# 300 Yard target shooting spotlight?



## matt304 (Aug 31, 2008)

I would like to use my 300 yard shooting range at night. I would like to sit a spotlight on my bench, and beam the target from next to me. I think the illumination would need to be fairly bright to see the target well through a 25X scope at nighttime. I have one of those 10 million candlepower halogen spotlights, and it is not nearly bright enough.

I can run an extension cord out to the bench, or I could use battery power. Although, I don't imagine battery power would suffice at these power levels.

Any suggestions of what to look at?

Thanks!


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## BlueBeam22 (Aug 31, 2008)

Yes, you need to get the Vector Power On Board HID Spotlight. I have one and it is amazing. It can light up trees nearly a mile away so 300 yards would be nothing for it. I have used mine to light up clouds, tops of sky scrapers, far away buildings, huge fields, etc. 
It is rechargeable and unlike halogen spotlights it doesn't dim. It runs for over 1 hour at full brightness. 
I have a 10 million candlepower halogen spotlight and it is nothing compared to the Power On Board HID... It doesn't have nearly as much throw and only looks about half as bright. The HID makes it look like a joke, there is no comparison.

The Power On Board HID has a laser like beam with a very bright hotspot, nice floody corona, and bright spill. It is a very nice blue/white color beam.

It is smaller and lighter weight than my huge 10 million candlepower spotlight, and sure does smoke it!

You can get the Power On Board HID on Ebay for under $50.


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## matt304 (Aug 31, 2008)

Is the hotspot bright enough to the point that a 3x3 foot target at that distance would appear as bright as it does in broad daylight?

Because, the high-magnification scope I use steals a lot of light. So if the illumination is not excellent, the scope image will be rather dim.

I did not expect something able to do the job to be under $50! I'm almost a little reluctant at that price, but if you say so...


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## BlueBeam22 (Aug 31, 2008)

matt304 said:


> Is the hotspot bright enough to the point that a 3x3 foot target at that distance would appear as bright as it does in broad daylight?
> 
> Because, the high-magnification scope I use steals a lot of light. So if the illumination is not excellent, the scope image will be rather dim.
> 
> I did not expect something able to do the job to be under $50! I'm almost a little reluctant at that price, but if you say so...


 
I just went outside to do a direct comparison between my 10 million candlepower halogen and my Power On Board HID. I shined them both at the neighbor's house across the street (who isn't home) and the HID really smoked the 10 million candlepower. At that distance (about 150 feet) the HID's hotspot was over 50% brighter than the 10 million candlepower's hotspot and when I shined them right in the same place the halogen spotlight's beam wasn't even visible because the HID was SO much brighter. I shined them at a building about 1000 feet away and the HID lit it up MUCH brighter than the halogen did and at that distance the HID's hotspot was still well defined and the halogen's hotspot was spread out and dim.

I am not sure if it will illuminate something 3X3 in the distance like broad daylight but the difference between it and a 10 million candlepower halogen spotlight is NIGHT & DAY.

Hope this helps!


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## BlueBeam22 (Aug 31, 2008)

Here is a website with a demonstrational video of the Power On Board HID where they are comparing it to a 10 million candlepower spotlight. This is exactly how they compared when I went outside a few minutes ago (except in the video the HID doesn't look nearly as bright as in person).

My Power On Board HID easily lights trees 1/2 a mile away that my 10 million candlepower struggles to reach at all.

EDIT: The video on the Cabela's website doesn't seem to be working now, sorry.

The great thing about the Power On Board HID is that its hotspot is laser like and stays small and extremely bright even on objects at great distances which makes it many times better than the 10 million candlepower which is very dim at those distances with no distinct hotspot.


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## Flashanator (Aug 31, 2008)

Matt I know how you feel about the 10 Million Candle power searchlight. It fails bad.

For 3x3 @ 300yards no light could possible match the brightness of daylight.

Cheapest way for HID would be the mega illuminator (best thrower), but that realistically isn't "a huge" diff over the 10MCP, the old saying 2x brightness for a noticeable difference. But still the mega illum is superior to your 10mcp. Just not daylight. 

Other high end option is to spend min $2500 on military maxabeam. Thats as best as it gets.


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## BlueBeam22 (Aug 31, 2008)

Here is where you can get the Mega Illuminator. It would have more throw than the Power On Board HID, and would also be a great choice!:thumbsup:

Either HID will completely blow away your 10 million candlepower spotlight.


