Thermal Scopes during daylight

[Cattleman]

Interesting. I suppose there are different levels of quality for thermals. My pulsar was about 2k and it certainly is extry level as they can get as pricey as 10k or even more. I have used it out west before scanning hillsides and I have never been able to spot anything yet using it while the binos scanning afterwards I have. For my thermal, heat images beyond 400 yards are just hard to pick up.

"heat images beyond 400 yards are just hard to pick up" what do you have the pulsar core ? Both of my thermals can easily detect heat at well over 1 mile and depending on your experience level with thermal, you can ID smaller predators out to 400 yards and bigger game at 1/2 mile. So to answer the original question IMO in open country you definitely would have an advantage trying to locate game with a thermal scanner but to judge said animal and to shoot you would want a daytime optic.

 

[millerkiller77]

In late on this topic, but thermals should not be used for any game hunting regardless of day or night. I have no problems with killing predators, but on big game it's a no go for me. Depending on your level of experience with thermals and more importantly the quality of the thermal unit, picking up targets out to 1500 yards is easy to do. Some units have auto scan, built in lrf, ballistic correction for yardage and incline, and many other features that makes it extremely unethical in my opinion.

 

[Dakotakid]

I do not own one, so I didn’t vote. I did look through a dentist friends at the range one day. The deer bedded on hill above the 600 yard targets were very clear.
His setup was above entry level.