Best Hunting Flashlight? Maglite?

WeaponR

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I am new to the forums and I have spent a LOT of time looking for suggestions. The problem is, there are so many that I became more confused than ever.

I was intent on buying a 4D Maglite LED flashlight ($26) off Amazon. It seemed to be rugged and bright.

Then I started reading...

Now, I don't know what to do. It seems that the general opinion on here is that there is MUCH better for the money. I want something that is strong enough to withstand moderate usage while having tons of throw so I can see far enough. I was also hoping for something with tons of light so I can see well in the dark.

What do you guys recommend? I'm hoping to keep it at around $40 or under, which limits me considerably...
 

angelofwar

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A nice thrower in yuor price range, that would be avaiable locally as well, would be the Lowes Task Force 3-Watt or the Rayovac Outdoorsman 4-Watt (Sears). Both are considered "benchmark" lights based on there performance/price, and there's plenty of threads on them. Both are LED and run on C-Cells, readily available. Oh, and :welcome:
 

Woods Walker

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I am new to the forums and I have spent a LOT of time looking for suggestions. The problem is, there are so many that I became more confused than ever.

I was intent on buying a 4D Maglite LED flashlight ($26) off Amazon. It seemed to be rugged and bright.

Then I started reading...

Now, I don't know what to do. It seems that the general opinion on here is that there is MUCH better for the money. I want something that is strong enough to withstand moderate usage while having tons of throw so I can see far enough. I was also hoping for something with tons of light so I can see well in the dark.

What do you guys recommend? I'm hoping to keep it at around $40 or under, which limits me considerably...

For the most part I hunt deer at around dusk and dawn. Use a headlamp for getting to the stand etc. Those 4D Mags seemed a bit too big for me. Walking out with the 870 and my other junk the D cell light was just too much. Used a C cell mag for years than move up to a Surefire G2. If looking for a blood trail the Surefire worked good and at a fraction of the weight. Used my Surefire G2Z for a few seasons. Guessing this year it will be the Fenix TK20. I would go with that for the throw if the extra 15 bucks is not a deal breaker. Or maybe a Rebel LED 3C mag as it would be smaller. I upgraded my 3C mag to their stock pre Rebel LED and it was better than the Incan bulb. Never got the Rebel Upgrade or light but guessing sooner or later I will.
 

sigsour

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I started using a Fenix TK12 for going to my stand during deer hunting just this week. The modes are perfect and the ability to twist the head to 2 different levels works out well. I think any of the T series from Fenix serve this purpose well. And dont forget to consider buying at the Marketplace for getting a drawer queen at a significant discount.
 

Patriot

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You're correct that there's many choices but there is no "best" really. For my archery hunting needs, I carry several smaller flashlights into the field. A typical example might be one thrower like the Jetbeam Raptor, a general purpose LED like the Surefire L1, a Zebralight H30 headlamp, and incandescent like the Surefire A2, and a couple of AAA sized LED lights to hand to friends if necessary. Carrying several smaller lights makes for a flexible arrangement but it's not necessary. A Jetbeam M1X might handle all of your needs but I always recommend a least on back up pocket light of some type besides your primary light.

Look at the Olight M30 too. These lights are magnitudes brighter than a 4D mag but they're more expensive too and I'm not sure what you wanted to spend.
 
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loanshark

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A Fenix tk20 is only a lil over your budget, and an excellent woods/field companion. It may not throw quite as well as a 4D Mag, but few lights do. It is levels of magnitude more handy and versatile. Mine goes camping, hiking, off-roading, out for walks at night, it doesn't eat much and has never made a mess on the carpet.
 

outersquare

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i'm not sure i would carry a 4D mag for camping let alone hunting.
You are already carrying a rifle or shotgun, a 4D mag would be a pain in the *** to carry.

