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Pulsar Thermion 3 vs Thermion 2: What’s New, Which for Hogs

Q: What is the difference between Thermion 3 and Thermion 2?

Thermion 3 LRF stretches the laser rangefinder from 800 m to 1,200 m, doubles built-in memory to 128 GB, moves to an IP67 rating and a swappable APS5 battery, and adds a 1280×1024 sensor in the XT60. It is also shorter than the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes, but a little heavier ( Pulsar ).

Q: Which Thermion 3 is better for hog hunting?

For most hog hunting we would pick the XT60. Its 1280×1024 sensor and 14.6° field of view at 2x base magnification help you find and count a sounder in brush. The XR60 fits big open fields, longer shots and long sits, with up to 14 hours of battery ( XT60 specs , XR60 specs ).

Q: How much does the Pulsar Thermion 3 cost?

Pulsar lists the Thermion 3 LRF XR60 at $4,699.97 and the Thermion 3 LRF XT60 at $6,699.97 on its own store as of October 29, 2026. Both are sold without a mount, so budget for 30mm rings or a one-piece 30mm mount on top of that ( XR60 , XT60 ).

Q: Does Thermion 3 fit the same mount as Thermion 2?

Both use a 30 mm tube and take standard 30mm rings, according to Pulsar. Thermion 3 is 391 mm long against 442 mm for the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes, so check that your rings land where they should on your rifle before you swap one for the other ( Pulsar ).

Q: Is the Thermion 2 LRF still worth buying?

It can be. The Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes weigh 1.14 to 1.16 kg against 1.3 kg for Thermion 3, and Thermion 2 comes in 50mm and 35mm sizes that Thermion 3 does not. If 800 m of ranging covers your shots, compare current prices before you decide ( Pulsar Thermion lineup ).

Q: How far does the Thermion 3 rangefinder reach?

Pulsar rates the built-in laser rangefinder on both Thermion 3 LRF models to 1,200 m, which is 1,312 yards. The Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes measure to 800 m, or 875 yards, with ±1 m accuracy. Thermion 3 also has an integrated ballistic calculator that works with the rangefinder ( Pulsar ).

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Short answer: Thermion 3 LRF is a real step up, not a paint job. Pulsar stretched the rangefinder from 800 m to 1,200 m, doubled the memory, moved to IP67 and a swappable APS5 battery, and added a 1280×1024 sensor in the XT60. For hogs, we would take the XT60. Thermion 2 LRF still makes sense if you want a lighter or smaller scope (Pulsar).

Pulsar launched the Thermion 3 LRF on October 29, 2026, in two models, the XR60 and the XT60 (The Outdoor Wire). If you have been eyeing a Thermion 2 for hog season, that is a fair question to ask before you spend this kind of money: buy what is out now, or go with the new one? Here is what changed, what did not, and how we would pick.

Hunter kneeling in tall grass, aiming a suppressed bolt-action rifle topped with a Pulsar Thermion 3 LRF thermal riflescope — A hunter shooting with a Thermion 3 LRF. Photo: Pulsar.

What Pulsar changed in Thermion 3

The biggest changes are reach, storage and the battery. We lined the Thermion 3 LRF spec sheets up against the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes (the Thermion 2 LRF XL60, Thermion 2 LRF XG60 and Thermion 2 LRF XP60), since all five share a 60 mm F1.0 lens. Per Pulsar’s own pages (XT60, XR60, XL60):

Rangefinder: 1,200 m (1,312 yd) on Thermion 3, up from 800 m (875 yd) on the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes.
Sensor: the XT60 gets a 1280×1024 sensor. The Thermion 2 LRF XL60, which Pulsar calls the highest resolution in the Thermion 2 line, runs 1024×768.
Magnification: the XR60 runs 4–40x on a 640×480, 12 µm sensor with the same 7.3° field of view as the XG60, which tops out at 32x.
Memory: 128 GB built in, up from 64 GB.
Battery: a swappable APS5 pack, rated up to 14 hours on the XR60 and 8.5 hours on the XT60. Pulsar’s global spec sheet also lists a built-in APS5 alongside the removable one (Pulsar Vision). The Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes pair a built-in battery with a replaceable APS3 and are rated at 7 hours.
Weather rating: IP67 (dust-tight and waterproof) instead of IPX7.
Size: 391 mm long instead of 442 mm. It is a touch heavier, though, at 1.3 kg against 1.14 to 1.16 kg.

