DNT Optics TNC225R - ThermNight scope

[jasper2408]

TNC225R - ThermNight Thermal & Night Vision Multispectral Scope with Laser Rangefinder and Ballistic Calculator

Been slummin' around the interweb again and found this scope.
Thought it looked pretty interesting. I think this company is an offshoot of Arken. Been thinking of putting one of these on my AR.

5x20 Day/Night Vision
3x12 Thermal
PIP
IR-850nm
Laser Range Finder to 1000yds w/Ballistic Calculator. Automatic holdover can be enabled.
Ability to save different Ballistic tables to the scope
MRAD or MOA
Multiple reticles and multiple colors of reticles
Interfaces with DNT Optics iPhone or Android cellphone app.
Uses a replaceable/rechargeable 18650 battery
Has 32GB of onboard memory that is non removable (interfaces with your computer via USB-C cable (included)
Comes with 0 MOA mount but you can buy a 20 MOA mount or 35 MOA mount for $59.99 ea.
IP67 Waterproof
Ability to record Audio and Video
$1099.99

https://dntoptics.com/products/tnc225r-thermnight-thermal-night-vision-multi-spectral-scope-with-laser-rangefinder-and-ballistic-calculator

[grayfox]

Only reviews I could find (in UK btw) were for airguns....
This is legit for our grendels?

[Double Naught Spy]

There are several more reviews non-UK including one guy that shows stock photos and reads a script, LOL.

I actually have one in hand at this time, working on a review. I have 1 hunt and about 3 hours time behind the scope, so I have NOT tried out some of the features.

I have it for about 3 more weeks. If you have any specific questions you want answered, let me know.

[jasper2408]

LOL, yep there are a lot of rat, squirrel, raccoon, and rabbit airgun videos on utube using this scope. Might see more action videos once deer season has started as this is a fairly newly released scope. The scope is rated for recoil up to .50 BMG.

I downloaded the app from the App Store from DNT Optics (in my case for iPhone) that lets you set up Ballistic tables and it gives you the choice of any caliber you want. All of them are listed. Once you make a table then you just connect to the scope and transfer it using either Bluetooth or the on-board wireless on the scope. I don't have the scope but it looks pretty simple to set up.

Here's a fellow shooting a coyote using one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQQLmdxKW-k

[jasper2408]

If you have any specific questions you want answered, let me know.

I think the feature that I am most interested in is the "Hold Over" aiming method. I think that is the one where it computes the aim point automatically once it has the yards from the range finder. Anyway I look forward to your review as your videos are always excellent.

[Double Naught Spy]

While you can buy 20 and 35 MOA rails for this, Grendel shooters will have no night use for these rails. I doubt you would need them for day use with a 1920 resolution digital channel (digital day and night vision), but maybe.

For the night vision of the digital channel, you are reliant on the IR illuminator to illuminate your target. Digital Night Vision (DNV) currently boosts (visually) ambient conditions somewhat, but it doesn't take much darkness before you will require the IR illuminator to see with it. As such, you are probably going to be limited to ~300 yards or so, more from elevated positions looking down, but nothing requiring a rail for a Grendel (maybe for an air rifle or subsonic ammo).

With a small lensed 256 resolution thermal channel, the rails will be pretty useless to you as well. It just does not have the picture clarity for longer range necessitating an MOA rail. For example, you might be able to see a hog with thermal at 700 yards (I have not tested this), but if you can, then it is likely just a pixel or two on the screen. That would not be something you would be attempting to shoot because you can't see where to shoot it, much less see what it even is with thermal and DNV's IR illuminator isn't going to get you there for the digital channel.

HOWEVER, those rails may be more useful for the rumored (told to me by a dealer) 384 and 640 resolution thermal versions and I would guess that the digital channel's resolution might improve as well (but have not been told).

Recoil rated to 50 BMG is great. I don't foresee this ever going on the .50 BMG of a hunter but apparently the optic is well enough constructed to handle the recoil and .50 BMG is terrific. As with all electro-optics, even those with higher ratings, electronics in general don't like sudden shocks. I understand that manufacturers have taken some precautions to harden their units from shock, or used more shock resistant parts, but it is like driving your Jeep on the rocky trails of Colorado and seeing how well the suspension holds up over time verses somebody just using a Jeep as a grocery getter on nice roads. The Jeep is rated for the Rockies, right, but there is more wear and tear. As such there seems to be some correlation between recoil and certain types of warranty work and the more recoil you have, the more likely you are to need warranty work for those things. It should have a longer use life being run on a Grendel than on a .50 BMG is all I am saying.

What is cool about the scope is that you can run full screen thermal, full screen digital, or dual mode with Picture in Picture where you have thermal in one and digital in the other. However, given that you have a rifle with two optics on it, each has advantages over the other (which is why they included both) but each also has its own set of issues to deal with. As noted for the digital channel, you have to run the IR illuminator, for example. Plus each scope has its own set of image quality settings. Each has its own focus. You can zero each separately (which I did) or you can zero one (ideally the clearer digital channel) and then just move the thermal channel manually to the same point (which I have heard about online).

