I want to get some kind of thermal capability. The real main use would be hog hunting. Obviously if I'm going to be spending a lot, I want it to also have as much versatility and the ability to be used in a more serious role if there was ever the need. That makes a clip on like the RH25 appealing because I could use it on more than one rifle, or helmet mounted along with my PVS-14. I am aware it must be zero'ed on the rifle.

My main question is, will it be just as good for hunting as a dedicated thermal optic? I am also interested in the new Holosun optic because of the price point and its capabilities look good.

Which leads me to my next question, what thermal units can hold up to use on a .308? I also don't want to kill my devices with the recoil.

I don't have a specific budget yet since I am still trying to figure out which direction is better for me to go. I'm not opposed to spending what the RH25 costs if it really is going to be the best bang for the buck.

the rh25 at it's current price point is hard to beat for an all around thermal

for hog hunting it should be fine at those distances , you probably get a good 4x optical mag out of it and could stretch it to 6x with some picture degradation

there are many more options if helmet mounting it isn't a requirement

the new sig clip on thermal looks interesting , i would also take a look at it

edit :  a dedicated weapon sight will probably always give you a better picture as they generally have nicer screens with more adjustments for the picture.  most are coming with options for lrf's and custom reticles or ballistic software now.  with qd mounts on your optics they can be swapped around pretty easily and hold a bunch of different rifle profiles in them to be used on multiple rifles.  also adding a second optic to a rifle adds weight/distribution to the rifle , something to consider

with that said i just went through this and ended up with a clip on for my purposes

I just put together a nice AR10 308. Was going to put my Hogster Vibe 35 on it but decided to build a 16 inch barreled version. Put a foxon match barrel on it. Built it for hog hunting if I ever get the chance. The Hogster vibe is 308 rated.  A 384 thermal at 100 yards has great detail with my Hogster. Have about 150 rounds through it at the range. No issues so far. I use the internal batteries.

https://www.nightvisionoutfitters.com/products/bering-optics-hogster-vibe-35mm

Helmet mounting isn't a requirement, but it would be nice to get that additional capability/option. If it comes down to spending ~$2500 or ~$4000, and that extra $1500 creates that much more versatility, its worth it.





That's a pretty good price point and its good that they specify it to be .308 rated.



Another thing I have to consider is day time use of the gun. I could do an offset red dot if I get dedicated thermal and it would be fine. I know that thermals can be used during the day, but my understanding is their function is more limited.

It's all about heat contrast. If it's a cool day and the target is warm, no problem. Really hot day trying to track a warm-blooded target? That can get problematic.

Offset red dot is a good idea and that's what I have on mine, in addition to a weapon light.

I'm waiting to see what the sig cv25 looks like once it hits the shelves.

It's a 640 clip on, that seems to also be capable of standalone, but not helmet mount.

$4000 and it supposedly has a collimated eye piece, which would theoretically been you don't have to zero it to the rifle. You just slap it on any rifle and if the optic is in the eye box, you're good to go. At least that's how they describe it in YouTube videos from their recent industry event.

Anyway, if it's as advertised, that's what I'll be getting.

If it really can swap from one rifle to another without needing to be zero'ed, then this will probably be the winner. That's a great price point too.

Since its supposed to be available next month, hopefully some people with get their hands on it and test it out by the end of the year so we can see how it holds up. I'm admittedly a bit of a Sig hater and very skeptical of their new products.

My two cents as a hog hunter.

I like clip-ons, but not if it is your only thermal.   Weight being the main issue here.   Once you add a clip on in front of your day optic you end up with a pretty heavy setup. For a first thermal, I think you'd be better off with a dedicated scope.  They are just easier to use and typically give you a better picture.  Better yet, You could get an AGM Rattler and a really nice scanner like the IRAY Finder V2 for a little over $4k.  I use this combo a lot and it is pretty much perfect for hunting.  Get a clip on later.


All that being said, I'm really intrigued by the Sig mentioned above and will be checking it out.

Bump for more input. Looking at the AGM Rattler TC35-640 now too, and considering maybe a clip on in front of a TA11 or T2 and magnifier.

Rh25. It probably gets recommended to much as a dedicated clip-on but this is what it's made for. Plus you get all it's other capabilities.

He's spot on. I played with the Finder recently and loved its LRF capability. You'll want one for longer shots, guaranteed. You definitely should budget for some flavor of monocular at the least - swinging a gun around to find stuff will get old real fast.

Having a LRF would be nice in general, but I don’t see needing it for the hunting I’ll be doing here. It still might be a worthwhile way to go since I see having some kind of monocular recommended a lot.