Looking for a resonably priced weapon light

Hi, I'm looking for a budget weapon light ($50-100) for a long gun (AR and shotgun) that can use a standard light mount. I will probably end up getting a couple of these, may have one mounted and keep one in an easy-to-reach location inside my vehicle.

I'm kind of looking for a do-it-all weapon light that could be used in a home defense type of situation as well as outdoors for coyotes and other predators. Would rather have one that I dont have to use a ton of AAAs in as I find it ridiculous to use a ton of batteries when a more powerful 18650 or a couple of 123s would work.

It would be nice to have a light that could have a pressure switch on it, but its not a deal breaker if it's just a really good light that doesnt have a pressure switch option.


==================Flashlight Recommendation Checklist================

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light in person from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________.
__X__This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____I don't know yet
____Up to $25.
__X__Up to $50.
__X__Up to $100.
____Up to $200.
____Up to $300.
____Essentially unlimited.


3) Format:

____I am not sure, please help me decide.
__X__I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).
____I want a self-contained headlamp.
____I want a headlamp with an external pack/power source.
____I want a mounted light (typically for a bicycle or vehicle)
____I want a lantern/area light.
____I want a portable spotlight (it may have an external power source).
____Other ____________________________________________


4) Size:

____MICRO - Keychain size.
____TINY - Every day carry (2-4 inches).
__X__SMALL - Every day carry (4-7 inches).
__X__MEDIUM - Holster/belt ring carry. (>7 inches)
____LARGE - Big enough to need its own travel case.
____I don't know/I don't care.


5) Emitter/Light source:

__X__LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)
____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition)
____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size)
____I don't know.


6) Manufacturer:

__X__I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.
____I would like a light from a specialty manufacturer (Possibly limited run/Custom).
____I am interested in assembling my own components. (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source).


7) What power source do you want to use?

____I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Alkaline batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
__X__I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Lithium batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D and CR123 sized cells common to most stores (often a cold weather or long storage choice).
____I intend to use Rechargeable cells (NiMH or NiCD) based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.
__X__I intend to use Rechargeable cells based on less common formats (18500 or 18650 Li-Ion, RCR123, et-al).
____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery pack.
____I don't know/I need more information on power sources.

7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option
____I want a light that plugs directly into the wall (literally with prongs built into the light)
____I want a light that has a recharging adapter (your typical "wall wart")
____I want a light that snaps into a cradle (usually mounted on a wall)
____I want a separate/stand-alone charger (this involves removing the batteries to charge)
__X__I don't care


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).

__X__I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)
____I want to confidently walk around an unlit/unpaved rural area (60-150 lumens).
__X__I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
__X__I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).
____I want search and rescue type illumination (800+ lumens).

__X__SPECIAL NOTE: Burst/Turbo mode Category - There are several lights that will run at a super bright maximum for a very limited period (usually 5-10 minutes) and then will "step-down" to a lower level for thermal control. Check here if this is acceptable.


9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

____All Flood: I am doing "arms length" tasks like reading and campsite cooking.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.
__X__Narrow Flood: I want a sharply defined flood area that will project some distance for tasks like trail walking.
__X__Wide Throw: I want a beam with a noticeable hot-center for distance throw and a significant amount of "side-spill". Good for rough trail hiking, search and rescue, and general distance work.
____Narrow Throw: I want a beam with a very tight "hot center" and minimal "side-spill". Good for distance viewing, fog, and looking through dense undergrowth.
____Turbohead: I want a far-distance projector with a sharply focused spot of light and minimal or zero side-spill. Good for extreme distance and impressing your friends.

9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work)
____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
____5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard)
____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
__X__50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)
____150+ yards (I am searching from a helicopter)

10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).

____Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
____30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed)
__X__90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).




11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

____Not Important (A "night-stand" light).
____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood).
__X_Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).
____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
____I don't know.


12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

____Any size switch will do.
____I need a BIG switch (I'll be using gloves or have very large hands or coordination issues).
____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling).
____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights).
____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only).
____I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).
__X__I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights).
__X__I want a remote switch (usually found on high-end bicycle headlights)
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________________.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

____A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.
____I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.)
__X__I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.)
____I want a programmable light.
____I want a selector ring.
____I want a strobe mode. (Oscillating pattern to confuse/blind aka "Police Mode")
____I want SOS mode. (blinks in ...---... emergency pattern)
____I want a beacon mode. (Regular flashes at full power to show location.)
____I don't care.
____I don't know.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
__X__Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's higher end flashlights).
____Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum)
____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive).
____I don't care.
____I don't know.
____Other, please specify____________.

