I currently own the Hydra 225r, Zulus HDV2 and the Thermnight 635R. The Thermnight is the best of all worlds. I purchased for hogs and planned a max of 150yd with where we hunt. The thermal part is notably more sensitive, detailed and clearer than my 225r. Do you need both IR and Thermal at 150yd? Probably not with the 635, but having the IR in the PIP is a fantastic option. The TN is a little heavier, but on a .308 with a suppressor, it’s already a heavy setup. We use the 225 as a stand alone for scanning, so adding to the weight is not a big deal. The IR light is great out to 150 and probably much more, but I have not tested beyond that personally. Battery life is as they say, just get extra batteries. Navigation through the menus becomes easy, the more you play around with it.
If I were on a tight budget wanting to hunt hogs? Get the highest power thermal DNT offers. Hunting hogs, even in high brush is no problem. 225 will get the job done, but identifying animals gets tougher the further you go out. IR with tall grass and lots of trees and finding targets becomes a little more challenging. Invest more in the highest power Thremal the first time and have no regrets later.
