Zooming Model List (2018 Updated) Tell us about your newest zoomie!

Zappaman,
Reflector AR glass(or any glass) has nothing with aspherical glass lens. And sure it will withstand any caliber. Even aspherical glass lens will withstand some abuse but that is not the point. Plastic aspherical lenses are years ahead glass lenses(performance, shockproof) and yet most manufacturers are forcing production with glass lens.

I am specialized for aspherical lights modding(although I did quite a bit of reflector lights) and I find anything below 250KCD not worthy enough for hunting(1000 meters of throw ansi). Zoomie can cover all hunting situation (distant scope hunting or close up hunting situations) it is far more versatile than any reflector light, and I have tried almost every “premium” hunting reflector lights from Maxtoches to Olights and they certainly can’t impress me… They are giving to much light for close up situations and spill out of reflector lights freaks out the game, attracts more bugs to your position, it reflects from sound moderator & barrel which messes with scope vision or night vision device if you use reflector as a host for IR light etc…

For hunting 1” is standard because different popular mounting solutions (magnetic mount, adjustable mount, burris adjustable ring mounts etc.), and while 30mm could pass for some configuration it is not desirable cause 18650 batteries are more standard one and more available on market than 21700 (only BLF and CPF nation knows differences, advantages, etc. but regular people are hardly familiar even with 18650 format ) and because you have as lighter setup on a rifle as possible.

Different kind of zoomie host are no 1. hunting configuration in Europe/UK used from IR lights to flashlights.

Here on BLF are very cool and knowledgeable guys but we don’t have to much hunters here(and that is ok) but on nightvisionforumuk you have hunters from all over the world. Peek a little…

I’ll take a peek :wink:

I’ve build a couple of IR lights and was using night vision in ’99 when the first gen stuff was selling public. As a pig hunter (usually using a 6.8 spc) I prefer (a small monocular) night vision to find them right up to the opening shot- then I light the field bright and wide with 4000 lumens of white light and shoot through decent glass at low power. The ONLY thing I’ll shoot over 300 yards AT NIGHT is a coyote, and there are plenty “within range” at that distance anyway- I’m not a sniper :wink:

Yep, I’ve shot through thermal too and it’s nice for around $7k (minimum for the decent stuff IMO) on a loaded rig with a LOT of IR support- usually meaning several people with lights. But when I’m out stocking pigs and yotes without night vision/thermal (95% of the time) I like a nice bright light with some spill on my guns. And many pigs (and yotes) have been shot in that white light over the years since I first put a C8 on my 223 bold gun about 7 years ago.

So for a one man show (and seventh gen. rancher’s kid) who likes to hunt by myself and whenever I want… the C8F (and I hope C8G) do a good job for anyone who can shoot. And while the weight of the C8G is something, I don’t feel it as a lot weight on my rifles. The 6.8 SPC is around 7 1/2 lbs with 10 rounds+light) while thermal scopes and IR gear are heavier, cumbersome and just isn’t something I “grab” going out the back door for a hunt whenever I feel like it. :beer:

We have decent thermal rifle scope with build in rangefinder for around 2.5K GBP (PARD T-Pro 12µm 42mm Thermal scope).

So IF you have build your own IR lights than you know how reflector light host is inferior to zoom host. Or you did not try zoomie at all?

Just don’t tell zoomie lacks of this and that… Join to NVFUK and you’ll see that all serious IR lights are zoomies now-days(some with sophisticated multi lens system, some simple glass/plastic aspheric), and new technology for IR light is VCSEL laser(1 mile of throw with 30mm aspheric host).

In one word while reflector lights can be used and are used in a different hunting situations zooming lights (modded of course - very few manufacturers do good zoomies out of a box) are simply better.

Thermal is getting cheaper, but if I build a rig I’d run with something in the $6k range using some other well known brands.

But we’ll have to agree to disagree re. “better” as I would agree the Hubble scope would be “better” than anything :money_mouth_face: But it’s what I’m using it for that defines “better” for me and a lot of hunters I’ve run with.

