Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 Pro — 384×288 thermal riflescope

How far you can see a person

113 m make out detail184 m tell what it is735 m spot it┆ maker’s claim

501002005001k2k5k m

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

Pulsar quotes 1,800 m, 2.4× our figure, because makers usually measure against a person’s full height rather than their width. Why the numbers differ

PulsarRiflescope · 384-class · Laser rangefinder

Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 Pro

Approx. price: ~$3,700
Sensor: 384×288 · 17 µm
Lens: 50 mm · 3×
Weight: 34.2 oz

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Best for

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

01Specifications

As published by Pulsar. Sources: pulsarnv.com, pulsarvision.com, midwestgunworks.com.

Sensor: 384×288
Pixel pitch: 17 µm
NETD: <25 mK
Refresh rate: 50 Hz
Lens: 50 mm
Base magnification: 3×
Digital zoom: up to 12×
Field of view: 7.5° horizontal
Display: 1024x768 AMOLED
Claimed detection: 1,800 m
Claim basis: deer
Run time: 10 h
Battery type: Internal + removable
Weight: 34.2 oz
Length: 16.5″
Laser rangefinder: Yes
Ballistic calculator: Yes
Records video: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
IP rating: IPX7
Warranty: 3 years (5 with registration)
Approx. price: ~$3,700

02Pros and cons

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

For it

Built-in laser rangefinder that feeds the ballistic calculator
Swappable battery pack, so a spare doubles the run time
10 h of battery, 33rd-longest of 344 here
Waterproof (IPX7), survives a dunking
Records video and connects to a phone app

Against it

Entry-level 384×288 sensor, with less detail than a 640
Zoom past 3× is digital and gets blurry

03What owners say

owner discussions, 2023–2025

Summarised from 5 public owner discussions between 2023 and 2025. Owner experience, not a measurement; owners rarely distinguish the Thermion 2 XQ50 Pro variants, so this covers the family.

Owners of the LRF and non-LRF Thermion 2 XQ50 Pro talk about them interchangeably, so this covers both. The discussion is split. A Swedish hunter whose boar video drew comments said the image looked very good for a thermal, and owners rely on Pulsar's warranty when something breaks. One owner who moved to it from an iRay Bolt TL35 called it a step backwards and warned others to look through a scope before buying. Others who have used both rate the two about equal, and one says his Rix is clearer than a friend's Pulsar at half the price.

The repeated hardware story is a brand-new Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 that flashes its screen red and will not take a firmware update. Pulsar's support called it a known, rare firmware failure that needs the unit sent in, and at least one owner got a brand-new replacement the day after Pulsar received his. Other owners fixed the same symptom by reseating the battery or by making sure the battery door was properly closed. By 2026 used LRF units were being listed at about $1,800.

What owners like

Pulsar's warranty service gets consistent praise: one owner with the red-screen fault was sent a brand-new unit the day after Pulsar received his, and an owner who cracked a friend's Thermion objective lens sighting it in on a .308 had it repaired in under 30 days.
Owners shooting at short range, such as a boar at about 40 metres in Sweden, find the image clear enough to see the hit and the blood trail.
It moves easily between rifles; one owner switched his from a 17 HMR to a .223 bolt gun after the 17 HMR left wounded coyotes.

Common complaints

Some new LRF units flash the screen red and will not take a firmware update; support called it a known firmware failure that means sending the unit in, which for one owner meant a long wait over the holidays.
The battery door is a weak point: owners trace some red-screen and power faults to a door not fully closed, and some tape or zip-tie it shut.
One owner who came from an iRay Bolt TL35 found the Pulsar's image noticeably softer and felt he had paid more for less, though others who have used both rate them equal.
The front lens is germanium, and owners have cracked it; replacements come only from Pulsar, so the fix is a warranty or repair claim.

My new Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 is flashing a red screen. What do I do?

Owners suggest reseating the battery, charging it on external power and making sure the battery door is fully closed first, since that cleared it for some. If it persists after a firmware update attempt, Pulsar support has told owners it is a firmware failure that requires sending the unit in. One owner received a brand-new replacement the day after Pulsar got his.

Is it sharper than an iRay Bolt?

Owners disagree. One who switched from a Bolt TL35 to an XQ50 Pro was disappointed and thought the Bolt clearly sharper, while another who has shot both puts them about equal. People who were not sure suggest looking through both before buying.