Yukon NVRS Vs ATN Paladin 390 Generation 1 Scopes

These were my first and only dedicated rifle scopes. I bought them both at the same time as each had features I wanted and I didnt know which I would keep.

Yukon NVRS – Generation 1

Comes in a nylon case that has cutouts so you can cover the scope with the case while its still mounted to the gun. Small and compact device, light weight, weaver rails on the top and side for accessory mounting, built in illuminator and I beleive the case is titanium which helps with the weight. uses a single CR123 battery and comes with a remote control and camera adapter – The camera adapter didnt work with any of my camera’s and the remote is kinda big so I didnt bother with it.

ATN Paladin Aries 390 – Generation 1 +

Came in a very nice SKS waterproof Pelican style case with cutouts for extra batteries and the detachable illuminator. Illuminator and scope each require 1 CR123 battery each.

The illuminator is very nice and has its own adjustable windage and elevation adjustament along with variable brightnes and beam width. Mounts to a small weaver rail on the top of the scope (Some versions use a screw and dont have weaver).

As you can see, the gun is a little bit tall with the scope and illuminator so I mounted the illuminator off to the side, and was able to perfectly align it with the scopes FOV thanks to the elevation and windage adjustments.

Both scopes use Weaver Rails so I used a B-Square weaver rail to 11mm adapter. Because of the already High Air Force scope rail, the weaver rail in addition to the NV scopes both mounting higher than regular scopes the finaly position is rather high and somewhat further back then I would have chosen. I could have mounted the scopes further forward by moving the wearer rail, but it didnt bother me much and I was using a quick release weaver mounted scope for daytime use so I didnt want to throw the postion of my dayscope off. I soon got used to the somewhat higher and further back than normal mounting and I could have fashioned some kind of cheek peice to raise my eye up a bit if I wanted.

Both scopes gave good pictures for Generation 1 Devices. I had last used a Gen 1 Bushnell Night Owl which suffers very badly from fish eye and has a small FOV. All Gen 1 suffers from Fisheye (curved appearance of image at the extremities) to some extant, both of these had very little.

ATN on the left – Yukon on the right

Car 70 Yards (Rangefinder) away without any additional IR Illumination

Same shot, but this time using each devices illuminator.

Building is 80 Yards away.

While both devices have good better than normal (in my experience) gen 1 images.. the ATN beats the Yukon thanks to its slighter larger diameter objective lens, higher magnification and its MUCH more powerful IR Illuminator. I think the single biggest reason for the better image was the IR, Illuminator GREATLY improves Gen 1 devices.

Here is another shot with the Yukon when the street lamps where turned on showing how much a little extra light helps.

All these pictures were taken using a 10 year old 0.7 Megapixel point and shoot camera. ALL images were better through the viewfinder than I can reproduce via photo here. As an example, the rabbit in this next picture was 20 yards away and very clearly visible through the ATN with a well defined outline, but in the picture below only its eye is clear thanks to the reflection from the IR, which is another reason why good IR helps, you can see more, it gives you more detail AND you can clearly see preys eyes reflection.

I took the picture so the crosshairs werent obsuring the rabbit (if you didnt find the rabbit yet, that bright spot to the lower right of the crosshair is its left eye), I shot the rabbit a short time later.

All in all, I kept the ATN due to its higher magnification and slightly better image. the Yukon was cheaper, smaller and lighter and I would have been more than happy with it. I just picked the best image.

I eventually sold the ATN as well because I went to Gen 3 and couldnt justify the need to keep two NV devices.