CMMG Mutant with a FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS233. Note the compact size. (Photo: FLIR)
FLIR has expanded its product line with the ThermoSight Pro Series thermal weapons sights. These sights attach to a MIL-STD/1913 picatinny rail, and would be perfect for hunting feral hogs or predators at night.
The ThermoSight Pro Series consists of 3 models:
- FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS233 – 19 mm lens, 4X digital zoom and 12-degree field-of-view
- FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS533 — 50 mm lens, 4X digital zoom and 4.5-degree field-of-view
- FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS733 — 75 mm lens, 4X digital zoom and 3-degree field-of-view
The FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS233 is currently available for purchase and has an MSRP of $2,199. The ThermoSight Pro PTS533, and the ThermoSight Pro PTS733 will be available towards the end of this year.
At the heart of the ThermoSight Pro Series is FLIR’s Boson™ core. The Boson™ core is a lightweight, 12-micron, uncooled, long wave camera that feeds an image directly to a 1280×960 high-definition display. The FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS233 has a video refresh rate of 30Hz.
FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS233 (Photo: FLIR)
The ThermoSight Pro Series appears to be marketed towards the hunting crowd. The ThermoSight Pro PTS233 weighs 1.44 lbs. and is very compact (8.7×2.7×3.3 in). Two 3-volt lithium CR123 batteries power the ThermoSight Pro PTS233 for a run time of four hours. The ThermoSight Pro can record up to four hours of video, and store up to 1,000 images. End users access video and images via Bluetooth or a USB-C.
I have been following the thermal sight Industry for several years. There seems to be a trend where thermal sights are of higher quality, offer more features to the end user, while being competitively priced.
At its price point of around $2,200, the ThermoSight Pro PTS233 is within the reach of a lot of hunters who need to manage, or just enjoy hunting, feral hogs.
Compared to hunting with Generation 3 Night Vision, thermal sights facilitate greater flexibility and can offer an improved image. Thermal technology also allows a hunter to more easily track a wounded or dead animal. Thermal sights have a longer lifespan than Gen. 3 Night Vision and offer additional capabilities such as recording video or capturing still images.
Lone Star Boars did an awesome video of the ThermoSight Pro PTS233 in action!
Fortunately, we don’t have feral hogs at the family ranch in Central New Mexico, but if we did, I would strongly consider the FLIR ThermoSight Pro series as a preferred tool to control or eradicate the population.
These tough sights are made in the USA. Visit the FLIR website to learn more.
Its not really expensive. 1830 shipped from optics planet. Im waiting for mine.
I get that 2k isnt pocket change and more than most of your rifles….it opens a whole new word beimg able to hunt safetly at night. Your 1k rifle just became 10x as effective.
Ive been waiting for over a decade for a usable NV or thermal for under 2k….that time is now.
I cant wait till thermal fusion (nv thermal hybrid) to be available at a reasonable price.
Guess I’m gonna have to wait for the price to come down … in about 5 years!
Well what it WILL BE..is Chinese, etc. $ will come down THEN. We each have to decide HOW ‘important’ this technology is to make that jump.
Wow … FLIR has put out a thermal vision scope that is exceptionally priced finally. KUDOs !!! This same scope minus some very useful and dynamic improvements was known as the Armasight Predator if memory serves me correctly and was priced around $4,000.00 give or take before FLIR bought Armasight a few months ago. There have been some comments posted as to the price being in reach of millionaire hunters and a question as why these scopes are so expensive. Well have you looked at the price of some regular high-end scopes like Vortex, Nikon, etc. , etc. lately? And these other scopes are just regular high definition glass and ARE NOT night vision let alone thermal vision ! Thermal vision is such a cut above night vision (NVIS) that there is simply no comparison. I am truly very nicely surprised that FLIR has brought this scope to market at a reasonable price compared to what I have been tracking for the last 2 years in the thermal vision scope market. Once you have ever used a thermal scope you will see there is just simply NO substitute if you do any night or low light hunnting of any kind.
Ha ha, “Vortex & Nikon” AREN’T ‘high end’ optics at all. They may make a couple of models that reach the higher-end, but if you want to talk HIGH END just mention ‘Night Force, Schmidt & Bender…Leupold’ even. NOW those are ridiculously expensive. Most will tell it’s “the glass”, etc., I would say it’s THE NAME ON the optic and greed more than anything else as ALL are “capable” of producing a LESS-expensive, high quality product IF they wanted. Kind of like ‘John Deere’ in the ag industry
~ IDK if i could justtify a $2200 optic on a semi-auto rifle that cost less than $1k.
BUT if you are trying to control the feral hogs it might be worthwhile considering the damage they do to crops and endanger livestock/children.
In TEXAS they are considered pests, no license is needed except for hunting by helicopter, TPWL game wardens wont give you any trouble for using a weapon with greater than 5rd capacity.
NOW if suppressors become non-NFA accessories, a .30 cal can on a .308/7.62×39 platform WITH a high capacity mag, with one of these optics = HOGBUSTERS.
It is a shame that the meat cannot be donated to a local food bank, for the many hungry folks out there.
USDA inspectors only approve live animals. Wonder if some exception could be made, but these are not game animals……….but javalina are game animals and require a license and in season………
Time to inquire to the Texas Secretary of Agriculture……and your State Rep and State Senator……..
Capt Midnight…a hunting license is DEFINITELY required to hunt feral hogs in Texas. Game wardens won’t give you any trouble “for using a weapon with greater than 5rd capacity” because there are no regs on capacity except for shotguns used to take migratory game birds. The following is from Texas Parks and Wildlife website:
“There are no seasons or bag limits, however a hunting license and landowner permission are required to hunt them.”
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/
* No SPECIFIC LICENSE * should have been inserted there. Guess my proof reading did not make the grade. Thanks for the link to TPWL. I’m over 65 so no license to hunt or fish is needed.
On my own property, or at the request of the landowner, pest control is not hunting.
At $2,200 with in reach of a lot of hunters? Millionaire hunters maybe., but not a lot of regular hunters.
At $2,200 a deal? Not hardly…
I want it. But really, why the fuck do they cost so much?