u/SkeeterMcPullout

Does anyone else use a dead air wolfman and have to keep rezeroing their rifle because of the point of impact shifting? I'm using it on a smith and wesson 1854 with a direct thread mount in it's long configuration. When I first got it I tightened it down good, verified alignment with a rod and zeroed the scope and red dot. Then about a week later I notice it's not zeroed, so I check that everything is still tight and rezero. The red dot and scope are independent, so both of their zeros shifting the exact amount ruled out the scope or red dot, and I haven't had this issue with this rifle when using a huxwrx rad 9. Today I just noticed it's not zeroed again. Using the same ammo as always. Nothing has been changed except the suppressor is slightly dirtier after a few dozen rounds through it. What could be causing this?

Some nights I use this Goyojo GRS225RF from about 11 pm until 6 am for raccoons, and the internal battery lasts a decent amount of time even when using the rangefinder and wifi, but sometimes I have to replace the supplemental cr123. I wanted a usb c rechargeable external battery that would last all night and I can remove to recharge. This 5000 mah battery and mlok flashlight mount from amazon seems to be the perfect solution so far. Only about 32 dollars.

Also, this gng2k night vision monocular has been great for quickly distinguishing between raccoons and opossums when they're in the tall grass or corn.

At about 12:30 I saw some raccoons on the cameras. Got those 3 and closed the window because rain was forecasted. Then at about 1 I see more out there so I go back up and get those 4. They scattered when they heard the window open. Then at about 2:50 I see another one out there so I go do it again. Might have been 7 total because I'm not 100% sure one of the two that ran in the corn field died. Only 1 hot spot remained visible the next time I was looking, so I'm guessing that one got away and was the one that came back around 2:50.

Gun is a smith and wesson 1854 chambered in 357 magnum. Ammo was mostly 180 gr xtp handloads, with some 250 gr sub x handloads that I grabbed from the side saddle once I shot all of the 180s from the tube. Thermal is a Goyojo GRS225RF. Distance was 20-40 yards.

Thermal is a Goyojo GRS225RF

Couldn't believe how fat this opossum is getting when I saw it last night. I've been giving them marshmallows so they keep coming back to the property, but maybe I should switch to a different treat before this one has to roll to move.

I swear they've learned my work schedule. They used to come out in the evenings, but lately they've only been coming out when I'm at work. Luckily I was home for my lunch break today. Gun is a smith and wesson 1854 in 357 magnum. Ammo is 180 gr xtp handloads. Optic is a goyojo GRS225RF. Distance was about 25 yards.

I'm making this review because the Goyojo GRS225RF thermal scope has genuinely impressed me and exceeded my expectations. It could be a great option for anyone who needs a thermal scope but doesn't have thousands of dollars to spend.

I use it primarily to hunt raccoons at night and groundhogs during the day. Most of my shots are around 50 yards, with groundhogs typically between 50 and 75 yards and raccoons usually within 50 yards.

When I was researching which thermal to buy, I came across many reviews saying that I should save my money until I could afford at least a 640-resolution thermal. Unfortunately, spending that much on pest control just wasn't realistic for me, so I started looking at more affordable options. That led me to the AGM Rattler, the DNT Hydra, and the Goyojo GRS225RF. All three are in a similar price range, and many reviews suggested that a 256-resolution thermal is perfectly adequate for the distances I'd be shooting.

The AGM looked like a solid option, but I wasn't a fan of its proprietary batteries. The DNT Hydra was a little less expensive than the AGM, had excellent reviews (especially from Texas Plinking on YouTube), and the image quality looked very good. The Goyojo had fewer reviews than the AGM and DNT, but it included a built-in laser rangefinder, the reviews were positive, and it was priced similarly to the Hydra. I decided to buy the Hydra HS219 to use as a handheld scanner and clip-on, while using the GRS225RF as a dedicated scope on my .357 Magnum lever gun.

I've been using both for about a month now, and I couldn't be happier. I love the wider field of view on the DNT for scanning. Once I spot a groundhog or raccoon, I switch to the Goyojo to take the shot. Although both are advertised with the same sensor resolution, Goyojo somehow managed to get a little extra performance out of the GRS225RF. The image consistently appears a little sharper than the Hydra's. Whenever I can't quite identify a heat signature with the Hydra, I switch to the Goyojo and can usually make out more detail.