There is a lot to like about this scope, but there is a lot to unpack with it, so to speak.

As there is a lot to unpack, some aspects like the ballistic calculator, use of the app, etc. will be on down the line.

[jasper2408]

I agree with you that trying to shoot a small animal at 700yds is probably not a good idea with this scope although I did see a video of a fella shoot a coyote at 600yds with one of the ZULUS HD 5-20X Night Vision w/laser rangefinder scopes which has similar night vision capabilities to the scope we are talking about. The image of the coyote was surprisingly clear.

My mentioning of the .50 BMG was to just emphasize that the scope is a center fire rile capable scope and not just an airgun scope.

My personal requirements for this scope is to be able to shoot targets, day or night, with the scope being able to automatically give me an aim point that is accurate enough to hit a target at an unknown, to me, distance without me having to figure holdover or guess the range and can also be used for 20 degree daytime deer hunting or day or night SHTF. I also want to be able to input my own ballistics from my own reloaded ammo and this scope lets me do that. I don't expect this scope to do anymore than that.

Not asking for much am I?

What I have to decide now is does this scope do those things well and is this scope worth $1099.99. Looking forward to your video.

[Double Naught Spy]

I agree with you that trying to shoot a small animal at 700yds is probably not a good idea with this scope although I did see a video of a fella shoot a coyote at 600yds with one of the ZULUS HD 5-20X Night Vision w/laser rangefinder scopes which has similar night vision capabilities to the scope we are talking about. The image of the coyote was surprisingly clear.

Video link? Maybe I could try to replicate.

Video soon. It is not a review. It is a "This scope came yesterday, I breezed through the manual, and stood on my stoop for 30 minutes and checked some basic functions, slapped it on a rifle and got it zeroed, and got it zeroed again (2 optics to zero), and hunted this night." I was still learning things as we went on our stalks.

[jasper2408]

Video link? Maybe I could try to replicate.

The shots started at 568yds and the last shots were at 641yds. He did not kill the coyote but the coyote was easily visible. There were also deer behind the coyote that had to be close to 700yds away. Just guessing about the deer though.

He did take numerous shots so his ballistic calculations in the scope might have been off. He wasn't off much because the bullet was leaving churned up mud once the coyote took off running. I don't think it was blood.

The scope used was the DNT Zulus HD520R which I think is the NV scope with the laser rangfinder and only has night vision and not thermal. This is similar NV hardware as what is on your scope. They were also using the Sniper Hog Light Coyote Cannon 850 Turbo which lit stuff up way more than the scope ir does.

Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Op_1AwbqrY

Here is another one using the 520R shooting at 595yds at a range:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kll7qU2IIvE

[Double Naught Spy]

When you said...

...which has similar night vision capabilities to the scope we are talking about

, I had a bit of a different impression.

The NV sensor and lenses may be similar, but part of the digital night vision capability of the ThermNight as it stands is the onboard IR illuminator and it looks like both units probably have the same IR illuminator, right? Well, he wasn't using the onboard IR illuminator. He is using a fricking Coyote Cannon. The Coyote Cannon he is using is actually longer than the scope is. It is fairly huge as far as weapon-mountable IR illuminators go and is one of the best civilian IR illuminators that you can buy. So he is using the right illuminator for the job, but the Coyote Cannon gives the scope in the video vastly superior viewing capabilities to what the stock scope has to offer. You keep talking about what you want the scope to do, but the scope isn't doing that, not by itself.

The 2nd key point here for why he was able to get such a great long distance view has to do with the circumstances. The shooter was shooting from an elevated position with no visual obstacles in the way. The coyote was in very short vegetation with all but its feet visible. These are the ideal circumstances for shooting longer range with an IR light and digital night vision.

Not trying to burst your bubble, but maybe mitigate your expectations a little bit.

[Double Naught Spy]

First Outing...

[jasper2408]

He is using a fricking Coyote Cannon.

LOL. Did I forget to mention that part? I did add it to my comment above after the fact to feign innocence for myself.

My expectations are not to shoot stuff out to 641yds with this scope, although it seems that if you have enough light and caliber then the images looked pretty darn good to me. That IR would probably improve any NV scope though.

Excellent video as usual. I noticed that you were using Holdover on the scope. That is my favorite feature of the scope so far.

[jasper2408]

Here is a pretty good video explaining the menus in the TNC225R - ThermNight scope. The background he uses makes it kinda hard to see the icons clearly but it does let a person see how he navigates the menus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhA-NeA-BFo

[Double Naught Spy]

LOL. Did I forget to mention that part?

As DNV picture capability and quality are tied to the IR illuminator, this is a very significant part to overlook.

I noticed that you were using Holdover on the scope.

I might have been had I been using it, LOL. Scope was running on default settings and no ballistic data entered at that point. However, based on my experiences so far, I think I would prefer the holdover technique.

[jasper2408]

I might have been had I been using it, LOL. Scope was running on default settings and no ballistic data entered at that point. However, based on my experiences so far, I think I would prefer the holdover technique.

I downloaded the manual from DNT and trying to figure out the difference between Holdover and Dial-In. This feature is why I am looking at this scope.