AGM Clarion 640 Thermal Scope Review

AGM Clarion 640 Thermal Scope Review – The AGM Clarion is a thermal scope like no other thermal scope on the market. The Clarion is the only scope available to hunters with Dual base magnifications (2X or 3X) and Dual fields of view in the same optic. You select the magnification range of the scope with a simple 1/4 turn of a lever.

At the heart of the AGM Clarion 640 Thermal Imaging Rifle Scope you will find a sub-20 millikelvin 640×512 thermal core with a 50 Hz refresh rate. That is one of the best-rated thermal cores on the market. The sub-20 mK core promises excellent heat separation which means your image will be clear and crisp. You will see a detailed image, and the fast 50 Hz refresh rate insures the image will remain smooth when you are chasing fast moving targets from side to side.

I am doing this review in August in Georgia where daytime temps are bumping 100 and nights are still in the 80’s and very humid. Our goal is to see if the Clarion 640 lives up the AGM’s claims. At a $5495 price point, it has to be very good.

Dual Base Magnification Feature

One of the hardest decisions when selecting a thermal rifle scope is what magnification is best for your night hunting needs. Most night hunters will encounter many different hunting situations. You may need a 2X base magnification and wide field of view for close-in shots at hogs, or you may have a cagey old coyote that hangs up at 200 yards and need a higher magnification for the shot.

When using digital optics, every time you zoom to increase your magnification, you diminish your picture quality. You are basically zooming into the image and losing a lot of pixels. If you double your magnification, you’re taking away half of your resolution. Hunters want to buy an optic that has enough magnification to spot, ID, and take good shots, but you also do not want to buy too much magnification that will limit field of view.

To a person new to thermal optics, dual base magnifications may not sound like a big deal, but trust me when I say it certainly is a ground breaking technology. It is like having two thermal scopes in one. Ask any thermal hunter and they will tell you the difference between a 2X base magnification and a 3X magnification scope is significant.

The Clarion incorporates a dual-lens optical system that has the ability to mechanically alternate between a 35mm lens or a 60mm lens. This feature lets you choose between a 2X or 3X base magnification with no degradation of the image resolution. You get full 640×512 resolution at either base power. Magnification ranges are 2X – 16X and 3X – 24X. Not only do you get better resolution, but also more magnification when you zoom.

The 2X base magnification setting gives you a 65 ft field of view @ 100 yards. The 3X base magnification setting gives you a 38 ft field of view @ 100 yards. Changing the base power is simple and fast with a 1/4 turn of the ring in front of the objective focus ring. The ring has a raised fin so it is easy to find in the dark.

The AGM Clarion is the first an only thermal scope with Dual base magnifications (2X or 3X) and Dual fields of view.

AGM Clarion Features and Specifications

Not only does the AGM Clarion 640 give you dual magnification capability, it has a host of features like video/audio recording, Shot Activated Recording (SAR), rechargeable battery packs, picture-in-picture display, a high-quality American Defense QD mount plus a 5-year warranty.

And if you hunt in really hot or cold weather this scope is rated to work from -30°C to +55°C (-22°F to 131°F). That is one of the best rated scopes I have reviewed.

Specifications

• Dual focus objective lens – 35mm/60mm
• 12μm thermal detector
• Superior sub-20 milikelvin thermal sensitivity
• Fast 50Hz imaging
• High resolution OLED display
• Adjustable color palettes
• Various reticle types and colors
• 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x digital zoom
• On-board video/audio recording and image capture
• Built-in EMMC storage (16 GB)
• Shot Activated Recording (SAR)
• Wi-Fi data transmission
• Stadiametric rangefinder
• Standby mode
• 8.5 hours battery life (depending on model)
• External power supply compatibility
• Waterproof & shockproof
• 5-year warranty

Most of the features listed above are common to all thermal rifle scopes, but one one thing I want to touch on is the sensor.

It uses a 12-micron sensor with a 50 Hz refresh rate which is what many scopes are using in 2024, but the sub-20 millikelvin rated thermal sensor is better than most. That means it will perform better on nights when there’s a lot of moisture and humidity in the air. It’s going to be able to cut through fog and humidity, and just perform a little bit better in those conditions.

That is exactly what I confirmed by hunting on summer nights in Georgia. I have one of the best thermal scanners on the market and I found that the image of the Clarion 640 was even better than my scanner in very humid conditions.

The sub-20 millikelvin rating determines the heat separation. Instead of a blob of bushes, you will see details of branches and leaves, but more importantly, animals will clearly stand out and identification will be easier in less than perfect conditions. It will also gives you a much more detailed image on clear, cool nights.

You can select from 10 internal reticle options, 5 different customizable zeroing profiles, 10 different brightness and contrast settings. It has built-in recording w/sound and image capture with 16 Gigs of storage. It has 4 different reticle colors, 4 color palettes, 5 image sharpness settings, and the AGM Connect app lets you connect to any cell phone or blue tooth device.

A high-quality American Defense QD mount is standard on the Clarion which works on most rifles with a picatinny rail mount. My test scope has a dual lever design mount but production Clarion scopes ship with single lever mounts to make it compatible with more rifles. The scope and mount work on both AR and bolt-action shooting platforms, but the design lends itself more to AR platform rifles.

