Pard Night Stalker Mini: Compact Digital Night Vision Scope Review
Compact, affordable, and surprisingly capable—the Pard Night Stalker Mini continues the brand’s trend of delivering functional night vision optics without breaking the bank. While it might look like a scope best suited for air rifles, a closer look reveals a versatile performer that is more than the sum of its parts.
Out of the box
As usual for Pard, the Mini comes with a neoprene cover, Picatinny mounts, a lens cloth, and manuals. To keep the price at £340, it doesn’t include an IR illuminator. However, it does include a replacement ring cap with a Picatinny rail, making it easy to mount an external IR without using up the limited tube space.
Specs/features
While the Night Stalker Mini’s spec sheet isn’t ground-breaking—aside from the side focus, which we’ll cover next—it still feels greater than the sum of its parts. Image quality is solid, and if paired with a powerful IR, the Mini can reach impressive distances (I managed around 400 yards).
Spec sheet
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Resolution (pixels) | 2560 × 1440 |
| Eye Relief (mm) | 100 |
| Frame Rate (Hz) | 60 / 30 (Colour / Mono) |
| Diopter Adjustment (D) | -5 ~ +3 |
| Objective Lens (mm) | 35 |
| Reticle Style | 6 |
| Optical Magnification (x) | 3 |
| Battery Type | Lithium-Ion 18650 ×1 |
| Digital Zoom (x) | 2 |
| Operating Time (max, h) | 6 |
| Field of View @100m (Horizontal) | 9.9 m |
| Field of View @100m (Vertical) | 9.9 m |
| Degree of Protection | IP67 |
| Recoil Resistance (Joules) | 6000 |
| Focus Range | 5 m – ∞ |
| Net Weight (with battery, g) | 455 |
Side Focus
While the spec sheet may seem standard, the Mini includes a unique side focus feature that sets it apart from many digital scopes. The Pard Mini is the first digital scope I’ve used with side focus—and the first I’m aware of available in the UK. This allows focusing from as close as 5m out to infinity.
In practice, I rarely needed to adjust the focus, as most distances appeared sharp—helped by the small objective lens, which increases depth of field. Operating the side focus is smooth and easy, though it can feel a bit vague, making it easy to overshoot the ideal setting.
Versatility
It’s easy to dismiss the Night Stalker Mini as just an air rifle scope, but it’s a capable all-rounder, suitable for everything from ratting to foxing. When paired with a powerful IR, it handles longer distances well and delivers more than usable image quality for UK hunting. Its main limitation is performance in low natural light; at dawn or dusk, you’ll either need to switch to night vision mode with IR or wait for better lighting.
Our recommended uses
- Ratting
- Foxing
- Rabbiting
- Plinking
- Pest Control
- Daytime Stalking
- Vermin
Summary
The Pard Night Stalker Mini is a compact, affordable digital scope that punches above its weight. With solid image quality, side focus, and long-range potential when paired with a good IR, it’s a versatile option for everything from ratting to foxing. Its only real drawback is limited performance in low natural light.