RIX Storm S3 — 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.

RIX 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

RIXRiflescope · 384-class

RIX Storm S3

Approx. price: ~$1,499
Sensor: 384×288 · 12 µm
Lens: 35 mm · 3.5×
Weight: 15.5 oz

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Best for

A dedicated night rifle for hogs and coyotes inside about 150 yards

01Specifications

As published by RIX. Sources: rixoptics.com, customnightvision.com (FOV, IP).

Sensor: 384×288
Pixel pitch: 12 µm
NETD: <25 mK
Refresh rate: 50 Hz
Lens: 35 mm
Base magnification: 3.5×
Digital zoom: up to 4×
Field of view: 7.5° horizontal
Display: 1024x768 AMOLED
Claimed detection: 1,800 m
Claim basis: unspecified
Run time: 4.5 h
Battery type: 18650
Weight: 15.5 oz
Length: 6″
Laser rangefinder: No
Ballistic calculator: No
Records video: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
IP rating: IP67
Warranty: 5 years
Approx. price: ~$1,499

02Pros and cons

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

For it

Takes 18650 batteries you can swap in the field
Light at 15.5 oz, 10th-lightest of the 194 riflescopes here
Waterproof (IP67), survives a dunking
Records video and connects to a phone app
Warranty: 5 years
~$1,499, well under the ~$3,000 typical for riflescopes here

Against it

Only 4.5 h of battery
Short 35 mm lens: a wide view, but less reach than a 50 mm scope
No rangefinder, so you judge distance by eye
Entry-level 384×288 sensor, with less detail than a 640

03What owners say

owner discussions, 2024–2026

Summarised from 14 public owner discussions between 2024 and 2026. Owner experience, not a measurement.

The Storm S3 is the RIX scope buyers find when they price a 384 Rattler and notice the S3 costs a few hundred dollars less, around $1,500 to $1,800. Owners who bought one are a contented group. A hog and coyote hunter who has racked up about a hundred kills with his says it is still running with zero complaints, an owner coming from an iRay RA640 calls the menus vastly less painful, and first-time owners keep saying it was easy to learn and quick to zero, with one claiming a true one-shot sight-in.

The argument is almost entirely about the high base magnification. Owners who shoot open ground like the detail it gives at 100 to 400 yards; owners in woods and brush wish it started wider, and the one who loves his most still wants a firmware update allowing 2x like the S6. It stays on the rifle for most owners, so they pair it with a handheld. Experienced users who were not owners tend to steer buyers toward an AGM 384 or a DNT Hydra instead, mostly on brand reputation rather than any failure they could point to.

What owners like

Owners report it holding up over real use: one has about a hundred pigs and coyotes with his and still has no complaints.
Easy to learn and zero; first-time owners call the buttons and menus user friendly, and an owner coming from an iRay RA640 says the menu is far less of a pain.
Owners shooting open ground say the image holds detail out to 300 to 400 yards before identification gets hard, and one who moved up from a 256 Rattler says it is dramatically clearer.
Battery life on 18650 cells has been fine for owners, including a first hunt at 28 degrees, and the AI image enhancement is something one owner just leaves on.
Costs a few hundred less than an AGM Rattler 384 with the same resolution, which is why most owners chose it.

Common complaints

The high base magnification makes close targets and scanning harder; owners hunting brush want a 2x starting point like the S6, and buyers shooting mostly inside 100 yards worry about the narrow view.
Zooming further still softens the picture; owners say quality drops the more you zoom.
The printed instructions are poor; one owner says he would never have figured it out without already knowing the AGM menu logic.
Owners disagree about weight: one finds it light, another who carries it on a .308 calls it heavy to lug around.

Storm S3 or AGM Rattler V2 384?

Owners of the S3 picked it mainly on price for the same resolution and are happy with it. People who prefer the Rattler cite its battery system, mount and wider starting view, and several experienced users lean AGM on brand track record. No owner in these discussions had run both side by side.

Is the base magnification too high for coyotes in woods?

It can be. The owner who otherwise loves his wishes it started at 2x, and another notes close targets are harder to pick up. For open fields and shots past 100 yards, owners find the extra magnification useful.

Can I use it as a scanner too?

Owners mostly don't. One has taken it off the rifle only twice, and another who stalks hogs on foot is adding a RIX K3 because it shares the same platform and fits in a bino pack.