And oh ya! I AM a hunter (not a sniper). I eat game meat year round out of two large freezers (and my own garden, mostly canned). I can build an AR15 in a 6.8SPC with a good Japanese made (Light Optics Works) Weaver fixed 6x power scope and my Lexel switched tail FET modded C8Fs for about $900. I can kill the same number of pigs or more than a lot of guys with the high end thermal and IR rigs can. This is because I know HOW to hunt and shoot. And pigs in particular, present a WIDE target area that a zoomed in light rig can’t see and track well… after the first pig is shot.

So my 300 yard, WIDE throw C8Fs allow me to make multiple kills quickly without any zooming in or out. The thermal rig I did hunt with last year ALSO ran on a 2x or 3x power- max. Watch some vids and you’ll see that these thermal hunters are not zoomed in. We have to see the whole field at once.

So yes, (any) zoom lights (or scopes) on guns can see further out, but for hunting pigs at night… I want to see where they are ALL at, then work them quickly, at an effective range (under 300 yards), and make ethical kills as I eat what I kill.

So bottom line for me: I can’t LEGALLY hunt any other game animal at night in both states I hunt often, except pigs. As I don’t kill them for sport, I get in close BEFORE “hitting the lights!” then I make the cleanest shots I can usually bagging two or three pigs. It’s all over in about 15 seconds whether using thermal or my lights- doesn’t matter after the first shot what you are looking through- as long as you CAN SEE the field of view and track each shot- and make the kills with them on the run. And you’re not doing that zoomed in at 12x power… through a light or scope.

I know the OP is about zoomies here and so I certainly can agree the zoomer gets WAY out there better than a reflector… but some applications (hunting pigs, the only legal night game I can hunt) don’t nessesarily benefit from a zoomed thermal, IR or white light source.

And no, I didn’t build zooming IR lights when I messed with that rig about 4 yrs. back. The problem wasn’t the lights, but the head gear which I sweat through on hot Texas nights killing pigs. Just too much sh*t to haul around and get a good view through. And the novelty of thermal is appealing, but they are bulky scopes and as I can do no better than my white lights (and I will never kill 5 pigs to have to butcher at a time)… it’s just not worth the money. I just don’t need to make YouTube videos of me slaughtering 20 pigs a night!

That said… IF I wanted to kill coyotes at 600 yards with my target 260ai rig- at night? Then yes a zooming IR or thermal scope on a VERY HEAVY gun, with a heavy, long barrel, on a VERY solid rest with would work. And I have done it with IR out of a blind 20ft high (drinking whiskey and smoking cigars until 3am… several times :confounded:

Zappaman,
I presume most hunters knows their hobby and they all gotta to be solid shooters if they want successful hunting. I don’t doubt you know to shoot and bring bacon home… Even I can do that. And sure if we will look that way we don’t need any special equipment at all… We could even shoot on pure moonlight without any light/thermals/night vision devices if you have good classic rifle-scope…

“I know the OP is about zoomies here and so I certainly can agree the zoomer gets WAY out there better than a reflector… but some applications (hunting pigs, the only legal night game I can hunt) don’t nessesarily benefit from a zoomed thermal, IR or white light source.” :person_facepalming:

Zoomies do throw better than any reflector light in same reflector/aspherical head version but they can also be set to cover ALL i really mean all hunting situations (even bird hunt at night if someone do that) cause you simply can adjust fov/light intensity to current hunting situation. I can shoot on a heard of pigs on 60 meters and set it much WIDER than you can set your C8 reflector light and have much cleaner targets at that distance than you with your C8 plus I can shoot up large distances as well when zoomed in.

But most of the time since I have my scope set at 6X mag like you do I really don’t have any need to zoom out… Light is always zoomed in cause it perfectly covers scope fov on 6X magnification. Everything I see at 6x magnification of mine scope FOV goes down(if I hit it of course :) ). But If I will ever have an opportunity to use AR with aimpoint red dot on pigs( God Bless USA :smiley: , but hope you know that kind of guns/hunt is forbidden in most parts of the world) I will certainly set my zoomie to widest possible beam and do the drill :) .

