Compared  to their thermal weapon sight counterparts, thermal clip-on units have never received a comparable level of consumer or media attention. 

That’s understandable. The weapon sights, after all, are all-in-one units and scream “hi-tech!” They can feature magnification zoom and video recording, numerous image adjustments, five to 10 reticle options and, increasingly, laser rangefinding and ballistic solution capabilities. 

For the hunter with one rifle dedicated to night hunting, the weapon sight is a perfect choice: always ready and very much a known quantity.

With the clip on, all you get is a thermal attached to the end of your day scope. Right?

Not any longer. Yes, in the past many clip-ons simply “added” thermal viewing to your rifle-and-scope set up. But a good number of new thermal clip-ons offer many more features than previous models and represent a major jump in technology. 

A great example of this shift to a superior clip-on is the Armasight Jockey 640 that I recently ran. The Jockey 640 provides flexibility far superior to past units and leads the way for what the next generation of clip-ons can do for the night hunter.

Easy Transition

According to Steve Lemenov, Armasight’s director of marketing, “If the end user likes his current rifle and scope setup or simply does not want a dedicated nighttime setup, the thermal clip-on is the way to go. The end user can use his or her current rifle while hunting during the day and then transition to the clip-on at night.”

Many hunters who use AR platforms opt for one upper assembly for daytime use and a second with day scope and clip-on dedicated to their night hunting.

The scope plus clip-on pairing may not be all that lighter than the weapon sight but it does tend to be more streamlined, a plus for those spot-and-stalk hunters moving through thicker vegetation. 

The clip-on provides a painless introduction into thermal for the new thermal user. This writer, for example, has introduced newbies to thermal using a clip-on. The novices first practiced with the rifle and day optic at the range. Once my newbie was comfortable, I added the thermal clip on and set up a heat signature target. 

As opposed to a thermal weapon sight that requires an education on the unit’s menu system to perform a zeroing, the clip-on relies on a day scope’s zero. A much easier transition into the world of thermal!

Let’s not forget that clip-ons, generally speaking, are less expensive than the weapon sight. The Jockey 640 has a $3,500 MSRP, for example, while the Armasight Contractor 640 line starts at $5,200.

While your customers may find neither option inexpensive, the lower-cost clip-on will appeal to more budgets than the weapon sight. Armasight also offers the Jockey 320, built with an ArmaCORE 320x240 12um thermal core and carrying an MSRP just under $2,000.

Word Play

There’s a bit of a terminology problem in this discussion, though. Technically speaking, the Jockey 640 does not clip onto the day scope. Actually connecting the thermal to the end of the day scope was and still is common. It works, too, with some sort of connection mating the end of the scope with the rear of the thermal. 

That extra weight at the end of the scope, though, can work to throw off the optic’s zero if the rifle gets bumped around.  

However, the Jockey 640 mounts forward of the scope, attaching directly to a rail with the included quick-detach mount. I consider the Jockey more of a “mount forward/day scope” unit or MFDS thermal. 

This forward mounting makes the Jockey 640 a great matchup with AR-platform rifles featuring rails running the length of the handguard. Plus, mounting onto the rail doesn’t weigh down the end of the day scope, avoiding possible disruption to the scope’s zero, a plus inherent in the Jockey 640.   

Features

This unit features Armasight’s high-performance ArmaCORE 640 thermal core, and a fast 60Hz frame rate for smooth operation. The unit can handle firearm recoil up to and including .308 Win. 

The Jockey 640 also offers multiple color palettes, a fairly simple three button control atop the unit, video recording and image capture, and a USB-C interface. That interface allows for the use of an external power source and/or for downloading video and images.

A single 16650 3V battery or two CR123A 3V batteries power the unit.

Armasight recommends using this unit with a day scope of no more than 6x magnification or setting your variable scope at no more than 6x. Higher magnification, Armasight notes, can cause image distortion.

In one sense the Jockey 640 is a kind of hybrid unit, a clip-on or MFDS that has its own menu system to set palettes and image enhancement. It also features a zoom magnification ability. To use that, the shooter first has to align the Jockey’s reticle with the day scope reticle.

But, if the zoom feature isn’t wanted or needed, the user simply turns off the Jockey’s reticle.

The Rig

To test out the scope, I mounted the Jockey 640 onto a Ruger SFAR chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. This model SFAR featured a 20-inch barrel, a Magpul PRS Lite butt stock, a free-floating handguard with M-LOK attachment slots, and an adjustable gas block.

