CalHunter

I'm starting to gear up for night hunting yotes and can only use 9V lights or less (dumb CA law but confirmed with a Game Warden yesterday).

Anybody able to recommend a good light(s) they've used? If so, what distances have the light(s) worked at?

MudderChuck

I have no answer per say, just a couple of observations. Volts don't really count for much with the newer LED lights. Lumens (or Lux) is what you want to look at. The higher the Lumens the quicker it drains the battery. Miliamps or amp hours is a decent indicator of how long the battery is likely to last.

There is (supposed to be) a lumen limit, my guess is against eye damage. I have 2000 Lumen lights on my shotguns, good to a hundred yards. I've seen lights small enough to rifle or shotgun mount with 5000 Lumens (advertised Lumens). Advertised Lumens may not be actual Lumens. I have two lights, one 1000 Lumens one 2000 Lumens, the 2000 isn't twice as bright. Best guess is advertised and actual Lumens varies.

I think that 9 volt law is way behind the actual technology of today. My guess is that 9 volt limit is at the battery and not at the bulb. It is more about how long the battery lasts and how hot things get, than the voltage. Now on days they can generate illegal amounts of Lumen with less than 4 volts. It also counts on how big of a spread you want on your light (Lux). I rarely use more than a 10 foot circle (spread) at a hundred yards. The LED actually pulse, but pulse so fast they look continuous. They take a moderate battery voltage and electronically amplify it into a much higher voltage at the bulb (in pulses).

Rechargeable batteries are a big plus. Buying quality batteries is advised, brand name, the highest milliamp rating, is likely to work out better than budget packs of cheap batteries.

Switch placement, whether you can recharge with the battery still in the light, ease of focus and other factors are also to be considered. A five mode light is kind of a pain, you normally have to switch through four modes you never use to get to the one you want first the next time. High-low is really all you need, strobe SOS or whatever is redundant junk IMO.

Last observation, almost the exact same light comes in a large variety of prices and labels. I've found the Amazon specials to be just as good as lights costing 5 X as much. You really don't need as much light as you think you do. The first thing you see is the eyes reflecting, then when you look through your scope things brighten up a lot. Lighting up a whole hillside is largely unnecessary IMO.

Nomercy448

(In my best "da yoopers" voice): Gettin ta be dat time ah year, eyh?

Deer season's over, time for the fur to fly.

XLR 250 Kill Light. Runs on 18650's, wanna say they're 3.5v output. It's listed as a 250yrd light, which is likely true with the white LED module, but I typically use the red (still not sold on green). The Wicked Light is virtually the same product, without the bells as whistles of the XLR kits, and comes at a lower price point.

I used to really like the Laser Genetics ND3 SubZero laser designators, especially for the ability to focus the beam. Mine went to crap, and when I went to replace it, it seems they're either not in business or not supporting the product any longer. I got a used Wicked and had the XLR250 my wife had been using, very serviceable.

CalHunter

Thanks guys. I can wear a light mounted on my head or hold it in my hand but cannot have it mounted to the gun or exceed 9v. I had been looking at the XLR 250 but some of the reviews were mixed at Amazon. The problem with that is that people giving low reviews usually don't give many details so you wonder if they're using the product correctly or are trying to use it for something not intended or designed. At this point, I'm thinking about a handheld flashlight (like the XLR 250) to spot the yotes and a headlamp for shooting them. I'm still messing around with daylight calling now that deer season is over and the bears are pretty much denned up but it's nice to be able to adjust to activity times and try something different.

Nomercy448

I prefer to mount my light to my shooting stick - a Primos Monopod. This lets me run the light like a lighthouse - plant the pod and turn it back and forth to scan, and doesn't require as much movement as lifting the rifle every time I want to scan. And of course, it has the advantage of not pointing a loaded rifle at anything I might want to illuminate. Gun mounted lights are handy for making the shot, but they're ONLY handy for making the shot. Having it mounted to the monopod assures it'll be pointing the same direction as my rifle when I get mounted for the shot, but gives me the ability to use it more freely like a handheld light when I'm not mounting the rifle. Since I do most of my field shooting from the support anyway, it's natural for me, and doesn't add any extra junk in my hands at "go time."

CalHunter

That's a good idea. So you're still using the Monopod to rest your rifle on when shooting? Reason I ask if our DFG can get persnickety about having a light "attached" to the gun.

Nomercy448

Right - light attached to the monopod, rifle sets on top. The monopod is a shooting stick, it's not attached to the rifle, and can't constructively be misconstrued to be mounted, since there is no physical attachment. Not really any different than holding a light in the palm of your hand, beneath the forend - they're in proximity, but they ain't connected.

CalHunter

I checked the regs (they have 2 different sections) and it specifies handheld or worn on my head. I met the local warden for the area and he comes across as very by the book. Now when I retire out of this communist state, I like your idea.

MudderChuck

Technically night hunting Hogs isn't allowed, but one of those things where the powers that be turn a blind eye to it. They seriously want the Hog population thinned out and they aren't going to enforce any laws that tie one hand behind your back. Germans are some of the more managed cultures on the planet, but sometimes surprise you with a little common sense. If they allow lights they don't care where you mount them.

Seriously are you actually willing to go looking for a wounded Hog at night with a flashlight in one hand and your rifle or slug gun in the other? Mounting the light on the firearm makes a whole lot more sense and is a whole lot safer. The guys who dream up these regulations have never heard a wounded 300 lb Hog snorting and snapping their jaws shut, crotch high, in thick brush, in total darkness. Those castanet teeth clacking together is guaranteed to get your attention.

IMO the whole red light, green light and white light controversy is largely BS. I figure my Dogs have much the same vision as many other animals and they chase a focused red light or a green light quicker than a white light. Red and Green will save your night vision, but may not make much difference to wildlife. Most wildlife has seen car headlights on numerous occasions. few are afraid of them. Hogs being the exception, wise old Sows may/will head for the hills when they see a light.

CalHunter

Interesting commentary. From what I've seen in my life, most people who write laws not only don't don't much about the subjects they're making laws about but are simply incapable of conceiving of potential consequences from said laws.

For me, the critters I can night shoot in CA are yotes, fox and bobcats. A lot of the material I've read had said that red lights work best for not alarming all 3, along with lower intensity, etc. While night driving on the roadways, I've seen all 3 in my headlights and they all ran like crazy. Could be the headlights, the truck or all of the above but they were not transfixed or frozen at all. I'm taking NoMercy's advice on one of the lights and am grateful for the user feedback. I expect it will be a fun hunt and something I'll end up doing semi-regularly.