Well - a
very interesting night with 10 hunters arriving with a range of DX and other lights for testing.
Earlier in day we had painted a bunch of 2L milk bottles
bunny brown to simulate hunting conditions, and set up these markers on the left hand grass verge of a straight private driveway using rangefinder at 50, 60, 75, 100, 115, and 125 meters. Had also set up on the right hand side plain
white milk 2L bottles at 125, 150, 175 and 200 meters to check max reach. There was no light interference from street lights etc, and it was pitch black tonight.
I have to say I did
not expect these inexpensive DX lights to pick out brown coloured markers much past 100 meters. I was very wrong.
Note: all prices for DX stuff in NZ dollars, landed here.First up the little headlamps which were not expected to reach too far. Test results:
1.
A Led Lenser headlamp which cost $120. This light was not overly bright and managed perhaps 50m, but with little power.
2. A DX headlamp
(44500) which cost $28. This little lamp is very good, quite bright with its zoom or flood lens, and easily picked out the brown bunny marker at 75 meters. Wow!. Also picked out the white marker to 100+ meters.
3. Another DX headlamp
(26250) which cost just $18. This lamp is stunning. Not quite as bright as the DX one above but with terrific range. Picked out the brown marker at 100 meters, and the white marker to 125-150.
Both DXs seriously out-performed this similar Led Lenser model.
Next the bigger torches:1. The
008 recoil thrower (22934) worth about $34. This light made out all the brown markers out to 125m, and showed up the white markers to about 175m. A good spotlight torch with useful beam width.
2. Stefan's modded
501with aspheric lens and replacement LED. This torch also picked out all brown markers to 125m, and white ones to 150+.
3. The
HS 802 (16538). This torch also full 125 on bunny brown markers and 200m on white ones. However one 802 died in afternoon, and another malfunctioning. Not reliable.
4.
P7 - not sure of make yet. Not a great performer. good light to 75-90m max. Not in class of others.
5. The
502D (4314) with smooth reflector - $29. A useful mid range torch ok for possums etc but not long range at 75 - 80 meters max on brown markers.
6.
Another 502D as above but with $3 aspheric lens added. Huge improvement and now a dedicated thrower with tight beam. Picked out brown markers to 125, and white markers to 175+
7.The
X2000 (14450) at $16.70 with fullly adjustable beam from flood to spot, hi and lo power etc and 18650 battery. A gem.
Very bright beam out towards 100m - perhaps the brightest - and just picked out markers also to 125 for brown, and 175 for white. Also good spread for scanning.
8.
The X2000 with a C123 battery. Not so bright - get the 18650 option.
9.
TR1200 worth about $64. Not as bright as expected but clear 125m on brown bunny markers, and 175+ on white. Second best long distance spotlight.
10. The
WF 800 (6965) at about $50. This is the best of the tight beam spots and picked up brown markers easily at 125 and the white at 200m. Excellent torch - not wide beam.
Note: these torch distances are measured in perfect conditions. When hunting in paddocks at night, many factors affect max torch range - moonlight, long grass, uneven ground, varied grass colour etc. Even in daytime, you quite often won't see them until they take off from just meters away.CONCLUSIONS:It is quite clear there are a number of DX lights that will do the job well for bunny spotlighting - e.g the modified 501 and 502s with aspheric lens, the 008, the X2000, the TR1200, and the WF800. There was a fair bit of discussion, and reasonable concensus concerning 3 torches which stand out for different reasons.
1. The cheap
DX headlamp (26250) that could just pick out bunny markers at 100m. Amazing value and great for paddock scanning before switching on the rifle spotlight for shooting.
2. The
WF 800 (6965). This is an excellent spotlight and lights them up best at long range. Bigger and heavier, but a very good rifle-mounted torch.
3. The
X2000 (14450) with the 18650 battery. This torch is very small, very versatile. You can use it as a house torch on low power, zoom it up to a 100m plus for spotlighting, or broaden beam to shoot possums at 30m. A popular option that does everything well. VERY bright out to 100m which is the prime bunny shooting range. It was decided that regardless of what people choose, they should all
also get an X2000 - because its so cheap and so useful, and good at what it does. A number of people went away to buy 2-3 - for self, for mates, and for Graeme to give to his wife so he stays out of trouble...
So there you have it. Some good choices - many of which did the 100m+ job well in these particular conditions. Of them all, 3 that people thought stood out, and interesting that 2 of these cost less than $20 each.
In all a very pleasant and interesting evening for a keen bunch of shooters. We all learned plenty! Guys - please add or explain more where needed - I won't have remembered everything.
Quackers - I would not bother with AAA X2000. May not have the power output of the 18650 battery model. Go to the 18650 one (14450) and this torch plus charger and pair of rechargeable batts still less than $40. Also the 18650 batts last better and are interchangeable with most other bigger DX spots.
Done..
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DX (Dealextreme) lights: full test results. (Read 462 times)