Anti-Gunners Don’t Understand Predator Hunting | #15 Rix Optics

John and Kaylee sit down with Ryan from Rix Optics for a conversation that runs in two directions: the politics squeezing hunters and the technology changing how they hunt at night. Rix is a brand under the parent company Visor, which used to be a US distributor for a thermal and night vision manufacturer. The team set that aside to build its own line, launching thermal binoculars about two years ago as its first product and now adding digital daytime night vision and two thermal scopes, the Leap series L3 and L6. Ryan's pitch for the scopes centers on what he calls the world's first continuous optical zoom, which magnifies the whole image without the resolution loss that comes from digital zoom on most thermals. Most of the episode is about why hunting is under pressure and why that matters even to people who don't hunt. Kaylee walks through the proposed lead ammo ban on BLM and public land from the Biden administration, arguing the science doesn't back up the claim and that the rule would hit not only hunters feeding their families but anyone who shoots or trains on that land. The group connects attacks on hunter education in schools, state trail-camera bans in Utah and Arizona, and broader gun restrictions, making the case that each step is a small encroachment people ignore until it reaches them. Ryan ties it to wildlife management: hog damage in Texas runs into the billions, invasive species like Florida's pythons and iguanas kill native wildlife, and predators overrun northern farms when no one hunts them. License and tag dollars, John notes, fund the lands and protect species. On the product side, Ryan gets specific. The Leap scopes carry 384 and 640 sensors, picture-in-picture, eight reticles, six colors, four color palettes, recoil-activated video, run on swappable 18650 batteries, and hold an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating. Detection range runs to 2,600 yards on the 640 and 1,800 on the 384, weather depending. He pushes back on the biggest myth he hears, that buying a thermal turns a field into easy kills, with a plain reminder that thermal hunting is still hunting. He closes on his own son, who he plans to teach using the T20 digital daytime night vision scope linked to his phone so he can coach a shot in real time. Rix has a rangefinder coming by year's end and more optics by February, plus a dealer locator coming to the website. Links www.rix-nv.com Questions this episode answers What is Rix Optics, and how does it relate to its parent company Visor? Rix Optics is a thermal and night vision brand built under the parent company Visor. Visor was previously a US distributor for a thermal and night vision manufacturer before the team set that aside to build its own Rix line. What makes the Rix Leap series thermal scopes different from other thermals on the market? The Leap series scopes use what Ryan calls the world's first continuous optical zoom, which magnifies the entire image without the resolution loss that comes from the digital zoom used on most thermal scopes. What is the proposed lead ammo ban, and why does Gun Owners of America say the science doesn't back it? It is a Biden administration proposal to ban lead ammunition on BLM and public land. Gun Owners of America (GOA) argues the science doesn't support the claim, and that the rule would hit not just hunters feeding their families but anyone who shoots or trains on that land. How does limiting hunting connect to broader Second Amendment rights? The episode argues that while the Second Amendment isn't about hunting, hunting is very much about the 2A. Attacks on hunter education, trail-camera bans, and an ammo ban are framed as small encroachments that lead to broader gun restrictions. Why do hunters in one state often ignore problems like wild hogs or restrictions in another state? The group makes the case that each restriction is a small encroachment people ignore until it reaches them, the same pattern behind feral hog damage, state trail-camera bans in Utah and Arizona, and broader gun limits. What is the biggest myth people believe about hunting with thermal optics? Ryan pushes back on the idea that buying a thermal turns a field into easy kills. His plain reminder is that thermal hunting is still hunting, since you still have to go out and find the animals. What are the detection ranges and key specs of the Leap L3 and L6 scopes? The Leap scopes carry 384 and 640 sensors, with detection range up to 2,600 yards on the 640 and 1,800 on the 384, weather depending. They add picture-in-picture, eight reticles, recoil-activated video, swappable 18650 batteries, and an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating. Where can people buy Rix optics, and what new products are coming? Rix is found at its website and on Instagram, with a dealer locator coming to the site. Ryan says a rangefinder is due by year's end and more optics by February. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and meet Ryan from Rix Optics 00:20 — What Rix makes: binos, scopes, night vision 00:56 — Who buys thermals and why hunt at night 01:20 — Attacks on hunters and hunter education 02:48 — Lead vs copper ammo and a 530-pound pig 03:48 — The lead ammo ban on public land 05:43 — Trail cam bans and ethical hunting 08:08 — Licenses fund conservation and herd control 08:50 — Invasive species: hogs, pythons, iguanas 11:51 — Hunting culture, demonization, the Second Amendment 16:06 — The Leap series and continuous optical zoom 19:28 — Specs: recoil video, IP67, detection range 20:47 — Thermal myths: it's still hunting 24:53 — Teaching his son with the T20 scope 29:10 — Where to find Rix and what's coming next About the guest Ryan represents Rix Optics, a thermal and night vision brand under the parent company Visor. Visor was previously one of the US distributors for a thermal and night vision manufacturer before the team shifted focus to building the Rix brand. Rix launched its thermal binoculars about two years ago as its first product and has since added digital daytime night vision and the Leap series thermal scopes (L3 and L6). Ryan is from Texas and hunts with his kids. Rix can be found at its website and on Instagram. Key quotes "It's for the guys that want to go out, shoot things at night." — Ryan "GOA has published several things on this, but we actually found that the science just doesn't back up their claim." — Kaylee "while the second amendment is not about hunting, hunting is very much about the second Amendment." — Kaylee "if you budge an inch, they're gonna take a mile." — John "you'll find out that thermal hunting is still hunting. It's not just shooting. You got to go out and find them." — Ryan "if you're staying the same and not growing, you're, you're sinking." — Ryan