the Thermion 2 LRF XL50 - Ground-breaking precision

If you like Pulsar’s Thermion 2 thermal riflescopes, and there’s every reason to: great build quality, classy looks, ergonomic controls, pin-sharp displays, superior image processing, and best-quality European-made sensors, not to mention the option of a built-in laser rangefinder with programmable ballistic-compensation, and you also want the absolute best picture and highest precision on the market right now, then their new XL50 model is for you.

I can see!
Pulsar’s incorporation of Lynred’s new high-definition XL sensor into their latest Merger bi-ocular and Thermion 2 riflescope models is properly exciting. If your first look through something from Pulsar’s entry-level XQ range (384x288px) was an eye-opener and stepping up to an XP (640x480px) left you wondering if things could possibly get any better, then the XL (1024x764px) answers that question with a resounding “yes!”, by doing what great optics always do, namely, making you realise just how much you were simply not seeing before.
It’s not just the powerful sense of observing nature in detail - every twig and leaf, every crinkle in the bark, every ripple in the stream- that impresses, though it does, hugely, it’s also about the practical benefits of detecting smaller and more distant heat sources. Pulsar cites a detection range of 2.3km for a man-sized target, but the real buzz comes when you discover you can spot a deer’s ears at 600m. It’s so astonishing that just a couple of bright pixels can initiate a memorable stalk! And, since the XL sensor captures every pinprick of heat that filters through foliage, animals don’t disappear so readily behind the thick brush, either.

On target
Zeroing the scope was typically hassle-free, thanks to the ‘one-shot-zero’ system that lets you freeze the image with the reticle centred on the target and position an ‘X’ over the strike point, before snapping the main reticle onto it. The big difference with the XL, though, is a ‘click-value’ of just 3mm @ 100m at 14x, which takes its potential for precision shooting to a new level. With the 100m zero sorted, the next step was to true-up the ballistic profile against a 200m target.
I had scarcely finished, however, when a dense fog rolled in, whiting out the view in my top-tier spotting scope. The fog didn’t prevent the Thermion from seeing the heat pad at the centre of the target, which remained bright and clear, but it did blank out almost all the previously rich landscape detail. As I scanned the ground for features, a new heat source appeared, then another, and another. I could see with remarkable clarity that they were a roe doe and a pair of followers. The distance was about 250m. Beyond them, maybe 50m further off, was a fourth animal, probably a buck, but far less distinct. By contrast, in my old Helion spotter, all four were invisible!

How far?
You may be wondering about my vagueness in citing the distance to the deer, given that the XL sports a built-in laser rangefinder with a nominal reach of 800m. The truth is that, whilst the fog was no match for the thermal sensor, it downright defeated the laser. In better conditions, however, the Thermion’s rangefinder exceeded expectations, registering animals at 850m and beyond.
The ranging button is conveniently located in the control pad on the ocular bell, but you can also activate it via the Bluetooth remote control, which, when attached to your rifle by the rugged 3M Velcro strips provided, puts all the Thermion’s functions at your fingertips. The remote has always been my preferred method for controlling my own Trail and Krypton devices, but the XL takes its usefulness to a whole new level by instantly processing the ranging data into a firing solution. This appears not just as holdover numbers in the top right of the display, but also as a secondary point of aim (SPOA) accompanying the reticle. Thus, the remote lets you seamlessly aim, range, adjust, and shoot, without changing your firing hold. 
Regarding the ballistics, the first time I tried Pulsar’s Stream Vision Ballistic app with a Thermion 2 LRF, I struggled to get it set up. In my review, I attributed this to unfamiliarity and a short loan period, while also noting that I found the app’s design less intuitive than the Strelok equivalent I use with conventional optics. This time around, that unfamiliarity has gone away, I had a bit more time to experiment, and the result was a far smoother process. Connecting to the scope via Bluetooth was problem-free, profiles felt easier to create in the phone app, and once made, they were instantly transferred to the Thermion’s on-board database.
Also on my wish list were configurable timers for both the holdover data (which disappeared from the display too soon) and the aiming mark generated by the ballistic solver (which lingered too long). Well, consider these fixed! Now the data lingers longer (the SPOA can be cancelled by blipping the laser button) and there’s a choice of three SPOA designs in the LRF menu: the original ‘X’, a ‘+’, and a six-mil-dot horizontal line for wind holds. Better still, all three are now unobtrusive and distinct.
Windage-wise, you can set the wind speed and direction in the ballistic app, and the SPOA will offset accordingly, but the Thermion lacks an on-board compass, so if you point the rifle in a different direction, it won’t automatically adjust the windage required. Most of the time, therefore, it’s best to leave the wind speed set to ‘0’. There are no built-in environmental sensors either, so for maximum precision, you need to update the weather data for each outing, since temperature and pressure have a significant effect on how bullets fly.
This is especially relevant to the XL, which is more inherently precise than any previous Thermion, thanks not just to the number of thermal pixels but also to the direct 1:1 reality/reticle match achieved by using 1024x768 arrays in both the thermal sensor and AMOLED display. Pulsar’s sophisticated algorithms are still processing the sensor data to give the user the best possible image, of course, but they are no longer having to extrapolate data from a single sensor pixel into multiple display pixels. In practice, this means that you can take aim with greater precision and confidence at smaller or more distant targets than ever before.
It’s worth remembering, too, that all Thermions let you record your shots to video at 1024x768px, store them in a capacious on-board memory (a massive 64Gb for the XL), and transfer them wirelessly to your phone.

A closer look
Another thing I love about the XL is its magnification range. A native magnification of under 2x is good news in any thermal, but the XL’s is 1.75x, which gives you a fantastic 14o field of view, promoting fast acquisition of the intended target and maintaining awareness of its position in the landscape, of other potential quarry, and of incidental hazards such as livestock or errant dog-walkers. Additionally, you can activate the picture-in-picture (PiP) window and use the 2x digital zoom to magnify the central part of the image to 3.5x, 7x or 14x for the best view of both the target and the SPOA. Or you can smoothly scroll through the magnification range using the dial on the left-hand side of the saddle.
I always run a thermal spotter at its native magnification because zooming in digitally reduces rather than increases the total information in the image. By contrast, in a riflescope, zooming in pays dividends by giving you a more precise point-of-aim, and in the XL, that precision is unprecedented. Indeed, it is the first thermal scope I have hunted with that equals or exceeds the reach of a high-quality conventional optic. Of the five foxes shot during the test period, I dropped two at 317m and 338m respectively, each falling to a 55-grain V-Max bullet from a Tikka TACT A1 in .223.

Conclusion
I’ve left out a lot of basic info on the Thermion 2 range here so as to focus on what’s so special about the new LRF XL50, and to reflect my growing appreciation of Pulsar’s Stream View Ballistic system. For core product details, therefore, check out distributor Thomas Jack’s website and videos, and those of major retailers. And my verdict? The XL is a special thing indeed. It’s the first true long-range thermal hunting scope. In short, if you have the cash and the need and want the best, this is it.