The build quality feels solid, the controls are easy to learn and operate with or without gloves, it uses standard 30 mm scope rings (which are included), and it has held zero perfectly. My subsonic 250-grain .357 Magnum loads produce about 550 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, so they're not particularly heavy recoiling, but the scope feels well built and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on larger calibers.

Image quality has been excellent at the distances I'm using it. It detects heat with good contrast and clarity—I can even watch mice running around in the cornfield. I can easily detect deer, people, and dogs at around 400 yards. More importantly, I can confidently distinguish raccoons from opossums at night, which is something the Hydra doesn't do quite as well. Like any thermal, humidity reduces image quality somewhat, but there's still enough contrast and detail to use it effectively.

The menu system is straightforward and easy to navigate, and the one-shot zero function was just as simple to use as the Hydra's. It includes picture-in-picture mode, which I use when taking longer shots. There are several color palettes available, but I personally prefer Black Hot during the day and White Hot at night. The other color palettes just aren't as useful to my eyes.

The built-in laser rangefinder is one of my favorite features. I can usually estimate distances fairly well, but having an exact range gives me much more confidence when choosing my holdover or holdunder. I compared it against my handheld rangefinder, and the distance readings matched.

Power comes from CR123 batteries along with an internal rechargeable battery. I understand why Goyojo chose this setup instead of using rechargeable 18650 batteries like the Hydra, but I personally prefer carrying a few spare 18650s in my Magpul ELG stock rather than relying on charging the scope with a cable or using disposable CR123s. That said, the system has worked well for me, and I appreciate that the CR123 battery is mounted perpendicular to the recoil, eliminating any chance of battery movement causing power interruptions. Battery life has also been respectable, averaging around four hours in my experience.

Overall, I think this is an excellent 256-resolution thermal scope with a built-in laser rangefinder for around $800. If your shots are generally inside 100 yards, I believe it's one of the best values available for under $1,000.

Hopefully we'll continue to see more affordable thermal optics enter the market. I also hope this review helps others who are trying to decide between the GRS225RF and its competitors. If you've used another budget-friendly thermal besides the AGM Rattler, DNT Hydra, or Goyojo GRS225RF, I'd be interested to hear about your experience and what you recommend.

I needed night vision to quickly identify opossums apart from raccoons when the Goyojo GRS225RF thermal sees heat in the thick brush, but don't have analog money. So I got this gng2k monocular and so far it has been awesome. Much better than using a flashlight. This is my cheap but functional setup. Nestout 15000 mah battery in a 556 mag pouch, walker razor quads, amp style arms, white light, bump helmet, cover, wilcox style mount, ir flashlight on the other side.

Too many people suggested that I buy or cast wadcutters for this 250 grain 357 magnum development, so I did what only one person suggested (possibly jokingly) and sanded the tip off of a few sub x bullets to decrease the overall length. I'm using the load recipe that I already know produced about 1000 fps. Mostly this will be a test of accuracy. 38 special case, cci 550 primer, 7 grains of hs6, hornydaddy 250 gr sub x sanded down to 248 gr, bit of oregano, cook to golden brown. These will be shot out of a smith and wesson 1854 1:14 twist.

Taken with a Goyojo GRS225RF from about 25 yards away

Disclaimer: All this be experimental. Unless you are a for real scientist and have legit science awards and/or accolades, do not try to recreate.

In the previous post's comments, some users suggested putting more hs6 into the case to get the velocity of these 250 grain 38 short colt 357 magnum rounds closer to 1000 fps. I used 6 grains in the last test and got about 650 fps. This time, I loaded 5 with 6.5 gr and 5 with 7 gr. I also used a 9mm sizing die to get more tension because when I pulled the unfired rounds from the previous test they extracted much easier than expected. That could have been part of the reason why the velocity was lower than expected in the previous test. I loaded 3 with 6 grains of powder again using the 9mm die and found it to produce higher velocities.

The results: 6 grains produced about 740 fps with good pressure. 6.5 grains produced closer to 800 fps with a huge spread and sd, 1 of the primers blew out and the rest of the primers were getting flat. 7 grains produced safety squints, about 800 fps, flat primers, 1 blown primer and 1 case that was hard to extract.

What now? I'm going to take the advice of another user and try some slower powder to spread out the pressure curve. I'll test with accurate 7 and see what effect that has. If it trends in a good direction then I can try accurate 9 or even lil gun.

Disclaimer for the moderator: this is an experimental round. Do not try to recreate.

