Day/Night vision for the 50 bmg

[Thirdeyex]

Does anyone have any experiance utilizing a Day/Night vision system mounted on a 50 cal.?

Any "tested" recommendations?

[Rich Z]

That would be an interesting (and perhaps EXPENSIVE) experiment. Lots of electronics in those packages, which I would be rather surprised if they are shock resistant to the push/pull of a muzzle braked .50. The weight of a night vision scope might be a real problem as less than industrial grade scope rings might just give up the ghost and cause you much embarrassment in the process

I have a set of night vision goggles, but never used a night vision rifle scope before. One thing I would be REAL leery of is eye relief, though. With the goggles, my eyes are REAL close to the lens.

If anyone has tried this I would be interested to hear about it as well.

[brass hammer]

not on a .50 RICH! i've only shot m-16 with [1rst]gen. star-light.

there was an outfit selling reconditioned 'nam' star-lights at $600[internet]

they have been mounted on the .50


but i'm not up to speed on [3rd]eye's 'scope' dating my age.

[Rich Z]

What "generation" are night vision scopes up to now? I kind of lost track of them.......

Are true color night vision scopes available? Or is that a technical hurtle not mastered yet?

[Thirdeyex]

I found this item:
http://www.global-security-solutions.com/MililtaryScope.htm

Appears to be mounted on an Ar-50.

Anyone use this scope?

[Hard Rock]

You can put a PVS-14 or a PVS-22 on a .50 in conjunction with an optical scope. There is a better method though... have your spotter use the night vision with the spotting scope and read you the ranges... then he can paint the target with a visible laser allowing you to make the shot. This method is tried and true and gives you the ability to hit targets at night out to 700+ yards.

Mike

[Thirdeyex]

Excellent HR.:)

I don't have a spotter at my disposal :(
(My guess would be that this is an IR setup)

But the idea of the PV-14 in tandem with the scope sounds feasible.
(As long as it can handle the abuse) :-punch:

I'll have to create and/or modify an extended mounting rail to accommodate both the scope and monocular unit. Not much real estate on a Serbu 50.


Have you tried this setup HR?

[Hard Rock]

I haven't tried it on the Serbu... yet. It works well on my McMillan, my wifes LAR, and we've tried it on an M82A1. My M82 is due in soon and I'll be modifying it to accept a full length picatinny rail for this application.

The PVS14 is a Gen 3-4 night vision device. It does not use thermal imaging. The PVS22 does in combination with ambient light. Both will handle the recoil with little problem.

Now, here's the tough part. There are two ways to mount the NV. You can put it in front of the scope or behind. In front it works better for your shooting position BUT, you will get paralax issues out past 250 yards or so. Behind the scope, you have to adjust your shooting position but there are no paralax issues. If you have a true return to zero QD mount on your rifle, you can always play around with remounting on the rail to accomodate the NV. Personally, I like the spotter and shooter arrangement better because there is a much higher hit potential at longer ranges. Now, with the spotter/shooter, the shooter can put the NV on the front of the scope because the paralax issue is reduced due to the spotter ranging for him.

For your Serbu, I'd recommend contacting PRI Inc. and asking them if they can make you a rail you can have mounted to the gun. Measure from the existing rail to as far forward as you can go and get a solid mount. Avoid mounting the unit to the barrel as that will effect accuracy and consistancy.

Mike

[Thirdeyex]

Thank You HR.

[Hard Rock]

no problem bro... oh, one thing... make sure that any optics, especially NV or thermal is mounted securely to the rifle. If it bounces on the rail, it has a much higher chance of suffering failure.

Mike

[RIKA]

... then he can paint the target with a visible laser allowing you to make the shot. This method is tried and true and gives you the ability to hit targets at night out to 700+ yards.

Mike

Any suggestions on what kind/brand of laser to get?

RIKA

[Hard Rock]

Rika,

I've used everything from a Crimson Trace laser to a $9 laser pointer from Walmart.

If your shooter has NV, you may want to search high and low for a infrared laser. That way, there is no chance of your target seeing you before the shot.

My recommendation is to try out a few different lasers. See what works best for you where you are and with your optics. I've come to like lasers I can have mounted to the spotting scope that I have lined up with the mildot on the spotting scope. That way, the laser is on target and it will remain steady.

Mike

[RIKA]

Thanks Mike.

RIKA