Zoomie rig is more covert than any reflector light cause there is no spill coming out of the light and reflecting from nearby grass, branches, barrel moderator…

Watch some vids and you’ll see that these thermal hunters are not zoomed in. We have to see the whole field at once. “Zoomed thermal”?
What do you mean? I don’t get you here… Whole point of thermal night vision rifle scopes is that they don’t have to use IR light. And if you like thermal scopes without magnification??? That is ok but it is surely better to have thermal rifle scope with variable magnification to cover all hunting situations. I would personally prefer thermal spotter and night vision device on rifle.

IR light? Only host for good and ultimate IR lights are zoomies nowdays. There is no other host option for high power VCSEL laser illuminators. It can’t be fitted to reflector lights. And it can cover any hunting situation. If you want you can have wide FOV to shoot on all heard of zombies up to 50 meters or you can shoot coyote on 500 meters…

You will see that one day only zooming light will prevail… I can bet on that :beer:

Does anyone know the throw numbers for Jaxman Z1 variants?

As I said, we will just have to disagree… I know what works in the field.

I do not have time to “dial in the zoom” during my hunts and spill (with a white light) doesn’t matter pig hunting- it helps greatly to find the NEXT pig actually. When you turn on the light, you shoot the first pig (at 50 or 250 yards) within 2-3 seconds, then track one or two more as they scatter. I explained also that you can NOT hit a running animal zoomed in. You have to see them when running like hell— and see in front of them to place the lead on the shot.

I think you are also missing the larger point I am making: Thermal is thousands of dollars and bulky. It’s a tool for the rich to do what I have done for 40 years with one light (used to be the lights of the jeep or a hand held spot light until these LED lights got good).

So for hunting… with enough spill AND throw you see the field WIDE and DEEP. And that does the job better than something I have to think about (and adjust).

Zooming lights have a place, and as I agreed… coyote hunting at long distances they are great. As this isn’t a hunting forum I’ll stop there and just say that in any scenario what will “prevail” is what does the job well and I have explained why I would not use a zoom light (or other higher dollar thermal, IR, etc.) for pig hunting.

’Nuff said I hope :wink:

My botanist/naturalist friends hate (and shoot) pigs, they’re so destuctive of native plants.
The bacon is an extra benefit to the conservation.

But they can’t keep up with the hobbyist pig hunters who keep bringing pigs in and releasing them into wildland areas.

Hank…

There is a place for the mass slaughter of pigs when they just get too thick on the land. I said I don’t hunt them for sport and part of that reason is because the lands I do hunt have them under control. In other places, if a rancher asked for help with a “big pig” problem, I will kill more then I can eat. But I still try to get the meat to a source that can use it.

15 years ago when we dropped about 15 pigs in a night on a ranch in S. Texas (for a week), I called the neighbors and invited them to come over with a “sharp” knife. We got a lot of the meat to people who could use it. Waste not, want not.

Also, if you have a pig problem, the BEST way to do it IS USE night vision— go in with plenty of fire power (for mama pig) and take out the litter when they are young and still in the brood. Just find the eyes and use a shot gun with #1 Heavy Shot (special tungsten shot).

I once got a letter from the state of New Mexico Dept. of Wildlife allowing me to “eradicate” any and all pigs I find in the BLM and Forest Service managed lands— that was 22 years ago and I still have that letter. I did see sign a few times, but never found one when deer, oryx, or elk hunting there (which I try to do often ;).

OK, I keep forgetting this is a LIGHT forum :blush:

NOt sure if this was posted before: Anekim UC50.
It seems to be a push pull zoomie, tail switch and changeable pills/leds.
Link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000181640511.html

Still search for AA/14500 zoom host with retainer ring for hold Led mcpcb instead of the classic piece of plastic press fit

Just use thermal epoxy + black sharpie and dont even bother using the ring

Think will be difficult swap Led once is fixed with epoxy.Do you know a good small host with solid pill and tail switch not press fit?

Oh no… Not nuff said :laughing: :+1:

Yes I agree for thermals. You don’t really need that for successful hunting. But modern digital night vision devices(around 500:money_mouth_face: are well worth the money. Cost much less than premium classic glass riflescopes (Zeiss, Swarovski etc…) and you have all in one rig for day/night shooting - recording everything you do(sometimes this is good cause you see why you missed something.

Now about this: “with enough spill AND throw you see the field WIDE and DEEP”.

