Not perfect, but close. - Pulsar Digisight N850 LRF Digital Night Vision Rifle Scope

I've had a problem with coyotes lately, so I decided to explore some NV options. I ordered this scope, and also borrowed a military-grade Gen 3+ / Aimpoint Comp M4 set up from a friend for comparison.

In extreme dark the Gen 3+ is vastly better. The Gen 3+ is clearer and focuses faster. If I were in a CQB situation and on the go, the N850 wouldn't cut it. It seems to need a LOT of ambient light to work without the IR flashlight. With the IR light on the quality of the image greatly improves.

On the otherhand, the N850 is perfect for night hunting. The image is very clear out to 100 yards with the ambient light I had (a street lamp 100 yards 45 degrees off to the right.) With the IR light engaged, I can see out to the tree line, which is 225 yards, and identify a coyote sized target. Overall the clarity could be better, but it's still very very good and I may be biased since my only other NV experience is Gen 3+. The clarity is also effected by the zoom, as it's a digital magnification that pixilates the original image.

At first I thought the LRF was a gimmicky feature, I found that it was actually quite useful in the dark. Without NV it's tough to identify the target and range it. I have a Leica Rangemaster 1600 and when I compared it to the built-in LRF they both gave identical ranges. I was quite surprised and pleased.

Another advantage of the N850 is that it can be used in any type of light. With the Gen 3+, it's extreme light sensitivity creates a very real possibility of burning the tubes whenever exposed to bright light. The pinhole is an absolute must unless the room is near complete dark. One little screw up will leave you with an expensive paperweight. You don't have this problem with the N850.

I love the 1-shot zero. Admittedly it took me 5 shots to get it dialed in, but I was zeroing at 100yds on a 24" target, with an unfamiliar round (subsonic 300BLK) and it was tough to identify a .30" hole 100 yards away. It took me 2 shots to get on target, but the 3rd shot was pretty close to bullseye and the last 2 shots were just me being anal.

The adjustable reticle color is also a nice touch. There is a programmable function button on the scope, which I set up to scroll through the reticle colors to maximize visibility on varying backgrounds. There are also quite a few reticle designs. The user menu takes a few minutes to figure out, but is quite simple once familiar.

My major negative thoguts on the N850 is that it feels cheap for a $2,000 unit. I'm not sure what type of plastics are used, but they remind me of Kel-Tec plastics. The Gen 3+ unit feels like I could run it over with a truck and it would still work. Of course, it's military-grade so it's supposed to be tough. I'd be scared to drop the N850 more than 10 feet. The controls seem fragile as well, like the knobs may break/strip/unscrew.

When I pulled the N850 out of the box, I was disappointed and thought I'd be sending it back. When I mounted it on my AR and compared it to the Gen 3+ system on my other AR by walking around the house at night, I thought I'd be sending it back. But once I took it out to the field and used it in the environment it was designed for, I knew right away I'd be keeping it. If you want a tactical CQB NV setup, this is not the one for you. But if you want a scope that you can use for 50-200 yards at night, stop looking and buy this one. I haven't dropped it yet so I can't speak for its durability, but if I run into any issues I'll be sure to update this review. My only suggestion would be to buy the extended battery. It's not big or bulky surprisingly and will pay for itself in no time.