Night Vision Rig

[OldTex]

It's been five years since I started trying to gather all the pieces for a decent NV rig, and finally everything has come together. Here it is - an ITT PVS-14 behind an EOTech 552 (NV compatible). The mounts (LT133 & LT110) are made by LaRue Tactical to match these two components together in proper alignment. The NV tube can be removed with the flip of a QD lever, or the whole rig can be removed from the gun by flipping another QD lever.

When the NV tube is removed, the mount for the EOTech is made so that the gun's iron sights can co-witness in the lower 1/3 of the sight glass.

Mounted on a LaRue Tactical 5.56 OBR. Now lets go get some varmints.

 

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

Killer. That's a lot of money invested in really NICE gear!

 

[stubbicatt]

Wow. There's some dollars in that setup. I wonder though, without magnification in broad daylight shooting at prairie dogs etc., I have difficulty even seeing a varmint through such an optic at distances say much over 80 yards or so.

At night? Not having experienced it, I would think it even more difficult to pick up little varmints in the sight.

Does that eotech have any magnification?

Can you actually connect with prairie dogs etc. at night at distances much over 80 yards?

Neat setup, congrats!

 

[aubie515]

Just curious why rifle mount it instead of helmet? Helmet offers you more options then a dedicated NV rifle.

 

[taliv]

nice setup!

I started that way as well, a long time ago. Quickly realized like aubie said that wearing the 14s on my head was a much better option than mounting them on the gun for almost every situation.

stubbi, coyotes and pig-s9zed targets are pretty easy to hit at 80+ from standing. a pdog gets pretty narrow and i'd probably have to sit or kneel to hit it.

seeing them is of course the trick, and on cloudless, full moon nights, it's easy. on cloudy new moon nights, you will need illumination.

 

[adelbridge]

that would be a perfect hog rig and light weight. i am hooked on nv hog hunting, they have no clue what is about to happen. you can always add a big designator up front and light them up like day to 200 yards.

 

[OldTex]

The NV tube came with a head mount but I'd have to be a contortionist to get it lined up behind the scope. It's made to point the tube straight ahead with the head held upright. I've tried it and it's very uncomfortable and unnatural feeling when trying to get any kind of cheek weld while pointing the tube through the EOTech. Maybe with practice and an altered gun-mounting position......

And yes, the lack of magnification is the limiting factor distance-wise with this rig. It would be hard to shoot prairie dogs or other small targets but I had hogs or coyotes in mind. They make a 3X magnifier to go behind am EOTech and I have a 4X magnifier that screws onto the front of the PVS, but neither one will fit with this mounting system.

I have a MK 4 Leupold that is NV-compatible. With a traditional scope mount, the NV tube would be so far to the rear that getting eye relief would be impossible while still maintaining any kind of traditional gun mount. With the OBR's extended rail, I could scoot the whole rig forward to cure that problem. Then the only issue would be to find the mounts that would put the tube directly centered behind the scope. I could be experimenting a long time trying to get it right.

 

[redneck2]

That rig is pretty awesome. Wonder what the cost would be for something along those lines. Gotta start saving up my pennies.

 

[taliv]

oldtex, sorry for confusion. aim with a laser. don't try to move your head behind the eotech

 

[desidog]

^Yup, you need a PEQ2 now.... you thought you were done, but now there's more on the shopping list.

 

[TCBPATRIOT]

Or a PEQ 15. From my standpoint at as almost 7 years in both active and reserve components of the military I have never found a situation where mounting NVGs on a rifle worked for me other than movements in and out of country. Not saying it isn't a good setup just doesn't work for me. But it sure does look good.

 

[MrCleanOK]

NV optic on your head, laser on the weapon. It's a very effective setup.

 

[aubie515]

There are better options then PEQs...plus they are more difficult to obtain.

Mepro offers one that I'm looking at hard...if I don't get the Mepro, I'll be getting the DBAL D2.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I used to have a set up with a .300 Whisper upper with suppressor, Trijicon Reflex, and PVS7-B's. I was able to ever so slightly get the image of the illuminated dot to "float", and any time the dot was on the target, I had "target acquistition" (it didn't have to be centered, etc). I also had a Laser Devices IR laser mounted under the handguard. What a rig! However, prolonged exposure to extreme cold weather shortened the battery life in both the goggle and the IR, and I felt a remote battery pack under the armpit for the goggles would solve that problem. When the laser batteries died, it was nice to know the tritium illlumination on the Reflex was never going to go out........well, at least for 10-12 years.