So I have a gen3 monocular for general passive land and movement and m/or shooting short ranges with illuminator/laser/passive... and I’m looking to maybe get an IR weapon-mounted optic.  Use it to both scan and really stretch out with a .308 or .300blk or 6.5 Creedmoor.  

And it seems these 5 scopes are sort of dominating the entry market for thermal scopes in the ~$5k and low-to-mid &3k price ranges; each class having darn similar (on paper) specs to each other.  If form factor doesn’t make the choice for you, these seem very comparable... which to choose?  I have MSRs and bolt action I can put this on, so I can make either form factor work for me just fine.

The new XP50 and SY have 640 50mm and the biggest difference (aside from form factor) looks to be the the field of view; XP50 at 2X & 50mm/f1.0 has  notably wider FOV while the SY gives you 3x. The XP50 does seem more sensitive at <25mK too, although it’s a couple hundred more $... but both seem pretty badass for $4599-4999

Do I really need a nearly $5k optic though?  Because the mid $3k ones look good on paper, too. The XQ38 and hogster offer a bit of savings with thier 384 sensors and and have similar zooms (2.5x vs 2.9x) with the XQ38 claiming a bit more FOV.

Then you have the new XQ50 kind of sandwiched in the middle of the group in price and with a trade-off of lower 384 resolution but more base mag to boost detection ranges.

So objectively and subjectively, what is your opinion on them; Which wins out at each price tier?

How far can hits realistically & reliably be made on hogs with the Super Yoter vs. XP50?
What about the max usable range of the super hogster vs XQ38?
If I’m waffling, would the XQ50 really be a good Goldilocks alternative?

Or would I better off saving another $1000+ or so and getIng a used PVS-30 or NVD760 or NVD740 if I wanted to shoot far?

 I will admit I haven't used the new <25mK Pulsars. Pulsar is really trying to push the <25mK concept. Should it help yes, but honestly the Bering sensor handles humidity better to start with. The SY image for the price is nothing short of amazing. You get an extra year of warranty with Bering. Pulsar records audio where Bering doesn't with their videos. The thermion fits bolt action rifles better. I use my SY on both a bolt and an AR with an extended riser, but the Thermion fits a bolt better. Keep in mind the SY comes with a QD LaRue mount where you still need to buy a mount with a Thermion XP 50, so there is a little more cost there as well.

It comes down to want vs need. The extra FOV can be nice especially for hogs. I have used every Bering product released in the last 4 years. The Hogster 35 is good entry level scope at around 2.6K, the  SH is great for those that need to shoot further such as long range coyote hunting at $3.2K, and the Super Yoter is great again for medium to long range engagements.

The XQ50 and the SH actually have the same mag and FOV. This is because the SH is 12µm and the XQ50 is 17µm.

 I believe the best judge is what I have spent my personal money on. I currently own a Bering Optics Phenom scanner and a Bering Optics Super Yoter. If I was hog hunting, I would maybe look at the XP50 to get a wider FOV. For coyotes in more open country, the SY is hard to beat.

If you find yourself constantly bumping up the magnification, then going with a higher base magnfication might be a better option. Night Goggles has a 7-day return policy to try it and if you don't like it send it back. The D760s and D740s are awesome scopes. If you like using NV, then by all means, they are a nice option. Once you move to thermal for hunting, it is hard to go back to NV. However, there are lots of people who scan with thermal and shoot with NV. I personally am a thermal guy. The reason to consider Night Vision is if you have restrictions where you can shoot coyotes not fox as an example. Feel free to call me if you want to discuss more items.

Thanks for the thorough answer. I think I am mostly leaning towards the $5k end of the budget... I think it will come down to how much cash I can scrape up and how impatient I get. If I go cheap I think it will almost certainly be an XQ38 in a QD mount.

The decision between the SY and Therm2 XP50 is probably going to come down to whether I want to put it on my board rifles more for my MSRs more as the XP50 scope body goes on either in a QD 30mm Mount pretty easily but mounting the SY seems like a bit of a chore on a bolt gun.  

But the last couple hours I’ve also been reading up on the SY Clip-on (there’s a nice thread on snipershide with many pics) and seems like a hell of a thermal clip on <$5k.  I know it comes a down to the daylight optic you’re using, but on the Hide thread it looked like the SY clip on could stretch out and engage targets at 600+ yards if you gave it a quality daylight optic in the 6-10x range.  And with an LPVO you could even dial back to 1x for wide scanning.  (Id be putting it in front of is a Razor GenII, LRTSi, and VX-6 Type glass, if matteres.)

What sort max ranges can you making effective hits out to on coyote and silhouette with the Super Yoter scope?

Is the SY Clip-on comparable in range/performance?

Can you comment specifically about the ability to reach out with the scope vs clip on SY?

I've shot coyotes over 450 yards with my Super Yoter R. I believe the clip-on with the right day optic can definitely be capable of this type of range. Both are capable of more, but I use a target dot for simplicity, so I am guessing on hold over when it gets too far. I would say 600 yards, with the right equipment and shooter is doable with either.

Yes, some would probably say the clip on may have a bit more range, but the digital zoom on the SY-R works very well. The things I don't like about clipons is the weight, focus in front of your day scope, and the need to thread on an eyepiece to use as a scanner. However, there is definitely people who prefer clipons. It is really a matter of choice as both are fantastic optics.

When I tested the SY-C, Bering sent me a 5-20x sniper scope and asked for my opinion on how it worked. Starting at 5x power definitely hurt my test case. I am using what I read on snipershide, ARFcom, and my own personal experience. With the right scope, I believe the Clip On has equal if not more range than the R. To me, the R is cheaper, lighter, and is more convenient to use as a scanner.