Since i posted this thread and with no responses i decided to buy one and try it. Collected it today and brought it home. I stuck one of the two batteries in and tried it without any charging.

The field at the back of my house is a yard or two short of 500 yards. There are "markers" along the field which give an idea of distance (from previously ranging them). The first is a stake at 101 yards. Another marker is a far set of tress to the right of the field at 212 yards. The next is a dip in the field at 254 yards. An incline after the dip which goes from 267 to 321 yards. Then flat ground from the 321 yard mark to the back of the field at 499 yards.

The torch easily lit up the 101 yard stake. Clear and easily. The dip at 254 yards was well lit up with the concentrated beam lighting up lumps of grass, etc on the incline. It lit up the brow of the incline at 321 yards, again showing clumps of grass, etc. It did not light up the back ditch of the field at 499 yards. The light went that far, but between the full moon, and frost/fog it was hard to make out any shape. It did light up eyes of sheep at the end of the field.

So to check i brought out the Lightforce 140 and twin battery pack. I stood in the same place and checked the same markers. The stake (101 yards), the dip (254 yards) the brow (321 yards) were all as visible as with the torch. However like the torch i could not clearly make out the sheep at the end of the field but could see the eyes.

I went back in and charged the torch from 6:30pm till 21:20 pm (just shy of 3 hours). I went back out with both lamps/torches. The fog/mist is now worse than before. The back field is so covered that neither light can show beyond the dip and even the dip is not entirely visible. You can see and make out the incline (from 254 yards) but loose it at the point of the brow.

I went to the road which while misty is not as bad as the field (filed is on/beside boggy ground) and tried both. There is a telegraph pole at 241 yards and both lamp and torch lit it up and made it easily identifiable.


Results & opinions.

The Wildhunter has a very focused central beam which is bathed in a wider, less intense, light. This is for focused aiming of the light at the target and also providing surrounding light to pick up eyes or anything moving in the periphery. It is very much like the ND laser designator, but as the technology is not laser based would not have the distance given in such devices. The Lightforce has the same, but with the Lightforce having a dual battery pack, 5.5" lens, etc. it has the Wildhunter bet for power. However the difference is not so much as to say one is miles better than the other.

The conditions tonight were not great. The moon is almost completely full and there is enough ambient light to see to the bottom of the field with any light. This coupled with the mist/fog, and the frost falling proved to be a problem to both lamps. I will test again in a few days when it's not misty and darker than it is tonight, but based on results in less than ideal conditions i can say i'm happy with the purchase.

The torch is approx 6.5-7" and about 180 - 220 grams. It comes with a car charger, home charger, two batteries, hand held end cap for walking, or gun mount and wired end cap with switch so you don't have to take your hand of the stock to turn it on. It has the white LED as standard but a red and green can be bought. The torch is definitely capable of showing eyes out to 800 metres as claimed, but ONLY on pitch dark night with no mist, fog, rain, frost, etc. IOW in the most black of black nights. Even then only eyes.

I'd happily recommend the torch for identifiable shooting out to 350 - 400 (max) yards, and eyes out further. It is a significant set up from the previous model which i received many PMs about in terms of the low quality of it (thanks again lads). This 800 model is definitely better. It is not as good as the scope mounted Lightforce 140, but then again for a torch that is less in weight, smaller in size, and far cheaper i wasn't expecting it to be. However, as said above, the difference is not huge. There is a difference, but it's not a case of chalk and cheese.

Based on the next few testings over the coming days i'll decide if it is as good as i think it is, will hold up to bad weather use, and if so i might invest in a second one as they are much, much handier than a battery pack, and 140 to go out solo lamping.

valerossi wrote: »

That's one serious review lad:)

Too much time on my hands.

I'm hoping if anyone else is looking at one they can go here, and it'll help in their decision making.

does it come as standard with the remote switch (end cap)

Yes. It comes with:

1. Torch.
2. End cap with on/off switch.
3. Second end cap with long lead and velcro strap to mount on/off switch on rifle.
4. Scope mount.
5. Car charger.
6. Home charger.
7. Two batteries (only uses one at a time to run light).
8. White LED.

and do you have any idea how we'll the red filter works with it.

No idea yet. Sean has them there, but i wanted to test the torch before going for extra LEDs. They are on the Wildhunter site at €30 a go, but Sean is doing them for €27 (i think).

It's still early days, but initial impressions are good. I'll want to test it out over the coming week and if the performance stays as good then i'll update with a definitive recommend or not (as the case warrants).

After having a look through those links and the NM seems very similar to the WH.

In terms of size, length, weight, build, lens, LED, etc they are almost identical. The only difference i can see from the videos & pictures of the NM to what i've seen the WH do is the light itself. Both seem to have a great central/focused beam. However the NM seems to have either dark rings in the flood lighting or no flood lighting unless you adjust the head to turn it from focused to flood. The WH has both the focused beam and flood light at the same time.

I'd hate to live on any difference. The kits seem to differ too. The NM comes with charger, battery and gun mount. The WH has the same but also an extra battery, car charger and second switch for use on a rifle. Last difference is price. The NM in that link is €190 (£159) whereas the WH is €120.

My only reason for being so exact is i don't want to see you, or anyone, make the mistake off thinking that because it's not a scope that it's perfectly legal to use without authorisation. Be some kick in the knackers to loose your guns (if stopped) over something you thought was okay.

Getting back nto the topic of the thread i'm just after doing a check as it dawned on me that every thing i checked so far has been with the naked eye. IOW i haven't actually looked through the scope of a rifle with the torch mounted.

I got the Father to hold the torch and stuck the rifle on the sticks. Under the lamp i can see a stake at the end of the field quite clearly. That's 497 yards and i can not only see the 4 foot stake, but can place the crosshairs on it without any searching for the light or crosshairs.


So with the naked eye it's a 250+ torch, but with the rifle scope (set on 8 power) it's a 500 yard torch. Result.