How & where to use your night vision - 8 months with HikMicro

Earlier this year I became the first ever female - and black - HikMicro ambassador; a position I am extremely proud to hold. The Company has been around for almost a decade; and amongst many other products which they offer to the industrial, security and military market, they offer thermal monoculars, binoculars, and scopes for hunting and wildlife observation to a worldwide market - only a couple of years ago they ranked 3rd in global shipment!

I first learned about HikMicro when guiding someone on a deer stalking outing. It was wet and foggy, and the thermal spotter I was using at the time just didn't cut it. At all. The person I was guiding (my partner) was using the HikMicro Falcon FQ50 pro, which in terms of price, was the equivalent to what I was using - but in terms of quality and clarity by far out-performed the competition (what competition?!), cutting through the fog to see around half a dozen deer stood 800 metres away. That was it. I was sold.

My first product was the HikMicro Condor LRF 2 -

This is a great thermal spotter for beginners especially if you're only using it at a short range, such. It also has a built in rangefinder so if you're new to rifle shooting and not sure of how to gauge distance by sight alone through the scope, then it's best to start with something like this until you become more confident.

I soon realised that I didn't need a range finder anymore, as my hunting skills/gauging the range by eye, had much improved over the course of just a few months as I was doing a lot more rifle hunting. So, I moved onto the Falcon FQ35, which is fantastic!

I currently use this for any and all rifle shooting - rabbits/rats/deer etc. It has slightly more clarity than the Condor at a similar distance, and is more ergonomic for my arthritic hands.

When it came to putting a scope on my rifles, my first thought was the HikMicro Alpex. At the time I was mainly deer stalking (with a glass scope), and rabbit hunting with my .22. After a while on the rabbits I realised that I needed a bit more clarity past 50 yards. Not so that I could decide whether or not to take the shot, nor to identify what I was shooting at; but so that when I played the videos back I could see everything more clearly - especially the misses! I always slow these videos down and analyse them alongside whatever the weather was that day/night, so that I can understand why I might have missed and correct myself next time I am in similar conditions.

Roe buck viewed through the HikMicro Alpex 4K day/night scope.

I soon moved onto the HikMicro Alpex 4K and the clarity then improved at further distances both in the day and at night, which as a more experienced hunter was necessary for me. I have used it hunting rabbits and hares, and although I have enjoyed watching deer with it, as it is currently on the .22 I have been unable to harvest the deer with it! I am planning to move this scope to another rifle in the near future - either a .17hmr or 6.5 Creedmor, both of which are on my license but are yet to be purchased...

The Alpex 4K Lite day/night scope has been an absolute game changer for those who use rifles, especially for pest control. It sold out more times than I could count within its first few months release in the UK, and when I finally received mine it went straight onto the air rifle.

The weight - or lack of - is just insane, I've never know anything to be so light, it really makes a difference when you're carrying a rifle and sticks around all evening! I got the A40EL version which also has a built in rangefinder - just in case!

And finally, I recently purchased - yes, I spent my own money! - the HikMicro Thunder TE19 thermal scope. After spending time with friends learning more about rat pest control on farms, I realised that not only did I enjoy it - but that it was an essential part of the service I needed to now provide. After all, I protect the farmers crops when in the field from pigeons, rabbits, deer and crows; why on earth wouldn't I protect the harvested crop from disease?!

It is now on the air rifle, where it will stay for the foreseeable future. I'm finding it much easier to use on rats that are hidden behind grass on a bank for example, or rabbits slightly obscured by brambles and brush. It means I get more out of each outing - instead of waiting around for 15 minutes for the rabbits to come back out of the hedgerow once they've been spooked, I can continue hunting and therefore also finish my evening earlier - with more rabbits/meals in hand!

Are you an experienced night vision hunter? Do you prefer night vision or thermal scopes, or both? If you are considering starting, which product do you think you would go for? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or let me know by popping me a message! In the meantime;

Happy Shooting!