Which Cree torch for lamping bunnies?

FrenchieBoy

Well-Known Member
OK, I'm prepping my kit things in readiness for the (Rabbit) lamping season which I hope to start in another couple of weeks time.
I will be using a BSA Supersport 5 that I have just finished rebuilding and giving a facelift to as it has a slightly lighter !all up weight" than my Voere Semi Auto .22LR. The main thing in my mind is to keep the weight down to a minimum. The rifle is fitted with a 3-9x50 IR Mil Dot scope (Unbranded but plenty good enough quality for what I want) and a Sirocco moderator which is quiet and fairly lightweight.
What reasonably priced scope mounted lamp (Preferably Red but would consider Green even though I have never used a Green lamp for lamping rabbits as yet) would you guys opt for to fit on this sort of "leightweight outfit" to use for lamping rabbits out to around 75 or 80 yards (Maximum)?
I should add that I do have a (Red) Scope Mounted T67 which I used last year but it seems a little bulky and heavy and "out of proportion" on my "lightweight" .22LR outfit so I will keep that to use on my centrefire for when out foxing as it has a really good adjustable beam.

If any of you want to suggest or reject any particular make and model or seller of (scope mounted) lamps please can you say why - i.e. The pros and the cons, so that I can hopefully make the best choice of equipment for the job in hand.

Edit: The scope mounted lamp must accept or come with a "rat tail switch".
 
I use a eBay T20 red LED torch with an adjustable focus obviously it uses those stupid long batteries well one off but it's a good bit of kit I use it with a strap and have it around my neck dangling and use it to scan I'll check the name and get back to you but I'm really impressed with it

I also use it with a LF 170 if I'm just by the motor
 
Whatever you go for, you need 2 - 1 for the rifle, 1 to spot with. I've seen some awful practice with guys going out with a gun mounted lamp and swinging about loaded with the safety on!

I personally hate the rat tail switches, really really hate them. So easy to reach forwards and turn on back of the torch.

I got a couple off a guy over on PW a couple of years ago that work fine for rimfire range. Tempted to get a longer range one for spotting.
 
Go for a T38, more power than the T20 but still a decent size. Marky off the NV Forum sells them or Night Scout I think it is who advertise on here. As has been said above go for two so your not tempted to spot with your rifle and again as above I reckon the rats tails are a waste of time.

Jim
 
What Apache says !
It is relevant with NV too, you quickly realise it's not A NV device you need , it's 2 ! , a spotter as well as a scope , hate seeing rifle barrels swinging bout all over, with scopes being used as spotters too.

Paul
 
What Apache says !
It is relevant with NV too, you quickly realise it's not A NV device you need , it's 2 ! , a spotter as well as a scope , hate seeing rifle barrels swinging bout all over, with scopes being used as spotters too.

Paul

I see and agree with the point that both You and Apache say about spotting with a scope mounted lamp/NV unit. I guess there would be no problem putting a lanyard on my T67 along with the rear push button switch and using that for spotting with a wide beam!
 
If not using NV
I have a T20 with interchangeable colour led , white or red, for .22lr I find T20 enough ,
And I have another T20 for spotting in my pocket ,

I do hAve a Crelant75 "thrower" I bought from Sitka stag on NV forum and it throws a beam equivalent to a roof mount light , it's phenomenal but overkill for rabbits.

These T20 or whatever size of lights now along with the adjustable mounts you can get nowadays along with similar pocket size are great , no more wires, battery packs etc

Paul
 
The new rat tail switches with the on/off switch as well as the momentary switch are good. Atb blue..
 
The new rat tail switches with the on/off switch as well as the momentary switch are good. Atb blue..

That's what I have on my T67! I prefer it to the normal/older type pressure switch!
I still have to rear push button switch that fits on my T67 as well!
 
Having got 'several' T20's in red and IR and more recently a T38 IR with the latest much better Oslon black AS IR led.... I use a red T20 with a rat tail on the rifle for rabbiting/ratting, I spot with a thermal and just push the button to take the shot.

The T20 is more than enough for that and if you ask Andy aka Skany at Ludicrous lumens or Ian Sirrell aka sikastag at ir.light.builds.com for their brightest 3 mode red leds you won't go far wrong. You might still get a discount if you ask skany via the UKV forum. Marky seems to have wound back his business but an email might work.... I don't know if he has any T20's left though.

My reason for going for a T20 is that the head of the torch is a bit smaller and you can get rid of the flare/glare all these torches suffer from by pushing and insulation taping a bit of Floplast 41mm (Might be classified as 42mm) waste pipe into the bezel. The inside of the T38's bezel is chamfered and I haven't found a bit of pipe that fits. :confused:. If you ever want to upgrade it to an IR pill then Ian is doing those or Clive at the NVstore is getting good reviews for his Black Sun range.

I put an AS IR led into a Sunnranger T20 the other night and we could see a hare and a muntjac clearly through the digital NV 'scopes at a lasere d 400m... I was getting eye-shine of an owl in the tree behind them too... confirmed when it swooped on something. :eek: A Sunnranger is simply a T20 with it's bezel cut back to the threads and a Yukon Ranger lens screwed on..... easy peasy and beats a NM800 AS at 400m too!

cheers

Fizz
:cool:
 
Cheap and cheerful Aldi cree torch for spotting, flood to spot, so somewhere inbetween is great for picking out eyes and a scope mounted deben cree torch ( don't know which model) Probably far better set ups out there but it works for me.
 
I use a T20 with a single scope clamp on my BSA .22 and a T20 look-a-like which is fixed focus.
The quad sticks also are used which makes for a very stable platform...

Tim.243
 
I use a T20 with a single scope clamp on my BSA .22 and a T20 look-a-like which is fixed focus.
The quad sticks also are used which makes for a very stable platform...

Tim.243

That sounds like a very viable and affordable set up as long as I can find a cheap single mode T20 lookalike Tim.
I usually shoot off twin or tripod sticks when "out in the field", (Haven't got round to making a set of quad sticks yet, but I'm sure I will before long as I've heard nothing but great reports about them).
 
That sounds like a very viable and affordable set up as long as I can find a cheap single mode T20 lookalike Tim.
I usually shoot off twin or tripod sticks when "out in the field", (Haven't got round to making a set of quad sticks yet, but I'm sure I will before long as I've heard nothing but great reports about them).

I will buy you a set...to save you making a video of it...then I wont have to watch it lol....:rolleyes:
Also they double up for spotting foxes as you can just haze them and them make a plan to shoot it...

All the best from Essex

Tim
 
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T20 is the way to go-I now have green and red for spotting and the T67 for taking the shot.The T20 is plenty for rabbits.I use the T20s for getting eye shine of foxes and then the mounted T67 in green to confirm and take the shot.
 
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