My initial two shots with AGM’s new Rattler V3 LRF 35-384 thermal, mounted on an AR-15, drilled the cardboard backing of my target but very low. About a foot low, it appeared to me, and a few inches left — which I knew because the Rattler V3 actually picked up the heat signature of the .223 Rem. bullets slicing through the cardboard.  

I went into the thermal’s menu and selected the FREEZE adjustment in the Zeroing function. The new FREEZE reticle appeared and I used the X and Y axis controls to slide the reticle over the tiny heat spots on the cardboard. I saved this new setting, and then fired three times.

All three rounds hit the small HotHands heat packet I used as a bullseye, two dead center. My 50-yard zero was complete.

Exactly five shots into my testing of the thermal and I was already impressed. The Rattler V3’s zeroing controls were precise and easy to access and use. Plus, the images presented were clean and sharp-edged. And the unit’s ability to detect the heat from a .22 caliber bullet cutting cardboard at 50 yards?

It seemed AGM Global Vision did very solid work in designing and building this new thermal. After more shooting, I knew it was so.

Improvements

Dealers who keep up on the thermal market will remember that AGM debuted the second generation of the Rattler line, the RattlerV2, not that long ago. The thermal met with general praise, too. So, how to improve the unit?

First, AGM paired V3’s 384 resolution with a 35mm Germanium lens with an impressive sub-15mK thermal sensor, then added a new 1920x1080 high-resolution display. All of which works so well, AGM rates the thermal with a 1.5-mile detection range. 

Not content with these upgrades, AGM built the RattlerV3 LRF with new in-lens Laser Range Finding (LRF) technology, and mated this fully integrated 1,000-meter laser rangefinder with a new on-board ballistic calculator.

It’s also the first Rattler ever to come with a shutterless NUC and features AGM’s powerful new Image Boost 2.0 imaging algorithm. 

The RattlerV3 LRF 35-384 sports a base magnification of 3.5X and can zoom all the way to 28x, making it a great option for long-range hunters.

As with any thermal worth its sale price, the RattlerV3 features multiple color palettes and reticle options, takes photos and videos, and is WI-FI, picture-in-picture and HotSpot tracking. The thermal’s large, tactile buttons should be easy to find at night even with gloved fingers.

Better Batteries

I was very intrigued by the thermal’s power source, a blocky and rechargeable NE-4400 Li-Ion battery. AGM includes two of these with each RattlerV3, plus a charger. With the HotSpot function off, AGM rates a single battery to provide right around seven hours of power at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The battery slides into a compartment on the left side of the unit. With one large battery inserted and another in his or her pocket, a hunter should be able to count on power all night. The USB-C port near the battery compartment also allows for use of an external power pack.

The days of the CR123 lithium batteries running our thermals are fading fast and that’s a good thing. The batteries are expensive and can be tough to find. Plus, I’ve never had a pair of those batteries last anywhere near as long as a unit’s specs claim. 

Here’s to hoping such blocky and longer-lasting rechargeables are the future of thermal power.

  

Complete Setup

To test out the RattlerV3 LRF, I first attached the included quick detach rifle mount to the bottom of the unit. Then I mounted the thermal onto the rail of a Geissele Automatics Super Duty MOD 1 (Model 08-395S) AR-platform rifle chambered in 5.56 NATO. 

The AR sported a 16-inch chrome lined barrel, a Geissele Length gas system, a full-length rail, and a B5 Systems Enhanced Sopmod Stock. The Airborne Charging Handle made racking back the bolt very easy, and I knew from past shooting that this rifle was extremely accurate. 

Last, I installed an Operator 5.56 suppressor onto the end of the barrel, the suppressor made by Engaged Industries of Elsberry, Missouri. The Operator 5.56 featured the company’s patent pending VLB25 baffles. They utilize Vacuum Expansion technology to restrict the flow of gas and at the same time significantly reduce the reverse flow of gases. 

For ammunition, I relied on Fiocchi Hyperformance .223 Rem. firing a 50-grain Barnes Varmint Grenade bullet.

Simple Controls

I had to re-zero the RattleV3 just a bit for my 100-yard shooting as it definitely shot to the right at first.

But I was soon on and my last five-shot group at an extra-large HotHands heat pack came in at 1.5-inches and a bit high. But a coyote wouldn’t know the difference.

Throughout my shooting, the controls were easy to use. Zoom magnification, for example, was a simple press of the very bottom button on the control pad. The laser rangefinder was simplicity itself with its own button on the right of the pad. A quick press of this button and the yardage number appeared in the display.

Zooming In

“The primary customer for this unit wants two things,” said Chase Stephens, AGM’s director of brand development. “He or she wants the best image quality you can get in a 384 resolution thermal device with sleek in-lens LRF/ballistic calculator capabilities, and a compact housing that doesn't take a ton of rail space and can be quickly removed and used as a handheld monocular for other outdoors/non-hunting activities.”

All this, of course, speaks to the majority of night hunters.

For a sales technique, Stephens noted that actually having customers use the  RattlerV3’s zoom magnification is a smart move.

“The best advice we can give shops is to let consumers see the RattlerV3 in use with as much distance as you can manage,” he said. “A lot of times, a quick step outside will do wonders for the consumer’s perception of the unit’s long-range capabilities.” 

If your establishment has a YouTube page, Stephens suggested using the unit’s on-board media to take some shooting videos to share with customers. Including your own overview video of the RattlerV3 and its features is a great share, too.

Sales Help

For its dealers, AGM can and will supply catalogs, product family one sheets with QR codes to access specific devices on the AGM website for comparison, banners to hang in store, acrylic glass case display stands, feather flags, and access to branded tents for store events.

“Store support is always looked at on a case-by-case basis,” Stephens explained. “But we have AGM sales reps that travel the country regularly, so an in-shop visit can be set up, and they can discuss potential marketing or advertising co-op opportunities, access to promotional discounts, and in store promotional or support videos.

“Of course, we can set up zoom training for store staff basically anytime. We love to do those!”

AGM products are offered both directly and indirectly through the largest distributors in the country. This includes distributors like Bill Hicks, RSR, Zanders, Hicks Inc., Sports South and many more. 

AGM is also big on providing media support for its product lines, and that definitely includes the RattlerV3. 

“We're always working with media in one capacity or another,” Stephens said. “A lot of times these are more aimed at entire product families than individual items, just because we have by far the most extensive assortment in the industry when it comes to thermal.

“And, our social channels are extremely valuable here to get other perspectives, whether through direct customers, influencers, YouTube reviewers, and more. Our AGM USA YouTube page is basically an informational resource we work hard on for dealers and users offering support videos, menu walk throughs, tips and tricks, sighting in tutorials and more.”

Any independent FFL interested in becoming an AGM dealer can reach out to the company directly at info@agmglobalvision.com or call at 928-333-4300.  Either way, AGM staff will be quick to send out a dealer application, followed by contact with an AGM rep to discuss other details regarding direct purchasing. 

At a suggested retail of $3,295, Stephens admitted the RattlerV3 is far from the least expensive 384 thermal on the market today.  

“However, there's nothing on the market with the V3’s unique combination of style and firmware features, and it uses some of the highest quality thermal sensors/displays and optics that you can get,” he said. “We have other more entry-level 384s, and this will never be the cheapest, but there are some very good reasons for that.”