AGM Varmint V2 LRF 35-384 — 384×288 thermal riflescope

How far you can see a person

112 m make out detail182 m tell what it is729 m spot it┆ maker’s claim

501002005001k2k5k m

Calculated from the sensor's pixel pitch and the lens focal length, for clear air.

AGM Global Vision quotes 1,800 m, 2.5× our figure, because makers usually measure against a person’s full height rather than their width. Why the numbers differ

AGM Global VisionRiflescope · 384-class · Laser rangefinder

AGM Varmint V2 LRF 35-384

Approx. price: ~$1,995
Sensor: 384×288 · 12 µm
Lens: 35 mm · 3×
Weight: 18.3 oz

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Best for

Night shooting where ranging matters — hogs and coyotes past 150 yards

01Specifications

As published by AGM Global Vision. Sources: agmglobalvision.com (product page, 2026 catalog), downloads.agmglobalvision.com (datasheet).

Sensor: 384×288
Pixel pitch: 12 µm
NETD: <20 mK
Refresh rate: 50 Hz
Lens: 35 mm
Base magnification: 3×
Digital zoom: up to 24×
Field of view: 7.5° horizontal
Display: 1024x768 OLED
Claimed detection: 1,800 m
Claim basis: 6 ft (1.8 m) object
Run time: 6 h
Battery type: 18650
Weight: 18.3 oz
Length: 8.4″
Laser rangefinder: Yes
Ballistic calculator: Yes
Records video: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
IP rating: IP67
Warranty: 5 years
Approx. price: ~$1,995

02Pros and cons

From the published specs. What owners report is in the next section.

For it

Sensitive sensor that picks out small heat differences on humid or rainy nights (104th-best of 285 that publish it)
Built-in laser rangefinder that feeds the ballistic calculator
Takes 18650 batteries you can swap in the field
Light at 18.3 oz, 32nd-lightest of the 194 riflescopes here
Waterproof (IP67), survives a dunking
Records video and connects to a phone app
Warranty: 5 years

Against it

Short 35 mm lens: a wide view, but less reach than a 50 mm scope
Entry-level 384×288 sensor, with less detail than a 640
Zoom past 3× is digital and gets blurry

03What owners say

owner discussions, 2025

Summarised from 5 public owner discussions in 2025. Owner experience, not a measurement.

Almost every Varmint V2 35-384 conversation is the same question: is it worth roughly $200 to $300 over the Rattler V2 35-384 for the rangefinder and ballistic calculator? Owners who have both lean toward the Varmint, partly for the rangefinder and partly for the physical zoom knob, and one owner who looked through a friend's Varmint after hunting with an older ATN 384 says the difference in clarity was obvious.

The rangefinder is also the main complaint. One owner says it ranges out to about 600 yards when it works, but often will not return a reading for the first couple of minutes after a cold start, and he has passed on two hogs while waiting for it to wake up. Another owner found it only returns a reading if the scope is held quite steady, which is why the unit gets criticised. AGM reps at SHOT Show 2025 told an owner that the Varmint line would be retired as rangefinders became standard on the Rattler V3, so buyers in 2025 were weighing a discounted Varmint against waiting.

What owners like

Owners who own both a Rattler and a Varmint prefer the Varmint, citing the physical zoom knob as much as the rangefinder.
When the rangefinder does lock on, one owner ranges out to around 600 yards, and the ballistic calculator matters to people shooting subsonic loads past about 150 yards.
Runs on standard 18650 cells, so owners who already carry 18650 gear swap batteries rather than buy AGM packs; one gets three to four hours per cell depending on screen time.

Common complaints

The rangefinder can be slow to wake: one owner says it rarely works in the first two minutes from a cold start, and sometimes drops out again after sitting idle, which cost him shots on two hogs.
It needs to be held steady to return a reading; a new owner using it handheld kept getting dashes until he worked that out.
The image gets grainy and smears for a while after power-on, especially while zooming, until the unit warms up.

Varmint V2 or Rattler V2 in 35-384?

Owners say the rangefinder and ballistic calculator are the real difference, with the Varmint's zoom knob a bonus. A Rattler V2 owner who hunts open fields says he missed having a rangefinder until he ranged landmarks in daylight. If your shots stay inside about 150 yards with fast supersonic ammo, several owners say the rangefinder matters less.

Is the rangefinder really unreliable?

Some owners say it is, mostly when the unit is cold or idle. Another owner thinks much of the complaint comes from not holding the scope still enough, and expected it to behave better once mounted on a rifle.