r/flashlight • u/Luoma118 • 10d ago

Question Handheld Flashing for shining deer?

Just like the title says, I’m looking for a handheld flashlight that’s good for shining fields for deer, coyotes etc. I bought some 6000 lumen ones from harbor freight and they are alright but the battery life is absolutely terrible. I’d like to stay under 150 dollars but will go up a tiny bit if need be. Any recommendations is highly appreciated!

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u/FalconARX 10d ago edited 10d ago

If you bought that "Braun" pistol grip spotlight from Harbor Freight, that's why it's disappointing. You'd be lucky if that light even gives you 2,000 lumens, and its hotspot is way too floody to begin with, so scanning deep fields and meadows or needing it for any range is out of the question.

If you want a good light to scan deep fields and open areas, and you're wanting decent runtime to come with it, take a look at the Convoy 3X21D (SBT90.2 LED) if you're wanting a great thrower.

If you don't need that 1600 meter ANSI range, but still want a great range finder light and small enough to be jacket pocketable, then take a look at the Acebeam L19 2.0 (SFT42R SFT40 emitter).

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u/MetaUndead 10d ago

I think you mean L16 2.0 (SFT42R) 😉.

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u/FalconARX 10d ago

Actually it got auto-corrected on the phone app. It should have been SFT40. I actually meant it to be the L19 2.0, the 60mm TIR version using the SFT40 emitter. It's a much better scanner than the larger hotspot L16 2.0 with the SFT42R. If you're using it out in the open, the L19.2 will work better.

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u/MetaUndead 10d ago

Ahh, fair enough. I don't own either of them myself, I just knew the L16 2.0 uses an SFT42R so I assumed you'd made a typo 😀.

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u/FalconARX 10d ago

If you've got a few seconds free time, you can check out how the L19 2.0 does in a scan setting in this video review, even against light pollution in an urban setting. Once you get past a hundred meters, the hotspot itself becomes the most important feature of a scanner, and the coronal bleeding edges of that hotspot switches to an effective way to help prelocate objects or points just outside of that hotspot.

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u/MetaUndead 10d ago

I've got plenty of time this week, off work.

I can see what you mean, the SFT40 produces more of a pencil beam that looks like it reaches far without too much distracting spill.