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Rodents all over your garden, farm, or property can be a nuisance. They’re deleterious, invasive, and could harbor diseases, a pest whose population can easily run out of control. So, what’s the best night vision scope for rats?
Air rifle ratting is a successful pest control solution, and the best time to catch rats unawares is when they come out at night. With the best night vision scope, you can stealthily spot these varmints using sensors on their body heat in total darkness. They even work during the day, when rays come out to play hide and seek behind light cover or tall grasses with abundant food.
You’ll become the ultimate rodent predator with the best night vision scope for rats. Air rifle ratting has its challenges, especially when pest controlling in the cover of darkness. In this article, you’ll find out the features of the right NV kit that’s worth investing in and what not to go for.
Which is the Most Effective Pest Control Method for Rats?
No critter is as resilient and prolific as rats, especially when they live close to humans. Not only can they spread contagious diseases, but these rodents are also pro-social. That means they display generous and selfless behavior, sharing finite food resources and even freeing caged compatriots. Their brains are similar to ours, meaning they learn through observation, have high functioning memory, and respond to stimuli.
Laying traps or poisoning these varmints has its shortcomings, including how you can easily poison pets or native wildlife in the process. Lamping or night ratting with a beam is effective to a degree, but they soon learn to avoid the telltale glow. With that in mind, you have to outwit the rodent and use stealth in darkness as your ally.
Since rats are largely nocturnal, you need the best night vision scope for rats. But they’re also crepuscular, meaning active around dusk so that you may have an hour or two of good ratting before total darkness. That depends mainly on the quality of your air gun optics and whether they’re clear and bright.
In the beginning, night vision gear cost more than a few grand, out of reach for many hunters, realistically. Some NV rigs could cost several times the price of the most expensive rifles, but like in much of popular technology, prices for the best kits have tumbled considerably.
What’s the Best Night Vision Scope for Rats?
Night vision scopes fall into two broad categories. These include attachments to your day optics and digital NV sights that work in the dark and during daylight. While not for everyone, some enthusiasts have built their rigs, opening a whole new world of air gunning. That’s because rodents and other critters are more active at night when the sense of being unobtrusive or blending in is accentuated.
You’ll don’t have to be limited by the amount of daylight you are getting or state laws restricting lamping. Your quarry won’t learn to associate flashing lights with flying pellets, nor will suspicious neighbors keep calling the cops or the landowner on you. That’s why I’ve selected the best night vision scope for rats that include both attached and digital day scopes, which you don’t need to re-zero.
My favorite picks for the best night vision scope for rats include;
ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope
As rifle scopes go, the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart is a high-end product that’s suited to all types of ratting. It incorporates the latest technology for a reliable, highly versatile, and easy-to-use NV kit. These optics have a 5-20 X magnification ideal for day or night use, suited for near and far-range shooting.
Enhanced night vision brings into focus hidden ratty prey for total darkness and accurate shot placement. Its HD sensor delivers the best harp and motion-sensitive images for your view in any lighting condition and distance. Well-built, this scope will withstand the harsh outdoors, ensuring many years of field, barn, or shed ratting.
Other smart features of the ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart day and night rifle scope includes;
- Built-in balletic calculator and IR illuminator
- 30mm standards mounting rings
- ATN radar
- Recoil-Activated Video
- Smart mild dot reticle
- Wi-Fi dual streaming
- User-friendly interface
- Day and night mode
- Comfortable eye relief
- Ultra-low power consumption
Sightmark Wraith Digital Night Vision Riflescope
Precision and power best describe the Sightmark Wraith Digital Night Vision Riflescope. It’s the best night vision scope for rats, ideal for both day and night hunting, seeing as it’s equipped with an ultra-HD 4000×3000 digital CMOS sensor. That helps your shooting in low light conditions, spotting targets up to 300 yards.
During the day, you can use the 3-24x magnification for long-range detection, and you can use the 3-24x magnification to take out rats from across the yard. You’ve got clean, crisp images thanks to the 1280×720 display resolution that includes an IR flashlight providing 200 yards of nighttime range. The Sightmark Wraith is built to last, featuring robust, hardy aluminum housing.
Further standout features of the Sightmark Wraith Digital Night Vision Riflescope include;
- IPX water-resistant rating for use during rain
- Ten different reticle options for simpler aiming
- 850 mm IR illuminator
- Built-in UHD 4K video recording
- Removable eye-cup
- Micro-USB and memory card slots
- Removable IR flashlight
Night Owl Optics NightShot Night Vision Riflescope
The Night Owl Optics NightShot is the best night vision scope for rats for an air gunner on a budget. It’s a scope that will assist you in getting rats with its detection range of 100 yards and 3X magnification. The optics focus range goes to infinity with a 10-yard parallax adjustment from that yardage. When you’re shooting rodents in low light conditions, you have a built-in infra-red illuminator to improve your accuracy.
A high-resolution display provides 640×480 images, and the three reticles enhance target acquisition accuracy. You can mount the 1.3-pound Night Owl Optics NightShot using the included Picatinny or weaver compatible mounts. Fully weatherproof, you can use the portable scope without unnecessary weight being added to your firearm.
Other key features of the Night Owl Optics NightShot Night Vision Riflescope include;
- Highly affordable, reliable night-vision scope
- Flexible mounting solutions
- Three selectable reticle options
- High resolution 640×480 display
- 3m close focus
- 100 yards night vision range
- Built-in infrared monitor
- Three black and white reticles
Also Read: Hunting Rats with Red Light: Are Red Lights a Better Alternative to Green Lights for Hunting Rats?
Conclusion
When looking for the best night vision scope for rats, consider its size and weight, magnification power, and field of view. It should have a clear display and detection and recognition range so that you’ll know if those shiny blobs are rodents or some other animal. The scope’s durability and an added infrared illuminator will give you accuracy on your ratty targets, so you don’t waste pellets or spook prey.
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36 years old, been hunting and fishing my entire life – love the outdoors, family, and all kinds of hunting and fishing! I have spent thousands of hours hunting hogs and training hunting dogs, but I’m always learning new stuff and really happy to be sharing them with you! hit me up with an email in the contact form if you have any questions.