Rifle mounted torches.

[Chappo]

Ok so I’ve read all I can on the interwebs and watched the YouTube clips but I wanna hear the up to date everyday experiences from you blokes on the latest rifle mounted torches.

Cheap (jaycar) vs expensive (olight)
Mounts? Scope, magnetic, etc
Run times?
Filters?

With the shorter days down here I’m looking to interchange it between a 22-250 and a 22 hornet to make an evening stroll last into the first hour or two of darkness.
For example It’d be nice if I could place a shot on a fox at up to 200yd with a red filter.

[Blr243]

I bought a torch from jay car and it just s**t itself in a heartbeat. Somebody here recommended an olight so I bought one and it’s probably the brightest torch I have ever had. Led lenser make a bracket for mounting torches to scopes it’s very flexible with its ability to mound different diameter torches to different diameter scope tubes. I take this stuff hunting with me for back up just in case but never really use it now I have the thermal scope and thermal binos

[TassieTiger]

I compared a LOT of led units(including wolf eyes, olight, LEDs from eBay, eagle tac, etc) before committing to buying 3 nitecores...this was a year ago - so might be better out there now but for the weight / $90 price tag...simply unbelievable and they come with picatinny mounts.

[Pudlux]

Olight Javelot works for me. Can see critters changing their minds. I use it once the spotlight flashes eyes etc. 2 batteries last me all night. Just got a red filter but not tried as yet.

[Chappo]

Thanks pud
The javelot does seem to kick arse from what I’ve read.
I’d like to know how much the red filter affects its range and output though.
When you’ve used it please let me know what you think.

[Roo farmer]

I have a Led Lenser MT7 and rifle mount kit.

It's pretty bright, good for close range, out to probably 100 metres.

It has 4 of AAA size batteries, which don't last very long. That's my main criticism.

Also it's a bit bulky, not too bad when using it, but it's a bit of a hassle to fit your rifle into the safe if you don't want to bother taking it off.

[flutch]

Didn't really read any responses here but you need to make sure you get a torch that mounts correctly and is adjustable, ones that have more than one point of contact where it mounts to the scope and rifle are not common but preferable, my dad bought a very expensive name brand rifle mounted torch and it's totally useless as it can not be adjusted and is basically never aligned with the scope, I have a mount similar to what is used in the Laser Genetics (Gamo) nd3 laser torch, infact one of those will be my next purchase especially for stuff on foot. But back to the mount, it allows you to fit torch with a 1" tube size to a scope and have windage and elevation adjustment there also... Brilliant idea because as mentioned before some, even well known and expensive brands, don't even line up with your optics

[wannabustbunnies]

Cheap option that works is a T50 torch, takes an 18650 battery, has a flood to spot adjustment. Depending on where you get them from you can get single mode or low mid high etc and you can get white, green, red or IR pills for them. With a quality red pill the furthest fox I have gotten is 280m

[YoungBuck]

Another very happy Olight Javelot user here. A fairly concentrated beam with 3 brightness settings, the brightest setting will allow you to clearly see your target at about 300m on a clear night (e.g. no fog/smoke) but 90% of the time the level 2 brightness setting is fine. The kit cost me about $195 (I think) while it was on sale, don't regret it for a moment.
The other torch I have in the image is a cheaper one I bought before the Olight, more of a spread beam on it good for lighting up targets to about 50-60m but will easy pick up eye shine from 100-150m. That one is usually put on the little savage .22lr.

[SCJ429]

Olight Javelot works for me. Can see critters changing their minds. .

Love it modern LED are awesome.

[Steve-0]

I snagged a predlight trident off liteshop.com.au
It can switch between white red and green LED at the turn of a dial. It's dimmable, can focus to a fine point or be wound out for a more broad beam.
It has the option of a corded tailcap to locate the on/off and dimmer switch to around the trigger area which is handy.
Comes with 2x batteries, with a claimed 2.5hrs full power run time. I have only taken the light out once, and used it exclusively for the whole night and it didn't go flat.
I have compared it side by side with the m3x olight, and the olight definitely outshines it, but once you switch to red, the predlight leaves it for dead.
It is kind of in the heavy side, but I have a heavy rifle anyways so it doesn't matter all that much.

