Author Topic: All you lurkers (Read 643 times)

steveoh · « **on:** December 12, 2017, 04:33:38 PM »

Hello there all you lurkers. Cat got your tongue?

Come on in, join up, and contribute to the discussion.

Benefits: you meet a lot of nice folks with a shared interest. You also meet a lot of good folks who really know their way around everything airgun related. Ask your questions! Share your expertise! And coming soon, as a member you'll be able to get some pretty sweet deals on things like a custom Marauder, hand tuned by Travis Whitney. That's some pretty hifalutin stuff.

So, in short, join up, come on in, and sit a spell. Take your shoes off!

Gerard · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2017, 04:44:54 PM »

Not a lot to contribute. My various airguns are all working well, each tuned nicely for its job. Haven't had any time lately to get out to HFT meets, nor any sort of shooting, and my rodent situation seems to be under control as I've seen zero grey squirrels and zero rats since October. When I do take the odd shot just to make sure things still work... they still work. Boring, not really worth sharing. No need for another build, as again, everything works. I'd like a Leshiy, but being in Canada that seems unlikely to happen. Whenever Torrey Pines brings outntheir newest product - a compact thermal scope with a 1" tube and optical zoom - I'll be grabbing not be of those and will undoubtedly post some stuff about how well it works, but they say "early 2018" which probably means early 2019 or later... Their T12N which I have now is nice as a thermal spotter, but pathetic as a targeting device, just not at all good for that. The specs for the scope should be more than adequate once they get it built.

steveoh · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2017, 04:54:04 PM »

There you go. That wasn't so bad now, was it?

Rodents: all I'm seeing these days is an occasional mouse. No rats. Squirrels have even slowed down pigging out on peanut butter.

Leishy: Interesting looking airgun. But I keep telling myself I don't need another airgun. (right. keep on dreaming.)

Torrey Pines: I think I want night vision, but it's supposed to be illegal in California, or so several folks have told me. At the same time I can't see dropping $600+ on a scope I'd use for rats and mice only. Still... it would be fun. Till then I'll just keep using my cheap LED's on a feed station, and watch the security cameras, and use my ding donger for letting me know when the rodents are back. Spring will be here before we know it!

Quote from: Gerard on December 12, 2017, 04:44:54 PM

Not a lot to contribute. My various airguns are all working well, each tuned nicely for its job. Haven't had any time lately to get out to HFT meets, nor any sort of shooting, and my rodent situation seems to be under control as I've seen zero grey squirrels and zero rats since October. When I do take the odd shot just to make sure things still work... they still work. Boring, not really worth sharing. No need for another build, as again, everything works.

I'd like a Leshiy, but being in Canada that seems unlikely to happen.

Whenever Torrey Pines brings outntheir newest product - a compact thermal scope with a 1" tube and optical zoom - I'll be grabbing not be of those and will undoubtedly post some stuff about how well it works, but they say "early 2018" which probably means early 2019 or later... Their T12N which I have now is nice as a thermal spotter, but pathetic as a targeting device, just not at all good for that. The specs for the scope should be more than adequate once they get it built.

Gerard · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2017, 09:00:39 PM »

The Torrey Pines scope is supposedly coming in at about $700USD, so even more of a scary decision for rats only. But hey, compared to the prices of good thermal gear they've been using in the UK for rat control that price is a bargain. The average professional level kit in England goes for the equivalent of about $4,000, with some as high as $10,000. I've been using a heavily modified Carson Mini Aura NV-200 behind a cheap 3x scope for rats, and out to about 15 metres it's been fine. But to see the rats I have to see their eyes. If they don't happen to be looking at me, the infrared monochrome video feed often has their fur blending in with grass or other backgrounds, even up in the trees they can look like just another leaf.

But with thermal a rat jumps out as a bright spot no matter what the angle or how little of it is exposed. Even a nose is enough to get me looking for a safe shot. Though I'm not a professional exterminator, I have a strong aversion to rats taking over my house. It'll be about $1,000 Canadian when it gets here, but I earn that in 20 hours so I'm not too worried about it. And as a bonus, the Torrey Pines thermal works just as well in full daylight, so I can use it on grey squirrels! Actually the infrared setup I've built works great on those too, the illuminator turned off, as leaves turn bright white and squirrels turn dark regardless of fur variations (they range from light grey to solid black here, all variations on Eastern Greys which were introduced by two men a century ago in Vancouver) and their eyes stand out nicely, but thermal will further enhance that difference. Most thermal units burn out in sunlight, but not this TP stuff. Already the little spotter has proven very useful in finding a grey among foliage where they can often blend in.

If a thermal scope could be had for a similar price to a good optical scope, like my Burris 2-7x rimfire or Leupold 2-7x VX-1, of course I'd be happier with that. But the tech is still rather immature. Give it another decade and it'll be about the same price, and every smartphone will have thermal built in.