Thermal optics are probably the hottest thing going in the hunting world right now. Because thermal technology “sees heat,” hunters equipped with thermal riflescopes are able to use their equipment day or night, through fog, rain and brush, and hunters have caught on to this tremendous advantage. Though thermals do work well during the day, nighttime hunting is where they really shine, allowing hunters to see what they could never have seen before.
Coyote and hog hunters, in particular, are night operators, and thermal has changed the game for them. If you struggle with one of these nocturnal pests, you probably struggle with both, and that presents a challenge when it comes to choosing optics. Coyote hunters want a large lens with plenty of magnification for long-range shots, while hog hunters want a smaller lens with a wider field of view for closer shots. If you hunt both, you’ve either got to choose one path and accept that it won’t be ideal for one of your pursuits, or you have to compromise with something in the middle that’s not ideal for either.
AGM offers a solution to this dilemma with its new Clarion thermal riflescope, featuring Dual Base Magnification technology. A dual-lens optical system lets you mechanically alternate between a two different lenses with the flip of a lever. This alters the base magnification and field of view without degrading the image resolution, so you can literally have the best of both worlds without sacrificing the quality of either.
The Clarion comes in a 384 and a higher-resolution 640, both with a fast refresh rate of 50 Hz, so you won’t have to worry about stalling or pixelated images on moving targets. The 384 has a 25mm lens with a base magnification of 2X (digitally zoomed to 16X) and a wider field of view, and a 50mm lens with a base magnification of 4.5X (digitally zoomed to 36X) and a narrower field of view. The 640 has a 35mm lens with a base magnification of 2X (digitally zoomed to 16X) and a 60mm lens with a base magnification of 3X (digitally zoomed to 24X).
This new design is also paired with the most sensitive thermal sensor temperature rating in its class, coming it at an astonishing sub-20 milikelvin — you won’t miss a thing in the field.
When adding all of this new electro-optic technology, AGM didn’t skimp on the extras and features hunters expect. There’s a high-quality 384x288 12-micron thermal sensor (640x512 in the higher-resolution model), removable rechargeable battery (two included), up to 11 hours of continuous battery life on a single charge, wifi hotspot capability, built-in recording with sound and image capture including shot-activated recording, an onboard rangefinder, and an American Defense mount that’ll work with AR and bolt-action platforms. You can customize your Clarion to your exact preferences, with 10 internal reticle options, five different customizable zeroing profiles, 10 brightness and contrast settings, four different reticle colors, four color palettes and five image sharpness settings.
Of course, no scope is worth using if it can’t stand up to the elements, and the Clarion is waterproof and shockproof.
Imagine the advantage gained by having two scopes in one — a low-magnification scope with a wide field of view for hog hunting and close-up work, and a higher-magnification scope available with the simple flick of a lever. And don’t forget that thermal optics work as well in the daytime as they do at night, so you can cover virtually all of your hunting needs with a single two-in-one scope from AGM. The Clarion offers this kind of ground-breaking technology in a package that offers superb value for your dollar. And with a five-year warranty backing it up, what do you have to lose?
