A thermal spotter can make a huge difference to your airgun hunting. Whether you’re hunting by day or by night, it is so much easier to locate your quarry when you have the advantage of being able to see its heat signature – even when it is partially obscured by cover.
I was a bit late to the thermal party, but I can honestly say that this gear has been a real gamechanger in my hunting over the past few years. Although a thermal spotter is not an essential piece of airgun hunting equipment, using one has definitely helped me to shoot more pests.
Price is an important consideration for most shooters, and I think it is fair to say that a lot of hunters are reluctant to splash out on expensive thermal monoculars. Hikmicro has tried to address that problem with the new Lynx 3.0. This devices puts premium features into a more affordable thermal monocular, so that more shooters can take advantage of this amazing technology.
Hikmicro classes the Lynx as an entry-level thermal monocular, and prices start at just £399.99 for the LE10 10mm lens model. That version has a nice wide field of view, so it’s great for quickly spotting heat signatures over closer distances which should make it a brilliant tool for rat shooting. There are various different models of the Lynx 3.0, with different features to suit different applications. The model featured here is the LH25, which costs £1,049.99. I’ll be focusing on this one, although the range has many shared features.
As soon as you open the box, you can see the Hikmicro Lynx 3.0 is a quality piece of kit. Inside that box, apart from the device, you will find two batteries, a battery charger a USB C lead and a lint free cloth. There is also a very simple manual in there to get you started.
The first thing to strike me about this monocular is just how much smaller it is than previous Lynx models. It’s about 155mm long and weighs just 330g with the battery fitted. It truly is pocket-sized and is no burden when discreetly stowed in a hunting jacket.
Despite being small, the Lynx 3.0 thermal monocular feels very tough – it has clearly been built to withstand real field use in all weather. It has also been built for comfort, and the side of the soft rubber eyecup can be folded back for glasses wearers. In front of that eyecup is the chunky new dioptre focusing ring which you use to get the display pin-sharp for your eye when you first set it up.
The display on the Lynx 3.0 presents you with a large, wide view which is really kind on the eye. In terms of actual image quality, you have to see it to believe it. This unit has a 25mm F1.0 lens and sub-15 NETD viewing with 384x288 resolution. That amounts to excellent viewing even in foggy conditions with a detection range out to 1200m.
Below top: The Hikmicro Lynx 3.0 is compact and very light to carry
Below bottom: Even when viewing small airgun quarry, the image quality through the Lynx 3.0 is exceptional
Although this is an entry-level thermal monocular, Hikmicro have equipped it with features from their premium devices. Those features include AI powered algorithms to boost image quality through technology such as Image Pro and Zoom Pro – which reduces image distortion at higher zoom levels. The Lynx 3.0 also features Hikmicro’s HSIS Shutterless Technology. That shutterless feature eliminates the freezing you get with other devices when they calibrate. This dynamic system results in smooth, uninterrupted viewing, so you’re never going to miss that vital moment.
The Hikmicro Lynx 3.0 comes supplied with two 18650 rechargeable batteries which give a runtime of about 4.5 hours and can be charged onboard or in the charger. You can very quickly swap them over thanks to the neat locking gate on the side of the unit. The Lynx switches on very quickly with a press of the power button – initial start-up is just two seconds. You can further increase battery runtime by giving the power button a quick press to pop it into standby mode. Another quick press wakes it up, and it kicks back into action very quickly – it seemed immediate to me.
The ergonomics of the Lynx 3.0 are spot on and the controls are all very simple to operate. There is a chunky zoom wheel at the front to quickly bring the subject into sharp focus down to just three metres. The buttons behind that are very clearly defined, perfect for intuitive operation in the dark and even when wearing gloves.
Below top: Swapping the Lynx 3.0's reachargeable batteries is a quick and simple process
Below bottom: Controls are very simple and the buttons are easy to distinguish - even in the dark
In normal viewing mode, the forward arrow key captures a photo with a quick press and starts video recording with a longer press – that’s all saved on the integral memory. The middle menu key changes through colour pallets (White Hot, Black Hot, Fusion, Red Hot, Red Monochrome and Green Monchrome) with a quick press and opens the menu with a longer press, while the rear arrow key shifts through the zoom (2.5 to 20x on this model) with a short press and calibrates, should you wish to do it manually, with a longer press. Inside the menus, you use the arrow keys to scroll up and down and the menu to make your choices.
The basic menu enables you to quickly adjust things like brightness and contrast while the advanced menu gets you into the more sophisticated stuff such as connectivity and hot tracking. The Lynx 3.0 thermal monocular also connects to the brilliant Hikmicro Sight app for things like easy firmware updates and fast, simple sharing of photo and video files. Most importantly, it delivers a truly remarkable viewing experience, Hikmicro says this device rewrites entry-level viewing standards, and they are right. You don’t just see the outline of your quarry but also its distinguishing features in great detail, along with a clear view of the landscape around it. That makes for quick, confident identification and safe shooting.
Below top: The image through the Hikmicro Lynx 3.0 remains sharp even at higher magnification
Below bottom: A roe deer in dense woodland viewed through the Lynx 3.0
Hikmicro works very closely with real-world shooters to deliver products the really work in the field. That combination of world-leading technology and genuine hunting knowledge is very apparent in the Lynx 3.0. My handheld footage probably doesn’t do it full justice and you are probably looking at the images shown here on a much bigger screen than the one inside the Lynx. The image quality is great, even when viewing very small airgun quarry such as rats and grey squirrels, but if you do other types of shooting – maybe fox or deer – it is more than up to the task and a great allrounder.
The Hikmicro Lynx 3.0 really does pack serious premium features and performance into an entry-level thermal monocular – including that amazing shutterless technology. It is small and light but also tough, and it is very easy to operate. Most importantly though, it delivers clear, uninterrupted viewing in all conditions – the image quality it produces really is remarkable.
Although more affordable than anything else in its class, the Hikmicro Lynx 3.0 is not cheap but it does deliver excellent value for money in terms of its performance. I have been using it by night and by day to target rabbits, rats and grey squirrels and it has been brilliant. Don’t just take my word for it though – take a look through one for yourself when you get the chance. I’m sure you will be very impressed – it really has set a new standard for what thermal spotters at this price point can do.
MAKER: Hikmicro
MODEL: Lynx 3.0 LH25 Thermal Monocular
PRICE: £1,049.99 for model featured
WEIGHT: 330g
LENGTH: 155mm
Article first published December 8th 2025
