Thermal Clip-on

A thermal clip-on is a device you mount in front of a riflescope you already own, letting you see a heat image at night or in poor visibility without touching the scope itself or its zero. It suits a hunter who already has a daytime scope on the rifle and does not want to buy a separate night scope or re-zero every time light drops. The clip-on attaches at the objective end, you look through the same eyepiece, and the two systems work together as one sightline.

What a thermal clip-on is and when you need one

A clip-on fits a hunter who hunts both day and night with the same rifle and scope. Instead of swapping scopes or re-zeroing each time, you fit the clip-on ahead of the daytime objective once dusk falls, and remove it when you go back to daytime hunting. This is practical in a high seat late in the evening, when wild boar or roe deer only move out into the open once light has faded, or during night-time pest control when you need to switch between day and night quickly.

Clip-on versus a dedicated thermal scope

A clip-on does not replace a daytime scope, it extends it, so the choice depends on how much night hunting you actually do. If night sessions are occasional, a clip-on saves you buying a second scope for day and night. If night stalking or driven hunts make up a large part of your season, a dedicated thermal scope or monocular built only for night use is worth a look - these usually carry a larger sensor and a wider field of view without extra optics sitting between the sensor and your eye.

Models available in this category

The range covers several levels, from entry thermal to advanced systems suited to driven hunts and to solitary stalking alike.

ThermTec Hunt and Hunt Pro

ThermTec Hunt 335, Hunt Pro 335, Hunt Pro 635, Hunt Pro 650 and Hunt 650L make up most of the range. The number in the model name is the objective lens size in millimeters - a larger lens means better detection range in open ground, a smaller one means a lighter, more compact unit that is easier to carry through a long night on stand.

Pulsar Krypton and Proton

Pulsar Krypton 2 FXG50, Krypton 2 XQ35, Krypton 2 FXQ35 and Proton FXQ30 are established Pulsar lines, often chosen by hunters already running other Pulsar gear. The Krypton series mounts ahead of an existing scope in the same way as the other clip-ons in this category.

InfiRay Mate

InfiRay Mate MAL25 and MAH50R are compact units, suited to a hunter who wants a light attachment that does not throw off rifle balance during a long stalk.

Liemke Luchs

Liemke Luchs-25.1 and LUCHS-1 are German-made units known for simple controls and steady performance in the cold, which matters on winter hunts when the temperature in a high seat sits below freezing for hours at a stretch.

BURRIS and Swarovski

BURRIS Clip-on BTC35 V3 and Swarovski TX Encounter sit at the higher end - Swarovski is known for optical quality, while BURRIS offers a practical, dependable mount that fits a range of scope types.

How to choose the right clip-on

A few points decide whether a clip-on will actually work with your hunting style and the scope you already own.

• Objective compatibility - check that the clip-on's mounting ring matches your daytime scope's objective diameter.
• Detection range - pick a larger objective for open fields and farmland, a compact unit is enough in wooded terrain.
• Weight and balance - a clip-on shifts the rifle's weight forward, so a lighter unit is easier on the arm during a long wait in a high seat.
• Battery life - for a full night hunting season, the clip-on's battery needs to last the whole stalk, or you need the option to run an external power bank.
• Resistance to damp and cold - in autumn and winter hunts the unit has to handle fog, rain and frost without faltering.

Practical field advice

Before first use, fit the clip-on in daylight and check the scope's image stays centered rather than shifting to one side. In a high seat or hide, switch the unit on a few minutes before game is expected so the sensor has time to settle. In cold weather, keep the clip-on under clothing or in a bag while it is not in use, this keeps the battery charged longer. On a driven hunt, where you need to react fast, check the mounting mechanism beforehand so the unit does not shift from a knock or from running through thick cover.

Brands

ThermTec, Pulsar, InfiRay, Liemke, BURRIS and Swarovski differ in price, sensor resolution and mounting systems, but every model listed here serves one purpose - turning your daytime scope into a unit suited to night hunting without a fresh zero.

Related categories: thermal monoculars, thermal device accessories, thermal binoculars and thermal scopes. If you are not sure which clip-on fits your scope, write to us and we will help you choose.