Experimental Spotlight Rig

Equipment and accessories for shooting. Safes, firearm storage, bipods, carry cases, slings etc.

Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by tom604 » 24 Jan 2015, 8:01 pm

i dont think it does ,i think that its a pull up and set up type of thing :unknown: when i first saw it i thought that it would sit on the tray with a strap holding it down and set at an angle


oops damm you second page :lol: :lol:
Last edited by tom604 on 25 Jan 2015, 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by Jack V » 25 Jan 2015, 12:11 pm

Bills Shed wrote:I agree Warrigul the scope mounted lights are the go. Unfortunatly they are facing the wrong way when driving if using this mount set up. What I do, if by myself, is to have the main spot light mounted on the roof which I scan with when driving. When I need to shoot ,I park the vehicle in the required position. I also have a light force, scope mounted, spot light on the rifle which I activate if my quarry moves out of the main spot light.

That's exactly what I did in my old 4x4 . Have not set it up yet in my new one. Power beam on the roof and light force lance on the rifle.
Now you can not drive and use the rife mounted light effectively or safely . So you drive around using one hand on the wheel and the other on the roof light .
If you spot something pull up and leave the roof light on the game .
Take up the gun and switch on the scope mounted light ( I have a micro switch ) . If the game moves or other shots present follow with the scope mounted light . Also the scope mounted light can be used for walk about spot lighting . That's they way I do it when I can get away that is.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by Gwion » 25 Jan 2015, 12:52 pm

Strike that last comment (deleted). Didn't see there was a second page of posts.

Re: rifle mounted lights. I use them a lot on foot or occasionally with someone driving the ute (shooter up top) and it is very handy but i don't like having to sweep the rifle over everything you scan. Looking for a good powerful head torch or method to mount a long throw torch to my head so i can search with it filtered and only turn on the rifle torch when taking a shot.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by Gwion » 25 Jan 2015, 1:00 pm

Handy set up for a stationary position, though! Well done Scott.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by Warrigul » 25 Jan 2015, 3:38 pm

Bills Shed wrote:I agree Warrigul the scope mounted lights are the go. Unfortunatly they are facing the wrong way when driving if using this mount set up. What I do, if by myself, is to have the main spot light mounted on the roof which I scan with when driving. When I need to shoot ,I park the vehicle in the required position. I also have a light force, scope mounted, spot light on the rifle which I activate if my quarry moves out of the main spot light.


I've got a lightforce swivel mounted with a folding T handle in the ute, on foot I just use the one mounted on the scope, plenty for what I do. The tractor and 4 wheeler(I am supplied them for my use when shooting on the respective properties) both have racks and lights permanently mounted.

I often take new people out for a shot and in that case it is the 4 wheeler(its a gator) sitting next to me(for safeties sake).
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by JoeyJoe » 25 Jan 2015, 9:47 pm

Question on spotlighting, having never done it before (hope to soon) you talk about solo shooting and having trouble of only have 2 hands to operate everything.
Would it not be easier to have side facing spotties on the roof like this?

Image

Or does that much light scare the game away?
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by ployer » 26 Jan 2015, 8:02 am

Is that I Am Legend? :lol:
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by VICHunter » 26 Jan 2015, 8:19 am

Joey,

You can get adjustable mounts/brackets that sit above the driver or passenger window to adjust forward or sidewards as required. There is no need for a fixed sidewards setup.

A single powerful HID or LED spotlight lights up a lot of area. No need for such a wide array as anything like that.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by JoeyJoe » 26 Jan 2015, 11:12 am

Thanks guys, yeah that's I am Legend, obviously that many lights for spotting is excessive, in reality I'm just talking about 1 or 2 on each side to cover all vectors when driving down the road, rather then just covering 5% of the area in a single spot beam
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by Jack V » 26 Jan 2015, 11:55 am

First off it would scare away game as they would get plenty off time to see you coming and make a decision to leave.

Even shining the light too far ahead or up into trees can scare away game further up the track. Good spotlighting is a skill . Many people think you just flash a light around and that is all it is. Well that will get you some game but you will miss a lot of game also.

Secondly your battery would die quicker than the game because you are driving at a slow pace for many hours .

The whole concept of spotlighting is to move along as quietly as possible showing minimum light out front and catch the game in full light before it thinks any danger is coming .

Once in the full light they can't see past the light so are not fully aware what is behind the light . If they see a carnival approaching from 100 's of meters away they get to see and hear more to identify potential danger coming .

Undoubtedly you would still get some game as they are pretty dumb but you would miss heaps.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by JoeyJoe » 26 Jan 2015, 7:06 pm

Thanks Jack, was just curious about it. Guess time for thermal imaging then no need for spotlights hehe
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by cooker » 27 Jan 2015, 8:46 am

Jack V wrote:Good spotlighting is a skill


:thumbsup:

Yes, still gotta get in a position to spotlight them and take the shot without running them off, as you say.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by Jack V » 27 Jan 2015, 1:03 pm

JoeyJoe wrote:Thanks Jack, was just curious about it. Guess time for thermal imaging then no need for spotlights hehe

NV can be very handy but it is harder to find game with a narrow field of view of a NV or thermal viewer from a vehicle . You can do it but then you have to have a thermal viewer to find the game and a thermal rifle scope to take the shot . That's big bucks .
The 100 watt spotlight is very cheap in comparison and also does other jobs . Like help your mate to see to unravel that 8 gauge wire to open the gate .
I have NV but I would not bother to spotlight with it , it's not on the right gun anyway .
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by Jack V » 27 Jan 2015, 1:19 pm

cooker wrote:
Jack V wrote:Good spotlighting is a skill


:thumbsup:

Yes, still gotta get in a position to spotlight them and take the shot without running them off, as you say.


A common mistake that new spot lighters make is holding a powerful light for too long on the game if it's taking a while to get organised to take the shot .

If you hurt their eyes with the light they may turn away from the light or run off . So what I do in that case is turn the light off or just hold it away from the game until the shooter is ready to rock and roll . Not so bad on big animals you can still see but if a fox in the grass turns away from the light you may not find him again .

It pays to be organised and not take too long to shoot but then you spot the dumbest fox in the World that sits there looking at you from 25 yards and no amount of door slamming , spotlight shudder and bolt closing will make him move . Then 500 yards down the paddock you strike the smartest fox in the World that slips behind a galvanised burr bush and then crawls on his guts along out the back using the shadow of the bush to conceal him and you still think he's behind the bush . You swing up the light and there he is going at 100 mile an hour at 300 yards away .

There are no rules just guide lines.
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Re: Experimental Spotlight Rig

Post by AusC » 27 Jan 2015, 5:39 pm

Jack V wrote:but then you spot the dumbest fox in the World that sits there looking at you from 25 yards and no amount of door slamming , spotlight shudder and bolt closing will make him move .


150gr of lead seems to work ;)
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