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## Patriot (Aug 31, 2008)

Matt304, 

The POB will actually work quite well at 300 yards but the Illuminator will work even better and is almost ideal for the application. My family and I do a fair amount of long range shooting and the POB has worked out alright to 585 yards. The Illuminator has worked well out to as far as we shoot at night which is 735 yards. It just happens to be the distance to the stump where we hang the target frame. The frame is 4.5' tall by 3' wide and it's visible to the naked eye when illuminated at 585 yards. Through the scope it's very bright. Some of the scopes we use are 6.5-20 X 50mm Leupold, 6-24 X 50 Pentax, Springfield 4-14 X 56, and 6.5-20 X 40mm Leupold. I'm not sure what you're using but maybe one of those has similar optical geometry and light transmission characteristics. We can see .30 caliber holes on white target paper out to 240 yards with the Mega Illuminator and a good spotting scope. I was using a Leica77 APO, but my Uncle could usually see them with a 60mm Leupold spotter. I'm guessing they might even be visible a bit further but that's just where the target happened to be that night. Obviously the target and the amount of contrast is going to have a huge bearing on how well you can see your cross hairs. Most of my scopes have illuminated reticles but depending on the target you can see black cross hairs too. 

Our typical target would be a black torso sillouette against vanilla paper, with 3" white painted, cardboard disks on the head and chest. The 3" white disk is very visible through the scope even at 735 yards. In any case, three or four hundred yards shouldn't be any problem at long as you have quality optics. Magnification is most important and actually, the "twilight factor" increase at higher magnification. Just what's needed when trying to make out tiny, dim objects at long range. That's to say that even though the exit pupil of lower 6x power scopes is larger, it can't compare to how much better the image is seen at 20-25x. Of course there is a point of diminishing return since 56mm objectives (in high quality optics) are usually as big as it gets in the rifle scope family. 

Let us know what you end up getting.


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## BlueBeam22 (Aug 31, 2008)

I will state a few facts about the 2 HID spotlights being discussed here:

The Mega Illuminator will noticeably out throw the Power On Board HID and have a larger hotspot. The Mega Illuminator uses a 4200K HID bulb and the Power On Board uses a 6000K, which means the Mega Illuminator will have a yellowish white beam and the Power On Board will have a bluish white beam.

The Mega Illuminator puts out more light than the Power On Board as 4200K HID gives more lumens per watt than 6000K.

The Power On Board HID will be smaller and lighter weight than a 10 million candlepower spotlight, and the Mega Illuminator will be larger and quite a bit heavier than the 10 million.

I believe the Power On Board HID has a more floody beam than the Mega Illuminator, but still a super bright tight hotspot with amazing throw.:thumbsup:


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## TheGreyEminence (Aug 31, 2008)

Can you say "Polarion Helios PH50"?

Regards...


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## Flashanator (Aug 31, 2008)

I can't :mecry:


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## BVH (Aug 31, 2008)

The Mega Illuminator is the best solution for his needs. It throws the furthest and since weight and size are not a problem, its bulk does not matter. It does not cost an arm and a leg. If I remember correctly, it will run off the cigarette lighter cord so a small, plug-in, 12 Volt battery charger capable of 3 or more amps would do the trick. Just plug it into the extension cord.

Great info, Patriot! Exactly the kind of info he was looking for!


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## BIGIRON (Aug 31, 2008)

Just light the target. You don't need to light up 300 yds of air.


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## Patriot (Aug 31, 2008)

BIGIRON said:


> Just light the target. You don't need to light up 300 yds of air.




Definitely an option if convenience allows. We have used Coleman propane lanterns placed next to the target before but some years the grass was too dry and you just didn't want that thing sitting out there with no way of getting to it quickly. The lantern has the advantage of being very bright and has a long run-time. The option would be to put a spotlight up close to the target but the problem was logistical because you would have to walk out to turn the light on and off when changing shooters or spotters, or when starting or stopping a shooting session. We found that the big throw HID provided the necessary illumination but also convenience during a 3-4 hour shooting evening, as they could be switched on and off at will. 




On a side note, the PH50 definitely produces far more overall lumens but just can't match the throw of the 9" reflector in the Costco/Harborfreight/Mega Illuminator.


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## BMF (Aug 31, 2008)

Is this light good enough for you? Definitely no spill at all.


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## CM (Aug 31, 2008)

BIGIRON said:


> Just light the target. You don't need to light up 300 yds of air.



Precisely what I was thinking. You can even rig up something remotely and just use an LED with a semi-flood type of beam. A lot more efficient than wasting power trying to overcome the inverse square effect.


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## matt304 (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks a lot everyone on the input. And it really helps hearing a little more recommendation from another shooter.

I am going to go with the Mega Illuminator, as recommended.

The reason I don't light the target up close is because there is no way I can run enough cord down to the target. I could run it off the batteries, but sometimes I am out there for a few hours shooting. The bench is somewhat near the house, and my ranges extend down into a valley. I have 300 and 500 yard ranges. I will have to try the longer range as well.

I wish I could afford one of those military beams that can light up a car from 3 miles away, but unfortunately, I cannot.