[Stix]

Bringing this up again folks...

Is the Olight still the best at present...?...(which model...?)

They are throwing up advertising accross the banners again here...getting me thinking how badly i need a decent rifly mounted light to shoot fur with at decent ranges at night.

Chappo---what you end up with & how is it...?

[Blr243]

I used to think my olight was the most powerful light I had. Then I bought an acebeam w30. It has twice the range of my olight but a narrow Beam

[Stix]

I used to think my olight was the most powerful light I had. Then I bought an acebeam w30. It has twice the range of my olight but a narrow Beam

Thanks BLR...

Is it zoom-able...?.../...can you vary the intensity/coverage of the beam...(in other words make it narrower/wider..?)

[Blr243]

Not zoom able. 1.8 degrees diversion Angle. I think it’s about 6 metres at 200 yards I will have another look and let you know Comes with a screw on red filter 374 bucks I think. From lite shop in Geelong . When I told them I needed it quick for my next hunt they did express post for me no extra charge. And I bought it on line but u can still call them if need be. They seem to have good back up phone support

[Chappo]

Chappo---what you end up with & how is it...?

Sorry mate, can’t report. Things came up and I haven’t bought one yet.
The w30 sounds nice but I can pick up the olight for $195 so I’ll probably go with that.
The days are getting longer now anyway thank jeebus

[Pademelon]

I use a $10 scope mount and a 1000 lumen red led torch I got from Bush Gear for about $70. Works great on the rimfires for wallabies up to 75-100 m on a fresh battery. You get 3 hours of good run time then after that your range drops to about 50 m.

[mickb]

I used torches in the army and also contracting in half a dozen countries. One of my lecture posts coming up. Strap in or scroll past, whatever suits

The important measurements are lumens and candela(CD). Lumens is how much light total, candela is how much range the light has( dictated partly by lumens but also LED type, size, shape and smoothness of the reflector) Candela is more important for long range, a lot of people forget to check this, it will tell you how far the torch shines.
Examples

Generally small lights, work lights or paramedics duty lights might be high lumen, low candela, to light up large areas in close, high flood, low spot. Candela might be only 3000-10,000 Cd.

10,000-20,000CD is more medium range(illuminates to solid 30-70m), mix of flood and spot.

Torches over 30,000CD are starting to get into longer ranges, up to about 90,000( illuminating (70-200m). Hunting torches usually start here.

Long range setups. Figures as high as 250,000. CD etc, 250 m+. Keep in mind high CD may mean a very concentrated hotspot with little or no flood. if you want a mix check the beamshots of the torch on youtube, almost everything is reviewed there.

Note manufacturers maximum distance claims are always about 2.5-3x worse in real life. That's because their test goes off an obscure scientific test of 1 unit of illumination at that range, which is beyond normal human eye use. If they say the torch is good for 200m, its more like 70-80m in real life.

Torches with variable spots and flood are okay but usually don't have the best of either, waste some lumens doing so, and may have have lesser IPX( waterproof and durability ratings) to be able to do that. Led lenser became very popular with this in the 2000's but serious light users these days more often choose regular beams.

IPX ratings relate to dust, shock, immersion, drop proofness. IPX8 is the highest, realistically everything is IPX8 these days.

Make sure the torch has the interface you need. A lot of the light market is powered by whats called 'flashaholics' which is people, often teens, who buy and review torches just to have torches. This has generated a lot of torches with excessive buttons, extra functions, dozens of light modes, crap like strobes, SOS beacons, to keep them happy. Ensure to check the torches interface in the store or on youtube to make sure its handy for you. I find about 90% on the market annoying to use. You may be cycling through light levels you don't need, activating beacons for holding the button in too long etc just when you want to shoot a pig that appears. Generally the remote switch in dedicated hunting torches will alleviate a lot of this.

