Best Nightvision for Backyard Vermin?

Hi fenian, if your mainly after squirrels you dont really need nightvision due to they are daytime critters. Unless money is no problem, maybe you should get a nice red light that easily attaches to your gun and can be removed when not needed. They work great. I can see and identify rabbits at over 100 yards in pitch black using a scope and my "wicked" predator light.

If you want to hunt squirrels, focus your hunts around early morning late afternoon/evening. They will be out and about during the day, but leave/return to nest in evening. They are not nocturnal. Rats, on the other hand, do tend to be nocturnal. That’s what I’m after, and got an X-Sight 4K to target them at night in my back yard.

My experience with back yard hunting at night has produced several givens...

a) Night shooting involves fairly expensive equipment

b) Barring a rat infested area, or a farmer with a known pigeon/rat problem, there are precious few night critters running around the average back yard.

c) Most night vision equipment has a fairly limited circle of usable vision, depending on the equipment purchased, and the power of the IR lamp used. My experience was generally 5 yards in diameter. 

d) the distance of the IR beam depends on the IR light you purchase. I know some mfgr's do claim hundreds of yards...barring a full moon light night, that has not been my experience. 30-50 yards is a more reasonable expectation. Best kill ratio is at 10 to 30 yards in my personal experience.

I quit trying night hunting because it was expensive, boring sitting for hours waiting for varmints to show up, it got cold, and I didn't have a "target rich environment" like some of the Brits and their farmer's barns. 

It's a niche sport...not for everyone, sometimes seasonal depending on where you live. If you have the money, time, patience, game presence in reasonable numbers, it can be a lot of fun.

It didn't work out well for me, but your circumstance may vary. Give it some thought and research before you jump in.

cheapest way to go is with a red or green light. I use a green light cause they tend to be brighter and use a red dot. Depending on size of target 25yards is the most I would go for at night on a rat...same during day time with a red dot or no magnification