Not only is night vision cool, it’s almost a necessity for modern coyote hunters. Coyotes are naturally active in the early morning and at sunset, when there is only minimal light to see. However, as their territory continues to expand, and coyotes encounter more human activity, they become almost completely nocturnal.
Coyote hunting is essential to managing the growing population. In some areas, night vision is the only way hunters can line up crosshairs on this invasive species. But night vision technology is expensive. The price tag on a quality night vision device may be well outside the budget of the average coyote hunter.
Enter the ATN X-Sight II.
Editors Note: more recently, ATN has debuted a new lineup of X Sight Scopes. We took apart the ATN X Sight 4K Pro in this review.
ATN X-Sight II HD 5-20x Review
There’s a reason this optic is one of my top recommended Scopes for AR 15 Coyote Hunting.
It’s like ATN heard all our predator hunting dreams and desires and rolled them into one nearly perfect package. And it probably costs less than your smartphone. To say we’re excited, is quite the understatement.
The Specs
The ATN X-Sight II is a high-quality, feature-packed optic at a surprisingly affordable price point.
Here are the basics:
- Weight: 2.55 pounds
- Dimensions: 11.36″ x 3.5″ x 3.45″
- Picatinny/interchangeable mount
- Magnification: 5-20x
- Field of View (FOV): 240 feet at 1000 yards
- Objective lens: 85mm
- Bluetooth connectivity
Taking a Closer Look
The ATN X-Sight II is definitely not your grandpa’s rifle scope. This is a high-tech optic that uses HD technology to provide crystal clear vision, day or night. Rather than peering through traditional glass elements, the X-Sight II uses digital imaging to capture the scope’s field of view and project it onto a high-quality LCD.
It runs on an Obsidian II Core, which is a highly specialized computer designed to run a suite of sensors, crunch huge files, and make complex calculations faster than a coyote can scratch a flea.
If that sounds high-tech, it’s because it is. You get High Definition (HD) resolution in broad daylight, the dark of midnight, and any lighting condition in between. That means you can take your shots using crystal clear, high-resolution images. You can even choose between three different viewing options – green night view, black and white night view, and full-color day view.
Don’t worry, as complex as this device sounds, it’s actually easier to set up than the standard smartphone. And just like your smartphone, the ATN X-Sight II offers tons of customization.
More Than a Night Vision Optic
The high-res day/night scope isn’t the only thing coyote hunters will love about the X-Sight II. It also has recoil activated video (RAV) recording capabilities. This means you can have 1080p, full HD video evidence of all your hunting successes instantly ready to share with friends and friends.
RAV means you won’t ever have to worry about remembering to press the record button before you take a shot. Instead, the Obsidian II Core does it for you. Plus, the system buffers everything your scope sees, including footage of before you pulled the trigger, the moment of impact, and as much footage as you want after that.
The X-Sight II also functions as a rangefinder. That means you’ll have one less piece of equipment to pack out on your hunts. Leave the handheld rangefinder at home. This optic calculates the distance to your target with two simple clicks.
After the device ranges your target, the reticle automatically adjusts for the point of impact. That means no more guessing distance, memorizing ballistic charts, or complex mathematical computation.
You can even enter your wind readings and change your incline angle. The internal ballistic calculator will instantly shift your point of impact. It really doesn’t get any easier than this.
Other Features We Love
It might seem like a small thing compared to all the high-tech features, but we absolutely love the zoom on this optic. The zoom is smooth as butter compared to the zoom on a traditional scope. We had to stop ourselves from zooming in and out just for the sheer joy of it.
Other cool features on the X-Sight II include an electronic barometer, a 3D magnetometer sensor that creates a handy electronic compass, and an internal gyroscope. The gyroscope is an addition hunters will particularly appreciate on intense, high-adrenaline hunts. It automatically stabilizes the digital image, allowing rock steady viewing and video recording.
For tech junkies who like to use their smartphones for everything, the X-Sight II has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. You can download an app that allows you to control your device remotely and live stream your hunts directly from your optic.
What We Don’t Like
Unless you think we’ve fallen completely head-over-heels in love with this optic, there are a few things we aren’t particularly fond of.
Let’s start with the relatively short battery life. You’re only going to get about 2 hours out of standard AAs. This thing eats through traditional batteries like there’s no tomorrow.
If you use lithium batteries, you’ll squeeze about 6 hours out of them. That’s not long enough for a night of coyote hunting, and changing batteries in the middle of a hunt is a major pain in the rear.
We strongly recommend running it off an external battery pack, which should get you at least 20 hours of use.
Second, the night vision range of the X-Sight II is limited compared to traditional night vision optics. You’ll need to use a good call to get coyotes into viewing range. However, considering the price tag compared to those on most night vision optics, we’re willing to make the compromise.
Finally, we wish the scope had some traditional windage and elevation knobs. Absolutely everything on the X-Sight II is adjusted electronically. Tech savvy hunters might not have an issue with this, but we’re kind of old-school and want some turrets to hold on to. Buttons and smartphone controls can be hard to get used to, especially when you’re wearing camo gloves.
Summing It Up
The number of features on the ATN X-Sight II is almost impossible to completely wrap your brain around. It’s a magnification scope, a night vision optic, rangefinder, ballistic calculator, video recorder, a barometer, and even a compass. That’s a lot to load into one rifle-mounted optic, but ATN manages to do it, and they do it well.
The X-Sight II isn’t without limitations (mostly the battery life and limited night vision range). However, this thing offers modern coyote hunters some incredible computing power and other features that will only enhance the excitement of your hunt. It will probably increase your odds of success, too.
