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Thread: Shotguns and Night Vision

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    Canada

    Shotguns and Night Vision

    My primary shotgun (and probably long gun period) these days is a Beretta 1301 Tactical. For me, the 1301 makes the most sense for most real world applications.

    I live rural. Outside of moon cycles, at night it's darker than the inside of a cow. I already run a handheld FLIR for problem identification around the ranch. While that application has some (limited) value, I am interested in headed mounted NVG and or thermal options AND the weapon mounted identification/aiming platforms to support it.

    If you run a shotgun with NODs or a thermal, what are you using and what are your using on the shotgun itself?

  2. #2
    If you want to do night vision related shooting in the most natural way possible you need an IR laser device.

    Since you live on a ranch you'd probably want a device on your Beretta that has a powerful IR Illuminator too. Although if you buy nice night vision (unfilmed L3Harris) you'd be shocked how far and how clearly you can see without any IR Illumination.

    So my suggestion is buy the night vision first and check its performance. If you think you need IR Illumination to help you identify threats I would go with one of the powerful devices on the market:
    -Steiner Dbal D2
    -BE Myers MAWL
    -US Nightvision DesignatIR-V
    -The brand new Holosun IRIS (that appears to have great performance for the price)

    Something to consider is modern night vision will automatically dim itself if it detects high levels of light, so depending on your situation the IR illuminator can make it more difficult to see if when you're shining it it's hitting branches and the ground in front of you and auto-gating your night vision device. The solution to this is to buy a device that has both an IR laser function and an IR illuminator and gives you enough control to switch the separate functions on and off. Also if a device has an IR illuminator that can be adjusted for tightness or spill

    Another layer to all of this is you're going to need a rigid rail to mount this device to so it holds zero. That won't be a problem since the Beretta is so popular (the factory rais might even be adequate, I'm not sure how rigid they are though I haven't handled a new Mod2 1301).


    Another option for aiming with night vision is a red dot. You just have to be careful and buy one that is compatable. The glass coatings on a red dot determine how well it works with night vision, if the red dot is not built with night vision in mind when you try to aim with it it will look like a black tunnel and will be completly unusable. Also the red dot needs to be able to dim down low enough so the dot doesn't look like a massive fireball.


    Best red dots for night vision (passive) aiming:
    -EOTech
    -Holosun AEMS
    -Sig ROMEO 4 Pro
    -Aimpoint T2
    -Swampfox Raider 1x prisim (this is even useable if you turn the dot off completly, I can passive aim with just the etched reticle)
    -There are others I'm sure I'm forgetting, it seems more and more red dots that come out now a days work with night vision

    Since the payload of a shotgun can vary so much you could even come up with some creative methods like zeroing your laser for birdshot and your red dot for slugs/buck, the sky is the limit with how many devices you want to use and what you want to accomplish.


    That was a lot, so hit me up with followup questions, also I'm sure more knowledgable people will also contribute, I've only been into night vision for a handful of years and I don't actually shoot under night vision often (although shooting under night vision with a laser is very easy). The hardest part with night vision is learning how to move while it's attached to your head and I have that down really good. I walk nature trails with my PVS14 at least monthly and I dry fire with it in my basement in pitch darkness at least once a week because it's fun.

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Quote Originally Posted by Tyrok View Post
    If you want to do night vision related shooting in the most natural way possible you need an IR laser device.

    Since you live on a ranch you'd probably want a device on your Beretta that has a powerful IR Illuminator too. Although if you buy nice night vision (unfilmed L3Harris) you'd be shocked how far and how clearly you can see without any IR Illumination.

    So my suggestion is buy the night vision first and check its performance. If you think you need IR Illumination to help you identify threats I would go with one of the powerful devices on the market:
    -Steiner Dbal D2
    -BE Myers MAWL
    -US Nightvision DesignatIR-V
    -The brand new Holosun IRIS (that appears to have great performance for the price)

    Something to consider is modern night vision will automatically dim itself if it detects high levels of light, so depending on your situation the IR illuminator can make it more difficult to see if when you're shining it it's hitting branches and the ground in front of you and auto-gating your night vision device. The solution to this is to buy a device that has both an IR laser function and an IR illuminator and gives you enough control to switch the separate functions on and off. Also if a device has an IR illuminator that can be adjusted for tightness or spill

    Another layer to all of this is you're going to need a rigid rail to mount this device to so it holds zero. That won't be a problem since the Beretta is so popular (the factory rais might even be adequate, I'm not sure how rigid they are though I haven't handled a new Mod2 1301).


    Another option for aiming with night vision is a red dot. You just have to be careful and buy one that is compatable. The glass coatings on a red dot determine how well it works with night vision, if the red dot is not built with night vision in mind when you try to aim with it it will look like a black tunnel and will be completly unusable. Also the red dot needs to be able to dim down low enough so the dot doesn't look like a massive fireball.


    Best red dots for night vision (passive) aiming:
    -EOTech
    -Holosun AEMS
    -Sig ROMEO 4 Pro
    -Aimpoint T2
    -Swampfox Raider 1x prisim (this is even useable if you turn the dot off completly, I can passive aim with just the etched reticle)
    -There are others I'm sure I'm forgetting, it seems more and more red dots that come out now a days work with night vision

    Since the payload of a shotgun can vary so much you could even come up with some creative methods like zeroing your laser for birdshot and your red dot for slugs/buck, the sky is the limit with how many devices you want to use and what you want to accomplish.


    That was a lot, so hit me up with followup questions, also I'm sure more knowledgable people will also contribute, I've only been into night vision for a handful of years and I don't actually shoot under night vision often (although shooting under night vision with a laser is very easy). The hardest part with night vision is learning how to move while it's attached to your head and I have that down really good. I walk nature trails with my PVS14 at least monthly and I dry fire with it in my basement in pitch darkness at least once a week because it's fun.
    That is awesome info, thank you!

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by the judge View Post
    That is awesome info, thank you!
    My pleasure! If you have any followup questions feel free to ask.

    The IR device I chose for my Benelli is a Streamlight TLR VIR II. It's designed for pistols so it's a lightweight unit and it's been great on my shotgun. Its IR Illuminator has a lot of flood, but it's so dim that if I use it outside it doesn't auto-gate my night vision. And inside a house the dim floody IR Illuminator actually works great.

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