All of the action caught on camera

Mat Manning tests the Hikmicro Alpex A50T riflescope and explores the benefits of recording photos and video through your gunsight

Digital riflescopes seem to be rammed with more and more features every time a new model comes out. Some of those gizmos are very useful and certainly help to put more pests in the bag, while others appear to be there for no better reason than to outdo the competition when it comes to comparing lists of fancy extras.

One feature that has become incredibly popular on modern electronic optics is the ability to capture video and still images. With more and more Shots wanting to record footage of their outings to share with friends or a much bigger audience on social media, the ability to capture the action as it unfolds is an absolute boon. I have also found that, by being able to watch back a recording of my shot-taking process — from target acquisition through to after the pellet or bullet has hit, or missed, its mark — I have been able to understand and improve several elements of my shooting technique. So, apart from being useful for capturing and sharing the action, an optic that records video can also be a very handy learning tool.

Over the past few weeks I have been putting the Hikmicro Alpex A50T Digital Day/night Riflescope through its paces. Apart from producing a full-colour image by day and sharp infrared-sight pictures at night, this electronic optic boasts the ability to capture still images and video. Available from Scott Country for £799.99 including an IR illuminator, it is also very competitively priced.

The first thing that impressed me about the Alpex was the fact that it has very similar proportions to a normal telescopic sight, so it immediately feels familiar. Minus its soft rubber eyecup, the A50T is about 38cm long and doesn’t feel particularly hefty at just over a kilo.

Price £599.99 scottcountry.co.uk

This very competitively priced day-and-night offering from Sightmark can record photos and video to a micro SD card at the press of a button. Other features include full-colour daytime viewing, 10 reticle designs, nine reticle colours and USB connectivity.

“An optic that records video can be a handy tool”

Shooting from the comfort of my backyard bench, I took time to acquaint myself with the Alpex’s controls. Most settings are accessed via a main menu, opened by pressing and holding the left-hand turret. Turning the turret then scrolls through the various choices and you make your selection by pressing it. The menus are very easy to navigate and allow you to choose from various reticle colours and designs, as well as the ability to switch features such as “picture in picture” mode and Wi-fi connectivity on and off.

There wasn’t a lot of light left by the time I had finished messing about with the A50T but, as it is a day-andnight optic, I was still determined to get out and put it to proper use. My plan was to pay a visit to a small woodland shoot that holds a few rabbits and, more significantly, a few very unwelcome rats around the pheasant feeders.

Although the shoot is only a couple of miles from my home, darkness was really starting to close in when I arrived. A quick scan through the Alpex confirmed