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## BlueBeam22 (Aug 31, 2008)

matt304 said:


> Thanks a lot everyone on the input. And it really helps hearing a little more recommendation from another shooter.
> 
> I am going to go with the Mega Illuminator, as recommended.
> 
> ...


 
You have made a great choice getting the Mega Illuminator. Please let us know how you like it!:thumbsup:


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## SafetyBob (Aug 31, 2008)

How would the N30 compare to the Mega Illuminator since they are both 35 watt HID's? 

Just wondering. 

Bob E.


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## BlueBeam22 (Aug 31, 2008)

SafetyBob said:


> How would the N30 compare to the Mega Illuminator since they are both 35 watt HID's?
> 
> Just wondering.
> 
> Bob E.


 
The N30 is a 35 watt HID driven at 30 watts, so it would put out around 500 lumens less than the Mega Illuminator. The N30 has a small 4'' reflector and Mega Illuminator has a giant 9'' reflector, so the Mega Illuminator would out throw the N30 by an enormous margin. The Mega Illuminator would have more of a laser like pencil beam and the N30 would be more floody.


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## Patriot (Aug 31, 2008)

matt304 said:


> Thanks a lot everyone on the input. And it really helps hearing a little more recommendation from another shooter.
> 
> I am going to go with the Mega Illuminator, as recommended.
> 
> The reason I don't light the target up close is because there is no way I can run enough cord down to the target. I could run it off the batteries, but sometimes I am out there for a few hours shooting. The bench is somewhat near the house, and my ranges extend down into a valley. I have 300 and 500 yard ranges. I will have to try the longer range as well.




You're welcome. I was also just thinking that if you're out away from the light pollution of the city your results will be even better than average. My guess is that you'll easily be able to shoot at 500 yards provided that you post targets with sufficient light reflection. The "Shoot N See" targets work well for highlighting the bullet holes but since they're black you'll need to stick a white or yellow paster, of your size preference, in order to get a consistent sight picture. 

One last thing, you'll want to avoid placing the light near your shooting bench or mat because it illuminates the dust in the atmosphere and washes out the scope image. Instead, set it at least 15 feet away and as high as possible. I uses a tall tripod with a thin piece of laminate wood as a light platform. The aim of the beam is pretty critical for the best performance but the Illuminator does have fairly good vertical adjustment built into the legs if you have no means of finer adjustment.


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## Flashanator (Sep 1, 2008)

Pat, do you have a preference for this app. Ph50 or maxabeam?

Lotsa lumens or just CP?


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## Patriot (Sep 1, 2008)

Candlepower, but the MB is probably out of most people's price range. The Mega Illuminator would be the best stock HID though.


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## TorchBoy (Sep 1, 2008)

*Re: 300 yard target shooting spotlight?*



matt304 said:


> Is the hotspot bright enough to the point that a 3x3 foot target at that distance would appear as bright as it does in broad daylight?


Hm, big ask. Sunlight at the equator is 1 kW/m^2 (light, heat, etc), so a 3' x 3' target lit to broad daylight levels is 836 watts, focused just on the target. 



Patriot36 said:


> One last thing, you'll want to avoid placing the light near your shooting bench or mat because it illuminates the dust in the atmosphere and washes out the scope image.


+1

Do post beamshots and let us know how it goes.


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## matt304 (Sep 2, 2008)

OK guys, I stalled just a little longer. These indoor spotlights I ran across caught my attention, running on A/C power. Their ratings are much more than 35W, some of them are 575W, and under $300. Not sure exactly what an HPL lamp is, though.

I'd like some second opinion on what these might be able to do.

For instance, this one is 575W, but has a 19 degree lens: http://www.norcostco.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3169

I assume the 19 degree lens has too much divergence for any useful target spotting.

They have a 5 degree at 750W also, but that's a bit more than I'd like to spend. I wonder what that thing would do for night shooting!? http://www.norcostco.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3164


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## Patriot (Sep 3, 2008)

Sorry matt304, I'm not familiar with studio or stage lights like that. Like you said, you'd want one of the tightest beams you can get.


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## Ken J. Good (Sep 3, 2008)

I have practically tested a SureFire M4 devastator on top of my M24 sniper rifle. This is a 500 lumen, incandescent light which was mounted directly above the optic.

I could successfully place rounds on target within the limits of the accuracy of the rifle, with a non-illuminated reticle.

Have since, switched to an illuminated reticle which provides greater discrimination between the target and the reticle. (Mark 4 3.5-10x40mm LR/T M2 Illum. Reticle). 

I have found that 6x is the optimal magnification setting on my Mark IV Leopold in terms of getting the most light onto your retina when light is at a premium.

All the Searchlights mentioned above should certainly allow you to shoot the targets at the 300-500 yards distances.