for a common store light, atleast the new multimode 2aa mini mag

the streamlight polytac goes for $40, cheaper and brighter than surefire G2L/6PL
 

ZMZ67

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If you can live with less throw and spend more the INOVA T2 might work.Not a true neutral or warm LED but better outdoors than typical cool white LED lights.The Malkoff M60W(neutral tint) in an appropriate host is better but costs even more.The Fenix TK20 is probably a good choice if you want to stay away from CR123 batteries.
None of those lights are going to throw as far as the D cell Magled but they have better tints and provide more usable output in an outdoor environment than the Magled.If you really want throw the Mags are hard to beat but you would be better served with a standard 2/3C Mag and a Malkoff or TerraLUX drop-in.
 

R@ndom

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A2s are going for under 100 on the marketplace. Pick up a red one because deer can't see it or a blue one for blood tracking. The main beam has adequate throw.
 
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Fusion_m8

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For as little as $36.99 the SP-6 Xenon would be the best choice, for a few dollars more you can get the SP-6 LED. These lights are all based on a modular system, so upgrades like Turbo heads, higher output lamps etc... when funds are available in the future are easily done. Whats more being Surefire compatible means no shortage of upgrades on the market.

The quality of these lights are AT LEAST as good, if not better than any reputable brand on the market.

Looking for a light that is rugged enough for hunting with tons of throw will involve for than $40 unfortunately... unless you are willing to compromise quaility and reliabilty and go for a China-made clones available from DX, KD or ebay.
 
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fishx65

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I'm gonna carry a Solarforce L2 5 mode this bow season running 18650's. Around $40.00 for the L2, two 18650's and a charger. Very bright with good throw, multi-mode for great runtime on those long night tracking jobs, compact and rechargeable batteries to keep cost down. My fellow huntclub members will still be using the 5 Seoul modded Propolys I hand out before each night tracking job. I still think the modded Propoly is the ultimate hunting torch but I'm gonna give the L2 a shot. I carry one handheld, 1 headlamp(EOS) and a very small backup light on my P.M. bowhunting adventures.
 

dcycleman

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yeah, I would never even consider hauling around a big *** maglite in the woods, might as well bring a boat anchor with you. this year I'm using my tikka headlamp (if I cant get a saint) and my surefire e2l. both are lite weight and small. If budget was a concern for me I would get a fenix pd30, I have one its an excellent light although its like 15-twenty bucks over your limit you will not regret it. it has a low mode that wont completely blind your night vision and a kick a$$ high mode that will really suprise you along with being smaller than a minimag.
 

GPB

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I'm a big fan of the rebel Mags, and I have a bunch of them, but I only use them in the car, boat or house. If I had to carry it for any length of time, I'[d pick something else. If you do want to go with a mag, you could reduce the weight by putting 3 C cells into a 2d body, and using the head from a 3 cell light. You could also probably run it off of lithium AA cells that had adapters in them.
 

WeaponR

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I thought the maglite would be good for its ruggedness and as a blunt object. As any outdoorsmen knows, having a blunt object in the woods/lake is useful for many things.

What do you think about the romisen RC-N3 instead? It's compact and its got some fantastic reviews for a budget light. Is this going to be a good first flashlight? I'm thinking about going with a Maglite 3D LED/Romisen RC-N3 combo. The RC-N3 on my body and the Maglite in the truck.
 

fishx65

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If you want to carry a big/bulky light in the field or in the truck, I would go for the Rayovac Cree 3C Sportsman mentioned earlier. It's very heavy duty and blows away the LED Mag in terms of brightness. You can also run this Rayovac on 3 AA's instead of C's. The RC-N3 would work fine in the field and be a decent 1st flashlight.
 

jankj

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I thought the maglite would be good for its ruggedness and as a blunt object. As any outdoorsmen knows, having a blunt object in the woods/lake is useful for many things.

Sure, blunt objects may be used for a lot of things (hammering tent pegs, bashing Swedish backpackers,), BUT....

