Buddy asked my opinion but I have not used one although I do have a large, softball sized red one that mounts on the scope but uses a 12v feeder battery.

https://www.amazon.com/ORION-P..._product_top?ie=UTF8

And, thought I haven't dropped any lately with the rifle, I have trapped a few--

I've used shooting lights for years. Now, they are more compact than ever. I've used various brands but prefer the Kill Light from Elusive Wildlife Technologies. This one uses a single rechargeable 18650 battery and lasts a LONG time.

I much prefer the red option as it seems to spook game less than others, though even a red light can put them into flight.

Nice fat hog there Bobby.

ditto on what Bobby sez. Been using for several years...good light especially the adjustable beam model. using a clamp on rail on the scope and a regular 1 inch scope ring on the light. makes the light quickly detachable and reattachable.

I put mine on the left side, easy to reach up with thumb and click on.

I used one before I switched to thermal.

One of the tricks is to turn it on pointing high, then lower and let the spoil slowly illuminate the area. If you just aim at the target and turn it on, it usually spooks them regardless of color.

quote:

Originally posted by gsganzer:
I used one before I switched to thermal.

One of the tricks is to turn it on pointing high, then lower and let the spoil slowly illuminate the area. If you just aim at the target and turn it on, it usually spooks them regardless of color.

Yes, that's good advice. Depending on what's above me (you don't want to illuminate an entire canopy), I'll sometimes start from the side and gradually bring the light onto the target. But even then, there's no guarantee they won't spook.

It would be nice if the hogs cooperated and came out in daylight LOL.

Daylight? Like this pair?





And Bobby-- I took your recommendation and have a light inbound!

Awesome! Post a picture when you get it and let us know how you like it.

i believe (unproven but still) that green lights don't really scare nocturnal critters, and agree with having it set up higher than POI -

i think pigs run from bright lights (at times) but green lights are better, and i also believe, and this is the hard to believe part, that they run when they unexpectedly see shadows

also, illuminated reticles are better when shooting under lights

jeffeosso—I sent my Leupold 3-9 back to have a heavy duplex installed. Works like a charm on that M70 even though it is unlighted.

For years, I used nothing but heavy reticles, and for hogs, they made a huge difference compared to the typical plex styles. Now most of mine are illuminated, which makes things even better IF the illumination system is well-thought-out by the manufacturer. Some models are too bright, even on the lowest setting, and can negatively impact your vision.

On my Contenders, all scopes are geared towards low-light/moonlight performance and feature illumination. Four are Docter scopes, which are little-known and under-appreciated here in the US. That often means if you find one, it can be had for a very attractive price. Sadly, they haven't been made in years. The Docter company is still around and will service them, though as well as they are built, warranty work is not something I'd be concerned with. The oddball among my Contenders is a Zeiss Diatal Classic 7x50.

I actually took a photo of them yesterday since I added the .223 to the lineup (son wanted my bolt action 6.5 CM and scope, so we traded).

I was lazy and didn't take off the ammo carriers for the photo, but those are hard for me to put back onto the buttstocks.






From left:


23" MGM .223 with 1:8 twist/Docter VZF 3-12x56 with illuminated #4LK reticle


24" 6.5 Bullberry/Noblex (Docter) Vario N4 2.5-10x50 with illuminated 4-0 reticle


20.5" Van Horn in .270x.225 IMP/Zeiss Diatal Classic 7x50 with illuminated #40 reticle


24" Van Horn .300 Savage/Docter Unipoint 3-12x56 with illuminated 4-0 reticle


24" Eabco barrel in 6.5 BRM/Docter Classic 8x56 with illuminated #4LP reticle

Some may say the scopes are big and bulky, and i won't argue. But I have been mobility-challenged for a long while now and can't get out and stalk, so being streamlined and lightweight doesn't mean much to me. I'll gladly trade a little weight for the superb low-light performance they offer.

Pardon the low-quality phone photos, but this is the reticle in the Zeiss 7x50. It is bold enough to see in poor lighting and against a dark target like a hog or coyote in the shadows. But with the small, unobtrusive dot in the center that can illuminate, it makes it even easier to have a precise aiming point under the worst of conditions. It's the best of both worlds and can make those midnight shots on an old, wise and nocturnal hog possible.

This wise boar had gone completely nocturnal. Without good glass, I never would have had a chance to take him. I've used just about all of the nicer scopes out there but keep coming back to Docter.





Ditto for the ones below:



























Around here, fawn killers prefer the cover of darkness as well:

Hey Bobby:

Finally posted that shooting bench.

How many other guns are missing from that set? Don't you still have a .30/30 too?
Good to see these.

gorge

Hey Bobby:

Finally posted that shooting bench.

How many other guns are missing from that set? Don't you still have a .30/30 too?
Good to see these. Great ubnch of pictures too.

George

Hey Bobby:

Finally posted that shooting bench.

How many other guns are missing from that set? Don't you still have a .30/30 too?
Good to see these. Great ubnch of pictures too.

George

Hey, George! That's actually my bench rest for sighting in, etc. I thought I sent you photos of the "hog shooting" rests in the yard, but my feeble brain may be remembering wrong ha ha. I'm also technologically-challenged when it comes to the phone I often use for pictures, so that may be the problem, too. I'll take a couple more tomorrow and see if you get them this time.

You are remembering right: I did have a 24" Van Horn Contender barrel in 30-30 that I used on dozens of hogs and quite a few coyotes. One of the twins has that one now. The other twin has the 7mm Bullberry, which is responsible for well into 3 figures of hogs. I got it in 1997, and it was my go-to for many years.

You're a poster boy for Thompson Center :-)

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
You're a poster boy for Thompson Center :-)

Hah!

The Contender format does suit me perfectly, though, and provides all I could ever need in a hunting platform. They are capable of outstanding accuracy and provide ample power for anything I might ever consider shooting.

I've had a couple of posters on forums actually scoff at them or the thought of putting nice glass on what one deemed "inaccurate" and "junk." But when I challenged one guy to put his beloved bolt action against one of my Contenders in a 200 or 300 yard match -- with the winner getting the other's rifle -- he never replied.