15) Water resistance
____None needed
____IPX4 (Splash resistant)
__X__IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
____IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)

16) Storage conditions
__X__In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)
____Emergency kit (long standby periods)
__X__Automobile glove-box (wide temperature swings, long standby periods, critical reliability)
____Other_________________________________________ ____


17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.

____Red filter (for preserving night vision).
____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________).
____Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs.
____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs)
____Pocket/belt clip
____Holster
____Wrist/Neck Lanyard
____Crenulated bezel
____Non-sparking, Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

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Additional notes:
I'm honestly not quite sure how bright I need the light to be, I would like it to be able to reach out to 100-150 yards clearly if I have to shoot at a coyote or another critter in the dark.

Also, this may not be the right place to ask this, but any suggestions on a decent laser that isn't crazy expensive?

For home defense, I might reconsider budget as a primary deciding factor. In my opinion, if you've already invested in a reliable and effective home defense weapon, and you've done the dozens and dozens (really, hundreds and hundreds) of hours and rounds of training required to safely and effectively use a home defense firearm in the dark, then the difference between a $75 light and a $800 light will most likely seem pretty insignificant. You might consider reliability and user interface as the first two considerations, beam shape/intensity pretty close behind, color temp and CRI pretty far down the list along with price.

For picking off coyotes at 150 yards, learn some stuff and save some $$$, for now at least. I'd recommend searching this forum for "thrower" lights where you can use your own 18650 (or 21700), and ensure that you get unprotected cells (or just use primary CR123 cells like most weapon-mounted lights). Protection circuits on protected lithium ion cells often don't like shock, and can shut off power when you fire. You could add a remote switch to a light like like the Nitecore MH27 and use it to find out what features you really want. One "feature" you might quickly learn that you want is absolute reliability while mounted to a shotgun for thousands of rounds--don't bet on the Nitecore or any other sub-$100 lights to have that feature.

While you're training and learning on coyotes and rabbits, save your pennies for Surefire X400 light/laser combo for home defense.

Have you thought of a dedicated weapon light for the rifle/shotgun? For under $100 the Olight Valkyrie is a solid option. I carry a Seeker 2 Pro as my vehicle light but if you want to stick with 18650 or 123s the M2T would be my suggestion.

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.
This is how your thread appears on my screen, it just made me laugh. It being on a flashlight forum and me being a Brit....

I have a streamlight polytac on one long arm which works well. The other is a very old G2L with m61nL drop in (which is about perfect for home use).

Olight, Klarus, Eagtac and a few others all have options for remote switches on their lights. As Roger suggested, Olight even makes dedicated weapon lights. Personally I would go for something that uses 123As OR an 18650 and throws out to 200 yards or more. That way you can leave some 123As in it for whenever but swap out if you might need to use it all night or something. The M23 is a bit older now and still reaches out a ways.

I disagree with Keitho about reliability being something you only get in expensive lights. I've never had a protection circuit shut down a cell due to shock from recoil or any other sudden forceful jarring. I've had button tops dented but the cells still work as they should. It was waaaay more force than any recoil short of a howitzer. Also that would be a battery issue that the quality (and money spent on) of the light has no influence on.

Keitho said:

For home defense, I might reconsider budget as a primary deciding factor. In my opinion, if you've already invested in a reliable and effective home defense weapon, and you've done the dozens and dozens (really, hundreds and hundreds) of hours and rounds of training required to safely and effectively use a home defense firearm in the dark, then the difference between a $75 light and a $800 light will most likely seem pretty insignificant. You might consider reliability and user interface as the first two considerations, beam shape/intensity pretty close behind, color temp and CRI pretty far down the list along with price.

For picking off coyotes at 150 yards, learn some stuff and save some $$$, for now at least. I'd recommend searching this forum for "thrower" lights where you can use your own 18650 (or 21700), and ensure that you get unprotected cells (or just use primary CR123 cells like most weapon-mounted lights). Protection circuits on protected lithium ion cells often don't like shock, and can shut off power when you fire. You could add a remote switch to a light like like the Nitecore MH27 and use it to find out what features you really want. One "feature" you might quickly learn that you want is absolute reliability while mounted to a shotgun for thousands of rounds--don't bet on the Nitecore or any other sub-$100 lights to have that feature.

While you're training and learning on coyotes and rabbits, save your pennies for Surefire X400 light/laser combo for home defense.

