InfiRay Outdoor BOLT TX60C

Among the leaders in outdoor and hunting-related thermal imaging units, InfiRay Outdoor thermals are currently sold in more than 90 countries. Here in the states, iRAY USA handles distribution. The company owns 645 patents related to thermal sensors and optics and has a production capacity of 7 million units per year.

Among its more recent accomplishments, InfiRay Outdoor was the first to market new technological advancements in the thermal arena, including 1280x1024 resolution sensors, 12um, 10um and 8um sensors, dual field-of-view optics and shutterless calibration technology.

Now, InfiRay Outdoor offers the new BOLT TX60C thermal scope, built with a high-resolution 1024×1024 InfiRay Micro II thermal sensor possessing a native 3X magnification that can digital zoom all the way to 16X. The BOLT is a long-range thermal optic capable of running all night long, features an easy-to-use menu system and takes fine photographs and videos.

This is No Lightweight Thermal

The BOLT TX60C is a big boy, weighing in at just over 35 ounces and stretching out a good 15 inches. It also sports a rather massive 60mm objective lens, while the side knobs present a 4-inch wingspan. So, yes, in the field at night, a hunter is probably going to need a shooting tripod with a stout clamp or something similar to get the best out of this unit.

The scope is built around a 30mm tube and includes a quick-detach scope mount with dual-locking levers. The QD mount attached easily onto the Picatinny rail of my rifle, and quickly adjusted for a snug fit. That QD design makes it easy to swap out the BOLT for a day scope or to share the thermal on multiple rifles.

Just above the eyepiece sits the unit’s basic control circle, which includes (from the top of the circle and going clockwise), the power button, brightness button, photo button and palette selection button.

A long press of the power button turns the unit on and off, while short presses can perform various shortcuts without going into the menu itself, such as making a manual non-uniformity correction, or NUC.

The palette button lets users select from White Hot, Black Hot, Red Hot, Color (Rainbow), Violet, Crimson or Viridian modes. The color palette options really popped, too, and did not obscure the target as other thermals I’ve used frequently do. Instead, these color options differentiated the target/heat signature, which stayed white, from the surrounding objects, which took on the selected palette color.

A short press of the Photo button takes a single photo while a longer press starts or stops a video.

Short presses on the Brightness button adjust screen brightness. Longer presses let the user enter or exit the unit’s stadia metric rangefinder.

Much like a day scope, the BOLT has three knobs located on the top and both sides of the scope tube. However, the top center knob is the only one that actually works specific functions. Unscrew the right knob cap to reveal a USB-C port, while the left knob holds an 18650 cell battery for additional power. (More on the power system below.) The center knob controls the BOLT’s menu system. A long press down brings up the main menu in the rear lens. The knob also adjusts the scope’s magnification level.

Dual Power Supply

The BOLT TX60C features a Dual Power Supply System, featuring a built-in battery pack and the 18650 battery. With the battery installed and fully charged, the BOLT uses it as the preferred power source. When battery power gets low or the battery is removed, the thermal automatically switches to the built-in battery pack as its primary power supply.

That internal battery pack charges via the USB-C port under the right knob cap; a charging cord is included with the accessories. The port also allows for the use of an external power pack, as well as providing access to the unit’s photos and videos.

When the TX60C is on, the 18650 battery is replaceable at any time. Power will automatically switch to the internal battery pack and then switch back to the new 18650 battery after replacement. No loss of thermal viewing! The unit comes with two 18650 batteries and a battery charger.

Range Time

To test out the unit, I mounted the BOLT TX60C onto a Ruger American GenII bolt-action rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. As noted, the QD mount snapped onto the rifle’s rail without a problem.

I had already charged the unit and the battery, so I turned on the scope and used the online owner’s manual to investigate the menu system. As noted, a long press of the central knob brought up the line of menus along the left side of the screen. Turning the knob moved the menu selector up or down.

As with most higher-end thermal units, the BOLT TX60C offers the user both a Quick Menu and a more detailed Main Menu. The Quick Menu lets a user select one of the six reticle types as well as the reticle color. Image contrast and sharpness levels can be adjusted here, too. Selecting the zeroing distance and the zeroing itself are also Quick Menu functions.

The BOLT’s Instruction Manual runs some 49 pages and so an examination of all the unit can do, its menus and settings, isn’t possible here, though an overview of the zeroing process is presented below. But here’s a key point: The menus are intuitively accessed and entered, with adjustments easily made. Of course, this all takes some practice; I spent an hour running through menus and applications before I got to my shooting range.

Zero Time

I used the thermal’s Main Menu to zero the Bolt and the American Rifle, and the Main application worked very well. I started my zeroing process at 50 yards, shooting at a cross made of black duct tape on a cardboard rectangle. The sun was out, and the black tape absorbed more than enough heat to show up in the scope. In the Main menu, I adjusted my zero distance to 50 yards. I’d already selected my reticle, and my magnification was at 6X.

The zero process was simple enough. I took two shots to see where the rounds impacted. Holding the reticle on the point of aim, I then “froze” the screen. Using the X and Y Axis controls, I moved the reticle over to my original point of impact and then saved these settings. My next two shots were close to the center of the cross but not exactly there.

No worries, because my 50-yard work is really just the set up for 100-yard shooting. At 100 yards, my first two shots at a new black cross hit 4.5 inches high and a little left. I went back into the menu and adjusted the zeroing distance for 100 yards, froze the screen and moved the reticle to the impact position. The next two shots hit right in the middle of the cross.

I taped a HotHands Super Warmer over the vitals area of a Birchwood Casey Boar Splattering Target. The Super Warmer measures 5 inches long by 3.5 inches high. I shot three rounds at the heat packet, which showed up fine and sharp-edged. The shots drilled near the center of the packet, for a .90-inch group. Damned impressive, both the accuracy potential of this thermal and how well the menu applications actually work in real life.

I should also note that throughout my shooting, the objective lens focus ring spun smoothly, and I quickly adjusted the thermal for various distances. The diopter adjustment ring at the rear did a fine job of further sharpening the screen image, too.

Ballistic Solutions

The BOLT TX60C also has ballistic capabilities. The thermal will pair wirelessly with the InfiRay Outdoor ILR-1200-1 Laser Range-finding (LRF) module (sold separately). At this point, the TX60C can display realtime ranges on-screen. It can even calculate a firing solution using customizable projectile data and the onboard ballistic calculator. Simply input the cartridge’s ballistic coefficient, weight and velocity, and some basic environmental conditions, and the TX60C will build a custom BDC reticle. When using the LRF, the scope can even dial the drop required based on the target range.

With an MSRP of $6,000, the BOLT TX60C is also a heavyweight in money terms. Most retailers will offer it below suggested retail, but buying the unit will still require lots of green. It is the kind of investment made by very serious night hunters, including those who regularly participate in hunting contests offering cash purses.