When most folks think about purchasing something, one of the first questions is going to be “How much should I spend?” And for many, shopping for a thermal means going to forums and scouring the internet looking for the best deals and also seeking out advice from fellow hunters. While this is a reasonable sounding solution, it may lead some of you to feel some buyer’s remorse. Our goal is to always give customers the best information possible. That is why we reached out to Outdoor Legacy (https://outdoorlegacygear.com/), an online retailer specializing in night vision and thermal imaging optics. Jason and Hans at Outdoor Legacy are asked this very question every day and shared some great answers.

For any of you who are not already aware, Jason and Hans also host The Late Night Vision Show, a popular online video series and podcast that showcases and reviews various night vision and thermal imaging devices, including scopes, binoculars, and monoculars. These men are dedicated to their craft and test every product that they sell to give listeners valuable insights and after-action reviews of the latest products on the market, helping viewers make informed decisions before purchasing equipment. Rest assured that if they sell it, they have tested it in the field. Here’s what they had to say:

Jason: We don’t want to see anyone spend more money than they should. We’re not those guys. If you call and say that you have $3000 to spend, I’m not going to say we have something shiny over here for $4000. We’re going to try and stay within your budget. My thought is that it's your budget, it's your money, and you need to decide what you can spend. I think a guy needs to decide what he can spend and then it is our job to help him find an optic in that price range. Another part of the equation is if the customer already owns another thermal optic. If they don’t and this is their first thermal, it’s likely they will eventually want a handheld monocular for scanning. This is an important consideration when it comes to the current budget because it’s better to spend a little less on the scope if that means they can afford to purchase a handheld thermal a little sooner if that’s their desire.

Jason Robertson is the owner of Outdoor Legacy Gear. As a landowner, he knows firsthand the challenges wild animals can create
for land management.

Hans: There are a few different types of customers that call in. There are people that say I have a hard budget, then there's the guy that says I don’t really have a set budget but I’m not comfortable spending over a certain amount. And then there are some that don’t have a budget at all and they want the best optic for their needs and money is not a consideration. What I would say when someone calls and asks what kind of money they should spend, it all comes down to what they want to do. Most often the big difference in prices is going to be based on the thermal sensor resolution and image quality of the scope. When we talk about the difference between a $3000 and $6000 scope, it is often going to come down to the identification range of the animal. Generally, I will suggest that they will need to spend at around $2000 for an entry level scope but depending on what they want or need out of the scope, they might need to spend considerably more. It really comes down to their budget and needs. Currently, (Summer 2024) we consider an entry-level scope to be between about $1800 and $3000. Under that price and you are barely scraping into a quality thermal. Again, these are current prices and as we’ve seen over the last couple years, prices are dropping and image quality is going up, so these price ranges are only going to get lower over time.

Hans lives in the feral hog capital of Texas and is adamant about helping others stop the spread of this destructive species.

From this brief dialogue, we can gather some critical information. We now know what the minimum is that we should spend to get into thermal hunting. But there is more to the answer than cost. So when you ask yourself “How much should I spend on a thermal?” Really the question you should be asking is “What am I going to do with my thermal?” and then you can find out how much it will cost based on those answers. The next step should always be finding an authorized dealer. One of the easiest ways to do that from the iRayUSA website is to click “Where to Buy” from the banner. (https://irayusa.com/where-to-buy/)

You cannot make a major buying decision in an echo chamber, and people who have already hunted with the optic you are trying to buy will have answers to your questions better than someone who has not. Jason and Hans elaborated more on this topic:

Hans: The overall theme is to talk to a good authorized dealer. The majority of our customers call in before making a purchase. Talk to someone who has used it. A lot of what we do is customer service. Our business model is different but most of our customers call in and ask questions before they purchase their optic from us and that’s a good thing because we’re able to ensure they get exactly what they need for their specific situation.

Jason: Don’t just get information from social media. We talk to a lot of people who have already purchased a thermal scope and end up having buyer’s remorse and wasting a lot of their hard earned money. They read some reviews, asked a few questions on social media and made a purchase, only to find out later that the scope they bought does not fit their needs. This is too big of a purchase to not take the time to talk to a dealer with experience with all the optics they sell. Also, when you purchase from a good quality dealer, they will be there for your customer service needs after the sale.

He recalled an incident where someone on a forum was giving advice on buying thermals who had never even owned one. Just like everything else on the web, people are going to say things that are incorrect. Remember this analogy:

Jason: Thermal scopes are a tool. You need the right tool for the job and thermal scopes are not all created for the same purpose. What is right for you might be wrong for someone else. If you go into a hardware store and say you need a hammer they’re going to follow up by asking what you need to do with the hammer. There are a lot of different hammers and they all serve different purposes.

It's hard to pick the right hammer without knowing what kind of work you’re doing or talking to someone who swings one regularly. Obviously, thermal optics are vastly more complicated than a hammer. So when you find yourself asking the question “How much should I spend on a thermal?” Start by asking yourself what you intend to do with it. Also remember that if you are a first-time buyer, sooner rather than later, you will also want to budget for a handheld. Then talk to any authorized dealer of any brand that hunts with what they sell. Do not simply rely on the internet to make a buying decision. Take your time and enjoy the research process. Here are some links to get you started:

• Thermal Weapon Sights
• Thermal Handheld Monoculars
• Find a Local iRayUSA Dealer