Best Gen 3 Night Vision Scope

Gen 3 night vision scopes are the gold standard of night optics technology. This unique equipment provides the nighttime adventurer with incredible performance and over 10,000 hours of tube life from quality Gen 3 scopes.

This technology is in use by the US Armed Forces, and it is legal for citizens to own and use this technology. The technology installed in Gen 3 scopes which manages light so much better, will benefit anyone that needs to see in the dark. 

Hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, security companies, sailors, survivalists, and astronomers will enjoy the benefits this technology will bring to their activities during the hours of darkness.

Also Read: The Best Night Vision Monoculars for Scouting After Dark

Top 8 Gen 3 Night Vision Scope

Armasight BNVD-40 Bravo Gen 3 IIT– Best Night Vision Binoculars

These state-of-the-art binoculars are designed to operate in extremely low-light conditions and allow you to navigate, observe and track moving objects. They are housed in fog-proof and dust-proof housing that is built tough, enabling you to operate in any environmental conditions.

They are packed with all the required technology and can be mounted on a helmet or hand-held. The tubes can be independently folded away, so you can also use them as a monocular. They have a manual gain control, an auto shut-off, and a low battery indicator.

Pros: 

• 3rd Gen White Phosphor Tubes
• Crisp Black-and-White Images
• Built-In Short-Range IR Illuminator
• 1x Magnification
• 40° AFOV

Cons: 

• The cost is very high. 

Also Read: The Ultimate List of the Best Binoculars for Hunting

Armasight PVS-14 Pinnacle – Best Monocular Scope

The Armasight PVS-14 is a military-quality night vision monocular used by NATO armies worldwide. It is noted for its powerful, clear views in the darkest conditions as the unit’s Gen 3 intensifier tube created clear, stable images. 

This compact, durable unit is waterproof, battle-proven, and simple to operate even in the most adverse conditions. It is compatible with many accessories and can be used as a hand-held device, a night vision camera, or mounted onto a helmet.

The unit has an integrated infrared illuminator to give viewers a brilliant view of their surroundings. With a manually operated gain control, the viewer can select the degree of brightness required.

The Armasight PVS-14 comes in two models, the Bravo for general users and the Pinnacle for more advanced users. Both of these models come highly recommended.

Pros: 

• Compatible with many accessories
• Manual gain
• Waterproof
• Built-in adjustable IR
• 50-hour battery runtime

Cons: 

• Not a dedicated weapon scope

 AGM Wolverine PRO-6 3AL1 or 3AW1 – Best Night Vision Scope

The Wolverine Pro-6 comes in two models, 3AL1 and 3AW1. The scopes are identical except for the imaging color. The 3AW1 comes with a white phosphor screen that gives the viewer a black and white image. The 3AL1 has a green phosphor screen that offers the commonly seen green image.

The AMG Wolverine is a military-grade Gen 3 night vision scope. The body is high-grade aluminum that will stand up to all the day-to-day knocks the scope will take. All the external elements have a matte black finish, so there is zero reflection at night, and the external optical components are protected with a scratch-resistant coating. 

The controls, such as range focus, windage, elevation, eyepiece focus, and reticle brightness, are straightforward to manipulate, even with gloves on.  

The scope produces a perfect, crisp image. It has 6x magnification, so images at 500 yards or more are seen with zero compromises on sharpness. 

This scope comes with autogating to cut off the image instantly to protect the tube from exposure to bright light.

Pros: 

• Controls easy to operate
• Has autogating tube protection
• Waterproof
• 40 hours of continuous operation on 2 AA batteries
• Adjustable reticle
• 4x or 6x magnification
• 3 Year Warranty

Cons: 

• Scope is big at 11.2” long with the body at 4.3  3.6”.
• Scope is heavy at 3.25lbs.
• Warranty only applies to the original owner

ARMASIGHT CO-MINI-3 ALPHA RIFLE SCOPE  – Best Night Vision for Short Distances

The Armasight Co-Mini is designed for medium to short-range use and is one of the most compact, lightest scopes on the market today. 

The Gen 3 technology lifts this scope to military grade. It has quick day-to-night conversion and quickly changes from rifle scope to binoculars to a telescope.

