If you haven’t gone on a thermal hunt yet, you need to add it to your bucket list. As someone who grew up hunting in the daylight, it is the strangest thing to wait for sunset to start looking for animals. Whether you plan to book a guided thermal hunt or venture out on your own, this thermal optic hunting guide will break down the necessities needed for a thermal hunt and non-essential items that can make it easier or more comfortable.

Thermal Optic Hunting Guide: The 101 on What You Need to Know!

Handheld Devices

It is extremely inefficient to scan the field using your riflescope. Your gun and optic combination will most likely be heavy, difficult to pan left and right, and can lower the battery life when left on for long periods of time. A handheld device is a necessity you will need to scan for animals.

Pulsar Telos LRF XP50 Thermal Monocular

This monocular, I would say, is the top-of-the-line option. It has a magnification of 2.5-10x, a 640×480 pixel sensor, and a display resolution of 1024×768. Like everything with Pulsar, it has a built-in video recorder. This is a non-negotiable to me as I love to playback footage of animals on thermal. There are eight color palettes to choose from as well, so you can customize your viewing.

Axion 2 XQ35 Thermal Monocular

I began using this handheld device more than two years ago, and I put it through the wringer between weather and travel. It has yet to fail me. I love the size of the Axion 2 as it’s easy to transport or pack for a plane ride. The sensor is 384×288 pixels, magnification is 2-8x, and it records videos and takes photos. The battery life is the most impressive feature, with up to 11 hours of use on a single charge. I have never hunted long enough to kill a battery. Just like the Telos, the Axion 2 has eight color palettes to choose from.

Guns and Calibers

The caliber you choose depends on the game size and whether you plan to harvest meat or are simply performing land management duties. I have used 5.56, .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, 300 BLK, and most recently, 22 ARC to hunt with. I recommend using a gas-operated gun over a bolt-action gun to be able to make follow-up shots quickly. If you’ve never hunted wild hogs before, they scatter FAST, whether you hit them or not.

22 ARC Build

I custom-built my 22 ARC rifle using Aero Precision’s June 2024 Blue Tiger Stripe builder set and the matching Magpul grip and stock. The barrel is an 18-inch BSF 416R stainless steel barrel, roll-wrapped in a carbon-fiber sleeve with a 1:7 twist rate. The slots in the carbon-fiber allow air to move around the barrel and vent heat quickly. The trigger is the RISE Armament ICONIC trigger. The Hornady 22 ARC 88-grain and 75-grain ELD Match ammunition running between 2,800 and 3,100 feet per second at the muzzle will both take down a wild hog.

Other Rifle Options:

• IWI Carmel chambered in 5.56 custom cerakoted in a Dune theme by Pro2 Customs
• Dark Storm Industries Modern Fighting Rifle OD Green and Variant 1 rifles chambered in 5.56

Thermal Riflescopes and Optics

ATN Thor 5 XD LRF 4-40x

The ATN Thor 5 XD, with its built-in laser rangefinder, is the top-of-the-line riflescope from ATN. Its sensor is 1280×1024, and its video recording resolution is 60 frames per second. It has a one-shop-zero feature to make it easy to zero and a built-in ballistic calculator that once you range an animal, can make the adjustment for you. It has multiple color palettes, multiple pattern and color option reticles, a microphone that records audio, and a 10-hour battery life.

Pulsar Thermion 2 XL50

Pulsar has spoiled me by allowing me to use the Thermion 2 XL50 thermal riflescope on every trip to Sellmark Ranch to hunt hogs, raccoons, coyotes, and other animals. This scope has a 1024×768 sensor, a magnification range 1.75-14x, and flexible color palettes for various needs. It records video in 50 frames per second and captures photos. It also has an integrated ballistic calculator for long-range shooting, and since it is high-impact resistant, it can be used with calibers such as .30-06, .300, and .375 H&H, so you just might end up stretching out for distance.

Sightmark Wraith Mini Thermal

The Wraith Mini 2-16×35 thermal riflescope is a budget-friendly hunting option. It has five thermal color palettes, nine reticle colors with 10 reticle options, built-in recording with a microphone, and a sensor of 384×288. It mounts directly to a Picatinny rail and takes two CR123 batteries that last 3.5 hours in video mode and 4.4 hours in preview mode.

Holosun DRS-TH Thermal Reflex Sight

If you’re a Holosun fan, you’ll be pleased to know that by this fall, the new thermal sight will be shipping. I was lucky enough to get first-hand experience with it and do a full review HERE. This sight will be great for hunting hogs and other wild game. The most unique feature is it is a red dot optic sight with a thermal overlay, so you can use both or one or the other. It takes videos and photos and easily transfers files to your computer. It has a 256×192 thermal sensor, a 1024×768 display resolution, and records in 50 frames per second.

