It's so easy to get lost in the world of night vision optics, especially if you're not 100% professional, and that's totally clear. That's why we're here - to help you grasp the subject, can you use a night vision monocular with a rifle scope? Our answer is an unequivocal "yes!" Besides the fact that you don't have to buy an expensive night vision scope at once at the initial stage, you can try yourself during night hunting with a quality night vision monocular on your gun or weapon, which most often costs less. In order to basically figure out if night hunting is really yours?
So, in this article, we're going to talk about two of these devices together.
Can You Use A Rifle Scope At Night?
In order to improve accuracy over long distances, weapons are fitted with rifle scopes - this is quite easy to imagine. You can get a good view of your target in the daytime. The main function of such a scope is to zoom right on the object of attack. But in the nighttime, you will not be able to shoot even with very expensive sites. You simply will not see anything through the eyepiece. There will be the same darkness around you. Why does it happen so?
The point is that the day optics work with the light reflected from the object. No light, no reflection. It means that in the nighttime ordinary optical device, even super-strong and super-expensive ones are useless. Then night vision devices come to help. The first one is a night vision monocular.
What is a Night Vision Monocular?
So, it is a type of optical night vision device that is used during hunting, object protection, research, police operations, as well as for outdoor activities and mountain climbing. The name of the device tells us that the gadget has only one optical channel, which means that you can look through the monocular with only one single eye. Do not think, however, that this makes it ineffective or useless at all. It is very helpful during observation of the terrain or hunting an animal in the hunt.
If you compare this device with a binocular, for example, then, of course, the binocular will be more expensive, due to the number of lenses. But don't forget that when using a monocular, your second eye is always free to keep track of what's going on under your feet right now or just around you. This is great at night when you can concentrate on the target and still stay alert.
You can mount an NV monocular on your weapon together with a daytime scope and save your budget at once. This combination gives you the ability to observe the terrain in the dark with your hands completely free. You can pull up your gun and take a shot at any time you want.
One of the most frequent questions: is any night monocular suitable for work together with a rifle scope? Mostly yes, but here it is necessary to understand that if you are going to use this tandem, then pay attention to such important parameters: monocular should be solid, resistant to weapon recoil, and comfortable for shooting instead of just hanging on your neck or on your helmet.
For example, the AGM PVS-14 3AL2, developed at the request of the U.S. military and now is very common for civilian fans of night maneuvers and hunting. It's rugged, because, for its original purpose, that's exactly what it's supposed to be. This device is lightweight, which means that the shooter's arms won't get tired and you won't get misaligned when working with a rifle scope. It is good when such an NV device has the function of switching off a bright light. After all, you will use it even at dusk or dawn, when there is a light there. Or near the roads, where car headlights can make your night monocular blind and spoil the expensive optics.
How Do You Attach A Night Vision Monocular to Your Rifle Scope?
So, now let's figure out how to attach a night vision monocular and a rifle scope to a weapon together? Most devices, designed for such work, have Weaver or Picatinny bars on the body for mounting on the weapon. To these bars, you can also mount additional accessories (microphones, infrared flashlight for working in total darkness, etc.), which is very practical.
If night vision monocular is intended to be mounted on a weapon, it means that it has to have high shock resistance, as we talked about above. Because you get a lot of gun recoil during a shot, and the night device can be damaged. If the NVD is quite a shock-resistant, then it can be mounted with a rifle scope using a special mounting plate on the body of the device. The housing of the device is mostly made of metal or durable carbon fiber. You should use special adapters to connect the NVD to the day scope.
Of course, you must also take into account the rifle scope itself. It must be compatible with night vision devices, otherwise, you will not get any success. But if everything is suitable, then you will get a complex for shooting at any time of the day and night.
Does the Night Vision Optic Go in Front or Behind Your Rifle Scope?
Yes, you can put your NVD in front or behind the scope and the result will be different.
- The night vision monocular is behind the scope. This position is the best because this way nothing blocks the light from entering the NVD lens, which means you will see better in the dark and the distance of target recognition will be longer. Don't forget that in this position, the reticle must have an illuminated grid specifically designed and compatible with the night vision device.
- The night vision monocular in front of the scope. This position is more comfortable for you. You can easily remove and mount the NVD without losing day and night vision. Don't lose notice that only scope with magnification of 2x or higher will work correctly in this position as well. Otherwise, the picture will be too small and it won’t make any sense.
Can You Use a Night Vision Scope During the Day?
As in the case with the usefulness of the day scope at night, the same principle works here. First of all, the night vision device will not make any good reason to use it during the day. That's not what you should be afraid of, really. The sun's rays are dangerous to the night vision device. If the sunlight hits the infrared capture system of the NVD for a long time, it can destroy the device. Therefore, we do not advise you to make such experiments. It is better to stick to the proven scheme: you use a rifle scope in the daytime, and when dusk or night comes, you connect a night vision monocular and continue to enjoy the fun.