Re: Couldn\'t get any better...
Dukester,
I am impressed by your results. I have the lights mentioned in this thread and have tested most of them . Due to crowded urban conditions I have developed my so-called "Vertical throw tests". I pace off a specific distance from a tall building, select an aim point and count the number of floors, conservatively assigning 10 feet per floor. When I have my distance and height, I use Pythagoras to derive the hypotenuse, which equals the total distance of the test. Accuracy can't be exact but is close because I measure very carefully. I try to enlist the services of at least one witness, usually more.
The high urban ambient light limits my tests to less than 600 feet and I'm sure that could be considerably extended in a very dark environment. At 540 feet the US is a misty barely discernible presence on the building's side, while the MagCharger with "new" standard bulb is distinctly brighter and more focused, but still quite dim. I have tested the M6 (HOLA) against the Tigerlight at about 300 feet and there is simply no comparison. Excellent though the Tigerlight is, it is completely overwhelmed by the M6. What was surprising is that such a broad bream can also project so far. I have yet to perform further tests with the M6 but as I said, testing is problematic in this very crowded, busy city.
I envy your 40 acres and your ability to play with your lights freely and with interference. I'm interested to know how you measured distance for your tests. I used a calibrated pedometer for my horizontal distance with compensation factored in for turns and corners and I'm curious about your technique because your distances of 400 yards, nearly a quarter mile is the length of four football fields. I know your lights well and I can't imagine how you would get anything other than a dim projection at that extreme range.
I have also tested many lights on trips to rural Canada but unfortunately they were very informal tests lacking precise distance measurements or controlled conditions. However I have tested the Scorpion, 6P (with P60), Dorcy Spyder, PM6, TACM III, Taclite (internal focus) and E2E (MNO3). The Scorpion (at tightest focus) outthrew the E2E, was slightly edged out by the 6P, fell somewhat short of the Spyder and was significantly outthrown by the TACM III, Taclite and PM6. I can only guestimate the distance at more than 100 yards, at least the length of a football field.
The Scorpion is certainly an excellent light with proven abilities, but falls short of several 2x123 lights in terms of throw, if not total output as indicated above. The current 2x123 long throw champs are the ASP Taclite (internal focus model), the TACM III and, most recently the PM6. The Scorpion might have been in that league had Streamlight chosen to design it for very tight focus like the PM6. I always liked my Scorpions but I gave them away because of what I considered design flaws, at least for my purposes. I am not criticizing the light, it is well respected and a real bargain, but I found it did not satisfy my very specific personal needs.
EDIT: Just remembered that Diesel Dave had posted that he could see the movement of deer at approx. 300 yds from his stand one dark night. I think he was using a Tigerlight though I'm not certain. I did a quick search but finding that post in an ocean of posts is almost impossible.
Brightnorm