Generally I find the best interaction for handheld is what military and cops use. At least one button than can do simple on/off, that can be set to immediately turn on at high, and a momentary function( meaning you can slightly depress it to flash it on and off, without clicking it fully on).

batteries. 18650 rechargeables are the go-to these days In the 2000's the 18650 battery powered torches for hours, as lumens technology was still embryonic. Then around 2014 they both complimented each other, lumen levels for a handheld for example were about 700-800 lumens which still gave you 1-2 hours use. Now lumens have far outstripped 18650 capacity. All it means is when you buy a torch stating crazy 1600 lumens just be aware that at full power it will suck the battery faster, also heat up the torch a lot. Some of these figures are using a "turbo setting" too, which only runs a few minutes so it doesn't fry the torch. Check reviews to make sure the light level you want, lasts as long as you want. My personal opinion is for over 1000 lumens I like a torch in 2x 18650 confguration for more capacity.

2 x 18650 torches should have the batteries paired or mated for life. If you replace the batteries for recharging, replace with a new complete mated pair, and recharge the other ones together. This is because lithium batteries get a memory and if they discharge at different rates with an odd battery it can potentially and extremely rarely cause fires in the device.

Quality levels are as follows.
1. Custom manufacturers and top end US brands like Surefire, Pflexpro, malkoff, HDS, macgizmo, Elzetta. Usually lifetime warranties, big dollars, and potted electronics( electronics often encased in a potted compound to offer more resistance to recoil and impact)

2. High grade chinese brands. Olight, Klarus, Armytek, sunwayman, nitecore, eagletac, led lenser etc(german owned but now made in China), wolf eyes( australian designed). As good as no.1 usually, not as often potted electronics. This is go-to for most duty users, hunters etc, warranties usually 5-10 years and they are affordable. Normal stuff with chinese goods, you may get the bad one and have to send it back...

3. 2nd tier or budget chinese brands like microfire, xtrafire, jetbeam, convoy( too many names to list). Sometimes great, sometimes not as great. Candlepower forums are the experts on lights btw and another site 'Budget light forums' are a good source for reviews on the budget stuff to see how it goes.

4. Kmart, fishing store crap.

What else? Magnetic mounts. I didn't like them.They can be bumped off in the scrub, they also swing around smooth barrels during recoil( as in rotate around the barrel, changing position).

[Blr243]

Good stuff mick. I didn’t know about pairing the 18650 batteries I use them tons on my strictly red walkabout head torch.. last thing I want is a fire on my head when I am trying to hunt in the dark

[mickb]

yeah mate and I think its incredibly rare and maybe more an issue for non protected 18650 pairs. Batteries can be protected or unprotected, protected includes circuitry to regulate issues when they discharge. Some folks still use unprotected as they are much cheaper, like a few bucks vs $20-30 for protected. The guys on Candlepower forums can explain the facts better but for whatever reason they say its still good practice to pair 2 x 18650 in torches.

[Desjer70]

