TK30 red lense cover

[Enno]

Hi guys.
I am looking for a powerful flashlight to use on a night hog hunt this summer.
I have been looking hard at the Fenix TK30 but I need a red lense cover. Does anybody know if Fenix or aftermarket makes them?
Or does anybody have any suggestions for a newby?

I have a TK 11 Q5 now and it is an excellent light but with the red lense I can't see much past 40 yards thru a scope.

Thanks in advance
Enno

 

[Gunner12]

White LEDs don't make a whole lot of red light, that is why the red lens makes you light so much dimmer.

A dedicated red LED light might be better.

:welcome:

 

[Enno]

Thanks for the welcome.

What do you recommend for a light? I would like to keep it able to mount to a normal flashlight mount on an AR15 platform.

Enno

 

[Pacecar]

Check out the red Sniper Hawg Lights "Destroyer".

 

[kingofwylietx]

I second the red led option.

I also hog hunt at night. I've been running 2 white led surefires mounted on my AR10 (1 mounted on each side), which is great for long distance hog hunting. However, if you want to get a little closer to the hogs, I would use the red led. I am about to order a couple of high-power red drop-ins from a guy on here. He custom makes them, so they will fit in my Surefire 6P's and I'll always have my factory whites for other purposes.

I tried the red lens covers, they are useless over an led at distance. Okay, maybe not completely useless.....but they are not very helpful for hunting. I have tried a lot of different setups and have to say that the red led drop-in is the way to go.

 

[kicken_bright]

I would agree with everyone else. Just get a red LED dropin. you can swap the led almost as easily as adding a lens cover.

nailbender offers a good selection!

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=239719

 

[Enno]

Just sent him a PM thanks for the info.

I also have been looking at the Destroyer lights... Nice.

I will see what nailbender says and then make a decision.

Thanks everybody for your help.

Enno

 

[kingofwylietx]

I would agree with everyone else. Just get a red LED dropin. you can swap the led almost as easily as adding a lens cover.

nailbender offers a good selection!

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=239719

That's the guy I was referring to in my response.

Enno, I am using 2 Surefire 6P's. You can buy rail-mounts for approx $10-15. This way you can remove them to function as a standard flashlight while not needed on your weapon. The only thing I wish the 6P had, is a low power setting for walking to or from my ambush spots.

You should be able to see how both lights are mounted below:

 

[Enno]

That's the guy I was referring to in my response.

Enno, I am using 2 Surefire 6P's. You can buy rail-mounts for approx $10-15. This way you can remove them to function as a standard flashlight while not needed on your weapon. The only thing I wish the 6P had, is a low power setting for walking to or from my ambush spots.

You should be able to see how both lights are mounted below:

That is a nice piggy and a nice setup AR10!! I was considering getting an AR10 but was talked into a 6.8spc

does the 2 light setup help out a lot? I have thought about doing that too.

Enno

 

[kingofwylietx]

Thanks for the compliment. If you really want to see a nice hog, look at the one my wife shot (it's on the same photobucket page, with her squatting next to it in the brush). We shot several hogs on that trip.

I really like the dual lights. My particular scope doesn't need the lights unless there is absolutely NO moon (if there is any moon, the scope has a tritium vial to illuminate the cross-hairs and the 50mm objective makes shots very easy). However, no moon means that I need the lights. That hog in the thumbnail was shot at approx 100-125 yards. I used both lights for that shot. Sometimes I can get a shot that is closer, so I'll use only 1 light. On a humid night, 1 light can be better than 2 because of beam reflection/refraction (I don't know if that's the right word for it) making the beam so visible that it obscures your target.

I'm sure you already know that 6.8 makes them just as dead as .308 or the other dozen calibers available.

The most important part of the equation (IMHO) is your optic. That will make or break your hunt.

 

[Enno]

Your wife got a nice hog. What did it weigh?

What scope are you using on yourAR10? I am considering getting a Trijicon but dang the money!!!
Normally I use Nikon Monarchs and like them but the Trijicon is amazing.
Also during my hunt in TX there is going to be no moon so every little bit will help.