With 1x magnification, it isn’t easy to see fine details, but when used in the binocular mode, it has 6x magnification. This scope is designed for short to medium-range work where the field of view is more important than high magnification levels. 

The CO-Mini can be rapidly mounted without resorting to tools and is designed to convert most daytime scopes to have night-view capability. The CO-MINI is mounted in front of your normal day scope, and the user’s eye relief is not altered. This clip-on device is bore-sighted at the factory to 1MOA accuracy, so there is no change to zero.

Pros: 

• Lightweight and compact
• Simple, quick conversion to night vision
• Mounts in front of the rifle scope
• Powered by a single AA battery
• Limited 2-year warranty

Cons: 

• Small magnification
• Narrow FOV
• No focus

ATN X-Sight 5-20 4K Pro Smart – Best Overall

This day-night rifle scope takes an already powerful scope and adds the night-vision capability to lift it to the next level, making it an all-weather, day-night scope.

This scope will acquire a target rapidly due to its ultra HD optics, smart range finder, ballistic calculator, and multipattern reticule. The scope is weather resistant and has ergonomic, rugged controls that are easy to manipulate even in poor weather.

The ATN X-Sight is the future of rifle scopes as it features true HD resolution, fantastic color, and night and day capability. It can either record or record and stream video of what the shooter is doing. Using an SD card, you can record all your adventures.

Incorporating ATN’s Dual Core Processor, the X-Sight 4K Pro series of scopes provide an enhanced experience and can stream via wifi to a mobile device and store the same stream on the SD card. There is no lag or loss of performance.

This rifle scope was built using a classic design to fit any rifle with 30mm Rifle Scope Rings. Reliability is not a problem as the battery pack has an 18-hour life. 

This scope also features ATN’s Ballistic Calculator, so there is no need to battle with paper in the wilderness; the shooter only needs to enter the environmental data, and the scope will undertake the calculations instantly. 

The scope will retain the data for each firearm, so swapping it from one rifle to another will not mean recalculating. Just find the correct rifle, and you’re ready to go.

Pros: 

• Records and streams video
• Both day and night capability
• Stunning camera capability
• Classic design fits most rifles with 30mm rings

Cons: 

• Cost 

Sightmark Wraith 4K Max 3-24x50mm Digital Night Vision Riflescope

The Wraith from Sightmark perfectly combines precision, power, and technology. This scope has an ultra-high definition digital CMOS sensor to locate objects as far as 300 yards in low light conditions. This range is extended to almost double the distance in daylight.

The Wraith delivers clear, precise images with ten reticle options and a 3x – 24x digital magnification. At night the Wraith has an 850nm infrared illuminator to maintain a bright, clear picture of the environment.

The unit is packaged in a sturdy aluminum body providing exceptional environmental protection. The unit has a rechargeable internal battery that lasts up to eight hours.

Pros: 

• Gives sharp, bright images
• Color mode in daytime
• Rechargeable internal battery pack
• Aluminum body for durability

Cons:

• Weight 
• Digital zoom is not as good as optical zoom

ARMASIGHT VULCAN NIGHT VISION SCOPE

This compact, dust, and waterproof sight can easily be mounted onto most rifles without affecting the weapon’s stability.

The lenses are multi-coated, giving you perfect images, and the MIL reticle is adjustable. This means the shooter can make accurate shots without having to fiddle around. 

The Vulcan is designed for short to medium distances, so the 3.5x magnification is ideal but should you need to extend the range, you can use the included magnifier, which will take this to 7x magnification, suitable for most hunting scenarios. Accurate engagement is possible up to 500 yards and further with the right light conditions.

The Vulcan is equipped with tactical rails for illuminators or lasers, but the scope does come with a detachable IR. The manual gain control helps achieve perfect contrast as you can adjust the image’s brightness according to the environmental conditions.

Pros:

• Quality build 
• Sand, dust, and waterproof
• Good images with gain control
• Multi-coated lenses

Cons:

• Weight at 2.4lb

Pulsar Digisight Ultra LRF N450 Digital Night Vision Rifle Scope

Ideally, this scope balances performance, quality, and price and is an excellent choice for inexperienced and experienced shooters.

The Pulsar has a robust, compact covering that is dist and waterproofed. It comes with a 1280×720 CMOS sensor giving a high-quality low-light performance to a range of over 550 yards.

