Best "throw" flashlight under $300

I am looking for a flashlight that has the tightest spot and can throw the farthest for under $300.

Example of use: If i were standing on a lake dam and wanted to pinpoint/light up a boat that was out on the water what flashlight would you recommend?

or

Example of use: If you were 4wheeling out in the country and wanted to pinpoint/light up an object down the side of a long hill or a deer way off in the distance?

Surefire? Streamlight? Innova?

I really don't want something large like a diving light or a spotlight. I'd like to keep it in the same form factor as a flashlight.

I do own several 6 D Cell maglights and 3 and 4 C cell Mag lights (non modified) that i would considering modifying to get the light i'm looking for.

Regards,

iNDiGLo

Costco H.I.D. would be pretty good...
oops my bad didn't see that you said you didn't want something large... hmmm

Firebladz.

If you want throw and high output then you are most likely gonna have to get an incandesent...

SF M6 or 10X

The Surefire M-6 or 10X are way over $300.00

The best bet is a MAG 85/MAG 951 with a smooth reflector (in the 3 D "host" )

That will be under your budget, will be rechargeable and you can do it yourself or get one already made from some of the modders in the Forum.

Juancho

Magcharger w/high pressure bulb?

I posted a similar thread and with input from fellow CPFers I ended up ordering a Surefire M6-CB through the ongoing group buy from OpticsHQ. Shipped it was $304, just slightly over your budget, but hard to beat for quality.

You might check ebay for the 10X, you can pick one up for around $300 as well if you're patient.

juancho said:

The Surefire M-6 or 10X are way over $300.00

The best bet is a MAG 85/MAG 951 with a smooth reflector (in the 3 D "host" )

That will be under your budget, will be rechargeable and you can do it yourself or get one already made from some of the modders in the Forum.

Juancho

Click to expand...

according to MSRP but they can be had even new for $300 or less...
infact theres a few on BST and one member is selling his SF 10X for $200!
now thats a steal!

Firebladz.

Where do you get the bulb for the Magcharger?

Scott

MaxaB... oh, wait, under $300, not $3000

One of those Maglite-HID mods?

beezaur said:

Where do you get the bulb for the Magcharger?

Scott

Click to expand...

look here
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92763&highlight=WA1160

greenLED said:

MaxaB... oh, wait, under $300, not $3000

Click to expand...

Between a Surefire M6 and the MAG 85/MAG 951 with a smooth reflector which do you think will give the best throw. I'm not really concernced about runtime as i am about sheer light strength way down the path.

GreenLED has a point,
what about the 10W HID Mag mods?
Thats slightly under 500 lumens, and throws really well.
And off 8 nice AAs will run over an hour.

~John

GreenLED,

Where would i be able to see/purchase one of these 10W HID Mag mods?

Thanks,

iNDiGLo

I would get the M6.

Indiglo,
The M-6 don't throw as far as the MAG 85 / MAG 951, the M-6 uses a stippled reflector which limits its throw.
In my test I have stablished that the MAG 951 throws a good 100-140 yards further.
(100 with orange peel reflector, 140 or more with a smooth polished reflector)

Even last night I was trying the new super reflectors that Nicola Tesla is promoting, with the Light Stippled reflector (which is a carbon copy of the reflectors in my Surefire M-6 and Surefire M-4) in one of my MAG 951's the range that I could distinguish detail was extended by another 75 yards with the MAG 951, this is due to the extra lumens as the reflectors are exactly the same in surface texture and color finish, the M-6/M4 been just a little bigger in diameter.

I have a series of ranges from my door to differents targets (all measured by Laser range finder) and the yardages recorded permanently in my note-book.

Tonight I will be doing some more testing and a picture taking outdoor and I will report my finding on the new reflectors soon.

In the meanwhile, take a look at these pictures taken at 15 yards from the tool shed, but the light coming from 43 yards away, and tell me which is more intense.

Beamshot with the Surefire M-6 (500 lumens lamp)



Beamshot with the MAG 951 (Medium Orange Peel reflector)




The MAG 951 is a higher grade MAG 85 that I promote in other Forums under the black bear label.

Regards
Juan C.

Juan,

The Beamshot with the MAG 951 is much whiter than theBeamshot with the Surefire M-6. The intensity between those two shots is amazing.

Am i also correct in stating the MAG 951 is a more tightly focused beam or more center concentrated than the Surefire M-6?

I'd like to see some shots of that tool shed with the MAG 951 at 100 yds to see how diffused the light would be at that distance.

I also like the whiteness of the 2nd shot. I look forward to your testing this evening and pictures to follow.

I'll also be searching the forum for more MAG 951 threads to educate myself.

Regards,

iNDiGLo

Indiglo,
If you are well-to-do or the agency for which you work pays for the batteries, the M-6 is a great light, being lighter and shorter than the 12 1/2 inches long Maglites 3 D's.

But the cost to run the light for one hour is $29.88 in batteries.
(Based on Surefire price of $15.-- plus $5.00 shipping for 12 batteries. Equal at $1.66 per battery)

On the other hand, the cost is free in the rechargeable mods of MAG 85 / MAG 951's and the run time is 10 minutes longer (30 minutes per charge against 20 minutes on six 123's for the M-6)

Those batteries can be recharged 1,000 times (according to the manufacturer), so it will give you 500 hours of free lumens before needing another $24.00 pack.

On the other hand the Surefire M-6 will have spend $14,940.00 in batteries to run 500 hours.

Something to think about when you make a decision.

Juan C.

Indiglo,
Forgive me I can not comply with your request as the shed is 43 yards from my wooden fence.
I have a weak heart and I am not going to endeavour to move it to one hundred yards!!

The MAG 951 that I used for the shed shoot had a Medium orange peel reflector cammed and with a potted bulb (that picture is a few months old)
The new MAG 951 generation II with ceramic bi-pin bulb holder and less resistance in the switch (spring and contacts cups are gone, and contacts are treated with Pro-Gold) is even brighter.

As for the amount of lumens falling in a target, the more the better for the definition of that target.
As an example, I have a yellow fire hydrant that I conveniently can see from my front door. So it is the recipient of many lumens from my testing of lights almost every night.
As it is at 88 yards distance and permanently planted in the street, I see it every time I step out of the door, night and day.

At night, when hit by the 350 lumens of the Surefire M-4 I see it; when hit by the 500 lumens of the Surefire M-6 I see it better!
But when I hit it with the MAG 951 I can also appreciate all the details as the definition is increased.
Same principle that when you look at some deer antlers at 300 yards with a cheap scope and see only a mass of blurred horns, or the difference when you look thru the best quality Leupold scope and see a sharply defined target that allow you to count the points on those antlers, "light trasmission"!!

More light gets into the tube of the better quality scope and the definition is better, so the more lumens hitting the target the better you'll see.

Juan C.

just get the SF 10X dominator... :rock:

A 10X is more than $300. Not Fair. But a Mag 85 Deluxe (Bipin Kiu socket, FiveMega cell holder, CPB1650 cells, UCL, Aluminum HOP reflector) will easily match the 10X or M6 for 1/2 as muchg $$$. Jauncho's Mag 951 will do the job. Look at these beam shots at the bottom of my Super Reflector post. There is 10x vs Mag85 cheapo vs Mag 85 Deluxe vs M4.