Best Batteries For Night Vision Scopes – XSight 2, Thor 4, and Wraith

If you have or just bought one of the cheaper night vision scopes, batteries will be next in line to getting you up and running efficiently. 

 

In this post, I will explain my top two choices for powering your scope for longer periods of time so you can hunt more successfully. 

Kentli Rechargeable Batteries – the most powerful AA batteries available. 

Or

My Extended Battery Pack Hack that plugs right into the scope and powers it through a usb power pack. 

 

I currently have 3 different night vision scopes. I have the ATN X Sight 4K, the ATN X Sight 2, and the Sightmark Wraith.  The X Sight 4K has its own internal battery, and it is awesome!  We won’t need anything for that one. The XSight 2 and the Wraith both need a power source.  Both the X Sight 2 and the Wraith can be run on 4 AA batteries. The run time is horrible!  From my field experience, using 4 AA batteries gets very expensive, very fast. I used them in the wraith the other night, and in a 5 hour period I used 12 AA batteries.  When I hunt coyotes or hogs at night, I like to power up the scope and leave it on the whole time. Sometimes that can be 6-7 hours. 

Solution: Kentli Batteries or My Extended Battery Pack Hack. 

 

Kentli Rechargeable AA Batteries

These batteries are the only ones of their kind and are pretty much the best batteries available in AA form. They are really 3.7 volt batteries and charge that way in their own special charger, but they are designed to output 1.5 volts at 3000 mWh each. They are lithium ion polymer batteries, and they come in packs of 4. You can get them with or without a charger. 

 

These things are awesome when running in a scope. I had them in the Wraith for the first time for over an hour and the battery gauge did not move. 4 regular AA batteries would be a quarter gone in an hour. The only negative that I have about the Kentlis is that you have to put them in and take them out of the sealed battery compartment. It’s not that easy especially in the field. It is doable though. 

 

My Extended Battery Pack Hack was an idea born from another product. When I first bought my ATN X Sight 2, I put regular AA batteries in it and ran it completely dead while it was updating. That totally killed it!  I had to send it back to ATN.  It took 2 months to get the scope back. Funny thing is, I was just able to sight it in and it quit.  I learned a huge lesson from that! 

I bought the ATN Extended Battery Kit for the scope before I even got it back.  That package came with a 20,000 mAh battery pack, a cord to plug it in to the scope, a pouch that went on the stock of the gun, and a rubber cover to seal the pug to the scope. That package wasn’t the best fit for my needs. I have mostly AR type weapons, and the pouch that went on the stock never really fit too well.  The battery was great!  It lasted enough for 2 – 3 six hour hunts and then some. I still have that pack. It will charge my IPhone 8 multiple times on a charge.  The only problem I had with it was that it added so much weight to the weapon. To top that off, it was all in the rear of the weapon. This in turn lead me to create something better. 

 

I started searching online and found a smaller, lighter battery pack that was half the size and still had plenty of juice. Then I found a quick detach picatinny rail mounted sling holder, and I took off the sling nipple part and epoxied it to the battery pack with JB Weld.  I made a full video of this and put it on YouTube. 

ATN Extended Battery Pack Hack. 

 

This design works way better than the one talked about above. The only issue that could arise is that there is a picatinny rail on the scopes, and they are generally used for the infrared illuminator. If you put the battery pack there, you will have to relocate the illuminator.  I recommend relocating the illuminator for better performance. From my experience I have found that relocating the illuminator to the underside of the barrel of the weapon to reduce or even eliminate muzzle flash through the scope. This muzzle flash will white out the scope for a few seconds making quick follow up shots impossible. 

 

Once I moved the light, I did not have any flashes allowing me to shoot rounds fast at night.  The only negative I have about the battery pack hack is that having a cord plugged in does not allow the scope to be perfectly sealed. There are rubber pieces available to seal the ATN scope. I’m not sure about the Wraith. 

 

Here’s the recap: Using regular AA batteries to power the scope is not recommended.  They don’t last long enough for a hunt, and you will go through them like crazy. This will cost you a lot more more money than if you just go with one of the routes below. 

 

Kentli batteries are one of the most powerful AA rechargeable batteries that will power your scope very well. Here is a link to grab them with a charger —> Kentli Rechargeable AA Batteries

 

The ATN Extended Battery Pack Hack is another great way to power your scope. Going this route, you may lose the option of having your illuminator mounted to side of your scope. I recommend remounting the illuminator to the underside of the barrel anyways for better follow up shot opportunities. 

You can purchase a whole kit by clicking here—-> Extended Battery Pack Hack