I love a thermal that can pull double duty as a riflescope or a handheld, and the ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 3.5-28x is built small enough to do both. ATN packs a 384x288 sensor and a 35 mm lens into a scope that measures 7.48 inches and weighs 1.19 pounds. Its minimum advertised price (MAP) has dropped from $1,995 to $1,495, a $500 cut.
A handheld is a must on a thermal hunt, whether you are the spotter or the one behind the rifle. I reviewed the Mini at my 640-acre lease in Northern Michigan two days before the archery opener. That was my last chance to get out with it before the season got into full swing. Here is how the Mini covers both jobs.
ATN Handheld Thermals @ TFB:
One Thermal, Two Jobs
Thermal hunting is not a sit-and-wait game. A night hog or predator hunt moves, and somebody has to scan while the shooter stays ready. That is why the ATN OTS 4T became my must-have spotter. A handheld also keeps you from sweeping a muzzle across everything you want to look at, which is what scanning with a riflescope does.
The Mini can fill either seat. Mount it when you are the shooter, or hand it to your spotter when you hunt as a team. At 7.48 inches and 1.19 pounds, it is small enough to work in the hand. As with any optic, confirm zero after remounting.
The ThOR 6 software helps with the spotting job. Picture-in-picture keeps a magnified window on screen while you hold the wider view, and hot point tracking marks the hottest spot in the frame. The ATN Connect 6 app streams the live view to a phone over Wi-Fi, so a partner can watch along.
How ATN Got the ThOR Down to 1.19 Pounds
When TFB wrote up the ATN ThOR 3 in 2011, that 320x240 thermal sight carried a $13,199 price tag. ATN aimed it at police and military buyers and rated it for about six hours on four lithium batteries.
The ThOR 4 was our go-to thermal scope for years, and it saved video to a microSD card. ThOR 5 slimmed the housing in 2023 and added a quad-core processor.
The ThOR 6 Mini takes the compact idea further. It is less than half the length of the full-size ThOR 6 Elite LRF 640 and about 11 ounces lighter. Video saves to 64 GB of internal storage, so there is no memory card to buy or lose.
ATN's spec sheet lists about eight hours of runtime on the two included 18650 batteries, roughly four hours each. The cells are common and swappable, and a USB-C power bank can also run the scope.
A Sharper Image in a Smaller Scope
Going small did not mean settling for an older-generation image. The Mini runs ATN's 6th Generation thermal engine with SharpIR, ATN's real-time AI image enhancement, on the same 1920x1080 OLED used in the full-size ThOR 6 scopes. I ran the ThOR 4 and ThOR 5 before it, and I have seen the jump in image quality firsthand.
In the field, that jump shows up as crisper edges and stronger contrast between an animal and the cover behind it. A clean picture makes positive identification easier, whether the shape at the edge of a field is a coyote or the neighbor's dog.
The Mini's 384x288 VOx sensor uses 12-micron pixels and is rated at 18 mK NETD or better. NETD describes how small a temperature difference the sensor can pick out, and lower is better.
Inside the ThOR 6 Mini 384
Up front is a 35 mm germanium lens at F/1.0. At the 3.5x base magnification, the field of view is 7.5 by 5.7 degrees, and digital zoom takes it to 28x.
The power button and USB-C port cover sit beside the ATN 384 badge.
ATN includes six color palettes and 10 reticle styles with adjustable transparency. Zeroing Freeze holds the image while you move the reticle to your point of impact, so you are not fighting to keep the rifle steady on target. Recoil Activated Video saves up to 10 seconds before and after a shot.
The magnesium alloy body is rated IP67 and works from -22 to 131 degrees F. ATN lists a 6,000-joule maximum recoil rating, and a Picatinny mount comes in the box.
ATN also builds a ThOR 6 Mini 256 that shares this body and battery. The 384 steps up to a larger sensor behind a longer 35 mm lens, plus a 1920x1080 display in place of the 256's 800x600 screen. ATN rates it at nearly twice the detection range for 12 more grams.
ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 3.5-28x Specifications
As stated by ATN and not verified by TFB:
• Sensor: 384x288, 12-micron VOx, 50 Hz
• NETD: 18 mK or better
• Lens: 35 mm germanium, F/1.0
• Magnification: 3.5-28x, 8x digital zoom (step and smooth)
• Field of view: 7.5 x 5.7 degrees
• Detection range: 2,710 meters
• Display: 0.49-inch OLED, 1920x1080
• Eye relief and diopter: 50 mm, -5 to +5
• Palettes: White Hot, Black Hot, Iron Red, Alarm, Green Hot, Sepia
• Reticles: 10 styles with transparency control and Zeroing Freeze
• Recording: video and audio, Recoil Activated Video, 64 GB internal
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi to ATN Connect 6 (iOS and Android), USB-C
• Power: 18650 (two included), about 8 hours total, USB-C external power (5 V, 2 A)
• Startup: under 7 seconds, instant from standby
• Housing: magnesium alloy, IP67, -22 to 131 F
• Max recoil rating: 6,000 J
• Mount: Picatinny (included)
• Length and weight: 7.48 in, 1.19 lb (540 g)
• Warranty: 5 years
• Price: $1,495 MAP (down from $1,995)
Who Should Buy the ThOR 6 Mini 384
The $500 MAP cut puts the ThOR 6 Mini 384 3.5-28x at $1,495. Fifteen years ago, TFB was writing about a $13,199 ATN thermal with a 320x240 sensor.
The Mini is built for predator and hog hunters who want thermal without turning a light rifle into a heavy one. It also suits hunters who work in pairs, since the same unit can ride the rifle or go to the spotter. Hunters who want built-in ranging can step up to the ThOR 6 Elite LRF 640.
The 384 puts the ThOR 6 image in a scope light enough to carry all night and small enough to hand to a spotter. The Mini line now starts at $689. The ATN ThOR 6 Mini is the best compact, budget-friendly thermal riflescope on the market.
Highlights:
• MAP cut from $1,995 to $1,495
• 7.48 inches long and 1.19 pounds
• Small enough to double as a handheld spotter
• Sharper ThOR 6 image with SharpIR and a 1920x1080 OLED
• 64 GB internal storage with Recoil Activated Video
• Picatinny mount included
ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 FAQ
Is the ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 a good scope for coyote hunting?
Yes. A 1.19-pound scope keeps a light coyote rifle light, and the ThOR 6 image makes a coyote easier to pick out of the cover. It also comes off the gun to work as a handheld when you need to scan a field or spot for a partner.
How much is the ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384?
ATN cut the MAP from $1,995 to $1,495. That buys a 384x288 thermal with the same 1920x1080 display as the full-size ThOR 6 scopes.
Can you use the ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 as a handheld?
Yes, and I love a thermal that can do both. A handheld belongs on every thermal hunt, and the Mini covers that job without a second purchase. Confirm zero when it goes back on the rifle.
How far can the ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384 detect heat?
ATN rates detection at 2,710 meters, just under 3,000 yards. That is nearly double what ATN lists for the Mini 256.
How heavy is the ATN ThOR 6 Mini 384?
It weighs 1.19 pounds (540 grams) and measures 7.48 inches, against 1.89 pounds and 16.93 inches for the full-size ThOR 6 Elite LRF 640.
What is the least expensive ATN ThOR 6 Mini?
The ThOR 6 Mini line starts at $689, which gets you into ATN's 6th Generation platform for under $700. The 384 reviewed here sits higher in the line at $1,495.
