Best thermal monoculars for hog hunting
For scanning a field for a sounder: at every budget, the monoculars that show the most ground at 100 yards.
Updated October 11, 2026 · 75 current models considered
How this list is ranked
- Field width: how much ground fills the screen at 100 yards. Wider finds the whole group faster.
Field width
How many feet of ground fill the screen at 100 yards. Wider makes scanning faster; narrower usually means more detail on the animal.
- Then identification distance: the farthest a coyote still stands 12 pixels tall on the screen, enough to tell it from a fox or a dog. Calculated from the maker's sensor and lens.
Identification distance
Our estimate of how far away you can tell a coyote from a fox or a dog. It is calculated from the lens and sensor, assuming good conditions.
- Then price: on a further tie, the cheaper one.
Only current models sold through US dealers with a published US price, that identify a coyote at 75 yards or more (a hog is bigger, so it can be told apart a little farther out). Nobody paid for a spot, and affiliate links never change the order. The coyotes are drawn at 200 yards, one square per sensor pixel, all on the same scale. How we measure.
Under $1,000
All 4 current thermal monoculars in this range.
1
5 px tall at 200 yd
2
5 px tall at 200 yd
3
5 px tall at 200 yd
4
6 px tall at 200 yd
Compare the top 3 side by side · See them all on the thermal monoculars page
$1,000 to $2,000
Top 5 of 29 current thermal monoculars in this range.
1
5 px tall at 200 yd
2
5 px tall at 200 yd
3
6 px tall at 200 yd
4
6 px tall at 200 yd
5
5 px tall at 200 yd
Compare the top 3 side by side · See them all on the thermal monoculars page
$2,000 to $3,500
Top 5 of 27 current thermal monoculars in this range.
1
5 px tall at 200 yd
2
6 px tall at 200 yd
3
Pulsar
Axion Compact XG30
640×480 · 30 mm · $2,300
- Ground across at 100 yd
- 77 ft
- Identify a coyote to
- ~125 yd
8 px tall at 200 yd
4
DNT Optics
Hound H635R
640×512 · 35 mm · rangefinder · $2,100
- Ground across at 100 yd
- 66 ft
- Identify a coyote to
- ~150 yd
9 px tall at 200 yd
5
AGM
ReachIR LRF 35-640
640×512 · 35 mm · rangefinder · $2,195
- Ground across at 100 yd
- 66 ft
- Identify a coyote to
- ~150 yd
9 px tall at 200 yd
Compare the top 3 side by side · See them all on the thermal monoculars page
$3,500 and up
Top 5 of 15 current thermal monoculars in this range.
1
5 px tall at 200 yd
2
Trijicon
IR-PATROL IRMO-100
640×480 · 19 mm · $6,047
- Ground across at 100 yd
- 121 ft
- Identify a coyote to
- ~80 yd
5 px tall at 200 yd
3
Trijicon
IR-PATROL IRMO-250
640×480 · 19 mm · $6,895
- Ground across at 100 yd
- 121 ft
- Identify a coyote to
- ~80 yd
5 px tall at 200 yd
4
Trijicon
IR-PATROL IRMO-300
640×480 · 19 mm · $7,426
- Ground across at 100 yd
- 121 ft
- Identify a coyote to
- ~80 yd
5 px tall at 200 yd
5
ATN
BlazeHunter XD 1280 LRF
1280×1024 · 50 mm · rangefinder · $3,995
- Ground across at 100 yd
- 92 ft
- Identify a coyote to
- ~210 yd
13 px tall at 200 yd
Compare the top 3 side by side · See them all on the thermal monoculars page
What is left out
Discontinued models, which sell used on eBay; brands with no US dealer network; and models whose maker publishes too little about the sensor or lens to calculate a distance. All of them are on the thermal monoculars page.
Prices are the US price on file for each model, or the maker's list price where marked MSRP. Retailers change them often; the retailer's page is the current one.
More lists
- Best thermal scopes for coyote hunting
- Best budget thermal scopes
- Best budget thermal monoculars
- Best thermal monoculars for hunting
- Best thermal scopes with a built-in rangefinder
- Best clip-on thermal scopes
- Best 640 thermal scopes
- Best 1280 thermal scopes
- Best thermal monoculars with a rangefinder
- Best thermal binoculars
- Best thermal scopes for hog hunting
- Best thermal scopes for an AR-15
