I'm not sure why this has always interested me given I don't own a thermal but it has. It seems like everyone always recommends hot hands when sighting in/shooting but I was always curious about alternatives to this method. I guess I was/am looking for something not disposable that I could use over and over if I ever needed to shoot more. About a month ago a buddy of mine let me borrow one of his guns with an old thermal on it but it needed to be sighted in. I don't know the specs of the thermal but it is an old ATN that pixelated pretty bad even inside 100 yards but here was my chance to try what I had been thinking.
I always thought a cold sight in could work so I took a few washers and put them in the freezer over night. I don't know the exact size of washer but they were about silver dollar size and pretty thin (this will come into play later). When it was time to go I took a little Yeti rambler cup and made some ice water. I put the washers in there until time to use. I had an old piece of plywood so I put a nail in it to hang the washers on and I was in business. The weather was about 80 degrees and very windy (not ideal for shooting but it is the time I had available). I set up the target at 30 yards to make sure I was on paper, hung a washer and took a couple of shots. Here is picture from the scope of the target prior to shooting.
I had it on black hot so the white was easy to see and shoot at. I then went to the target and taped a second washer over the bullet hole to go back and "1 shot zero". Here is a picture from the scope for that process which worked as it should.
Again using black hot it was easy to see both spots and move the reticle to where it needed to be. To a degree my experiment worked. But as I mentioned, it was about 80 degrees and very windy. As a result the thin washers didn't retain their temp in the wind and quickly went to outside temperature. I think on a less windy day the washers would have stayed cold longer. I put them back in the ice water and moved the target to 100 yards to get sighted in. I took the washer out of the ice water and hung it and went back to shoot. With the model of the older scope and having the washer about 40 degrees compared to sub freezing when I started I couldn't really see the washer at 100 yards. I think a better scope would have worked but it is what I had.
I had a back up plan though. I had also taken a torch out there. So holding the washer with plyers I lit it up until it was glowing (to the point of scorching the plywood). I hung the washer and went back for a shot. Below is a picture of what I saw thru the scope at 100 yards.
The black hot dot was good enough to shoot at so I fired a couple of shots. I didn't take additional pictures but here is what I came up with. With a fresh heating the heat signature was about softball size but dwindled as it cooled for a smaller more precise target. I think a better scope would have reduced the softball size even when hot. Again, given the wind and thin washers the washer was good for 1 maybe 2 shots by the time I hung it, walked back the 100 yards, shot a couple of times and then walked back to see where I hit. As a result, every time I checked where I hit I heated the washer up. So for the most part this method worked as well but I did have to heat repeatedly. I also think I could have put the washer in some boiling water before leaving or the oven and then used hot water in the Yeti cup to keep it warm and had similar results. If that works I think if I can rotate washers when they get back to outside temp it should go a lot quicker as well.
Overall I was happy with my experiment but next time I will change a few things. First I'll use a beefier washer if I stay with washers. I'm thinking a washer similar to what is used for pitching washers would work a lot better as being thicker it would retain the heat or cold for longer than the thin washers. But I'm also thinking about getting a decent size nut and doing the same thing. I think the nut would again be thicker and hold temperature better with a likely much smaller diameter. And ideally I will shoot on a less windy day next time to increase the time the washer/nut stay at temp due to outside weather.
Speaking of next time, I just bought a new thermal (Wraith mini) so when it comes in I'll get it on a gun and go thru the process again trying the hot and cold other washers and nuts. I'll update this thread with pictures as I think the new thermal will be better at picking up the targets, especially at 100 yards and if I use a heavier washer or large nut I'll have better success with the target heating or cooling and maintaining temperature.
Any other suggestions that y'all have used other than hot hands or the washer like I used?
I always thought a cold sight in could work so I took a few washers and put them in the freezer over night. I don't know the exact size of washer but they were about silver dollar size and pretty thin (this will come into play later). When it was time to go I took a little Yeti rambler cup and made some ice water. I put the washers in there until time to use. I had an old piece of plywood so I put a nail in it to hang the washers on and I was in business. The weather was about 80 degrees and very windy (not ideal for shooting but it is the time I had available). I set up the target at 30 yards to make sure I was on paper, hung a washer and took a couple of shots. Here is picture from the scope of the target prior to shooting.
I had it on black hot so the white was easy to see and shoot at. I then went to the target and taped a second washer over the bullet hole to go back and "1 shot zero". Here is a picture from the scope for that process which worked as it should.
I had a back up plan though. I had also taken a torch out there. So holding the washer with plyers I lit it up until it was glowing (to the point of scorching the plywood). I hung the washer and went back for a shot. Below is a picture of what I saw thru the scope at 100 yards.
Overall I was happy with my experiment but next time I will change a few things. First I'll use a beefier washer if I stay with washers. I'm thinking a washer similar to what is used for pitching washers would work a lot better as being thicker it would retain the heat or cold for longer than the thin washers. But I'm also thinking about getting a decent size nut and doing the same thing. I think the nut would again be thicker and hold temperature better with a likely much smaller diameter. And ideally I will shoot on a less windy day next time to increase the time the washer/nut stay at temp due to outside weather.
Speaking of next time, I just bought a new thermal (Wraith mini) so when it comes in I'll get it on a gun and go thru the process again trying the hot and cold other washers and nuts. I'll update this thread with pictures as I think the new thermal will be better at picking up the targets, especially at 100 yards and if I use a heavier washer or large nut I'll have better success with the target heating or cooling and maintaining temperature.
Any other suggestions that y'all have used other than hot hands or the washer like I used?
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