Of all companies, Leopold is coming out with a thermal spotter wth 200 resolution. My 19 A on 2x gives a bit less resolution. Fine for spotting, not as bad as you might suspect for ID. I have one reserved for a Christmas gift for my 16yr old son. I will report on how it works. MSRP = $900ish, iirc, street price on line will probably be $600ish after a couple of months on the market. So, spot it with the cheap spotter, ID it with the higher resolution scope.
Try turning up the gain, you will see more critters. If your experience is different than mine, turn it back down.
I believe "everyone" here has started with the kit they could afford and gravitated to, at least those who can afford different options, using a thermal spotter, thermal scope and a PVS 14, maybe two, or PVS 15's, etc for navigation. That is the optimal set up. You will want to get there over time.
Anyone who says a NV spotter or scope outperform thermal for hunting is lying or kidding themselves. There is damned good reason the military is going alll in on thermal. **** and lapdog SkyPUp lead the list of the full of s--t. Victor has so much invested in NV he just doesn't give the truth wrt thermal. I have some damning and interesting PM's from arfcom from Victor saved, in which he craps all over affordable thermal and even NV he is now pimping through Night Goggles.
But, if I were forced to limit options because of budget, the first item I would buy is a thermal spotter. I won't even go into my deer stands (legal 1/2 hour before to 1/2hour after set) without one. Second would be a PVS14 with QD helmet/weapons mounts. Third would be a thermal scope.
Some guys here and elsewhere bring up "long range" even up to 500+ yards at night. Dumb, IMO, since with the cover of darkness a little walking puts you close. Close is 40-50yds. But that is hunting. Fwiw, the military is switching to thermal, and there are thermal clip ons that permit 1,000yd plus shooting.
I find shooting a rifle with a laser and a pair of PVS 14s to be a clusterfuck. I just cannot get comfortable shooting a rifle without a proper cheek weld. I have spent decades and a **** ton of $'s getting shotgun stocks and rifle optics, etc, mounted to ensure a proper cheek weld, and for shotgun hunting a consistent mount and cheek weld is everything since there are no sights. So I end up in the quick opportunity trying to properly mount a rifle to achieve the cheek weld I am so accustomed to to shoot a rifle with helmet mounted NV and a laser. Does not work! On the other hand, after working for a couple of decades on shogun and rifle mount, when I mount a rifle (with proper low mag scope) or shotgun quickly, I am ready to shoot. Nothing could be quicker for me given the "auto mount" developed with a lot of practice over the years. But I do have IR laser grips on a SIG P226 with a 22lr kit installed, with a GM-22 suppressor or Spectre II. That works!
(ETA: Some of the s--t Victor has accused TLM (singularly distinguished hog killing machine and our host) of is just disgusting.)
JPK