The customization on my SFAR is a blue Cerakote finish on the upper and lower receivers and the handguard. 

For ammunition, I relied on the VOR-TX LR rounds in 6.5 Creedmoor made by Barnes Bullets. They launched a 127-grain, poly-tipped bullet.  

My day scope was one of my favorite hunting optics, the Trijicon Credo HX 1-6x24 scope. Built on a rugged 30mm aircraft grade aluminum tube, the Credo HX features .25 MOA adjustments and green-dot LED illuminated reticle powered by a single CR2023 battery. I’ve used this second focal plane optic on a number of hunts and images are always clear and sharp-edged.  

Plus, the green-dot, I’ve found, works better for my eyes than the red option, and pops really well when used in conjunction with a clip-on or MFDS thermal unit.

 

Setting Up

When I arrived at my outdoor shooting range, my weather app had the temperature at 24 degrees Fahrenheit, while the breezes from the approaching winter storm front created a windchill of +16. The humidity was 62%.

First, I zeroed the SFAR and Credo HX scope. Then I mounted the Jockey 640 in front of the Credo, using a soft rubber connector between the two units provided by Armasight. A number of these connectors come with the unit, allowing for the use of riflescopes with varying objective lens sizes.

Of note, I had already determined that the rock-solid 30mm X-SKEL Mount from Warne Scope Mounts holding the Trijicon matched up height-wise with the Jockey’s QD mount.

Given the winter weather and the unit’s 640 thermal core, the HotHands heat packs I employed as my heat-signature targets showed up bright and sharp edged at 100 yards. My first shots were about 1.5 inches high. The shift in impact was not unexpected as my day scope sighting in on the Jockey’s rear display created a situation akin to parallax. A few clicks of the Trijicon elevation turret put me on target.

Then, I accessed the Jockey’s Boresighting function, brought up the thermal’s reticle and collimated or paralleled it to the Trijicon’s reticle. Doing this kept the riflescope and Jockey on the same zero plane, in effect, allowing the zoom magnification to work accurately.

To check this zoom function and accuracy, I shot several groups at 100 yards. My last group of five shots measured 1.3 inches, with the last three shots coming in .50 inches.

A Dealer Focus

“We make sure our brick-and-mortar dealers are well-equipped with everything they need, from eye-catching product display stands to our brand banners,” says Lemenov. “And, our sales reps pay regular visits to provide insights about our brand and the technology that drives it.”

Armasight makes a similar commitment to its e-commerce partners, offering them many resources to help sell Armasight units like the Jockey 640. Resources can include detailed product information, product photography (both studio and lifestyle), videos, and brand assets utilized on site, in social media, and in advertising. 

Armasight sells its products both through distributors and direct to dealers. Current Armasight distributors include Bill Hicks & Co. and Sports South, with more national distributors on the way for 2025. 

To become a dealer, the first step is to complete the Armasight dealer application at armasight.com. Shortly thereafter, an Armasight representative will be in contact with information and additional details.

Armasight is currently working on a sales staff incentive program for a 2025 introduction.

“We do participate in co-op programs with our premium dealers,” Lemenov notes. “To be eligible for co-op program participation, dealers are required to place a $30,000 minimum opening order and provide proof of performance. We also participate in many custom advertising initiatives with our premium dealer partners.”

 

Thermal U

Armasight’s newly launched Thermal University (armasight.com/thermal-university) is a great resource for sales staff as well as thermal customers The many articles here provide an explanation of thermal tech, an overview of the various Armasight units and their many features, and methods for using thermals in the field. 

New articles regularly post to Thermal U.

Display

One display idea to help move the Jockey 640 is to have it set up on an AR-platform  rifle with a day scope. Display the rig in profile. That long scope-plus-thermal is sure to grab the attention of customers, with questions for sales staff to follow.

Show customers how easy it is to take off and re-mount the unit. Turn on the Jockey and customers look through the scope and thermal setup. 

Last, run them through several of the menu apps, explaining the many things this MFDS thermal can and will do for the night hunter.

Much More to Come

Expect a good deal more from Armasight this year. At the 2025 SHOT Show, the company introduced three new thermal products. 

 “We will have a new thermal clip-on, the Operator 640, that can take higher recoil up to .50 caliber,” Lemenov says. “It also has a longer range due to a larger objective lens at 35mm versus the 25mm on the Jockey 640.”

There is also the new Commander 640 thermal weapon sight and a thermal monocular, the Warden 640.

“We designed the Warden 640 specifically for scanning and scouting, and it was something our customers were very much asking for.”