game and let your friends and relatives watch in real time!

And, of course, I had to try it. 

Let me just say that it lagged a bit when I was just starting to connect. But as I used it more, the process of loading became much smoother and faster. 

Recording videos also took more battery than usual, so much so when I was streaming. 

The range was pretty good, it can go as far as 500 feet with an added light source and around 150 in near total darkness. 

I also like how its controls are simple and straightforward, so the learning curve for our newbies wasn’t that steep, and they’re toying with it in a matter of a couple of days.