This a follow-up post for the previous post that showed the 250 grain Hornady sub x bullet in a 38 short colt case. I shot these out of my smith and wesson 1854 lever action carbine. It has a 1:14 twist rate and is chambered in 357 magnum. The reason for using the 38 short colt case is because 357 magnum and 38 special cases bulged too much when seating the long bullet deep enough for the round to feed from the tube mag.

The current 250 grain load that I've been using is a starline 357 magnum case, cci 550 primer, 7 gr hs6, 250 gr sub x bullet and a coal of 1.845". This produces about 1000 fps and no over-pressure signs.

Results: I and GRT estimated that 5 grains of hs6 would probably produce about 750 fps when the overall length is reduced to 1.655". This was slightly off. 4.5 grains produced a squib, 5 grains produced about 500 fps, and 6 grains produced about 650 fps. The case for the 4.5 gr shot got lost in the grass, the 5 gr shot showed a good primer and case, and the 6 gr shots showed slightly flattened primers but good cases that extracted easily.

What now? I can either try 6.5 grains of hs6, or try a slightly faster burning powder to increase pressure and velocity. I'm leaning towards a faster powder, because 6 grains of hs6 is about as much as I can fit in the case without compressing the powder.

Got it through Bass Pro and Silencer Central to save a buck. The process was smooth except for the usps losing my fingerprint card, silencer central having to wait 7 days to ship after asking the local sherrif for permission to give me the suppressor, and it only took about 2.5 months longer than my previous purchases through Silencer Shop.

From left to right: the current 250 gr sub x load, a typical 180 gr xtp, the 250 gr sub x bullet, the 38 short colt case that it's about to get stuffed into.

The KAK Industry account on here suggested that I try some 38 short colt cases for this load. I'm hoping that they can seat the bullet deep enough to be about 1.62" so they can feed from the tube magazine on my lever gun. The current round is 1.845" long, so I have to feed one at a time into the chamber. That's fine for what I'm using it for (raccoons and groundhogs), but every once in a while a raccoon eats all 550 ft lbs of energy and still manages to run off. The ability for a follow-up shot would be nice.

The current load uses 7 grains of hs6, a cci 550 primer and achieves about 1000 fps. That's the goal for the 38 short colt attempt. I'm thinking since there will be .225" less space for powder, I'll try 5 grains of hs6, and refine from there depending on pressure and velocity.

Saw these deer on the way back to the car after sighting it in on the lever action.

The raccoons used to poop on my porch, and the groundhogs have been tearing up the property. Then I got a thermal scope and they've been less of a problem lately. Occasionally, I get to see bald eagles eating the remains the next day, which is always cool to see.

Hopefully this was the one that's been knocking over the neighbor's trash cans and digging up her garden. Smith and wesson 1854 in 357 magnum using 250 grain sub x handloads from about 25 yards using a DNT Hydra hs219. Humidity was about 80%.

This is the same raccoon last night from about 27 yards according to the rangefinder on the Goyojo. Humidity was about 80%. I adjusted the image settings on both to get the clearest picture. The base magnification on the Goyojo is higher than the DNT. To me it looks like the DNT has more contrast but the Goyojo is clearer. I'm happy with both so far for their price of about 800 usd.

A few weeks ago I got a DNT Hydra hs219 so I could see the raccoons at night without having to place lanterns around the property. As I was choosing which entry level scope to get, DNT and Goyojo were two that appeared in searches most frequently. The Texas Plinking review is ultimately what sold me on the DNT, but I was still curious about how the Goyojo compared.

So now I have the DNT for the 357 magnum lever action, and the Goyojo GRS225RF for the 22lr bolt action. So far the Goyojo is impressive. The packaging was nice, the shipping was fast, it was about the same price as the Hydra, it has a built in laser rangefinder, the app connects and works well to transfer pictures and videos, I like the image adjustability, and to my eye the image looks clearer than the Hydra.

I'll go to the range tomorrow to zero it and test it thoroughly to get it dialed in and be confident with it before I do any hunting with it, but so far it looks like a great, especially for the price. For my use case of hunting raccoons and groundhogs from about 75 yards or less, it looks like it will do just fine. I'd also like to test the battery life compared to the hydra. Maybe I'll do a more detailed comparison after using the two for a few more weeks.

They've been putting in overtime on tearing up the property recently. A sudden rain storm broke the extreme heat and soon after it stopped raining I got a notification from a trail cam that a groundhog detected. Hopefully I'll see the others soon. Gun is a smith and wesson 1854, ammo is 250 grain sub x 357 magnum handload, and optic is a dnt hydra hs219. Distance: about 15 yards.