Enno

 

[kingofwylietx]

We didn't weigh the hog. She shot it the last night of our trip and it ran a couple hundred yards into the brush. We decided to eat dinner before going in after it. There was so much blood loss, it was very easy to track. It was too heavy and the brush was too thick to recover it that night (there were 8 of us and none of us wanted to drag him out).

We went back 4 weeks later to get the head. It took a while to find him, as the scavengers had taken everything but the bones and fur. We found the head and brought that home with us. It's slowly being bleached by the sun in our back yard. He has some nice cutters.

I'm using the Trijicon Accupoint 2.5-10x56. It has a standard duplex crosshair w/amber dot. It works great and does a fine job of gathering light.

Where are you going to hunt in Texas and when are you going? If doing a guided hunt, who are you using?

 

[Enno]

That is the same Trijicon I was thinking about but with a green dot.

The hunt was set up by my Uncle and it is in Gonzales TX. Here is there link http://www.huntinghoghunting.com/index.html
On June 14-16th. 2 hogs any size and all the varmints I can find.

Like I said it will be my first hog hunt and first night hunt... Any advice?

 

[65535]

White LED's don't produce much red, but red LED's produce more red light than white LED's produce at all.

Maybe find a modder who can put a red led in a dropin for a 6P or something.

 

[Enno]

Since I am a complete newbie... what is a 6P? What kind of Lumens could I expect out of a 6P dropin?

Thanks
Enno

 

[kingofwylietx]

The 6P is just a Surefire flashlight, see link below for factory specs:
http://www.surefire.com/6P-Led

I'm going to get a couple of drop-in's from Nailbender for mine. I don't know the output of his drop-ins, but surely they are much brighter than factory. I am going to get the red led's, to eliminate the need for a lens cover.

I use this mount, but there are many others available:
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9G_bHIEy8BLrgYAUh.JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBpdDZuNzZrBHBvcwM5BHNlYwNzcgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=1i10b2pok/EXP=1271012484/**http%3a//images.search.yahoo.com/images/view%3fback=http%253A%252F%252Fimages.search.yahoo.com%252Fsearch%252Fimages%253Fp%253Dlight%252Bmount%252Bfor%252Bsurefire%252B6p%2526ei%253DUTF-8%2526fr%253Dyfp-t-701%2526fr2%253Dtab-web%26w=198%26h=205%26imgurl=www.dsarms.com%252Fimages%252FFSFAS2.JPG%26rurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.dsarms.com%252Fprodinfo.asp%253Fnumber%253DFSFAS2%26size=17k%26name=Tactical%2bLight%2bM...%26p=light%2bmount%2bfor%2bsurefire%2b6p%26oid=bf98d139fd36de20%26fr2=tab-web%26no=9%26tt=11%26sigr=11ggr761b%26sigi=11047ta6m%26sigb=13cc79ter

Giving tips is a tricky thing, but I can give you some basic help. Frankly, since you will have a guide, they should give you plenty of tips that are specific for their area, game, and hunting technics.

I have to tell you that you don't want too much light, especially white light. The further you are from a hog, the less they are bothered by white light. Red light isn't generally a problem at any distance.

For using the light, don't give a sudden blast of bright light. I've had the best results by turning on my light while it is not pointed at them. Then I just lower the rifle onto them (remember, my lights are mounted on the rifle).

Twist-on or soft-touch switches are best. If you get a chance to shoot at a hog that is fairly close, the 'clicking' from your light switch can easily scare them away.

Natural sounds are okay, this will include your clothes shuffling, soft walking noises, whispering, and such. Any mechanical, snapping, or clicking sounds will usually end in the hogs running away.

If you are going to bait them with corn, take your time and pick the hog you want. Most of the time, your first shot will scare the rest of the hogs away. Sometimes they will return after several minutes, but normally they will be gone from the area. Don't rush yourself. If they are busy eating corn, noise becomes less of an issue. They are very loud eaters and you can hear them eat corn from 50 yards away (seriously).

