Hello folks, new guy here. . .
I want a light for hunting coyotes(C8G??, better one?) with a 232 rifle out to 150 yds and for personal defense on my Mossberg 12 ga 500 shotgun.
I have no brackets for either and the 232 is an old school rifle, no rails, weaver rings for existing scope is all. The Mossberg could be converted to hold a flashlight add on but I have a sling and don’t like the stream -light option for this gun that takes away the ability to mount the strap. I am leaning towards a really simple double hole bracket with 1” bracket for the light. That being said, is there a preferred light that you all think would work OK for both applications? Shotgun will be up close and personal use, coyote hunting the 232 out to 150 yds.
Second application: Security Spotlight I have actually considered a REALLY amazing $5000 Xenon handheld (available used for less than $2000 on eBay)— 12 million candlepower! Maxa Beam Handheld Searchlight Packages
However, I just don’t want to jump into something that costly and then not use it enough to justify. The use is to wake up the 20 something idiots that come into our property, despite multiple no trespassing signs and drive 1/2 mile down the lane to our home in middle of the night. I want something to really wake them up before I have to pull out the long guns! Any ideas here?!
It sounds like he wants the gun light for hunting coyotes. They usually dont shoot back.
I ordered the convoy c8 in red to try but it hasn’t come yet so I haven’t an opinion on it yet. I think the osram red flat isn’t phosphor converted and is true red but others may know more than me, I couldn’t find much good info so I’m mostly guessing from the spectrum graph and the low forward voltage. From what I’ve read the best color for coyotes is red.
As for scaring away the drunk college students, I would recommend the gt90 or gt94 if you’re willing to spend that much money.
1. trespassers and long-range coyotes. try the new LEP (longer range than LED) lights. they really reach out. The ultimate LEP flashlight list (The best of 2023) by 1Lumen.com
2. for a short-range shotgun, just about anything works. i cable-tie two to the barrel. yes, two. i experimented once and liked it enough to keep it.
Get an AR 16” barrel length in a 6.8 SPC caliber and don’t look back (legal with FFL only needed). Knock down power at about 1000 ft/lbs. out to about 250 yards. Good for deer or anything smaller.
Then get a C8G and just use a set of 30mm scope rings (with a little shimming) and bolt it on. Thumb switch on/off from the rail. Or eBay a barrel mount for the shotgun and mount about any light to it
Bwana:
Yep, I pretty much agree with your points. The only time I would be flipping it on for the home gun is, strategically, and when pretty sure it is safe to do so; for sure not if you know the other person is armed or likely to be. . . I would have to see they are unarmed before flipping it on. So, yes, don’t want a “shoot me” light!
Of course, the other would be for the coyote . . . gun. Normally, around here, coyotes are not allowed to carry.
For the searchlight, figuring that big light is telling the dimwits driving down my lane we KNOW you are there, back off. Not gonna’ use it as a “shoot me” light. . . your points are well taken and something everyone in a position of breached security should consider before confronting anyone. . . in a car or on foot.
thanks Pip,
I will look up the GT90 & GT 94’s. … Much of the tech details you relate I don’t follow. Could you expand a bit on why you felt good enough about the C8 to order it; for coyotes? Would like to hear more when you get the C8.
Could you expand also on the low forward voltage concept and what the preferred spectrum window should be?
I am gleaning from the posts above that I need a red light for coyotes. Noobie there also! We got ’em around here but never had a chance to call one in. . . got the call, neighbor loaned me a gun, need the “right” light.
I have a gate but it is 1/2 mile up the lane near end of the black top. I should get a solar gate / remote opener / closer for thousands of dollars too.
Those idiots likely are meth-heads looking to meet or shoot up or make a batch or just stupid high school kids looking for a “parking” spot. Although almost every one has been a LONE guy, not with his honey. Some may have been actually telling the truth: “my GPS sent me here on the way to . . .”
Well, From my deck I can assess all vehicles coming in from a height advantage of about 30 ft above the lane and less than 60 total yards away . . . You have to drive by my deck to access the hill to the home. I have a radio com / magnetic vehicle sensor alert me whenever someone starts down the lane 24/7. So I KNOW when someone is about 2 minutes away. The strategy is to stop the vehicle right before they get below the house with a bright light in the face of the driver, light ’em up(uuuh, with LIGHT!), and let them know they are trespassing and cops are coming. . . My 1,700 ft/sec Hornady slugs and my scoped 12gauge can hit anything at the range with a lot more knock down than the AR. Of course, the last thing I want to do is discharge a weapon. It could be a 17 year old with his girl friend. . . OR a meth head! Whatever, I don’t want to kill a human being. Well, unless. . . ?!
Wow! THESE LEP lights might be just the thing. Do you have any direct experience with one? wondering how many lumens is necessary. I had previously figured I needed 1000 + lumens but maybe not with these or maybe not if focused tightly enough. Looking for guidance there.
I am no expert on any of this so hopefully if I say anything that is incorrect someone will correct me.
Coyotes are less sensitive to red light than other colors and tend to not spook as easily with a red light. The same applies to green but to a lesser extent. Humans can see green better than red so some hunters will use green.
Some color LEDs are blue LEDs with a phosphor over them to convert the color. That is what people refer to as phosphor converted. White LEDs work this way. These tend to have some leakage of the blue light. The white LEDs will have a spike in the spectrum at the blue frequency. The color LEDs will also have some blue spectrum.
Some color LEDs are true color LEDs which emit in just one color. These won’t have the blue light at all.
A phosphor converted red led will have similar forward voltage to a white led because they’re both the same led under the phosphor.
The convoy c8+ with the osram red seems to be a true red led. But I’m not positive on that, I couldn’t find it documented anywhere. I just dont see the blue spike in the spectrum graph on the datasheet.
If hunting coyotes because of a coyote problem, killing them has been proven not to work, more coyotes just take their place. The only way to deal with nuisance coyotes that works is hazing. Some people just like killing things, and it is tough for someone who has lived most of their life believing some despicable activity is fine to indulge in because it is legal and they enjoy it. No one need kill coyotes nor most of what is hunted for sustenance, yet most seem to agree that inflicting unwanted harm is immoral. The only solution to entitlement issues (entitlement to kill innocent creatures for no valid reason) is to deal with the underlying personality disorder head on by seeking help from a psychologist in private.