My first post here, have read so much valuable information in the past and thought this is a topic that I can comment on with lots of personal experience. I have a couple of different generations of Olight M3x. Someone will have another favorite (i have not used nitecore for example) but I have not found anything else that is rifle/scope mountable that beats them for distance. I have a Fenix TK60 that is brighter, (4x18650) that I use for main spotlight if walking/stalking and 12v lightforce blitz is not practical. I like scope mount over barrel mount as does not change balance of rifle. I have tried the olight magnetic mount to barrel, but tapered barrel throws out alignment, and can get in the way if shooting off the back of ute or rested position or from ATV.. The inexpensive clamp style scope mounts found in most kits and readily available on ebay are cheap and easy. I use two clamps, one in front and one behind scope turret for exact alignment and stability. If you can only fit one, alignment is generally still good. Through a good quality scope i can see anything out to practical shooting ranges of 300m, and way beyond that (i shoot 243W when it is windy, 204 Ruger mostly for foxes, sometimes 17HMR for bunnies and foxes at <100m). When shooting from vehicle, I still think halogen is best spotlight, animals do not "stop and prop" as readily in super bright white LED light in my experience. What i Like is that once you get some eye shine, I can turn on the scope mounted M3x, and as soon as you place the hot center spot on the target, target acquisition is very easy, as the hotspot exactly matches the scope line of sight. This might be too late to assist the OP, but hope someone else reading this may find some value. I also tried the olight red filter, to address the target prop vs flight issue, but just reduced visibility too much at the ranges I shoot to. I found on ebay a cheap single power, red LED, single 18650 torch that is brighter than the m3x through filter, but have not had a chance to test it in the field as yet. I think it will be really good as rifle mounted torch while still using a halogen spotlight as main scanner for eye shine, but yet to be tested. Happy hunting. JD

[Stix]

G'day Desjer70...

What is the new torch...?...
Do you have a link...?

Very keen to hear how it performs in the paddock...

Cheers

[Am88]

I use a nitecore for my deer, it's mounted with a sports match mount, I think the torch is a MT40 or something of the like holds 2 18650's. Only thing I had to do was add a 1/2" strip of leccy tape on the bottom part of the lens to help with scope glare

[NTSOG]

G'day,

Does anyone have actual knowledge of and experience with the [very expensive!!!] Sniper Hog Light Coyote Cannon Kit or the Sniper Hog Light 66LRX from the US?

I would like more IR range when using my ATN scopes. Having used the PARD 008 on my BRNO Mod 2 and seen how clear the image is it is obvious I need to get a stronger IR illuminator for my .222 Rem rifles. Presently I'm using a Wolf Eyes Ranger 56. It's pretty clear to about 100 yards, but the view gets more 'muddy' after that and it's a bit of a strain, especially with glasses, at longer ranges. Otherwise I might have to buy a vcsel type light from a UK maker.

Jim

[solarpak]

Wolf Eyes SEAL .........never let me down ........

C.

[John]

I’ve been using a led lenser and love it very bright 500lm great beam rechargeable ether 12v USB or 240 wall socket
There pretty expensive but well worth it over the cheaper rip off versions which I’ve all so tried

[Stix]

Thought id post this up for those who dont know.

Olight are having a 30% off everything sale from midnight tonight...the email i got says its off the entire store so if youre looking for a rifle mounted light, tomorrow might be the time...

I love my Olight Javelot Pro 2100 lumen 1080m long range Hunting Kit

https://www.olightstore.com.au/hunting/kits/

You need to enter a code "olight30" apparently.

[Jon79]

I have 2 Olight's I bought the Olight M3XS-UT Javelot and was really happy with it, you can clearly see foxes out to 300m probably further, for those not cashed up the olight site offers afterpay which is handy
https://www.olightstore.com.au/olight-m ... eable-kit/

I also bought the newer Olight Javelot Pro when it was on special when released which would be close to 80% brighter and goes a fair way further.... makes my powabeam look like a candle lol, I bought a red filter (cant remember where I sat it, I can spend isolation searching now) I'd say it cuts the beam distance by at least 50%
https://www.olightstore.com.au/olight-j ... led-torch/

https://www.olightstore.com.au/olight-6 ... -diffused/

I have the two mounts below which I use both are good

[perentie]

Do the Olights come with a picatinny mount , or is one available?

[womble]

I know nothing about torches, i have an led lenser because they are hardy and last forever. And it’s only on a 22.

However i have one of these mounts that adjust windage an elevation. Some might find interesting.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/25-4mm-Tactical-Sight-Flashlight-Rifle-Scope-Mount-Adjustable-Elevation-Windage/273215050437?hash=item3f9ce2d2c5:g:o~8AAOSwZota9par