Don't get over-excited and rush your shot. You don't want to miss or just wound a hog because you felt rushed.

If they put you in a stand, don't shoot the first hogs that arrive. Most often (though not always), the younger smaller hogs arrive at feeders first. The larger sows will often arrive several minutes later or be mixed in the sounder (group of hogs).

If you get a large lone hog, it's probably a male. Take the shot, but don't rush.

For stalking, you will need to be very aware of your surroundings. You will not only be looking for hogs, but also watch out for snakes in June.

If they plan to take you on a stalk hunt, you will probably find your hogs in very dense brush, low-lying areas, hidden in grass, or along creeks. They should stalk with you if that is the method you will employ. Groups should be of minimal size for stalking.

The best hog hunting is from approx an hour before sunset all the way through mid-morning.

Be prepared to have fun. Hog hunting is a lot of fun. Hogs are intelligent animals, so it can be a challenge some days.....other days they almost shoot themselves. The young smaller hogs are easiest to kill. The larger older ones are usually harder to get (which is why they are older...survival of the smartest here).

The kill zone of a hog is not the same as for deer. See below, also, be sure to read 'guns and tactics'. http://www.texasboars.com/hunting/

 

[Enno]

Thanks for the tips!!

I did just order a Sniper Hawg Lights "Destroyer". But being my Uncle is paying for the trip, I might just make a present of it to him if I order the 6P with red drop in's... which ever is brighter.
Would a 2 light set up like yours help or is one good enough?

Enno

 

[kingofwylietx]

If you get the 56mm Accupoint, 1 light will do......especially if you pick up a high-power drop-in for it.

I just looked at the 'destroyer' and it is much brighter than what I've been using. We need to send Nailbender a link to it, for comparison to what he can offer. I would want the option of lower settings for that light.

Since this is your first hog hunt, be sure to partner with an experienced hunter if you want to stalk. Don't go by yourself or with another new guy unless you just want to walk around carrying a rifle for half a day.

 

[Enno]

Here is the response he sent me when I sent him an inquiry a few days ago

His tips on hunting match up with yours
And he says there is a two mode capability on it with the tail cap... I ordered that also.

What color are you using on the Trijicon? I was thinking Green so it wouldn't get washed out with the red light.

Enno

Enno, The lumens come from the LED and the the amount of power put to the LED. I could probably swap out the LED and driver board in the TK11 but it still would not throw like the Destroyer. You can use the 18650 batteries you have with the Destroyer.

When you come to Texas you will more than likely be hunting over corn. Don't hit the pigs with the light when they first get on the corn because they are used to being hunted over corn and are very nervous when the first get on it and will spook at anything including themselves sometimes. Pigs are very loud when eating corn so you should be able to hear them eating as long as there isn't a bunch of other noise around. Let them eat for a couple of minutes then hit them with the light, I like to turn the light on with it aimed well above them and slowly lower it on them. The Red Destroyer is very bright and I don't recomend it for distances under 40 yards unless you use the normal tail cap with two modes and use the low mode. The low mode is good to 50+ yards.

Good luck hunting on your trip to Texas.

Best Regards,
Robert Pecht / Sniper Hawg Lights
http://www.SniperHawgLights.com

 

[kingofwylietx]

Well, there is something to be said about getting a light from someone who uses it for the same purpose.

It sounds like he's a hog hunter. I just took the time to give you more info. I could give you a lot more, but really, the above is more than you'll need for a first hunt (and probably more than you'll remember).

I have the amber dot, but I don't think it really matters which color you have. I picked mine up for just over $800, from Trophy's Hunting Gear. They were great to deal with.

For hunting, your average size hog will give you a paper plate sized kill zone (with your 6.8). Practically speaking, you will most likely be hunting 10-150 yard shots. You probably won't get lucky enough to be under 10 yards and probably won't have opportunities over 150 yards. But that all depends on the terrain.