Opinions on the best hunting lights

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Switch

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I've used a couple of the standard hunting lights out there and am looking to move to something more suited to actually illuminating night hunting through a scope. I have a couple of the Kill Lights and they're ok, but they have a strong beam focus that is distracting.

Doing some review over the last weeks, I've been leaning towards a Cisno 1000LM LED.

I'd like to hear what other night hunters are using and your opinions of some on the market now...any information would be appreciated.

Success from a recent hunt.
 
Every body has opinions, few have facts, you been around a few years have you not seen the hundreds of threads and countless pissing matches on this.

The search option will help you immensely, if you're bored and just need some reading it's all here already.

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=search

Plug in any light you can think of and you'll be content for a while.

Do you want the brightest light?

The one that has the most features?

What's important to you, and the way you hunt?

What reviews lead you to that Cisno? It's a 501B/P60 a very common light that is easily modified. Was my first red LED light, I threw in an asperic lens and it turned into a 100 yard or so light, that and the lens can be found on ebay.

Nice looking cats.
 
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Originally Posted By: pmackEvery body has opinions, few have facts, you been around a few years have you not seen the hundreds of threads and countless pissing matches on this.

The search option will help you immensely, if you're bored and just need some reading it's all here already.

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=search

Plug in any light you can think of and you'll be content for a while.

Do you want the brightest light?

The one that has the most features?

What's important to you, and the way you hunt?

What reviews lead you to that Cisno? It's a 501B/P60 a very common light that is easily modified. Was my first red LED light, I threw in an asperic lens and it turned into a 100 yard or so light, that and the lens can be found on ebay.

Nice looking cats.

Thanks for the response. I guess I don't drop by enough, must've missed the light thread. I also have no patience for the pissing matches and crap that seems to pop up with just about every piece a gear available. I seriously don't understand the "my ways the best" BS. My way works for me, period. Just looking for a little advice.

I figured there was a thread. I've been night hunting out here for 15-yeears, but there are restrictions to attaching anything to the firearm. Back then, when I started your options were Q-beam and Light force. I have two of the light force lights (170) and they are awesome for spotting critters at night. I then usually hold a Kill Light in my hand while I shoot. A little awkward but I've gotten used to it. I'm not sure if it's older eyes or I've just started noticing, but the focal circle produced by the Kill Light can be a bit distracting to me. I've killed a bunch of critters using the Light Force/Kill light combo, but with all the new lights out there, I figured I'd ask.

Thanks again for the response...I'll look into the reviews.

FYI, I'm looking for good illumination out to 200-yards (in my opinion a long night shot), no fancy crap (just a on/off switch).
 
Mick that's good stuff with Boondock. He just needed to take it a step further, you can actually calculate the throw of each light and rate them all equally. Very few know what a Lux value is, or understand any of these numbers. But if you can get the distance where each one is the same brightness you're then comparing apples to apples.

Lux varies with distance but you can calculate Candela at 1 meter and then the Throw based on ANSI criteria.

http://flashlightwiki.com/Light_Output_Measurements

.25-1 lux or 1CD is the brightness of a full moon depending on lattitide.

.25 is the ANSI value for throw, I believe you need more than .25CD (at least I do)

I believe .5-1CD is needed for me to shoot but your eyes and optics may vary. I used 1cd when I did the thread below almost 6 years ago. It also makes the calculations easier. It eliminates the throw calculation. You could also substitute any number less than 1 as the denominator in the throw calculation formula .

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...726#Post2293726


20 yards is 18.288 meters.

18.288 squared is 334.45

1CD is calculated as the square root of 334.45 x lux value @ 20yards.

I took the brightest light from each MFG and calculated the throw for 1CD

Sniper Hog 66LRX........... 262 CD or 1CD at 262 meters
Wicked 403..................260
Nite Snipe NS550........... 260
Coyote Light............... 237
EWT XLR 250................ 212
Predator Tactics Nightmare. 158
Fox Pro ....................157

I've done my own comparisons and my findings are slightly different

Modded $25 China Zoomlight...167
FoxPro.......................186
Coyote Light.................154
Night Eyes GL300R............140

I was pleasantly surprised by the Fox Pro, not sure why they haven't come out with a gun mounted light

The Coyote Light under performed based on what I had heard and maybe the one I got wasn't fully charged or just a lemon.

Another thing to remember is the numbers on this list for zoom lights are taken when they are fully focused. The LED image projected is smaller than the FOV of your scope. If you back the zoom off to fill the FOV the KCD value and throw will DECREASE

The Night Eyes GL-300R is a reflector based light and the beam will fill the FOV of your scope. While only being 140CD it may be brighter than any of the zoom lights after if they aren't fully focused to fill the FOV of your scope.

I hunted for years with a light that put out 120KCD and when modified 140KCD I could shoot 150-200 yards.
 
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Originally Posted By: Switch
FYI, I'm looking for good illumination out to 200-yards (in my opinion a long night shot), no fancy crap (just a on/off switch).

That's all you need
thumbup.gif
 
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