Two features which I do not recommend using are the Stadiametric rangefinder and Shot Activated Recording (SAR). The range finder is useless unless you know the size of the animal you are ranging. The SAR just means the scope is recording continuously and using up the battery more quickly, and it may not be reliable low recoil rifles, like a 22LR.

AGM Clarion 640 Power System

The AGM Clarion 640 ships with two proprietary removable rechargeable batteries giving you up to 8.5 hours of continuous battery life on a single charge. They are very easy and quick to change but you must power the scope off to change the battery.

You can also use an auxiliary battery pack with the included cable to power the scope or recharge the battery. A battery charger is included with the scope. The cable port is just left of the battery compartment. Extra batteries are available from AGM dealers.

My hunts lasted 3 to 4 hours and I never had to change the battery.  The batteries lasted longer than I expected.

AGM Clarion 640 Menu Buttons

The AGM menu is very easy to use with text instead of just a lot of little icons. The control buttons and layout are as good as you will find. Textured rubber with enough separation so you can find the button you want easily in the dark of night. The power button has a tiny red LED light to indicate power on. A standby mode is activated by quick push of power button to extend battery life.

Just behind the power button you will find the record button, then the menu and quick menu button and the last button is the zoom button. You can also see the power port and battery compartment in the photo above.

Setup and zeroing was easy. You can set the zero for both 2X and 3X the same or different points of impact. It only made sense to me to zero them the same so I can change from 2X to 3X and have the same zero. Make sure you specify the option you want during the zeroing process.

When moving the reticle adjustments, a second reticle appears on screen so you can hold the reticle on the point of aim while you move the second reticle to the point of impact. Save the zero and you are zeroed at that range.

If one of your main concerns is a scope that is easy to use, the Clarion should be on your short list.

Hunting With The AGM Clarion 640

The Claron 640 is a good option for any hunting scenario, but the form factor lends itself more to hunters who use AR-type rifles. I opted to use my AR chambered in 6,5 Grandel hoping to get a few shots at the hogs that are raiding my summer deer feeders.

The scope weighs 1.8 pounds, is 9.5″ long and it is pretty compact for a scope with a 60mm objective lens. The battery packs fit inside the body so overall you get a very clean look. No battery packs protruding above or to the side to get in your way while you are hunting. The more I hunted with the Clarion, the more I appreciated how well everything is laid out from the control buttons to the switchable lens system. AGM has really done a great job to make this scope user friendly.

The button layout and spacing makes it very easy to use at night.  The layout is much better than the first generation AGM Rattler scopes. The spacing of the buttons are a little farther apart and the buttons have a textured rubber feel. The lag time for video recording when you push the button is pretty short.  Just hold the record button a couple of seconds to record. Quick click the record button to take a photo.

One of the reasons I like this thermal scope so much is because I am not just a hog hunter or coyote hunter. I hunt hogs and coyotes. I also help friends control beavers and raccoons on their property. I need a scope for all types of night hunting, and I have to say that this is the best scope I have found for all around night hunting. The switchable lens systems lends itself to just about every hunting scenario.

Changing base magnification is easy and fast. There is a ring at the very front of the scope with a raised fin to turn the ring only a quarter turn to select 2X or 3X. You will notice the field of view change dramatically from less than 40 feet at 100 yards on 3X to over 65 feet at 2X. That wide field of view is so important to quickly find moving animals. Coyotes never seem to come from where I expect, so I kept the scope on 2X with wide field of view so I could quickly locate the animal, then increase the base power as necessary.

If you are new to thermal optics, please understand a wide field of view is your friend, especially if you do not have a scanner and you depend on your scope to spot game. Low power and wide field of view is critical to locating game. It is also critical for followup shots on running hogs. The Clarion gives you the best of both worlds with a wide field of view along with the ability to jump to higher magnification without sacrificing image quality.

Overall, I really enjoyed hunting with the AGM Clarion 640. For a hunter like me who hunts all types of game a night with an AR style rifle, it would be hard to find a better scope. You get an easy to use scope with a great image and maximum flexibility. If you only hunt coyotes or only hunt hogs, you may not need all the special features of the Clarion. You may also want to consider a tube type scope like the AGM Adder if you shoot a bolt action rifle.

The bottom line is that I was pleasantly surprised how well the AGM Clarion 640 performs. The image is excellent, it is very easy to use and the dual lens, dual base magnifications make it the most versatile thermal scope on the market. I found that the Clarion 640 lives up to all the AGM promises and recommend it for just about any type of night hunting.

The Clarion is also available in a 384×288 resolution model. That scope has base powers of 2X and 4X and the cost is $3495.

If you have more questions, just call Outdoor Legacy Gear at 877-350-1818. Thanks for reading my AGM Clarion 640 Thermal Scope Review.

Purchase the AGM Clarion At Outdoor Legacy

The AGM Clarion 640’s price is $5,495, so you want to make sure this scope is the one for you. I know that is a lot of money for an optic, so I suggest you call Outdoor Legacy before placing an online order. Talk to Jason, Hans or Ashley directly at 877-350-1818. You can talk to them about the AGM Claron or about other scope brands.

For the latest news about Night Vision Optics, subscribe to the most informative show on Youtube, the Late Night Vision Show. Hosts Jason Robertson and Joel Miller will keep you up to date on Night Vision Optics and entertain you with some great hunting videos. Also please visit our featured Youtube channels Outdoor Legacy on Youtube, HansETX, and The Old Deer Hunters for great hunting videos and thermal optic reviews.