Hog hunter - ATN Thor320 1x Color Digital Thermal Image Weapon Sight

ATN ThOR 320 - 1x (30 and 60Hz) Thermal Weapon Sight Review
A Review of the ATN ThOR 320 - 1x (30 AND 60Hz) Thermal Weapon Sight. This review is from an AVID Hog Hunter who owns two Thors.

Let me begin by saying I have hunted for 40 years. I hunt and kill hogs several nights a week. Feral Hogs have taken over our costal/wheat fields, destroyed our land and cost area ranchers millions of dollars each year. It appears elimination is impossible. As I will discuss in this review, I begin using several night vision scopes with fair success in years past. I purchased the ATN Thor - 320 - 1x (30Hz) Thermal Weapon Sight in April of 2012. This system puts any NV in the shade hands down. But its also very pricey. but as my dad always said, if your gona do it, do it right! I dont own a bass boat or have a country club membership. I hunt hogs. Im not an expert in anything, but I know what works and what doesnt.

The first Thor - I purchased for $5,015 with their discount - (total drive-out cost). I previously owned a PVS-14 Gen 3, illuminator and all the gadgets that come with it. There is NO comparison. My kill rate immediately increased 10x. I liked it so much I purchased another Thor (60Hz) in October 2012. I paid just under $6,000 (total drive-out cost) The only cons are price and the difficulty maintaining or holding zero. For some reason 1x Thors have a 2x and 4x magnification BUT when magnified, the image looks like youre seeing huge pixels up to close, no precise images are obtainable. But thats ok! 1x is very suitable. The reticle adjustments are sub-par and nothing like a regular scope, no MOA. You push 4 separate arrows for elevation and windage. Patience is a virtue. I use one gallon frozen milk jugs to zero when its hot and I heat up metal targets with a small propane tank when its cold. Learn your yardage markers in the daytime. Seeing a hog in the Thor verses real life is very different and will throw your depth perception off big time. In order to help me with this problem I purchased a 4x8 - 1/8 inch sheet metal and cut out a silhouette of a 250 lbs hog. I heat this up in the day-time using Thor and range finder and memorize my distances. (I wish someone would come up with a thermal range finder) The Thor has several screen color variations, yellow/red, green, blue, black on white and white on black. Its all about preference. I use black on white. I can see the white image much better than any of the other color selections. The thor comes with several reticle choices including the standard cross-hair which I prefer. You can also change the reticle color. My choice is red. Using the white image (hog) the red reticle is very clear. The unit itself is very durable and waterproof. With a lot of practice I am routinely able to spot images in open costal or wheat fields at 800+ yards without magnification. At about 400 yards with much practice you can identify what your target is then stalk the target. A bit of Caution here! Even though you can spot an image at 800 yards does not mean you can tell what that little moving image is. As always, identify your target first. If youre hunting on leased or rancher owned land, be careful. Killing a cow is an immediate $1,200+/- - and a very ticked off rancher who will tell all his buddies and you will never hunt the county again.

I attempt to stalk within 100 yards. 80% +/- of my kills have occurred between 100 and 125 yards with my longest at 250+/- yards. Beyond 200 yards is not necessary unless there is no wind. Also, in my opinion, without better magnification, 250 yards is reaching the Thors limit for accurate kills. If you have a 5-10 mph in your face in the dead of night, you can scratch the hogs ears. They never know you are there. I use a .300 black-out on an AR platform. This performs MUCH better than using a standard .223 or .556. It is really difficult and your shots have to be in the ear to bring them down with the standard AR. Remember, the hogs always run and they run in different directions, so precision shooting is hard to master. I have used a .308 on an A10 platform, but my blackout with the Thor mounted is less than 7 lbs. For me, the A10 when stalking is just to heavy. I may walk 5-8 miles in one night, ounces count. (this next statement is not for the tender-hearted) The most unique aspect of the Thor is to see a hog-do-double-flips running at full speed. I also can see the blood spatter at 80+/- yards. But that takes A LOT of practice. KILLING A RUNNING HOG WILL NOT BE OBTAINED WITHOUT MUCH DEDICATION. But that dedication is SO worth it if youre a hunter. Ask anyone who goes out with me. On the first 20 stalks youre still in kindergarten. But if youre not a dedicated hunter, youre also not going to spend 5-6 grand. All-in-all, the unit is expensive but VERY, VERY effective in spotting and killing feral hogs. So if you LOVE hunting and/or are currently a member of the country club or have an expensive bass boat, sell them! The water is good and warm, come on in. The Thor will treat your right. It should be noted that I am not employed by anyone that sales or distributes this product. I purchased both my units on line. I am only a hog hunter who wishes I could have read some kind of review like this before I purchased the Thor. I was very, very lucky, now you do not have to be.


Pros: Easy to use
Cons: None

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.