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TBH I havent taken specific courses for home defense. Most of my night shooting experience has been in MCT with NVGs and infrared lights/lasers. I'm working on saving up for my own night vision stuff eventually. I dont see any reason why I cant get a reliable light for around $100? Personally I dont see it realistic for me to spend as much money on a weapon light than on a weapon. Thats kind of absurd.

Roger Sully said:

Have you thought of a dedicated weapon light for the rifle/shotgun? For under $100 the Olight Valkyrie is a solid option. I carry a Seeker 2 Pro as my vehicle light but if you want to stick with 18650 or 123s the M2T would be my suggestion.

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Ok thanks, I will look into that one. I'm honestly open to any suggestions withing a resonable price range. I just cant justify blowing a month's rent on a light. I dont need a super fancy light that i can light up an entire block with 10 different modes, just one that works and is decently bright.

Delta1Niner said:

TBH I havent taken specific courses for home defense. Most of my night shooting experience has been in MCT with NVGs and infrared lights/lasers. I'm working on saving up for my own night vision stuff eventually. I dont see any reason why I cant get a reliable light for around $100? Personally I dont see it realistic for me to spend as much money on a weapon light than on a weapon. Thats kind of absurd.

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See my above post about the Streamlight Polytac. Its held up to a couple hundred rounds on my carbine length AR without trouble. Can't vouch for the shotgun. You can put the money you save over a more expensive light into a solid mount for it.

The Streamlight Protac rail-mount light is excellent. Usually a bit above your max budget of $100. But absolutely worth it. If you search online, with a bit of effort, you can sometimes find it reduced to about $100.

I've actually had good luck with my Lumintop TD15S. I think it checks all the boxes if you can still find it. Be sure to buy a few extra batteries for it and a good charger. Hope this helps.

I think you may need two lights. I want the brightest thrower for shooting coyotes at 150 yards. And I want a 100 or so lumen flood for home defense.

Set your alarm for a few hours after you fall asleep. When it wakes you up, immediately shine that 1000 lumen thrower at your bedroom doorway and see what it does to your ability to see anything and how long it wipes out your vision for. 50 lumens is extremely bright when you wake up from a dead sleep. Most weapon lights aren't made for people waking up with 100% night adapted vision. They're mostly geared toward applications such as police work where the cops may be working outside, in a big warehouse, or a wide variety of areas that require more lumens and more throw, and they're also already awake without full night adapted vision. Its hard to find one that has low enough brightness to be tolerated for common home defense scenarios. And I also like a floody light for home defense. I don't need that blinding hot spot, and I like to see a wide area of what is around me when I may need to be firing a weapon where I don't know how where my family members may be, and I don't know how many bad guys there may be. Moral of this story is the ultra bright 150 yard thrower for coyotes is probably a bad choice.

Lumen83 said:

I think you may need two lights. I want the brightest thrower for shooting coyotes at 150 yards. And I want a 100 or so lumen flood for home defense.

Set your alarm for a few hours after you fall asleep. When it wakes you up, immediately shine that 1000 lumen thrower at your bedroom doorway and see what it does to your ability to see anything and how long it wipes out your vision for. 50 lumens is extremely bright when you wake up from a dead sleep. Most weapon lights aren't made for people waking up with 100% night adapted vision. They're mostly geared toward applications such as police work where the cops may be working outside, in a big warehouse, or a wide variety of areas that require more lumens and more throw, and they're also already awake without full night adapted vision. Its hard to find one that has low enough brightness to be tolerated for common home defense scenarios. And I also like a floody light for home defense. I don't need that blinding hot spot, and I like to see a wide area of what is around me when I may need to be firing a weapon where I don't know how where my family members may be, and I don't know how many bad guys there may be. Moral of this story is the ultra bright 150 yard thrower for coyotes is probably a bad choice.

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I have done this and it is one of the reasons why my bedstand keeps a moderate output light. I run either my C3 with M31W & 2AA's and a flip open red filter or a G2L with a customlites P60/nichia 219 at approx 100-150 lumens. Either is rather bright when just rolling out of bed but a good balance.

Buck91 said:

I have done this and it is one of the reasons why my bedstand keeps a moderate output light. I run either my C3 with M31W & 2AA's and a flip open red filter or a G2L with a customlites P60/nichia 219 at approx 100-150 lumens. Either is rather bright when just rolling out of bed but a good balance.

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I use a very similar concept for my bedstand light. Its typically a surefire kroma that has two levels of red LEDs or a 50 lumen white LED. I use the low red primarily because the 50 lumen white is blinding in the space of a bedroom coming out of a dead sleep. A really bright thrower seems way out of place as a home defense weapon light.