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Thread: ATN Paladin 390 - Review

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. UK
    Posts
    2,419

    ATN Paladin 390 - Review

    Hello All,

    I've recently purchased a second hand ATN Paladin NV scope and now after a few nights use I can comment on it.

    My first thought was how heavy the scope is, it is manageable by the average build shooter although holding it to the eye for long periods would be too much.

    Weaver to dovetail adapters are needed to mount the scope to the gun as it comes fitted as standard with the American weaver rail. I used a two piece mount bought from a local gunshop. The mounts are available in a variety of one and two piece from around £20.00 upwards. The scope is supplied with a variety of accessories and tools in a foam lined case.

    The on/off button and illuminated reticule controls are well placed and easy to find in the dark. The illuminator and scope both boast l.e.d. power on lights, in the case of the illuminator I found the light to be way too bright and very intrusive, it lights up your face which is not a good thing as you can imagine when out hunting.

    The windage and elevation turrets of the scope are clearly marked with arrows for left and right and up and down which makes the job of zeroing that much easier and a screwdriver tool is supplied for use on the turrets. The illuminated reticule is red and contrasts well with the green background although variable I found that the lowest brightness setting was all that was needed to make it highly visible. I did find that the parallax was a bit awkward at the close ranges I was using the scope but once you get used to positioning the reticule where you want it then it isn't too big a problem.

    The four times magnification is ideal for rats and probably rabbits although I haven't been after the rabbits with it as yet. The clarity and resolution is good for a generation one scope and I could easily identify small things at around 25 to 30 yards although the depth of field is very small. The field of view is very acceptable and allows the user to spot their target or quarry easily. Zeroing is carried out in the same way as with a day scope but a bit more difficult in the dark. I zeroed the scope using the box and torch method, three holes punched into a cereal box with a torch inside to illuminate the holes and allow you to see where your shots are striking. Zeroing was done to my satisfaction within about 15 minutes.

    The detachable illuminator is claimed by the makers to be 450mw power but whether that is the case or not I can't really say. I compared the illuminator with the Yukon 100mw and Cobra 75mw ones and it out performed both of them. The illuminator is adjustable for windage and elevation using an allen key which is provided with the scope. Adjustable focus and brightness settings are also features of the illuminator which were very helpful for close range shooting. The illuminator is fitted with what I believe to be an M6 screw thread which screws into the top of the scope body but this can be replaced if you wish to with another illuminator having the same thread. Adjustment of the brightness is by means of two push buttons on the top of the illuminator, the front one to make it brighter the rear one to lower the brightness and both pushed simultaneously to turn the power on and off.

    Overall for the price (around £300 upwards second hand) I would not hesitate to recommend the ATN Paladin for anyone who wishes to get a night vision scope for rabbits and rats at air rifle ranges and up to about 60 to 80 yards (with extra illumination) for rimfire or centre fire rifles.

    Regards
    Last edited by Greylag; 14-09-2008 at 12:58 PM.
    Dave (www.kwacs.org.uk) "Wildfowlers do it in the mud"

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Liverpool
    Posts
    50
    Thanks for this - its helped me a lot - I have been thinking about NVfor some time but frankly knew little about it - you've cleared a few things up - particularly the torch in a box method of zeroing.

    Cheers
    The slightly Tubby Hunter

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    takeley /Bishops Stortford Herts
    Posts
    6,726
    Hi Dave, thanks for a good review i also own the same scope bought from Hellaquin/Paul on here and its great . i have bought a lr laser ill from Clive ward have,nt had the chance to use it yet, but for Gen1 nv this is good value.
    regds brian

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. UK
    Posts
    2,419
    Thanks for the comments fellers.

    I'm considering getting an add on myself although the Paladin is a great scope it ties my only rifle up. Circumstances being what they are I can't justify having two rifles so I'm thinking of selling the Paladin and going for an add on monocular and making the DSA myself. You'll find though that for rabbiting and ratting it's a brilliant scope.

    Thanks again
    Regards
    Dave (www.kwacs.org.uk) "Wildfowlers do it in the mud"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    chichester
    Posts
    15

    ir iluminators

    ive been into rabbit shooting for some time. i eventually purchaced a scope mounted gun lamp from www.cluson.co.uk who are an uk based lamp manufacturer and who i highly reccoment having done business with them on more than one occation. soon after buying the 'economy lamp kit' for about 120 pounds i bought a cheap yukon gen1 ad on for my scope. the nv itself i wouldnt recomend, you get what you pay for i guess but what i did find was that cluson make an ir filter for the lamp i had. this in conjunction with the nv works briliantly. its just like shinning a massie spotlight for the nv instead of a tiny illuminator. except there is no visible light. it would also increase the range of visiblility for the nv to pretty much as far as the lamp would shine without the filter. i can easily spot rabbits from at least 200 yards away on the other side of the field. if you could find a way to mound such a lamp onto a night vision scope it would work perfectly.

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