An IR illuminator is supplied that clips onto the battery, but it can be removed, and a more powerful illuminator can be attached via the clip-on rail. 

It comes with a magnification of 4.5x, which can be digitally zoomed to 18x, and an option to run picture-in-picture, giving a magnified image of the center with the reticle. 

The Pulsar has connectivity, so the shooter can share videos or images or upload them wirelessly to a mobile device.  

Pros:

• Wide range of features
• Outstanding night vision performance
• Excellent low light distance detection
• Comes with a long-range IR illuminator
• 10 Reticle Shapes in 6 Color Modes

Cons:

• Weight
• Takes time to become acquainted with all the features.

Buying Guide

Buying a scope isn’t as simple as finding one that suits your preferred firearm or budget. There are quite a few things to take into consideration. I’ll go through them below to help you make the right choice.

What will you use it for?

This is a critical consideration. Do you want to hunt with this device? Will the scope be used for military or law enforcement? Would you be happy with a monocular or binocular device? What depth of field will you need – are you going to be looking for wildlife at night, or do you want to take part in night runs cross country?

Do you need Gen 3?

Do you need to spend money on a Gen 3 device? While I believe you should always buy the latest technology, it may be overkill for your application. 

Gen 1 devices are affordable and will give you around 100 yards of viewing ability in low light or infrared illumination.

Gen 2 uses a microchannel plate (MCP) to intensify the view and will give you a clear picture of 500-600 yards or 200-300 yards for a clear target.

Gen 3 is similar to Gen 2 but uses gallium arsenide coating to enhance the image further. On a moonless night or in bad weather, you will still get a clear picture up to 500 yards away. 

Magnification

This is the zoom that you want through the scope. A scope will advise 3x or 4x, meaning this is the amount of zoom it will provide. Bear in mind that digital zoom is not as efficient as optical zoom.

Field of View

This is the amount of space that can be seen at the same time through the viewfinder. This is measured in feet per 100 yards; as magnification increases, FOV goes down. If a scope indicates a FOV of 96′ at 100 yards, you will see 96 feet across in your viewfinder. As you crank up the magnification, that FOV will decrease as you zero in on a specific target.

Clarity and LP/MM

This relates to the clarity of the image. LP/MM (line pairs per millimeter) is an analog measure still used today to give some idea of the clarity of the picture. Your scope should be in the range of 64 – 72 lp/mm.

Signal to Noise Ratio

All kinds of noises will affect the clarity of your image. It is helpful if your scope has a noise reduction feature that manages and reduces these interferences.

Gain Control

If your device has automatic gain control, it means that the device will automatically change the brightness of the image to give the best view according to the prevailing conditions. Manual gain control allows you to set the brightness level to what is comfortable for you.

Weight and Size

This significantly affects how long you can hold the scope up to your eye. Make sure that the scope is the correct size to fit your rifle if you intend to hunt or that it is comfortable for you to hold up for an extended period of time.

Batteries

Does the scope use a rechargeable pack, or must you carry spare AA batteries with you, and which is more convenient for you?

Construction

You will be spending a lot of money on your scope so ensure that it has a tough, durable case. It must be adequately dust and waterproof, and the optics should be all glass and multi-coated.

FAQs 

I’ve compiled a few common questions people have about scopes:

Also Read: Night Vision vs Thermal Scopes

Conclusion

“Humans are not nocturnal creatures” is a very valid quote, and to help out when the sun goes down, we need night vision equipment. Plenty of night vision scopes are available on the market, and it is no easy task to select a few, but we have put together some of the top brands and devices available today.

For the wildlife and trail running enthusiast, I recommend looking no further than Armasight BNVD-40 Bravo Gen 3 IIT, Dual Channel Night Vision Binoculars. These fantastic binoculars can be carried in your hand or attached to a helmet, making them versatile and easy to use. They have exceptional optics and are packed in a rugged case that will withstand rough handling.

Take the time to understand what you intend to use it for, as buying one for attaching to a rifle and hunting is very different from selecting one to use for game-watching or trail running. Know what you want to do and what type of magnification and resolution you are looking for. I strongly advocate buying the latest technology, but if these are beyond your budget, a Gen 1 or 2 device may be everything that you need at this time.