Hikmicro Neos 320px 25 mm Thermal Riflescope LRF

Description

Thermal has come down in price faster than most shooters expected, and the Hikmicro Neos range is a fair illustration of where that leaves things. This is the middle model of three: a 320 x 240 sensor with NETD below 18mK, a 25 mm F1.0 lens, 50Hz refresh and detection out to 1200 m. The step up from the entry level 256 x 192 model is a real one, but the laser rangefinder and ballistic calculator are what most people are actually paying the difference for.

The rangefinder reads to 1000 m with plus or minus 1 m accuracy and feeds the ballistic solver directly, which matters more on a rimfire than people tend to expect. A .22 LR drops enough between 60 and 100 yards that guessing costs you rabbits. Being able to range and get a corrected aim point without coming off the target is the practical argument for this model over the cheaper one.

Magnification runs 3.5x to 24.5x, and the base 3.5x is the setting you will spend most of your time on: wide enough to sweep a hedgerow, sharp enough to identify what you are looking at before committing. Zoom Pro processing keeps the image together as you go up. Viewing is through a 0.49 inch AMOLED with six palettes, and the shutterless system means no periodic freeze while quarry is on the move.

The practical details are sensible. It weighs 550 g and mounts in ordinary 30 mm rings, so it sits on a rifle like a day scope rather than a brick. Power comes from an internal cell plus a replaceable 18650, giving around nine hours with the rangefinder running. Best suited to air rifle and rimfire pest control where ranging genuinely earns its keep. For longer foxing work, the 35 mm model is the better fit.