Ed Cook's Sporting Gun Archer Night Vision Review

Ed Cook's Sporting Gun Archer Night Vision Review

Over the years I've often thought that night vision equipment could help my work and, hopefully, improve my profitability. The trouble is, I've not been able to afford it.

I still can't really afford it, but after talking to a keeper mate of mine recently, I decided I maybe ought to invest in some new kit. This keeper had bought a rather good night vision 'set up' from a company called Starlight NV Ltd. Prior to investing in his night vision scope (fixed to his .222) he'd been shooting between 10 and 20 foxes a year but he still had many foxes that were lamp shy and being a problem. Since his investment his yearly tally of foxes has been boosted up to around the 50 mark on the 1500 acres he looks after.

In many of the places I work rabbits are shy of a lamp to say the least, and as far as foxes are concerned, I reckon most of them around here were born lamp shy!

Anyway, having spoken to him about his gear the benefits were obvious and I didn't need a lot of persuading to buy a set up for both rabbits and foxes.

I looked at many pieces of night vision equipment at both ends of the cost spectrum. Some were awful, some seemed okay, but I found the equipment Starlight produced was far superior to any other I'd seen.

I wanted something I could fit to my scopes that would give me good clear vision up to, or further than, 200 yards. I didn't want a permanent night vision scope as this would mean it would have to go on only one of my 3 rifles - with the option to keep changing it between rifles and re-zeroing every time. Alternatively, I could buy 3 night vision scopes and 3 new rifles in the calibres I use ( .22 rimfire, .22 fac air rifle and .17 HMR) and have the same with day scopes on. Well as my 6 numbers haven't appeared on the lottery yet, that idea was out of the window.

I figured the most cost effective solution was to buy an attachment that would fit the eyepiece of each of my scopes. (I've recently upgraded all my scopes, opting for the high quality long-range Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x50mm with parallax adjustment, which are fantastic pieces of optical technology.) I've used all sorts of scopes in the past but I really do rate these Leupold scopes that GMK import.

I finally decided on the Archer monocular, gen 3 with x2 magnification, which is basically a night vision attachment that fits on the eyepiece (of most scopes) via a clamp. Prices for the Archer start at around the £1300 mark - going up to nearly £1800 - which is certainly not cheap, but I think it will pay for itself relatively quickly.

When I first looked through one I was really impressed, even though it was on a sub-standard scope. I know all too well that if it worked well on that scope it would have amazing clarity when combined with my new Leupolds and it certainly did (it's not often I'm right!)

I fitted it to my .17 HMR and after a bit of adjustment I finally started to get to grips with what seemed to be the very technical and often confusing world of night vision (I'm not that bright, mind!) The monocular is fitted with an IR (infra red) beam, which works really well, although I did try and see if my various array of lamps fitted with infra-red filters were better - they weren't so I gave up on that idea.

I've now used it on all my rifles and have had very good results on both rabbits and foxes that were known to be lamp shy. The only slight problem that I have experienced is that you lose eye relief but this is easily overcome by adding an extension pad to the stock.

Night vision does take some time to get used to especially when it comes to judging distances. This can be overcome by putting markers out every 20 or 30 yards or pacing out 100 or 200 yards to bait point if you intend to wait for Basil Brush.

Once you get used to it, you start to learn distances, especially if you have a parallax (focus) adjustment, which can be co-ordinated to distance.

Last night, my brother, Nath, and I were out with my .22 and the night vision and he squeaked a big dog fox in. It was a mere 33 yards away when I placed a bullet between its eyes. I watched it come in from well over 250 yards and I know all too well I wouldn't have got it within .22 range without night vision.

As far as squeaking foxes goes, I've tried several makes and types over the years but I've seldom found one so effective as one I bought recently. Called the 'Wam' it certainly allows foxes to be whammed with more consistency than other squeakers I've tried - especially in conjunction with the new night vision gear.

As soon as we spotted this fox last night it came in like a rocket and I reckon I might have got it to jump in to the back of the truck! I've also squeaked many foxes with the Wam to well within shotgun range during daylight hours. Priced at just £12.99, I reckon the Wam squeaker is incredible value for money.

As for rabbits the Archer has proved a remarkable piece of gear. Nath shot 54 in a one and a half acre paddock in just 2 hours. There's no way we would have got that with a lamp and rifle.

I'm no techno rabbiter or foxer and try to do things as traditionally and commercially possible but this set up is truly remarkable. I'm certainly 'well impressed' as have been my friends (albeit, I don't have many) with its results.

A serious gamekeeper or pest controller would be a fool not to consider this 'set up' as it has revolutionised my night time activities. A keeper armed with the Archer, a good scope, on, say a .222, with the 'Wam' fox call would seriously solve a fox problem. As I've said, the most rabbits we've killed with it is 54 so far, and I have shot 6 foxes with this combination of equipment in a night - it really makes lamping old fashioned.