By now, most people know that I have a fascination with all things thermal. It's a disease...
If you ask, "What's the best thermal on the market?", most people will say Trijicon. For a long time, I would have agreed with them. Enter Bering optics.
My first thermal scope was a Trijicon IR Hunter MK3 35mm which I upgraded to 60mm. It is a good scope, but the price is not very friendly. The best thing is that it's built like a tank. I've dropped it (not on purpose) and it barely scratched the finish.
Last year, I decided I wanted a backup, so I bought a Bering Optics Hogster-r 35mm. At it's price point, it's an amazing thermal. For me, the only negative is the 2x native magnification. For someone who shoots within 200 yards, this thermal will do great, especially if you use the picture in picture feature. For some reason, I always forget it's there.
Shortly after I got the Hogster-r 35mm, I found out the Super Hogster was being released. I immediately pre-ordered one and impatiently waited. When it arrived, I compared it to my Trijicon. Even though my Trijicon has better definition, the Super Hogster became my primary hunting scope. Why? A few reasons. 1. The Super Hogster doesn't quite compare in definition, but it has better contrast. 2. The Super Hogster is much lighter. 3. The Super Hogster allows you to easily record and upload videos. The Super Hogster has better reticle options.
After hunting with the Super Hogster, I knew the Phenom would be my next purchase, but I figured I'd wait. A few weeks ago, I was offered the opportunity to be "pro staff" for the thermal sales side of aaoptics.com. Alan was kind enough to be a bad influence and feed my addiction. Today, I received a brand new Bering Optics Phenom to test. I am very impressed with it! The definition is on par with the Trijicon, but the contrast beats Trijicon hands down. With the Trijicon, white hot is more shades of grey. With the Phenom, white is white and everything pops much better than the Trijicon.
So, is Trijicon the best out there? Not anymore. Why? First of all, they have spent the last few years relying on their name. They haven't done anything to improve their line. Are they good scopes? Absolutely. Are they worth the price? Not anymore. The only thing that they have going for them is their reputation. Being relatively new, Bering Optics doesn't have Trijicon reputation, but their warranty is four years versus Trijicon's three years. Add to that, Bering Optics has excellent customer service.
Will Bering Optics beat Trijicon? On price, absolutely. With the addition of the rumored Super Yoter, I can't think of a reason why Bering Optics doesn't giveTrijicon a serious run for their money.
If you ask, "What's the best thermal on the market?", most people will say Trijicon. For a long time, I would have agreed with them. Enter Bering optics.
My first thermal scope was a Trijicon IR Hunter MK3 35mm which I upgraded to 60mm. It is a good scope, but the price is not very friendly. The best thing is that it's built like a tank. I've dropped it (not on purpose) and it barely scratched the finish.
Last year, I decided I wanted a backup, so I bought a Bering Optics Hogster-r 35mm. At it's price point, it's an amazing thermal. For me, the only negative is the 2x native magnification. For someone who shoots within 200 yards, this thermal will do great, especially if you use the picture in picture feature. For some reason, I always forget it's there.
Shortly after I got the Hogster-r 35mm, I found out the Super Hogster was being released. I immediately pre-ordered one and impatiently waited. When it arrived, I compared it to my Trijicon. Even though my Trijicon has better definition, the Super Hogster became my primary hunting scope. Why? A few reasons. 1. The Super Hogster doesn't quite compare in definition, but it has better contrast. 2. The Super Hogster is much lighter. 3. The Super Hogster allows you to easily record and upload videos. The Super Hogster has better reticle options.
After hunting with the Super Hogster, I knew the Phenom would be my next purchase, but I figured I'd wait. A few weeks ago, I was offered the opportunity to be "pro staff" for the thermal sales side of aaoptics.com. Alan was kind enough to be a bad influence and feed my addiction. Today, I received a brand new Bering Optics Phenom to test. I am very impressed with it! The definition is on par with the Trijicon, but the contrast beats Trijicon hands down. With the Trijicon, white hot is more shades of grey. With the Phenom, white is white and everything pops much better than the Trijicon.
So, is Trijicon the best out there? Not anymore. Why? First of all, they have spent the last few years relying on their name. They haven't done anything to improve their line. Are they good scopes? Absolutely. Are they worth the price? Not anymore. The only thing that they have going for them is their reputation. Being relatively new, Bering Optics doesn't have Trijicon reputation, but their warranty is four years versus Trijicon's three years. Add to that, Bering Optics has excellent customer service.
Will Bering Optics beat Trijicon? On price, absolutely. With the addition of the rumored Super Yoter, I can't think of a reason why Bering Optics doesn't giveTrijicon a serious run for their money.
Last edited:
