Expensive? Depends How You Look At It…

Is it worth forking out for extra kit for nocturnal pest control or can the gear you already have be adapted? Mat Manning offers some tips

- Mat Manning

People who use airguns to control nocturnal pests such as rats and rabbits are always asking me whether it is worth splashing out on expensive thermal or night-vision optics instead of using traditional lamping methods.

With the days beginning to shorten and peak night shooting season fast approaching, I thought I would share some of my thoughts and experiences in choosing the right kit for the job. I seldom use thermal-imaging gear with an air rifle; it can work well but, for the average rat or rabbit shooter, it is still quite expensive. Night-vision and lamping tactics are, in most cases, better suited to my requirements and budget so I will stick to those for now.

Night-vision optics caused quite a stir when they arrived on the airgun scene about 20 years ago. I jumped on the bandwagon quite early but was initially disappointed; the kit was heavy and unreliable and produced a very poor image quality so, after a frustrating few months, I switched back to lamping.

Technology

I didn’t embrace night-vision optics again until about 10 years ago. Things had moved on a long way by then and, thanks to advances in digital technology, performance has continued to progress. The result is that I now regard night vision as an essential part of my after-dark armoury for rabbit and rat shooting.

The price of night-vision gear has also come down significantly. Whereas early units could cost several thousands of pounds, you can now pick up good night-vision optics for well under £1,000. The new breed is not only significantly more affordable but is also far superior in terms of performance and ease of use.