Whether you are into hunting or range shooting, the equipment you use is critical in how much success you will record. A thermal scope is one of the essential tools you’re going to need as it helps you locate your targets with ease. If you’re looking to invest in a thermal scope, selecting the right one can be difficult as many brands come into the market annually with tons of scopes. Keep reading to learn how you can make the right choice.

Factors to consider when choosing a thermal scope

There are several things to consider when you are looking to buy a quality thermal scope. Since a thermal scope is a major investment for most people and can cost more than the firearm that it’s going on, it’s vital to do your due diligence to check whether it meets some basic requirements. Here are the factors you should consider before making a purchase:

1. Identify the purpose

The first thing to do is identify what you plan to use a thermal scope for. As you are probably aware, thermal scopes have different applications, including hunting as well as law enforcement. Because applications can vary, they come with a different set of features to enhance those uses. Therefore, ensure you start this process by identifying the need to buy this tool.

2. The thermal detector

Another criterion to consider before committing to a purchase of a thermal scope is the thermal detector. The quality of a thermal detector determines the quality of thermal images you can expect from your scope. When it comes to thermal detectors, there are a few things that make up for their performance, including:

• Resolution: Just like it is with cameras, the resolution of a thermal detector is crucial in determining the sharpness of the images. A higher resolution translates to sharper imagery without a ‘pixelated’ display on the targets. In other words, a thermal detector with 640x480 resolution will deliver crisp images with minimal blurring compared to a 384x288 resolution model.

• NETD: NETD stands for Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference. It essentially refers to the ability of a thermal detector to recognize the smallest temperature difference of your target. In other words, the smaller the NETD, the more sensitivity you will get and the finer the temperature details the thermal detector can display.

• Refresh rate: The refresh rate refers to the number of times per second that the frame of an image is refreshed. Most thermal imaging scopes in the market have a refresh rate of 30Hz to 60Hz to ensure the best picture of targets on the move. The higher the refresh rate, the better your shooting experience.  

3. Magnification and FOV

Magnification is the ability of a thermal scope to zoom in and out of a target, while the field of view refers to the extent of the scene that the camera can capture. Some people want a thermal scope with high magnification capabilities as they wish to have long range shooting, but this often means that the image resolution may be lower.

4. Software performance

Much like most tools out there, there is the software side of a thermal scope that determines how smoothly the tool will perform. While nearly all software comes with issues, it helps to ask the following questions:

• Can you easily adjust the brightness, contrast, and image gain?

• Is the thermal scope easy to ‘zero’?

• Are those menu functions easy to use?

• Does the scope lag while panning?

• Does the scope boot in seconds? Etc.

5. Battery life

The battery life is a critical factor because it tells you how long your scope will last away from the wall socket. A good quality thermal scope should have enough battery juice to last at least eight hours. Most military-grade scopes can deliver up to 10+ hours of battery life. Be sure to choose a product with strong batteries, as you don’t want to be bothered by a charger or power bank when in harsh environmental conditions.  

Why choose Guide TU Series thermal scopes

Although there are many thermal scopes on the market, none comes to the Guide TU Series scopes, and for good reasons. To allow for ease of use, these scopes feature the same design as your daytime riflescope and perfectly integrate the latest premium thermal imaging technology. Here are some advantages of Guide TU thermal scopes:

• Suitable for different applications: Regardless of your reason for wanting a thermal scope, the Guide TU Series has got you covered as they sport features to enhance your purpose. You can use them for a variety of purposes, including border defense, law enforcement, outdoor activities, etc.

• Long battery life: Battery life is a major concern for many people. Most manufacturers claim their scope has a strong battery performance but end up lasting barely seven hours. With the Guide TU Series, you are assured of up to 10 hours of operation time. The scopes come with a dual battery configuration that lets you replace external batteries without power-off, so you don’t experience any interruption.

• Multiple color palettes: With up to six different color palettes, you can highlight your target with ease. Options include white hot, black hot, red hot, green hot, iron-red, and blue heat – and they all function with a single button so you can achieve all-weather observations with ease.

• High image quality: Resolution is one of the most important elements of a thermal scope, and the Guide TU Series put up a brilliant show in that regard. Sporting 1024x768 full-color OLED, this scope captures sharp, detailed images to allow for improved viewing comfort.

• Zoom capacity: Where many scopes struggle with zoom capacity, the Guide TU Series have been engineered to zoom seamlessly. All it takes is a long press on the up/down button to zoom in and out so you can identify your target quickly.

• Durable:  A quality gadget should be sturdy and resilient enough to withstand harsh use. Thanks to its IP67 rating for water, dust, and impact, this scope can take quite a beating without any effect on its performance. It is designed to accommodate the long-term operating habits of hunters, so you can expect it to serve you for a long time.

• Better than night vision: If you're planning to hunt at night, the Guide TU Series can help you acquire a target more successfully than a night vision scope. You can detect your target from a long distance and even in the roughest weather.

Who manufactures TU Series thermal scopes?

Established in 2016, Wuhan Guide Sensmart is a subsidiary of Guide Infrared with more than 500 dedicated employees. The company has built a solid reputation over the years due to its quality products, which has led to it participating in more than 30 exhibitions around the world each year. Guide Sensmart focuses on the development, manufacture, and marketing of infrared thermal imaging products for commercial applications. For more information about  Guide TU Series, please go to https://www.guideir.com.