Best Value Red hunting lights?? Need help

FCB1616

New member
I was looking at getting into night hunting and was wondering what was the best value light that you guys had used?
 
Funny I was just reading 1 guy didn't kill as much fur because his light made coyotes hang up. So he wants to pay a large fee for a light that dims. When for years we been killing coyotes with dimmer lights. Too powerful can ruin a hunt a basic light will work fine. HS-802 in red or green puts fur down well for myself, not certain about others. The kit is $68.00.
 
I use two lights. One to scan and one to shoot, both red. As stated already scan lights dont need to be very bright, but I recommend a good shooting light. if you plan on just one light get a good shooting light and only use the bottom of the halo while scanning. My lights are a bit older but still work great. I scan with either a Predator light or an XLR100 and my shooting light is an XLR250.
 
I just finished doing a lot (a stupid amount of questions) and reading reviews on what to get and what to have..
After trying a few times.. I found that the Wicked 402 was the light that i wanted. For my style and openness.. Its a matter of shooting distance is limited to the lights ability to light it up.

Waiting on a 2 light 402 predator package from Boondocks. Jeremiah was very helpful and full of usful information.
 
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You won't be disappointed with the wicked!! You won't believe how far you can see clearly when you focus it all the way down!!

For an economic way to go, I love the noxx headlamp for Scanning and the vrl 1 Kill light is a great light too. The noxx runs about $60 and the vrl 1 kit for $130. The vrl x makes a good kill light too for closer ranges and makes a good handheld scan light. You can get that kit for about $100. All well priced for how great they work! If you give Jeremiah a call at boondock he will set you up with the right light for you in your price range.
 
Originally Posted By: Bob after BobFunny I was just reading 1 guy didn't kill as much fur because his light made coyotes hang up. So he wants to pay a large fee for a light that dims. When for years we been killing coyotes with dimmer lights. Too powerful can ruin a hunt a basic light will work fine. HS-802 in red or green puts fur down well for myself, not certain about others. The kit is $68.00. That is funny Bob. That "guys" 36 years of experience hunting light shy predators probably means nothing where he hunts... In fact he probably has absolutely no clue what he's talking about when it come to hunting spooky coyotes at night out west as opposed to in the "swamps" Grizz
 
check out Predator Tatics they are some good lights plus they are coming out with a smaller light that is adjustable for the close encounters. I have three of his lights and love them.
 
It depends what the laws are in your state. Are you allowed to scan? Here in Wisconsin we are only allowed a kill light to be turned on before the shot.
 
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im a night eyes man myself and have been treated very fairly. not only did I get a headlamp scan light, and two gun lights from them but also got Joes knowledge and experience to go along with them. the lights and Joe have helped me connect more. im sure there are tons of great lights out there that are fantastic deals, but I have yet to find a situation where I felt the need for anything more than night eyes lights provide. well thought out and well built lights that will last a long time with amazing battery life. (plus he answers my phone calls and gives some of the best advice when it comes to hunting at night)
 
I use a hs802 red light on my gun and a hl-85 magnalight with a red lense not filter with a dimmer or a lightforce 170 with red filter and dimmer. We hunt out of a high rack in open country so we need some good lights.
 
Used the night eyes headlamp and gun light last night and was very impressed. The adjustability of the headlamp is awesome.
 
hard to beat the Wicked, I use both red and green, depending on temp and moisture in air at different stands, and cloud cover I have to switch back and forth some nights, easy to identify out to 300 yards most nights
 
The Wicked 402 is amazing. The absolute best gun light I have used. For scanning, I've used a XLR Killight 100 for the past several years that I like. I would like to try Joe's night eyes scanning light too
 
If you are looking only for value and low cost, lots of red led lights are available on ebay these days for a fraction of name brand lights. These are better suited to scanning. When it comes to a gun light, buy the best you can afford. It is great to have a bright light when you need it, you can always turn it down. However, a weak light cannot be turned up.
 
"When it comes to a gun light, buy the best you can afford. It is great to have a bright light when you need it, you can always turn it down. However, a weak light cannot be turned up."

Good advice MPH, we agree:

http://www.boondock-outdoors.com/Light_Ratings.html
LUX rating at 45 feet:

248 Wicked Light W402ZF Rifleman kit $169.95 *zoom focus light
245 Sniper Hog Lights 66LR Riflehunter mount kit. $164.99 *zoom focus light
230 CoyoteLight $429.99 *zoom focus light
140 Sniper Hog Lights 50LR Gun mount kit. $179.99 *zoom focus light
90 Lightforce PRED9x kit $319.95
 
Using Boondocks measured lux at a distance of 45 feet (see link):
http://www.boondock-outdoors.com/Light_Ratings.html

I calculated the Candela rating, and the "useful" distance measurement in YARDS based upon a 0.60 lux (a recommended light intensity per Wicked Lights):

RED Light---------------Candela------------0.60 lux distance (yards)
Wicked 402ZF------------46,675------------------305
Sniper 66LR-------------46,100------------------303
Coyote Light------------43,275------------------294
XLR250------------------11,300------------------150
VRL-1-------------------16,000------------------179
Sniper 50LR-------------26,350------------------229
XLR100-------------------6,600------------------115
LightForce Pred9x-------17,000------------------184
Wicked 401ZF------------10,350------------------144
Red Noxx Dagger----------5,650------------------106
 
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