Hmm… :face_with_monocle:
I have a whole lot of 200 - 350 KCD 1x18650 tube modded reflector lights at home and mine experiences are following:

When you turn on reflector LED light, our(human) adaptive night vision is instantly killed by spill light that is reflecting from grass, ground, and other objects like barrel, car hood etc.
Our pupil of the eye narrows and we see less. The brighter the environment is, the narrower is the pupil of the eye, so there’s a reduction in light that hits the fundus.

Aspherical type of beam has sharp borders, so there is better contrast between illuminated area and dark area. The enhanced contrast lets us to perceive objects/persons/things better. 300 kcd reflector vs 300kcd Aspheric. There is no doubt at all that you see further in a night with aspheric because everything mentioned.

USEFUL SIDE SPILL IN REFLECTOR FLASHLIGHTS (spill imho is just halo effect from reflector light) So what do we have with that Halo effect of reflector light beam?

- Spill/reflector halo effect messes with our adaptive night vision. Our pupil of the eye narrows and wee see less.

- We are spooking and give away our position to anyone around such light(yourself, other people, animals)

- In summer days we are attracting more bugs to your position

  • There is no possibility of beam adjustment so it has too much light and to narrow beam on short distances (when used with super thrower emitters with intensity of lets say 200-400 and more KCD).

Why you are explaining that we can’t hit running animal once when zoomed in? That is not true! True is that you got to speak for yourself so… You can’t hit it! :laughing: But I know that is not the true :innocent: since you can hit it but “you can’t” since you did not even try it. :laughing: And you know 350kcd zoomie throws 1 mile and it can be set to throw up to 250 meters with 5-10x hotspot size than reflector…
But ok I see you are old school hunter. Why change something that works? But you will eventually. You’ll see… Just a matter of time. :+1:

These large diameter ultra narrow TIR might be a good compromise between both hunting styles.

I agree often spill is as bad as it is good. On a white “bay” boat in fog before sunrise spill absolutely made it painful with reflections from deck. This boat hull is at or below water line so i am not tall enough to escape spill. Maybe from higher vantage point it would be minimal problem but as is that was a poor example to show off my awesome lights. Lol

Except a little problem… It does not have 1” body… Yes I know it can be fitted with some 30mm non adjustable, non magnetic mounts, but standard for hunting light is 1” tube because of various types of mounting system for them. So dear China sellers you are just driving me mad when you make good looking light and you actually declare it as hunting light like this one above but you don’t think on elementary thing and standards now-days… OK. They don’t hunt (well some of them probably hunt some small beasts like rats and bats). Same goes for Simon Convoy zoomie… I don’t want them even for free until they switch to 1” tube.

On The Road i5: “Unboxing Video + Written Review”: On The Road i5 - Zoomable – 1x18650 – 1100 lumens – USB-C Charging

Store: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001335585730.html

Similar in some things to the Z821, but with USB-C charging!

I was thinking about ordering this Skywolfeye E527 for my niece.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32732619540.html

According to this old thread on CPF, it's modes are High/Low/Strobe, but it has mode memory!

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?428628-ROUNDUP-Review-Lensed-Zoomable-14500-AA-Cheap-Flashlights

After reading what everyone thinks of Skywolfeye in this (BLF) thread, I don't know if I want to order this el cheapo flashlight.

By the way, the flashlight is available from other sellers on AliExpress and eBay, but the AE link I provided is the cheapest I can find, and that store on AE doesn't have very good feedback, but that doesn't bother me too much.

I am worried, however, about the build quality of the Skywolfeye E527.

(Apparently they don't make flashlights very well.)

I got a couple similar cheapo zoomies, but 18650 tube size. There was one cheapo, think the model name was ZB-006, I liked to mod. Expect no shelf - I made one out of copper, then used a de-domed XP-G2 at the time:

Expect very thin alum housing, rough sharp threads, a cheap press-fit button. This is all stuff par for the course. It is really cheap - $2.63 shipped.

Similar to the light we called the slim AA zoomie:

I've already got a couple of those, and my niece likes that one.

They were good for the price, but the price has increased quite a bit.

...

I'll ask my niece if she even wants the Skywolfeye E527, and if so, I'll order it.