cobra merlin review

[mark1]

recently my gen 2 plus scope packed up so i thought id look at something cheaper that i could swap from gun to gun and after hearing some good feed back on the cobra merlin i thought id give it a go.
On arival the cobra came with a "DSA" which is the mount used to fasten the NV unit onto the back of the scope plus a load of circular shims to cater for the different size scopes.
My very first impression was that it was naf and looked even more naff with the dodgy sticker on the nv unit,looking in my garage the inbuilt IR worked ok but for airgun ranges it was useless.
Fortunatly i was told these units are worthless without a laser illuminator so thanks to clive ward a few days latter one arrived through the post.

Well looking down the garden the nv unit with laser attached was totally different, i was now seriously impressed that such a reletively cheap setup could work so well so i got out my 17HMR and set it up using the manual provided which i would recomend doing.
I met my shooting partner who had allready decided it was going to be rubbish and put it to the test
Well neither of us could believe it i was detecting rabbits up to 150 yards with this thing and im sure i could have shot them if my life depended on itthat night i shot one at 70paces one at 65 paces and one other at 35 paces and would have to say it is probably the best bit of kit i have bought in a long time
im well chuffed
Any body interested in trying NV for the first time this would be a great choice as i could see far further than i was happy/competant to shoot
pros value for money especially for spooky rabits/rats
bit fidly to setup/focus at first but youl get there in the end and with nv unlike lamping you have all the time in the word to pull of that super sniper shot

[05rw]

how much are they?

[C3PO_1]

Complete set-up -- with laser IR illuminator -- around £520.

[rws500+]

I have one of these with a seperate ir illuminator and they are awsome a proper piece off kit i bought mines of this board and am well happy with it

[mark1]

i cobbled up a mount to take a variable power 450mw illuminator (deben) last night and the picture was stunning with a better field of veiw than the laser i dont know if this illuminator at full output would damage a cobra but im sure someone on hear will know