It's official...

I've become a flashlight geek.
I needed a new light for predator hunting at night here on the farm. I have a Streamlight TLR-1s HP and a TLR-1 Game Spotter. Both great lights but the foxes have become light shy with the white light of the HP and the Game Spotter doesn't reach far enough for positive ID on varmints. I would rather not shot the neighbors cat.
I've had coyote actually look at the white light and take off calling to their pack the whole way.
So I needed a red light.
I went to Customlites and configured a light using an M3s head, L2P body, L2-E18 extension and a red P60 XRE led. http://www.customlites.com/Hog-Varmint-Hunting_c28.htm
Wow! It blows away the HP in brightness! The beam doesn't seem quite as tight as the HP but I need to test it outdoors to see.
So I'm thinking, this is a great light, what else is out there?
And I came up with this. The Dereelight Night Master V2. This light I also ordered configured the way I want it. It has an aspherical lens that can be focused. I also choose a red emitter for this one as well as an extension tube. http://www.dereelight.com/nightmaster.htm
From what I have been reading this light should do the trick for me out to 250 yards for positive ID of chicken killin' critters.
I'll use the Night Master on my .204 and the Solarforce on my .17 Hornet.
What great about both lights is that they are upgrade-able and use common parts from many different manufacturers. Both can use CR 123 or 18650 batteries and both have 27mm barrels so any 1" flashlight mount will work with them.
When I get the Night Master I'll do a side by side test.
I believe that I will be able to use the Dereelight head on the Solarforce body. If that's the case I can get another Dereelight lens and use it on both lights.
I may get up early tomorrow to see if anything is moving.
The other day there was a coyote in the field behind mine but of course I didn't have my rifle with me.

Got a chance to run the Solarforce this morning and I'll say it is living up to my expectations.
Easily identified deer out to 500 yards.
I'm going back out in a little bit. Hopefully the deer have cleared out of the field and the predators are doing a last minute field sweep before calling it a day.

XPE2. The Dereelight will get an XP-G2.
Had a little bastard sneak up behind me this morning right about dawn. Didn't get a shot.
There's always tonight.

I can't wait to get my Dereelight to compare it to!
Here's what I use on my bolt guns for mounting.
Scope mount.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071MRV9S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Spacer.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003PCQK72/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Flashlight mount.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WQ5FIS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'll bet you see all kinds of stuff in the fields below your land.

leeawalden said:

Also are yall running CR123s, RCR123s, or an 18650.

I had bought a lot of 123s from battery station to feed several lights I have but am looking into a handful of 18650s or RCR123s to rotate.

Click to expand...

That's the cool part about these lights. I'm using rechargeable 18650 batteries but for the hell of it I tried cr123s and they ran no problem. They didn't last as long but they worked fine. That gives you options.
Still waiting on the slow boat from China for the Dereelight.
In the mean time I am also putting together another light using an LP2 body, an asherical lens and a Solarforce 1030 Lumen XP-L V3, also coming on a slow boat from China.

I'll add, I really did like my Streamlight TLR-1s HP and TLR-1 Gamespotter but those mofo's ate batteries. When the cr123a's would drop even a couple of tenths in voltage there was a noticeable difference in light output. I suspect that they were running at near minimum required voltage. I thought about trying 3.7 volt batteries but didn't want to ruin a non user repairable light.
Where the TLR-1s HP shined (hur hur) is with identifying predators. Rabbits, deer and the stupid horses would have a greenish reflection from their eyes. Any predator that I spotted had an amber/red reflection. If it flashed back, I knew right away if it ate chickens or salad. I may just keep the 1s for a while. Already sold the Gamespotter.
I looked in to rechargeable batteries but of course Streamlight's web site says not to use them. That and the lack of a red output is what started me on this route. For the Dereelight I will probably get additional neck sections with a green and white led.
I just like the idea of a configurable light that I can adapt to different situations.
I have a couple of Streamlight Ultra Stingers that I keep mounted in the trucks with chargers that get used a lot.

Shut up JB!
The Dereelight was processed through Sandston yesterday so I should have tomorrow.

Yes it did, as well as another M3s for carry duty.
I haven't had a chance to compare the 2 outdoors yet. Every time I'm off from work lately the weather has sucked.
The rifle on top is a .17 Hornet Ruger 77/17 with the Solarforce M3s and the rifle on the bottom is a .204 Ruger M77 Mk. II VT with the Dereelight.
Once we have some decent weather I'll take the Dereelight out to test. I think I'm going to like the focusable beam on it.
When ever I get a chance I'll try to take some night time comparison shots.

That's a bit out of my price range and a bit on the ridiculous. I want to shoot the varmint, not burn a hole through it!
I have a Dereelight with the XSearcher head. I have no problems seeing 600 yards with this light. Eye reflections out to 1000. It's definitely not a rifle light but it reaches out there.