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## Patriot (Sep 4, 2008)

Good info Ken.  

That also reminded me of shooting a FAL with a 3x scope at 200 yards on a steel 10" plate, using only a Surefire X200A. The steel plate was painted white but could be hit 9 of 10 shots while in the kneeling position. 




..and matt304, just to clarify some, a lot of this is info dependent upon the type of shooting that you're doing. I automatically took this to mean that you were doing some recreational target shooting and trying to print small groups on paper.

It's fun to be tactical and shoot from various field positions, during field conditions and to increase proficiency. It's also nice to sit leisurely behind the bench, eat potato chips, and talk on the two-way radio to your buddy downrange pasting targets for you. There is no doubt that at closer ranges and with larger targets, 6x magnification will provide a good image and also allow for quicker target acquisition through the optic. At longer ranges on tiny targets you typically need ever increasing magnification to achieve greater precision. This is even more important when the lighting is poor because the cones on the retina within the fovea are so poor at revealing detail. Rods aren't used for on axis vision and thus don't help when peering at the center of the crosshair. The only way to improve detail during these extreme conditions is to make the target larger so that more cones can combine to build a detailed image. Resolution always increases with magnification (within practical limits) and is the reason that one can see Jupiter better at 60x than at 20x through the same 80mm telescope even though at 60x the exit pupil is only 1.1mm small. It's also the reason that a 10x binocular will provide more detail than a 7x binocular of the same exact model, which becomes even more appearent at dusk. The "twilight factor" of the 10x optic will be higher also which is purly based upon the optical optical geometry alone and has nothing to do with other factors effecting light transmission such as coatings, glass and management of stray light. 

The other advange to higher magnification (target) shooting is that the target becomes larger in relation to the crosshair. At 6x magnification a 3/4 minute crosshair will exactly cover a 3" target at 400 meters. Most practiced shooters with good equipment can better 3" at 400 meters so 6x becomes a handycap. At 12x the shooter is left with .75" of target sticking out from each of the four corners behind crosshair because the target has doubled in size. It aids in precission and is the same reason that benchrest shooters often use 36x, 40x and 45x fixed power scopes with fine crosshairs. It allows a smaller aiming point and guarantees that the shooter is only limited by the consistency of the rifle, ammo, and shooter mechanics and not by sighting limitations. 

Obviously there are huge differences between what works for tactical operations vs. what works for printing tiny groups for recreation or competition. Although the basis of shooting dicipline remains the same, the equipment is going to be different.


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## scott.cr (Sep 4, 2008)

matt304 said:


> Is the hotspot bright enough to the point that a 3x3 foot target at that distance would appear as bright as it does in broad daylight?



Sure... if you put the light 20 feet from the target.


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## sunspot (Sep 4, 2008)

I see where the Vector Power On Board is listed as an SLH100P at Amazon. Amazon also has a SLH100V at a higher price.
Does anyone know what the difference is?


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## Hallmcc (Sep 4, 2008)

matt304 said:


> I would like to use my 300 yard shooting range at night.
> Any suggestions of what to look at?
> 
> Thanks!


 
Be cool and get this.

http://www.opticsplus.net/DayNightScopes/DayNightScopes/ATN4-12X80DayNightRifleScope


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## BlueBeam22 (Sep 4, 2008)

sunspot said:


> I see where the Vector Power On Board is listed as an SLH100P at Amazon. Amazon also has a SLH100V at a higher price.
> Does anyone know what the difference is?


 
It appears they are exactly the same except the more expensive one is sold from Amazon directly whereas the $99 one is sold from a different store called "Toyzz". I'm not sure why they put SLH100V but they are exactly the same light.


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## Patriot (Sep 4, 2008)

Hallmcc said:


> Be cool and get this.
> 
> http://www.opticsplus.net/DayNightScopes/DayNightScopes/ATN4-12X80DayNightRifleScope





:sick2: Sorry, not a ANT fan anymore.

I'm partial to the AN/PVS22 or the Talon 6x


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## matt304 (Sep 8, 2008)

Thanks again for the additional info. I have been working on a new 500 yard bench, and I haven't been doing much shooting.

About the NV. As a matter of fact, I have a PVS-14 gen-III monocular on the way to me right now. I have handled my buddy's, mounted on an AR-15 behind an Aimpoint, but I never really thought about putting it on a bench gun. I don't imagine it will resolve well at all behind a 25X scope at night. Although it just may work with some dim light on the target. I guess I will find out soon enough. The only problem I can see is that I do not have enough room on the picatinny for a scope and a PVS mount. I would have to mount it directly to the scope somehow.

I am shooting for small groups and not silhouette shooting. I'm pretty sure I'm still going to get the Mega Illuminator at this point.


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