You can't drive far in South West Scotland without driving past a golf course, it's crazy popular in this area. Unfortunately, it's not just the golfers that enjoy them, the bunnies do too.
Keeping the greens and fairways in good order keeps the locals happy and gives us plenty of opportunities to test out new gear, and put some tasty rabbit into the chiller. It was time to see where the PARD TS31-35 thermal scope would end up on the leaderboard.
Here’s a run down of our thoughts after a few weeks using it.
The Specs
The PARD TS31-35 boasts some impressive specs, albeit we all know specs don’t always translate in field performance. Some key ones you’ll be interested in are:
- Sensor resolution 384 x 288 px
- NETD Sub 35mK
- LRF range 1000m
- Ballistic compensation
- 3 x optical zoom & 2-6 x digital zoom
- Picture in Picture
- Weighs in at 610g
- The auto recording function, while not a new feature, is a one that I always enjoy too.
Build Quality
The PARD TS31 series will feel and look familiar to you if you’ve used the DS35 in the past, it's based on a similar body design.
Like that design, the scope is streamlined, rugged with a lightweight build. My own scope has held up to the rigors of field use well so far. Even in the hands of some of our more heavy-handed clients, a few big bumps and scratches later it's still going strong.
Real-Life Performance in the Field
Heading out onto the golf course, the conditions started out nice, a bit of a breeze off the sea, low clouds but visibility was good. With no moon it was a very dark night.
The bunnies were busy doing what they do so we got to work.
We were successfully identifying rabbits up to 1000 yards away, even in some of the rough areas of the course where you get some pretty dense foliage.
The large eye relief is a welcome addition, at 100mm it allows you to get the rifle into your shoulder and get yourself in a comfortable, aligned position, this always aids accuracy. And with the circular display, it's really natural, almost optical scope like.
Like a lot of the digital scopes these days, the image is crisp so no concerns there. The scope comes with a 3x optical zoom and the option of a 2-6x digital zoom, so you’re well covered in that regard.
We’ve set up the ballistic calculator/compensator on the range, and out in the field this works well. My preference is always to get as close to the target as possible to get clean shots if I’m honest, but it's handy to have the ability to match your ballistics to the scope if you need to push out further. The foxers out there will enjoy this, and it's very useful when using sub-sonics.
The LFR range is in the order of 1000 yards, and as you’d expect these days, it's accurate and easy to use. We tested it on our range markers, albeit in very good weather and it was bang on. With the LRF button at the back of the scope, it's in easy reach when you need it.
Later on in the evening the weather did start to come, classic Scottish mizzle, sea mist and light rain, lovely. Some of the rabbit did the sensible thing and got underground, the rest of us stuck it out. This gave us a chance to try it out in low light & bad weather.
Walking back to the truck with a full bag of game tells the story.
The scope performed admirably in the worsening conditions, which is just as well really, we get a lot of rain up this way!
Ease of Use
One thing I do like about the PARD TS31-35 Thermal Rifle Scope is how user-friendly it is. The controls are intuitive, with the turret doing most of the work, and the displays are clear, making it easy to operate even for those new to thermal scopes. 
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- High-resolution thermal imaging
- Durable and lightweight construction
- User-friendly interface and easy of use in the field
- Competitive pricing
- Ballistic calculator works a treat
- Great eye relief, 100mm
Cons:
- LRF range could be greater, and more effective in bad weather
Conclusion
The thermal rifle scope is a crowded market, there are tons of options across a very wide price range. The PARD TS31-35 Thermal Rifle Scope mixes it up well with its competitors, and for the price is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a new bit of kit.
I found it durable and easy to use, although I have used other PARD scopes in the past so I was familiar with the menus already. Image quality, like a lot of the scopes on the market, is great and I do like the large eye relief.
Yes, you can get better performing thermal scopes, lower NETD’s, higher resolutions and the like, but you're paying more for it, not everyone can afford that or wants to.
So if you need a scope for rabbit hunting on the golf course, foxing on the farm, or ratting in the barn, this scope will do the business, the TS31-35 should definitely be on your radar.
For more information head over to the product page:
PARD TS31-35