Close-up of the objective end of a Pulsar Thermion 3 thermal riflescope on a rifle, showing the Thermion 3 marking, the 60 mm lens and the rangefinder window in the housing — Pulsar says Thermion 3 puts the 1,200 m rangefinder inside the housing instead of in the thermal lens. Photo: Pulsar.

What stayed the same matters too. Both generations use a 30 mm tube, 65 mm of eye relief, a 2560×2560 AMOLED display and a 50 Hz frame rate, and both are rated to run from -25 to +50 °C. Thermion 3 also lists an integrated ballistic calculator, nine color palettes, recoil-activated video and Stream Vision 2 app support (Pulsar). Same old Thermion feel, in other words. Pulsar just moved the furniture around and put in a bigger fridge.

Hand turning the zoom ring on a Pulsar Thermion 3 thermal riflescope beside its control buttons — Like a day scope, Thermion 3 changes magnification with a zoom ring instead of menus. Photo: Pulsar.

Thermion 3 vs Thermion 2 LRF side by side

Here are the 60mm models next to each other, using Pulsar’s published specs. Thermion 3 is not in our catalog yet as of October 29, 2026. The three Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes link to our listings.

Spec (Pulsar spec sheets)	Thermion 3 LRF XT60	Thermion 3 LRF XR60	Thermion 2 LRF XL60	Thermion 2 LRF XG60	Thermion 2 LRF XP60
Sensor	1280×1024, 12 µm	640×480, 12 µm	1024×768, 12 µm	640×480, 12 µm	640×480, 17 µm
System NETD	<20 mK	<18 mK	<20 mK	<20 mK	<18 mK
Magnification	2–24x	4–40x	2.5–20x	4–32x	3–24x
Field of view (H)	14.6° (25.7 m @ 100 m)	7.3° (12.8 m @ 100 m)	11.7° (20.5 m @ 100 m)	7.3° (12.8 m @ 100 m)	10.4° (18.1 m @ 100 m)
Objective lens	60 mm F1.0 on all five
Laser rangefinder, max	1,200 m (1,312 yd)	1,200 m (1,312 yd)	800 m (875 yd)	800 m (875 yd)	800 m (875 yd)
Display	2560×2560 AMOLED on all five
Built-in memory	128 GB	128 GB	64 GB	64 GB	64 GB
Battery	Swappable APS5, up to 8.5 h	Swappable APS5, up to 14 h	Built-in + replaceable APS3, 7 h	Built-in + replaceable APS3, 7 h	Built-in + replaceable APS3, 7 h
Weather rating	IP67	IP67	IPX7	IPX7	IPX7
Length × width × height	391×96×90 mm	391×96×90 mm	442×84×98 mm	442×84×98 mm	442×84×98 mm
Weight	1.3 kg	1.3 kg	1.16 kg	1.14 kg	1.16 kg
Tube	30 mm on all five
Pulsar MSRP	$6,699.97	$4,699.97	See our listing for current price
On our site	Not listed yet	Not listed yet	XL60	XG60	XP60

Specs from Pulsar’s product pages for the XT60, XR60, XL60, XG60 and XP60, checked October 29, 2026.

XT60 or XR60 for hogs

For most hog hunting, we would go with the XT60. Hogs travel in sounders, and when a group spills out of a creek bottom or a cut cornfield you want to see the whole bunch before you pick one. The XT60 starts at 2x with a 14.6° field of view, which is twice the width of the XR60’s 7.3° at its 4x base, and its 1280×1024 sensor puts more pixels on every animal in that view (XT60 specs).

Thermal view through a Pulsar Thermion 3 LRF XT60 at 2.0x, with a magnified picture-in-picture window of an animal at the edge of a wood — Pulsar’s footage through the Thermion 3 LRF XT60 at its 2x base magnification. The 2x to 24x zoom bar marks this as the XT60. The animal in Pulsar’s sample is not a hog. Photo: Pulsar.

The XR60 earns its spot if you hunt big open ground: pastures, peanut fields, long power-line cuts. It reaches 40x on the same 7.3° view as the XG60, and Pulsar rates it at up to 14 hours of battery, which helps on all-night sits (XR60 specs). Pulsar’s own guidance lines up with ours: the XT60 is for maximum detail and a wide view while you scan, and the XR60 is for more reach and longer sits (Pulsar FAQ).

There is also a $2,000 gap in MSRP between the two ($4,699.97 for the XR60 and $6,699.97 for the XT60, per Pulsar’s XR60 and XT60 pages). If your shots are mostly across one wide field, the XR60 is not settling.

And if you are setting up a hog rifle from scratch, our post on hunting deer and hogs with a suppressor covers the state-by-state side of running a can on the same gun.

