Hunting with the Nocpix ACE S60R thermal scope

Our goal is to undertake a night selective hunt for wild boars that being overabundant in the area are causing damage to crops. The occasion is ideal for trying out Nocpix digital thermal equipment, including binoculars, a monocular and above all, already mounted on the .308 Winchester bolt-action rifle, the Ace S60R thermal scope. There are still a few hours to go before dusk, so I take the opportunity to check the zeroing and fire a few shots at 100 meters. A lightly warmed-up 12-gauge cartridge shell shows me how even the slightest source of heat is detected and is perfectly recognisable through the thermal optic.

In fact, after just two shots, interfacing with the Nocpix app on my smartphone and being able to directly measure the smallest adjustment to be made, I am immediately on target. There is no need to go any further because the hunting ground provides for a similar shooting distance and I am not in the habit of going out at night to shoot over long distances, especially in hilly terrain. Dusk arrives and we move silently to reach the hunting ground where we remain in silence, observing while the rest of the company waits confidently.

Minutes pass and only in perfect darkness does the real movement of nocturnal wildlife around us begin. A hare calmly consumes its evening meal in the olive grove in front of us at the end of a wide clearing among the oak woods. After a few moments, an adult male roe deer parades through the trees in all its elegance, leaving us to recognise the size of its antlers. The sharpness of the images and the definition of the contours leave no room for doubt when observing. We continue to wait patiently, and from the noise, the boars are perfectly recognisable even before their arrival. Two females come with numerous cubs in tow, which judging by their size should still be striped. We see them perfectly exit and enter quickly among the olive trees as they chase each other to stay together. The property had warned us of the presence of some large males particularly impacting on the surrounding wheat crops. but despite our stubborn waiting we did not see them arrive. The movement of the young boars is jerky and nervous; even the females, who have evidently felt our presence, look nervous but we can follow them with a continuous and fluid vision without any interruption or image lag, in continuous action.

We are untouched by the temptation to try shooting, given the size and age of the animals, but we limit ourselves to a pleasant observation of their behaviour which, I would like to reiterate, for a hunter is a fundamental part of the very pleasure of hunting. Finding, observing, approaching wild animals is pure emotion, it is mystery revealing itself, imagination taking shape in reality showing you the wild animals you are so eagerly awaiting, without being seen. Through the optics and the integrated rangefinder we also see the movements of the animals that never stray more than 80/90 meters from us, sometimes approaching to within 20/30 meters. There will be other opportunities to add to the adrenaline rush of the shot, and evenings like this certainly don't leave you bored or disappointed. Around 9:30 p.m. we decided to retire for the next hunting trip. In the meantime, the images we took can already give you proof of the quality of the Nocpix devices and of the Ace S60R scope: simple, effective, not too heavy on the rifle and intuitive in its zoom, which allows you to always have the hunting situation you are experiencing in your cross hairs  in a detailed and well-lit manner.

 ACES60R thermal scope: features

Equipped with a Gen2 thermal sensor providing a resolution of up to 1280×1024 and a frame rate of up to 50Hz, the ACE provides stable performance capable of detecting even the slightest temperature variations, delivering detailed and smooth thermal images, even when tracking moving wildlife. The ACE series comes with 60mm/F1.0 or 50mm/F0.9 objective lenses. The larger objective lens allows more than 20% more light to reach the sensor, generating clearer and sharper images. The ACE series boasts a detection range of up to approximately 3,000 metres. The new Vision+ system features a 1.03-inch, 2560×2560 round AMOLED screen and an ocular zoom for direct optical magnification. Unlike the traditional e-zoom, it prevents blurring and distortion in close-up observations. The Ace S60R optics has a built-in rangefinder that allows laser distance measurements up to 1,200 metres with true optical axis alignment for precise measurements. The scope is equipped with a dual-battery system with a built-in battery and an additional replaceable battery that allows for continuous hunting action of more than 6 hours. The ACE also has technical features such as a focus adjuster, a charging cover and a Gallery function for direct video playback, with a rather intuitive menu and keypad.

Designed according to the principles of thermal infrared imaging, the Ace S60R does not require external light sources during day and night, in all weather conditions, even the harshest such as rain, fog or mist. It can be used without being affected by bright light and to observe even targets behind natural obstacles such as branches, grass and shrubs.

Nocpix ACE S60R thermal scope technical specifications