Which thermal scope should I buy for night hunting?

It really depends on how far you're shooting and how much you want to spend, but there's one thing a lot of people don't mention: real thermal sights are expensive, and there's a TON of garbage online that claims to be thermal but is just image intensifiers (which aren't the same thing). A real thermal is going to cost you at least a few hundred dollars minimum if you want something decent.

If your budget is tight, you're better off investing in a good image intensifier instead of a fake thermal. Brands like Pulsar or ATN are actually worth it if you can afford them, but there are also cheaper Chinese options that work (though the image quality isn't the same). Before you buy anything, check the specs carefully: thermal resolution, effective range, magnification factor. The worst thing you can do is buy something generic without looking into those things because you'll regret it later.

Another important thing is where you're hunting. If it's in an open area you need more range, but if it's in trees or thick brush a cheap thermal works just fine anyway because you're not shooting beyond 100-150 meters regardless. Also think about whether you're mounting it on a rifle with rails or if you'd rather have something portable you can hold in your hand. Those details make a pretty big difference in what model makes sense for you.

It really comes down way more to your budget than the brand, honestly! If you've got money to burn, go with solid brands everyone knows, but honestly there are some pretty decent Chinese options now that cost half the price and work pretty well for casual night hunting. I'd say search by price range first (500 bucks? 3000?) and then filter by YouTube reviews from people actually using them in real conditions, not just the specs the seller is pushing.

I've tried several and I'll tell you it's not just about the brand but also where you use them: if you're hunting in open terrain with long distances, you need better thermal resolution; if it's closer range and brush, pretty much any decent one works. What nobody mentions is that you should verify compatibility with your specific weapon and the weight - a lot of good scopes will tire out your neck during a long night of stalking. Before you spend money, rent one or borrow one to test on your land; that's the only way to know if it's worth investing in Pulsar, ATN or whatever, because on paper everything promises the world but then you realize that some model is uncomfortable or slow in your particular situation.

What distance range do you need to reach and what's your budget for this? I'd say before looking at brands it's worth checking whether the thermal sight you're interested in has good thermal resolution (not all of them sold online are what they claim to be) and reviewing feedback from people who've actually used it in conditions similar to yours, because there are all kinds of scams dressed up as "military technology" on the marketplaces. The smartest thing is to spend a bit more on something certified from a brand that has real warranty coverage in your country, rather than buying cheap and ending up with a device that doesn't work when you need it most.