Is the Thermion 2 LRF still the smarter buy?

Sometimes, yes. On paper Thermion 3 beats the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes on rangefinder reach, memory, battery life and weather sealing. But Thermion 2 still has a few things going for it:

Weight: the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes weigh 1.14 to 1.16 kg against 1.3 kg for Thermion 3. On a rifle you carry, that adds up.
Size options: Thermion 3 only comes in 60mm so far. Thermion 2 also comes in smaller sizes, like the Thermion 2 LRF XL50 (1024×768, 1.75–14x), the Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 Pro (384×288, 3–12x) and the Thermion 2 XQ35 Pro without a rangefinder (384×288, 2.5–10x), per Pulsar’s Thermion lineup.
Sensitivity: the Thermion 2 LRF XP60 lists a system NETD under 18 mK on a 17 µm sensor, the same sensitivity figure as the XR60 (Pulsar).
Ranging you will actually use: if you never range anything past 800 m, the extra 400 m on Thermion 3 is nice to have, not a must.

Suppressed bolt-action rifle on a bipod at the edge of a field, topped with a Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF 60mm thermal riflescope — A Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scope on a rifle. Pulsar does not say whether this is the XL60, XG60 or XP60, which share the same body. Photo: Pulsar.

Our honest take: if you want the newest sensor or the longest battery and the MSRP fits, Thermion 3 is the better scope. If a lighter or smaller Thermion fits how you hunt, Thermion 2 still holds its own. Either way, check the current price on our listing against Pulsar’s Thermion 3 MSRP the day you shop, because that comparison is what decides it.

Mounting a Thermion

Neither generation ships with a mount. Pulsar says Thermion 3 is sold without one and fits standard 30mm rings (Pulsar FAQ), and the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes use the same 30 mm tube (Pulsar). So budget for a set of 30mm scope rings or one of our one-piece scope mounts sized for a 30 mm tube. Since Thermion 3 is 51 mm shorter, check where the ring spacing lands on your rail before moving rings over from a Thermion 2.

Pulsar Thermion 3 LRF XT60 thermal riflescope in a 30mm ring mount on a bolt-action rifle, wet with rain — A Thermion 3 LRF XT60 in a 30mm ring mount. Thermion 3 ships without a mount. Photo: Pulsar.

FAQ

What is the difference between Thermion 3 and Thermion 2?

Thermion 3 LRF stretches the laser rangefinder from 800 m to 1,200 m, doubles built-in memory to 128 GB, moves to an IP67 rating and a swappable APS5 battery, and adds a 1280×1024 sensor in the XT60. It is also shorter than the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes, but a little heavier (Pulsar).

Which Thermion 3 is better for hog hunting?

For most hog hunting we would pick the XT60. Its 1280×1024 sensor and 14.6° field of view at 2x base magnification help you find and count a sounder in brush. The XR60 fits big open fields, longer shots and long sits, with up to 14 hours of battery (XT60 specs, XR60 specs).

How much does the Pulsar Thermion 3 cost?

Pulsar lists the Thermion 3 LRF XR60 at $4,699.97 and the Thermion 3 LRF XT60 at $6,699.97 on its own store as of October 29, 2026. Both are sold without a mount, so budget for 30mm rings or a one-piece 30mm mount on top of that (XR60, XT60).

Does Thermion 3 fit the same mount as Thermion 2?

Both use a 30 mm tube and take standard 30mm rings, according to Pulsar. Thermion 3 is 391 mm long against 442 mm for the Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes, so check that your rings land where they should on your rifle before you swap one for the other (Pulsar).

Is the Thermion 2 LRF still worth buying?

It can be. The Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes weigh 1.14 to 1.16 kg against 1.3 kg for Thermion 3, and Thermion 2 comes in 50mm and 35mm sizes that Thermion 3 does not. If 800 m of ranging covers your shots, compare current prices before you decide (Pulsar Thermion lineup).

How far does the Thermion 3 rangefinder reach?

Pulsar rates the built-in laser rangefinder on both Thermion 3 LRF models to 1,200 m, which is 1,312 yards. The Thermion 2 LRF 60mm scopes measure to 800 m, or 875 yards, with ±1 m accuracy. Thermion 3 also has an integrated ballistic calculator that works with the rangefinder (Pulsar).

Shop thermal

Browse our thermal scopes and night vision, or see the whole Pulsar lineup we carry. Thermion 3 is not in our catalog yet. We will add a link here when it is.

Sources

Change log

When published: First published. We will update this post when Thermion 3 is added to our catalog or Pulsar changes its published specs.

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