A Rifle Night Scope makes night hunting a lot easier, but how do they work?

Night vision scopes have been around for a long time, but have only recently been available to the consumer with rifle night scopes being primarily a military application. With rifle night scopes technology becoming more affordable this works in well for a hunter who wishes to see in the dark. Rifle night scopes are still used by the military, but they are available to recreational hunters also.

Unfortunately humans were not created with the eyes of some of the nocturnal animals such as owls, or tigers. But with the advancement of nightvision technology we have created our own “night eyes” to help see things in the dark.

The first night vision scopes were based on infrared technology, and were very expensive and predominately available to the military only. But as with most things over time, technology advances and competition has substantially dropped the price to something a common person can afford.

So how do the rifle night scopes work?

Well night vision scopes work by amplifying the ambient light. They make light or infrared reflections visible to our eyes that would normally not be seen.
Night vision systems use a phosphor screen to display the image on, so unlike normal binoculars you are not viewing the image directly. This phosphor screen makes everything appear green to your eyes, as per common movie effects showing night vision.
The intensity of the image depends on the amplified light and what light is available. Rifle night scopes need some light to work, and do not show the equivalent of daylight, but they do make it possible to see in the dark what would not normally be seen. The darker the light situation is, the more powerful the night vision system required.

Types of rifle night scope technology:

There are many generations of night vision systems that rifle night scopes make use of:

*First Generation: The first generation night vision systems are the least expensive, and require such light as bright stars or a full moon to be of much use. Areas such as cities where there are street lights and building light make this generation of technology suitable.

*Second generation: This generation of night-vision scopes with less light than the first generation. Light situations such as a crescent moon, and are generally used by law enforcement agencies. They are a lot more expensive, but compared to the first generation they provide a much brighter, clearer and sharper image.

*Third generation and fourth generation: Third and fourth generation night vision systems are used during dark and even cloudy nights where the light intensity available is very low and not strong. These are very expensive and hence not very affordable for the average person. Compared to the previous generation gear these provide the sharpest and clearest images.

When buying rifle night vision scope what do I look for?

There are plenty of options available in the market these days and it can be confusing to buy one without fully understanding what everything is. When buying a rifle night scope you should look for one that has appropriate functions for your use. They can be very sophisticated and some very simple, here are some tips for you to help make the right selection:

Rifle Night Scope Buying Tips

1. The first thing you should consider before purchasing any night vision equipment is the purpose that you will use it for. Night vision equipment has many uses, not just for hunting, but also activities such as caving, camping, security, navigation, boating etc. You need to think if it needs to be waterproof, or not too cumbersome to use.

2. Don't sacrifice on the quality of the system because of the costs involved. In general, rifle night scopes are more costly than the normal scopes thus be prepared for to pay for it. Try to pick one of the branded ones such as Weaver, Night Owl, Yukon, or N-Vision Optics as they come with a larger set of features than what the more common manufacturers will provide.

3. The range of a night vision system is another important consideration to look for in a rifle night scope. The range depends on its resolution, gain and magnification. Look for a scope that provides quality powerful lenses for the magnification, and compare others carefully to select the most appropriate features.

Rifle night scopes are a great but costly investment so it is best to ensure you choose wisely, and don’t compromise on the quality if you can afford it. Happy hunting.