My Hog & Coyote hunting gear for hunting at night began with just a rifle and a couple of flashlights. I started hunting hogs by staying on my deer stand for an hour or so after dark. The hogs were wrecking our food plots planted for deer, so we had to try to stop them or at least, slow down the destruction. I ordered a couple of long-range flashlights with red LED bulbs from E-bay and mounted one to my rifle scope using a scope ring and Picatinny mount. The second flashlight was used for scanning around my area every few minutes. Yes, it worked, and I killed several hogs with the setup. It also got me curious about how to seriously get into night hunting for hogs and coyotes.
2019 rolled around and one of the biggest hits at the Shot Show was the new Sightmark Wraith 4×32 HD Digital Night Vision Scope. After talking to Jason Robertson at Outdoor Legacy Gear, I got an order placed for the new Wraith and I finally received it in a couple of months. The Wraith is a great value at $499, because it can be used as a full-color daytime scope and a black and white digital night vision scope for night hunting. See my Sightmark Wraith Review here.
Hog & Coyote Hunting Gear – Rifles
My Hog & Coyote Rifles have changed over the last year from traditional hunting rifles to AR15 platforms designed for night hunting. I have two great predator rifles that I use for coyote hunting during the day. A Ruger Predator in 243 Winchester and a Tikka T3 in 223 Remington. They are both tack-rivers that I used to dispatch several coyotes and hogs, but the night game is better served by AR15 rifles set up specifically for night hunting.
I have upgraded from Night Vision to Thermal Optics after a year of using the Sightmark Wraith. My tripod, ball mount, and rifle rail are still the same.
I now hunt with a Pulsar Thermion 2 XP50 thermal rifle scope and my scanner is a Pulsar Helion 2 XP50 Pro Series. These are the best thermal optics I have ever had the pleasure to use.
The AR15 project started with a pretty much standard 16″ Smith & Wesson MP15 in 5.56 with a Timney Trigger as the only upgrade. I hated the handguard and the post front sight. I can not see well enough to use iron sights anyway, so they were just in the way.
The easiest way to bring the rifle up to speed for hog hunting was to order a new PSA 18″ upper receiver in 6.5 Grendel. For a little over $300, I had a complete upper receiver with a nice slim M-Lock handguard that I could mount all kinds of accessories on, a caliber that would drop hogs in their tracks and an upper that looked good in the process. Read about the PSA 6.5 Grendel Upper here. Later in the year, I ordered another 6.5 Grendel upper receiver from Atheris Rile Company that proved to be a very accurate rifle that I use in conjunction with the new Wraith Night Vision Scope.
Hog & Coyote Hunting Gear Setup
Tripod – Shadow Tech PIG0311G Field Shooting Tripod, OD Green $138
Features:
- The short center column allows the shooter to get all the way down to a 11.5” high prone position.
- A removable, load-bearing hook has been added to the bottom of the center column to hang weight, such as a backpack. The added weight will greatly increase tripod stability.
- The center column can fully rotate 365°. This is a great feature for those who intend to direct mount a PIG Saddle® or HOG Saddle® gun rest to the PIG0311-G tripod.
- The tripod’s feet incorporate interchangeable rubber or spiked feet. (Yes, the spiked feet are included)
- A heavy-duty 26 lbs load capacity.
- Lightweight magnesium body with aluminum legs.
- Three-section extending legs with cam levers.
- Lightweight nylon carry bag included.
- Finished off in flat OD Green.
- Max operating height 61″
- Minimum operating height of 10.8″
- Weight 5.6 lbs
- Tripod Mount Thread 3/8″ or 1/4″
Rail Mount – Shadow Tech MARC M-Lok- ARCA $40
The rifle rail mounts are also from Shadow Tech. Each upper receiver has one mounted to the bottom of the M-Lok handguard.
Ball Mount – Desmond DLOW-55 55mm Low Profile Ball Head $170
Desmond brand DLOW-55 Arca / RRS compatible Head. Independent Pan Lock Knob. 50mm clamp with a Bubble level. Low Center of Gravity. Dual drop notch. Clamp length: 60mm. Ball Diameter: 55mm. Base diameter: 70mm. Height: 98mm. Weight: 864g (1.9lb). Max load: 35kg (77 lbs). Bottom thread: 3/8″ with 1/4″ adapter.
I tried a smaller 40mm ball mount but it would just not hold the weight of the rifle well enough, so I went to the DLOW-55. It made all the difference for holding the rifle steady and smooth panning. The RSS lever mount is not cheap but it works! I tried a clamp with screw instead of lever and it would just not secure the rifle. I highly recommend a quality lever mount to prevent you dropping the rifle off the tripod when moving.
On top of the Ball Head is an RRS 60mm lever release clamp. $120
Most Ball Heads come with an Arca mount, but they are usually a screw-down mount instead of a lever mount. It is hard to tighten the screw enough to hold your rifle when you grab the tripod with attached rifle and move out smartly chasing hogs in the night. My rifle fell off the tripod because the screw mount came loose. That will not happen with a clamp mount.
The Pig Saddle is used for bolt guns that have no M-lok rail. $135
Pulsar Helion 2 Pro Thermal Scanner
Wraith Night Vision Scope
- Day/Night mode – full color for day use, black & white or classic green for night vision mode
- High-definition sensor – high-resolution imaging along with video/photo recording in 1080p HD
- 8x digital zoom – a 4x optical system for up to 32x magnification
- Customizable tactical & hunting reticles – 10 reticle options & 9 color options for better accuracy
- 4 AA batteries for up to 4.5 hours of battery life and includes an external Micro USB power input
- HD photo or video recording
- External IR Illuminator included
- See Sightmark Wraith Review Here
