A few months ago, we invited all Pulsar Brand Ambassadors to Lithuania. Here, hunting enthusiasts from all over Europe finally got to know each other, visited the Pulsar factory, and tested some new devices. As we are welcoming new hunters to our Pulsar Family – which will now have 26 members, including Nathan from Australia and Andrea from Lofoten islands in Norway, we’re sharing our veteran’s – Lee Perryman’s – impressions from his very first visit to Pulsar.
Touching down in Lithuania
When an invitation to travel to Eastern Europe popped through the letterbox, I quickly replied with a “Yes please”! Who could resist a trip to Lithuania to visit Pulsar, one of the most established and prestigious thermal optics companies in the world today?
Not knowing what to expect, I flew out to the capital, Vilnius, with fellow field sports journalist Phil Taylor, and we were greeted at the arrivals area by a driver with a Pulsar Pro Staff sign, which I thought was impressive.
We were dropped off at our hotel, which was really luxurious, where, throughout that day, we were joined by other brand ambassadors flying in from different parts of Europe. Then it occurred to me that I was the only airgun guy on the team, as the rest of the group were well-known big game hunters.
That evening we were collected by the Pulsar management team and taken out to enjoy some fantastic Lithuanian delicacies. This gave all of us a chance to get better acquainted and of course enjoy a couple of locally distilled drinks.
Peeking inside the Pulsar HQ
We all gathered the following morning for breakfast at the hotel, and with our suitcases ready, loaded onto a bus and headed across the city to the Pulsar headquarters.
When we arrived at the factory I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t think we’d actually get to see too much – maybe we’d be shown a few off-the-shelf products, have a few handshakes and then get whisked out the back door.
We were taken into the main boardroom where we received a presentation on the origin of Pulsar and sister brand Yukon. To my amazement I never realised that Pulsar was that big, operating in several different locations throughout the world, using three working languages, hundreds of employees and manufacturing everything in-house, even down to the pouches the units are supplied with.
The way in which this company operates and the direction in which it’s heading was amazing to see. After the presentation we were handed some anti-static clothing to put on, which I thought was a bit bizarre. This was something that hadn’t crossed my mind, but of course we all went along with it. We were then taken into various production areas where we were allowed to observe the units being constructed, something that I didn’t think we would get to see, but obviously Pulsar has nothing to hide and prides itself on its work.
No such thing as too much testing
On entering one area, I could feel the floor shaking which I thought was strange, but then we were greeted by a vibrating shock-inducing machine that was being used to simulate the recoil of a high-powered rifle.
Next to that was a sub-zero freezer unit where units were placed to simulate drastic temperature changes and see how well the units would cope. It was so cool to see the lengths to which Pulsar goes to ensure the quality of its products.
As we were walking back to the boardroom to slip out of our scientific clothing and collect our belongings, we saw it! There it was in the distance, glowing like it was the gateway to heaven – the research and development department! I felt like I was having an out of body experience and was slowly floating towards that room, but unfortunately that was the only area that was restricted to us.
Time for some fun
Having had a fantastic tour of the factory we were loaded back on the bus and were driven through the Lithuanian countryside for our next stop: the shooting range.
The arrival at the shooting ground was an experience. All I could see were ejected cases flying around from AR-15s, Glocks, .308s and Creedmors, which made me feel a bit out of my comfort zone, especially being around all of these high-powered seasoned shooters and with no airguns in sight!
Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed, after a couple of hours I was soon getting into the swing of things and the brass was stacking up like a scene out of Hot Shots. Having fired off the weight of the Royal Mint in cartridges, it was time to get back on the bus so we could be taken even deeper into the Lithuanian countryside before pulling up at a country retreat and spa complex where we had a couple of hours of well-earned rest until daylight faded and we were able to test some units in the dark.
Hands-on experience
We walked outside to find a very well-prepared test area, with several different Pulsar tents set up. After being divided into different groups, each group rotated around each tent, testing the different units. What a novelty to be the first to get our hands on these units and especially to get to try out the new Digex C50, which performed absolutely fantastically. That is definitely something I’m looking forward to mounting on my rifle!
Obviously there were some exclusive products to try, but because I had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement I can’t tell you about those just now, you’ll just have to wait and see what pops up later in the year.
The next day we all gathered in a conference room and were asked for our feedback from the night’s testing. Having been told how much our opinions mattered, we worked through the several products we’d tested, and our constructive feedback was positively received. There were guest speakers laid on from social media companies, the Pulsar management team and a great presentation from one of the brand ambassadors, Jón Rúnar Guðjónsson.
A few hours later and with my flight looming in the morning it was time to let my hair down and see what the spa had to offer! What an amazing experience Pulsar laid on. It was a real adventure.
This article was written by Lee Perryman and originally published in the Airgun Shooter magazine. This version was slightly edited for stylistic purposes.
Before purchasing any night or thermal vision device, please make sure you adhere to the local legislation and only use it when it is allowed. Our ambassadors come from various countries and travel a lot, which allows them to test different devices. We do not encourage or support the illegal use of our devices in any events. If you wish to learn more about export and sales restriction policy, please visit the following link: Export and Sales Restriction Policy.