Suppressors 

The polite way to hunt at night is to use a suppressor on your rifle. This is especially true if you’re hunting with friends or have close neighboring properties. Here are a few suppressors I use on my hunting rifles:

• Dead Air Nomad 30—This suppressor is lightweight for a .30-caliber can. I use the XENO mount since I also own the Primal suppressor, which makes it easy for me to swap suppressors from one gun to the other.
• Dead Air Primal – The Primal is a .458 caliber suppressor and an absolute beast. I can shoot 45-70, 9mm, .45 ACP, and even .338 Lapua through this suppressor. If you’re looking for one suppressor to use on multiple guns, this should be your go-to.
• SilencerCo Harvester EVO – I mounted this suppressor to my IWI Carmel rifle, and every type of ammo I shoot groups tightly through this suppressor. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued, but you still might be able to find an SOT who has one in stock.
• SilencerCo Chimera 300—The Chimera 300 suppressor, which is 5.56 to .300 WM rated, is mounted on my DSI Variant 1 rifle. It is compatible with all ASR muzzle devices, which makes it easy to install muzzle devices on multiple rifles and swap the suppressor over in seconds.
• TiON Dragoon QD 5.56—This suppressor is mounted on my custom-built AR pistol chambered in .223/5.56. TiON’s Dragoon suppressors are machined from solid Titanium bar stock, making them extremely lightweight. The muzzle brake mount can be used without the suppressor on the gun and allows you to attach the Dragoon suppressor in seconds. Plus, it comes in colors other than titanium or black. I went with Burnt Bronze.
• Thunder Beast Magnus-CB—This is a .30 caliber suppressor that attaches to a rifle using CB mounts. It is a great sound suppressor that can be used with .223, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and up to .300 Norma Magnum. It is also titanium-made.

Hunting Tripod and Support Bags

Kopfjager Carbon Fiber Tripod with Reaper Grip

If you are hunting in a field with or without a tent or box blind, a tripod is an essential tool that makes thermal hunting easy. This tripod is lightweight, easily holds any handguard size with its adjustable reaper grip, and has 360 degrees of pan and a tilt range of 109 degrees. It also features 3-position angle lock legs to widen the tripod for a lower and more stable position. 

Leupold Mark 5 CF-455 Tripod Kit

I have used this tripod for almost two years for thermal hunting and competing in the Precision Rifle Series. This carbon-fiber tripod can stabilize 55 pounds of gear, which is important when calculating the weight of your rifle fully loaded, with the barrel topped off with a suppressor and a large riflescope mounted to the gun. The 3-angle pivot locks on the legs allow you to adjust the height and width. I remove the ball head and use a support bag on top to shoot off.

Wiebad Shooting Bag

The bag I use for hunting, competitive shooting, and as a support bag for zeroing many rifles is the Wiebad Tater Tot Fortune Cookie with heavy sand fill. The heavier fill provides extra stability and forms like a tabletop on top of the tripod. It’s easy to move your gun in any direction and still be supported by the bag.

Headlamp/Flashlight

A headlamp is an easy, affordable tool that most people forget or overlook. If you must drag carcasses out of the woods or a field at night, a headlamp allows you to be hands-free while still being able to see where you’re walking. A flashlight is also just as useful since some thermal night hunting happens without moonlight in pitch-black darkness.

Magpul LR53 Hard Case

I travel to Texas often to go thermal hunting, and with all the guns and gear I need to protect, there’s only one brand I trust to keep everything safe. Magpul released the C35 and R44 as their first DAKA hard cases. Just recently, the LR53 started shipping, and I am so glad they increased the size. I can change the configuration of the case to fit the guns and gear I need to pack, storing my handheld devices, guns with suppressors mounted, tools, magazines, and more.

Proper Shoes

I recommend wearing waterproof boots if you know you must navigate through wetlands in the dark. My go-to thermal hunting shoes are the 5.11 A/T Mid Waterproof Boot. They keep my feet dry and are comfortable to wear for hiking in and out of hunting spots all day long thanks to the All-Terrain Load Assistance System technology. If I know I will be wading through water or some deep mud, I like to wear the Fieldblazer tall boot from Muck Boot Company. These are waterproof boots, specifically designed for women with an Achilles reinforcement and a pull tab for easy on and off. The wide-tracking waffle outsole gives you traction on tree stand grates, rocks, and slick surfaces.