At the Gathering at the Sawmill 2021 which was an event put on by Palmetto State Armory, EOTech teamed up with PSA to showcase the PVS-24, a clip-on night vision device that will soon be made available through PSA to the civilian market.

Night vision devices have been increasingly growing in popularity over the years. No longer are night-vision goggles, scopes, and their related accessories squarely regulated to the military and police world. Whether you’re a hunter or just a shooting enthusiast, night vision can bring a whole new dimension into your lineup of tools as well as your shooting ability. I only recently became acquainted with night vision shooting back during SHOT Show 2020 and since then I have grown to appreciate and learn the ways of night vision shooting.

In tandem with the PVS-24 clip-on night vision device, EOTech also supplied their Vudu 5-25x scopes featuring the Horus H59 reticle. Today I’ll share my brief experience with this setup (which was replicated across three rifles both in semi-auto and bolt action) and share a few of my thoughts on how I think night vision changes the game.

Palmetto State Armory & EOTech Team Up to Showcase the PVS-24 CNVD

About the CNVD-LR (M2124-LR)

The PVS-24 is an advanced long-range clip-on night vision device designed to be used in tandem with higher-caliber weapons such as the 6.5 Creedmoor rifles EOTech provided for the night shoot. In addition to being used as a night vision adapter for an otherwise daytime scope, the PVS-24 can also be used as a handheld device when not attached to the rifle.

One of the PVS-24s defining features is that the daytime optic doesn’t need to be removed in order for the PVS-24 to be installed and in addition, the optic and rifle will not need to be re-zeroed to accommodate for the night vision device.

The M2124 is a rugged, clip-on night vision device (CNVD) based on military nomenclature AN/PVS-24 used by U.S. Special Operations Forces. The advanced design of the Model 2124 eliminates the typical requirement of removing a primary/day sighting system, since it mounts in line with a standard day optical sight.

Combining day and night vision sights reduces the need to re-zero, since the primary sight remains undisturbed. Using the M2124 with a primary sighting system also maintains a user’s consistent eye relief and shooting position and retains the user’s muscle memory.

The M2124 easily attaches to a MIL-STD-1913 rail interface system by operating the provided locking, quick-disconnect, single-throw lever-mounting system. The unit may also be used as a handheld observation device.

With an 8-degree field-of-view, the M2124LR (Long Range) is optimized for 4x-20x magnified riflescopes.  Mounted in front of the scope, the M2124LR allows the shooter to maintain consistent eye relief and shooting position.

BENEFITS

• Converts to night vision with approximately zero shift
• Maintains shooting position and eye relief
• Compact and lightweight
• Generation III night vision
• U.S. manufactured Image Intensifier (I2) tube

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

• CNVD-LR
• Quick-disconnect Single-throw Lever mount
• CR123 Lithium battery
• Lens cleaning kit
• Adjustment wrenches
• Operation manual
• Soft carry case
• AA battery adapter

“You Can Almost See God with That Setup”

For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to look through a modern Gen 3 night vision device, the experience really is life-changing. I’ve heard everything from “I wish I hadn’t looked through that thing” to people quite literally going out to buy a device right after they’ve looked through a single tube.

The picture through the AN/PVS-24 CNVD is crystal clear. The particular unit I was using was of a White Phosphor variety (pictures here have a blue tint to them and this is because of the lens of my camera). White Phosphor tubes I feel provide better object recognition at the range over Green ones due to the increased contrast. The addition of an IR illuminator made targets out to 800 yards easily recognizable against the background and picking out a man-sized steel plate at that range wasn’t a problem for anyone at the shoot that night.

All of my experience shooting at night up until recently had been through standard optics, sometimes with the assistance of white light and even then I shot to only very short distances. Long-range shooting at night for most people turns into an impossibility without night vision aid. However, simply having a night vision setup doesn’t solve all of your problems.

The Pros of Shooting Long Range Through Night Vision

This is probably self-explanatory but the simple benefit of having a clip-on device like the PVS-24 is that you can actually see your target without revealing your location to your prey or your enemy. In a tactical situation, shining a bright light not only reveals your position but also gives your enemy something to aim at other than a vague direction of incoming fire – not good if you plan on living much longer.

For hunters, the great benefit here is that there is no need to shine a bright light on your prey which can startle them causing them to run off and you losing out on a kill. Night vision added a degree of safety and accuracy that is not typically possible with the unaided eye at night and being able to safely engage a target at night is of prime importance when hunting.

Some Cons

Long-range shooting at night isn’t without its drawbacks. Without ambient light and proper illumination, you do lose a lot of the telltale signals that help you dial in your shot at longer ranges. If you have an improperly doped rifle and you start taking shots at night through night vision, the PVS-24 won’t save you. The resolution at distances of 600, 800, or even 1000 yards (the maximum range we shot out to that night) won’t give you any indication of either positive impacts or misses, at that point, you’re simply shooting and then waiting for the sound of a steel target to come back to you (hopefully).

The 1,400-yard target range at The Sawmill Training Complex with a laser being projected into the clouds above.

That being said, the Vudu scope in tandem with the PVS-24 provides you with nearly all the information you’d need to make an accurate shot. If you can pick up which direction the wind is going at various ranges using either the environment or down-range wind flags, an accurate shot through night vision shouldn’t be a problem for a competent shooter with a properly doped rifle and scope.

High-End Optics for High-End Gains

The PVS-24 CNVD is an impressive piece of technology that was only recently made available to the civilian market. The problem with all night vision is that no matter how you cut it, it’s insanely expensive. That being said, when all the cards are laid down on the table the matter of price really comes down to what you’re willing to spend on a piece of kit or equipment. Night vision hunting is already legal in a good number of states and with recent trends in regards to gun laws on a state level, it seems that perhaps more states might start allowing hunting with night vision to take place.

At an MSRP of $10,209 PVS-24 isn’t cheap, but I don’t feel like it is any more expensive than what some people put into their hobby cars, fishing trips, and equipment, or any other type of recreational or competitive sport they’re really into. Although I can’t quite afford to dole out the cash for one of these clip-on units now, I am insanely grateful I’ve had the opportunity to look through them, shoot through them and smash some steel through them in a unique shooting environment many shooters don’t often get to experience.

Palmetto State Armory is soon to become an official dealer of all the equipment used on this night shoot which includes the AN/PVS-24 CNVD, and the EOTech Vudu 5-25×50 FFP scope with Horus H59 reticle. For more information, you can check out both the PSA and EOTech websites.