... many outdoorsmen object to the notion of CARRYING big heavy blunt objects, because,

1) In the woods, there is typically an abundance of blunt objects to be found. I suggest using a branch of maglite 3D diameter. The perfectionist will cut this so the length exactly matches the maglite 3D. If dry enough, one end can even be set on fire to further approximate the appearance of a 3D mag...

and 2), blunt objects, while useful, aren't really what you consider vital and required items. You can get tent pegs in place without hammering, and give that Swedish backpacker a beer instead of bashing him.



What do you think about the romisen RC-N3 instead? It's compact and its got some fantastic reviews for a budget light. Is this going to be a good first flashlight? I'm thinking about going with a Maglite 3D LED/Romisen RC-N3 combo. The RC-N3 on my body and the Maglite in the truck.

Sounds like a winning setup. Die-hard flashaholic will tell you what improvements there are to be gained by replacing either of those lights by whatever is in fashion for the moment. Sure, but that comes at an extra cost. At that price, your setup is a VERY good choice. Reliable, solid and plenty bright enough.


The only difference I would suggest is getting the two-mode romisen for improved runtime and adding a backup light for your person. Fenix E01 ($15, I've seen it discounted at $12) is perfect: So small you won't notice it's there, long runtime, bright enough for most of the things you do in camp and indestructable. (IPT has another strong budget AAA candidate, but I haven't tried it.)


Of course, I have to give my flashaholic / outdoorsman opinion as well, haven't I: Quark handheld + Zebralight headlamp. Both with your preferred battery configuration (should be the same, though) and both with warm white (neutral white, actually...) emitters.
 
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M@elstrom

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Don't light filtered (read as coloured lenses) OR alternative light source flashlights work best for hunting (especially blood trails)?, not being a blood sport enthusiast I really couldn't say though I do have a light similar to the Streamlight Buckmaster Xenon/LED however my version now has Ultra blue LEDs instead of the Buckmaster's green which makes red show as dark patches :D

For example....

A red mentos container (incandescent)
img0722z.jpg


Blue light output (LED)
img0723e.jpg


Red light output (LED)
img0724u.jpg


FWIW the TT2L sized flashlights from Streamlight can be used with AW 17670 rechargeable lithium cells and still give relatively good output from the underdriven Xenon lamp, using rechargeables you can save in the long run from continual CR123a purchases, 18650 sized lights are also great for the very same reason... call it guilt free Lumens (light output) if you like! :grin2:

Working predominantly in dark environments I can definitely confirm blue & red lighting helps preserve your night vision and as such I'd recommend any of the small 18650/2 x CR123a sized lights which can be fitted with aftermarket colour filters should you choose to opt for a single colour LED emitter flashlight :thumbsup:
 

benhar

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Hunting was one of many reasons I wanted a "real" flashlight. In the end, I sacrificed a little throw and brightness to gain a smaller size and versatility, and settled on a Quark 2AA. I love this light, and honestly, I don't see where I will need any more throw than this thing gives me. The amount of light and throw this thing puts out will suprise someone who isn't accustomed to high-end lights (like me :eek:). If you want to know how the throw compares to an *upgraded* Maglite, look at csshih's outdoor comparison:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/235171

That said, the Quark is about $20 over your price range, but according to reviews around here the EagleTac P100A2 is comparable, if not brighter, than the Quark, for only $42.99 before shipping.

https://www.eagletac-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=103&products_id=716

I also second the recommendations for the Fenix.
 

M@elstrom

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Ooh... that RGB filter system on the EagleTAC T20C2 sure looks nice the best of all worlds, red, blue, green & neutral white powered from an 18650 OR dual CR123a cells & selectable output from 5 upto 270Lm... sweet! :thumbsup:
 
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outersquare

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I thought the maglite would be good for its ruggedness and as a blunt object. As any outdoorsmen knows, having a blunt object in the woods/lake is useful for many things.

I hope you have an ax already..
 
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