Bones vs Bravo thread

bykfixer

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It has been asked a number of times how the Elzetta Bones stacks up against the Bravo.
Questions like "is it like an AVS?"

I now have a Bravo and a Bones. I can say "yes" to that one. Which one is brighter? Well that is a tie pretty much. The 650 lumen Bravo and 650 lumen Bones are both good at throw to about 2-300 feet with a really wide spill.

The Bones feels lighter, both with primary fuel. Now perhaps that is due to bit thinner barrel wall from inside being large enough for an 18650. Combine that with a business end machined using a solid chunk of alluminum where the Bravo head and body separate requiring more grams of metal to ensure connection point is bomb proof on the Bravo and that area of the Bones solid one piece design allows gram savings there. When balanced on a finger tip at the center of the body on each, the Bravo is noticably weight forward where the Bones is balanced.

Tail switch is pretty close to same with a short travel to momentary but long to click on near silently. My Bones is no louder than it was the day I bought in back when it first arrived at Elzetta.

Hi/lo switch from my Bravo does not hi/lo on my Bones. My Alpha hi/lo did however do a 100/90% type switching.

Knurling on the Bones is a bit more aggressive. The grip 'area'on the Bravo is longer. Neither feel slippery by any stretch but the grip does feel more confident with the Bones.

Bones allows an 18650. My Bravo came with an AVS (auto voltage sensing) head that allows 2 or 3 cell primary use depending on the body. The Bones allows 2 primaries or one rechargeable. RCR's? I do not know about either light there.

For all intents and purposes both occupy practically the same real estate. Both allow an Elzetta speed clip and/or lanyard ring to be used. Both use the same type of optic with a white reflector.

The Bones has almost 3 distinct beams with a hot spot, a secondary wider spot and a huge spill. The Bravo is more like a Malkoff-esque bright center with a gentle taper from there to spill. It has a the three beam thing only not as pronounced in a wall shot as the Bones. The Bones emitter sets a few millimeters deeper into the head than the Bravo.

The optic for the Bravo is a few millimeters shorter than the Bones but they can interchange. Using the Bravo optic in the Bones exagerated the 3 beam looks, where a Bones optic in a Bravo resulted in no noticable change of beam character. Bezels can be swapped as well. When using the Bones optic in a Bravo the bezel does not screw all the way down. No biggy but noticeable.

Both are quick fuel swap threaded where a lot less twists are required to remove the tailcap than many other brands. I love that feature.

My Bravo hi/lo tailcap has zero flicker where my Alpha one has it, regardless of which light they are on. Like the Alpha, the threads of the Bravo provide enough "play" to allow a quick change from low to high via a press forward beside the button on the tailcap. In other words you can cause it to run on high until releasing pressure, which then turns it back to low via cigar grip, over hand or underhand without twisting the tailcap. I also love that gas pedal type feature.

Both the Bones and Bravo are fantastic flashlights. But each has its own distinct personality so owning one or the other does not result in duplication. Yet they are enough alike that if you don't have both you're not ill equipped.


304-B70-A5-4-FCB-4-DE2-8-D37-5-CB40-F99871-E.jpg

Almost identical optics.

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Practically the same size overall.

918-F16-A2-C8-C5-4555-88-E4-C8-E619-D513-A7.jpg

Note the more aggressive knurling on the Bones and one piece body.

Oh and the Bones is a dull gray natural hard anodize where the Bravo is a dull black. Both have just enough sheen though to warrant a completely flat coating for the really really really dangerous assignments where absolutely positively no sheen is best.




If anybody else can add, please do.
 
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tech25

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Awesome review! Thank you!

These lights seem like some of the best jacket lights around. now that it's coming to colder weather, I'm on the lookout for something to supplement my daily carry.
 

Random Dan

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IMO the bravo is the better looker of the two. The bones lost most of the classic elzetta style and looks like any other 18650 light, not to mention the cheesy logo.
 

Modernflame

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I've had a couple of Bravos and sold them both. Now that I have the Bones, I really appreciate the 18650 compatibility. For my use case, it's a much better fit. I only use unprotected cells, so I think this mitigates much of the concern about battery failure. Also, the Bravo's battery tube ends abruptly at the AVS head, which swells out just above the threads. The Bones has a taper from tube to head, which means that big hands like mine have more real estate. Beyond that, I like the appearance of the Bones, especially with the mismatched grey anodizing. I dig the Bravo, but the Bones is for me.
 

bykfixer

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A couple of beam pix. Surprisingly the Bravo is even more neutral than the Bones.

Beam-wise the Bravo and Bones are too close to call in terms of 'lectric sunshine at 100 feet (35 paces).

8-A1-D2810-F0-D8-4-E8-B-9199-C1-DAA37-B476-E.jpg



5-C5-AB563-A3-BE-4-B4-F-B185-960-F387-E2-D27.jpg



2-E2-D2-DDA-BAAF-4-A93-87-CA-7-C58-B825-E3-F7.jpg


The angle used on the Bones makes the Bravo appear to light better in the pair of photos. But the angle was higher into the tree in the distance more with the Bones.
 

Modernflame

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I've had three AVS heads plus the Bones. Also, my friend owns an AVS. Based on those examples, I think this is just the tint lottery. They've done a good job with the binning, but some variations are inevitable.
 

bykfixer

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I avoided the Bravo for a long time and when the Bones came out bought one right away. It was a favorite right away.
When I saw nobody had bit on a Bravo that Scout was selling I pulled the trigger knowing he sells minty lights for beater prices…… heck yeah. Then it showed up a day early? Yeah I like the Bravo avs. Bonus it's SN 00048.
Hell I bought the Bones in week 1 and it was SN 1010.
 

bykfixer

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The first digits seem to be a 'born on date' thing. Mine was 4316x and I bought it May of 2016. It is 4316X1010. The Bravo is 511300048. No X.

After reading your post MF I see what you mean about the abrupt corner at the fore end of the Bravo body where the Bones does not. The lack of corner does provide a more comfy grip. The logo on the Bones folks squawk about never bugged me. Actually I though it added some humor to a flashlight model by a brand named after somebodys grandmother.

Next week I have a night shift scheduled so they'll both ride along for that. I'm pretty sure the hi/lo thing will be a benefit while the Bones will be used like always.

I think it'll end up like carrying a 6P and E2D where one or the other is going to get the job done well.

My Eagtac 17650's can go in either one. Now in the Bravo output is reduced to what looks like 75% or so in daylight, in what looks similar to an Alpha output. I'll check after dark to see if the difference matters in darkness. The Eagtac slides in/out easily in the Bravo.

I bought the Eagtacs from member LightKnot a while back because they fit in SureFire 6P/G2 lights easily. I use primaries as a rule but it's nice to have the ability to swap in a rechargeable in the Bones and Bravo.
 
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scout24

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Bykfixer- Glad it made it, interesting to see the Bones comparison. Have you tried a pair of rechargable 123's in the Bravo yet? :devil:
 

ven

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:kewlpics:and as always, excellent write up. Love it!
On the bones writing, I can see why it's hit /miss with people. But I have got quite fond over time. It's different along with the grey ano. In the sea of black lights, it makes a nice change. It's not worse than the "hot surface" on bezels I see.
I'm actually looking forward to using it again in the nighttime dog waking flashlight rota(as if, I just grab what I want lol........but it would have made me sound organised ).

That bravo sure looks a nice chunk of light . Have to go now, off to fight away temptation!
 

peter yetman

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There's a Bravo on the WTS which I'm fighting temptation with.
Maybe we need to form the UK Flashaholics Anonymous and support each other.
As if that'd work.
P
 
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