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I'm sure this looks a bit n00bish looking but is functional for the night hunting I do occasionally for raccoons. I like the minimag since I can use rechargeable AA's and bulbs and the light itself are cheap enough and rugged enough for my needs also. And with it mounted on the barrel in front of the sights, my stream is in line with the sights. Yeah, it does get carbon under the light from the muzzle flash but this isn't a permanent setup. I'm just wondering why everyone is mounting at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions and if you have a problem with it snagging on brush sticking out of the rifle like that. Anyhow, this rifle is my first AR build and would like a friendly critique and if the advantage of something like a surefire setup with perhaps a rail mount defeats the cost over a minimag setup like I have.

As long as the gasses shooting up through the flash supressor dont kill your light.

Do you use the bayo for catching the raccoon on his way down?

Do you use the bayo for catching the raccoon on his way down?

LOL. Excellent idea. No, the bayo is about the only non-functional piece of equipment I have but the bayo has been a part of military gun history for a long time so it's more for show and nostalgic purposes, in a sense.

You mention that it suits your needs, but have you used it yet?

Yes, I've used it a few times. Admittedly, it's not my main light. My friend has a very bright 12v head lamp for the spotting. My friend is the 'coon hunter, I haven't been much but the setup worked alright. Anyone know the lumens of a minimag? Is it really that big a difference in brightness between a minimag and your avg. surefire?

I was once a minimag coonhunter too but bumped up to a surefire. Best thing ive ever done. I use a headlamp for spotting the eyes(leds do wonders on animal eyes) and then use the e2d to go from there. I dont have it mounted on the rifle I just hold it against the handguards.

Once you use a surefire you will become a flashaholic.  Be careful!  Pretty soon you will have G2's in the glove box of each car.  Then you will want to have a 9V Centurion or a 9P........

Quoted: Once you use a surefire you will become a flashaholic.  Be careful!  Pretty soon you will have G2's in the glove box of each car.  Then you will want to have a 9V Centurion or a 9P........

they truly are addictive, they are like eating Doritos you can never have just one

Thanks for the replies...and the thinner wallet. That is enough to convince me to buy one. Any good recommendations on a tac light, ie, best bang for buck? Any that I can use rechargeable batteries since I go through them a lot? For a good setup, money isn't a big factor but I don't want to have to keep pouring money into batteries and bulbs.

Quoted: Where its mounted is just fine. However, that light is not very bright. You mention that it suits your needs, but have you used it yet?

Agree. I am about 99% certain that the lens of your light will be covered before you know it. I would suggest moving it back.

Also, the maglite is NOT shock isolated. You might blow your bulb at the worst time. Carry a spare bulb or get a shock isolated light.

You will proably want to get a sure fire Milennium series 96x or 97X.  THe 97x has a turbo head on it.  it will focus a tighter beam and you could easily light something up about 100yards away.

I don't think you can get something that has rechargable batteries.  But Cr123 batteries can be had for about 1.50 each if you buy a dozen at a time.  Check with Brightflashlights.  Tell him what you want to do and he can set you up.

Streamlight Stinger XT (tailcap)

Don't know how it will handle recoil but it is rechargable

Quoted: Is it really that big a difference in brightness between a minimag and your avg. surefire?

Your "average" Surefire is as bright as a 6 D-Cell Maglite. So I'd say there a hell of a difference between a minimag.

=

there are several aftermarket adapters that will allow you to use rechargeable 3v batteries in place of the CR123s.  They are a little longer so the adapter is necessary to fit them in.  

A mini maglight is probably 7 Lumens.  A $30 Surefire G2 is 65.

I would like to suggest the streamlight luxeon jr. Its a bright led that uses 2 aa batteries. Way brighter than a mini mag and it has a tailcap switch. 35.00