View Full Version : Best hunting weapon light
stx.dead.I
01-22-15, 02:44
I'm looking for a rifle weapon light to use for hunting at night. I'd like the tightest longest throwing beam possible. I would like a green light. I'm looking at the tlr1 hp game spotter right now. Any other options out there?
lobstradomus
01-22-15, 18:50
If your main criteria is longest throwing green light then you might want to look into the Night Master Green from OSTS (OneStopThrowShop.) While it doesn't come with a built in mount and is at least twice as heavy as the TLR-1 GS it does offer ~90,000 candela to the Streamlight's 31,000. If the Night Master is a bit too extreme then I know Armytek makes a green version of their Predator light but it is multimode if that happens to be a deal breaker.
i have a white light tlr1 hp. I use it for spotting critters. it works really well, the throw is very useful. the thing is large and unwieldy though.
For the money you could try this Cree light first. It's gotten good reviews from night time AR game hunters.
http://www.lightmalls.com/uniquefire-hs-802-cree-green-light-long-range-led-flashlight-1-18650
I put a Streamlight Protac HL3 on the 6.8 I use to spot coyotes off the back deck. I can reach out 100+ with it reliably. It's not green but you could probably slap a filter on it...
lobstradomus
02-19-15, 14:43
Most white LED's have a relatively poor spectral power distribution when it comes to certain filters - particularly red and, to a slightly lesser extent, green. For example, the cool white Cree XM-L2 found in many new lights (including Streamlight's HL3,) only has a relative radiant power of about 30-40% in the green wavelength interval. If you decide to go with a white LED based light and a green filter you should be prepared for a substantial decrease in output.
Most white LED's have a relatively poor spectral power distribution when it comes to certain filters - particularly red and, to a slightly lesser extent, green. For example, the cool white Cree XM-L2 found in many new lights (including Streamlight's HL3,) only has a relative radiant power of about 30-40% in the green wavelength interval. If you decide to go with a white LED based light and a green filter you should be prepared for a substantial decrease in output.
That's interesting and something I did not know. Guess I'll get a good hands on comparison since this thread and the fact they were only $5 inspired me to order a red filter today.
stx.dead.I
02-19-15, 20:32
That's interesting and something I did not know. Guess I'll get a good hands on comparison since this thread and the fact they were only $5 inspired me to order a red filter today.
Yaya, it's pretty wicked how much output they lose
lobstradomus
02-19-15, 21:39
That's interesting and something I did not know. Guess I'll get a good hands on comparison since this thread and the fact they were only $5 inspired me to order a red filter today.
Total losses in output depends on both the LED and the filter. Here is the XM-L2 spectral distribution graph I referenced before along with a visible light spectrum added at the bottom, most lights will be using the 5000K-83000K CCT (aka Cool White) LED's:
http://i.imgur.com/IfLXoba.jpg
Green light is generally around 510-560 nanometers in wavelength, red runs from around 640nm to about 700nm.
Unfortunately most filters will not allow the entire range to pass through -in fact, even at it's peak designed wavelength most decent filters only let through about 85% of the light IIRC. The only saving grace for using a filter on something like the XM-L2 is its frankly beastly luminous flux; of course then you run into the issues of surface brightness and viewing angle which are working against you when trying to collimate that light into a reasonably tight beam for spotting/hunting.
Hot Holster
02-19-15, 21:56
I use the VRL-1 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E63M7I0/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=4162681282&ref=pd_sl_8nrkeefl2n_e
Total losses in output depends on both the LED and the filter. Here is the XM-L2 spectral distribution graph I referenced before along with a visible light spectrum added at the bottom, most lights will be using the 5000K-83000K CCT (aka Cool White) LED's:
http://i.imgur.com/IfLXoba.jpg
Green light is generally around 510-560 nanometers in wavelength, red runs from around 640nm to about 700nm.
Unfortunately most filters will not allow the entire range to pass through -in fact, even at it's peak designed wavelength most decent filters only let through about 85% of the light IIRC. The only saving grace for using a filter on something like the XM-L2 is its frankly beastly luminous flux; of course then you run into the issues of surface brightness and viewing angle which are working against you when trying to collimate that light into a reasonably tight beam for spotting/hunting.
The physics of it makes perfect sense now that I think about it. It's facially obvious really that the most efficient way to get red light is just to use a red led to start. Any other way you're using a lot of power generating light you're stripping out.
lobstradomus
02-19-15, 22:56
I use the VRL-1 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E63M7I0/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=4162681282&ref=pd_sl_8nrkeefl2n_e
Interesting, it looks like they took the standard Uniquefire/Singfire/Orion/etc. clone and gave it a bit of quality control with better o-rings and included a whole lot of accessories. I would be careful with the battery charger though, the Trustfire/Cytac/etc. units seem to have a history of issues with not actually terminating the charge and could damage the batteries.
Another option for the OP would be a custom modded setup like this one: http://www.customlites.com/Solarforce-M3-with-Red-or-Green-XPE2-SOL-M3-COLOR.htm plus a host body and mount.
As an alternative to white light, has anyone tried hunting with a laser designator like the Laser Genetics ND5?
http://www.lasergenetics.com/nd5_mini.aspx
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