Every field of hunting has its own special quirks and aggravations. The sad thing about coon hunting is its nocturnal nature makes it less than ideal for most wall-eyed humans.
Here, we look at the most powerful tool in your coon hunting arsenal- getting the best coon hunting lights your budget will allow.
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Tell Me More About The Best Coon Hunting Lights
One of the most critical features of any coon hunting light is its hand-free nature. The best flashlight in the world is utterly pointless if you’re hunting.
That prey isn’t going to wait for you to fumble your gun around, no doubt dropping the flashlight in the process! So it’s imperative that your coon hunting light is lightweight, body mounted and easy to carry without impeding your hands.
Related: Get Rid of the Darkness: The 5 Best Hunting Spotlights
There’s actually a few different types available on the market
- Hybrid flashlights: These mount onto your gun as well as use as a normal flashlight
- Gun scope flashlights: Exactly what it says on the box, you will mount this light to your gun
- Body or truck mountablespotlights: These high powered beams hook on anywhere convenient
- Headlamps: One of our favourite design, the headlamp is literally mounted over the eyes, so where you look, your light goes too.
What Makes The Best Coon Hunting Lights?
No matter what design of light you opt for, there’s obviously a few ‘must have’ features to consider.
Buttons should be both robust and easy to use- you don’t want a sticky slider or low profile buttons that are near impossible to adjust if you have to swap light modes quickly.
The design should also be robust and not feel flimsy to your touch- you don’t want this falling to pieces on you in the field. A waterproof or water resistant rating is always great for the hunter too, as you cannot guarantee against sudden rain bursts.
You want to pick a light with a good brightness and reasonable illumination distance for the circumstances you will be hunting in.
It should also be as lightweight as possible without being flimsy, especially if it is head mounted, as any extra weight will soon tire you.
Remember it is possible to hunt coons during the day too, but it is trickier. Here are some tips for you if you’d like to explore the idea.
Help Me Pick The Best Battery Type!
What battery style you prefer will be up to your personality and budget, but each has its own pros and cons. Rechargeable batteries are considerably simpler- there’s no removing every time you need more juice- and they also tend to last longer.
However, finding a means to recharge them in the field can be tricky and needs a little extra thought towards things like truck chargers.
Standard batteries are a lot simpler, in that when they fail you simply swap out and go.
However, this means open compartments and more moving parts, all of which are prone to water leaks, damage and breaking. Standard batteries also generally have a lesser life.
In the end, what style you prefer is up to you. If you want to know a little more about this debate, you’ll find more here
What Else Do I Need To Know?
A red LED setting is always worth considering. Red light is very mild on the human eye, and maintains your own night vision, so you can hunt longer. You may see green lights included in some models. Green lights work well with gun scopes, and you will see more definition under green light then under red, but it is more taxing on the human eye. If you’d like to know more about the use of coloured lights at night and the best ways to keep your night vision fresh and strong
Wether or not you opt to hunt with dogs is up to you. Here are some tips on hunting with hounds if you want to take this route
Here Are The Best Brightest Coon Hunting Lights On The Market.
We’ve picked out the top 6 coon hunting lights for you below. The headlamp offers greater versatility and intuitive use then many of the other coon hunting light styles, while rifle and rail mounts both offer the added convenience of working synergistically with your gun. Here are our favourites for making your hunt a successful and simple one.
Best Coon Hunting Lights | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
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A+ | $$ | ||
A | $$ | ||
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B | $ |
#1- Best Coon Hunting Headlamp: Kohree Cree XML Headlamp
This sturdy and robust headlight offers visibility up to 300m, with throw forward up to 700.
Pros
- IP54 water resistance
- Explosion-proof
- 8000 Lux powerful light with 4 modes of brightness
- Lightweight with strong battery
Cons
- Does not ship with cap-mount as standard
- A little bulky to manoeuvre
- Beam of light is quite narrow
- Green filter rather than red
- Separate battery pack for attaching to belt
Some will not like the battery line that ships with this unit, but if you need a destruction proof coon hunting light, this is the one to opt for for sure.
#2- Coon Hunting Lights Reviews: Orion H2O Hunting Torch
A slim and compact torch offering red and green options, both of which ship in the package for your convenience.
Pros
- The Orion H20 can be rail and rifle mounted
- Powerful 200 lumens
- Pressure switch is easy and silent to use
Cons
- Beam does not focus
- Case doesn’t have a robust, sturdy feel
- Poor throw forward and brightness compared to some models
The Orion hunting torch offers a lot of versatile options that ship in a whole-box package. It does lose out a little on the ‘feel’ of the construction, however.
#3 Predator Rechargeable Hunting Light
The Predator rechargeable rifle-mounted torch offers a powerful and lighter-weight option for hunters looking for a serious light
Pros
- 273 yards of tight focused light
- Superior battery run time compared to many brands
- Battery is rechargeable
- ‘Military’ grade waterproofing and impact resistance
- Press and stay or pressure switch lighting options
Cons
- Light cannot be focused
- Tacky feel to pressure switch
- Allenwrench removal from barrel is a little awkward
A robust feel, simple to use rechargeable batteries and some of the best waterproofing available make the Predator rechargeable hunting light one of our top choices, despite a few niggling complaints in the design.
#4- Streamlight 6227 XML Torch
The Streamlight is a little small and un-impressive compared to some rifle-mountable scopes, but don’t be fooled. This baby packs a powerful punch and makes it to our top coon hunting light list for a reason.
Pros
- One handed snap-and-tighten mounting interface
- Shock-proof casing guards against falls and rough treatment
- Battery door is tethered with a strong latch to make changing batteries easy without risk of loss
- IPX 7 waterproof
- Rail or rifle mountable
Cons
- Range much less than advertised
- Large halo rather then strong forward thrusting beam
- Somewhat small compared to similar brands
The Streamlight Game Spotter is a little disappointing on some of its specs, but what else can you expect from such a small unit? For size and price, it’s an impressive pick none the less.
#5 Coyote Varmint Hunting Light
Amoung a certain class of hunter, the Coyote Varmint holds an almost legendary status. In use, it’s pretty easy to see why.
Pros
- Lightweight but robust casing with military influence
- Strong beam at 150 yards
- Rechargeable for maximum convenience
Cons
- Filters need to be changed for different lighting options.
- No white LED
- No ability to focus beam
- Somewhat prone to factory faults
If you’re looking for a strong mid-range light pick for your rifle that will deliver, this is the one for you.
#6- Best Led Coon Hunting Light: Streamlight 61052 Headlamp
A head lamp can combine the maximum in hands free ease, immediate light where you are looking, and simple portability.
Pros
- 55 hours of run time
- Powerful LED lights
- Tilt options for maximum comfort
- Durable casing
Cons
- A little heavy for the head mounting
- Chews battery power quickly
- Headband not adjustable
While nowhere near as fancy as the flash rifle mount scopes, this simple head lamp delivers budget friendly, superior performance.
Conclusion
Our favourite product by far was the Kohree Cree XML. Despite being slightly larger than other product offerings, the robust design and brightness left its competitors in its tracks.
With its red LED setting and long life batteries, it offered a great usability factor.
The battery pack wasn’t too irritating to deal with, and we feel it offered the top blend of functionality and comfort.
However, all of our top picks represent a good pick in their different categories. And if you’re looking for the best coon hunting lights, you can’t go wrong.