2-3 hundred yards
coyote hunting
I have an ATN Xsight

Streamlight super tac ir

I've used Evolva T20's which are cheap Amazon stuff. The tape swiches are breaking. They are now backups.
I've switched to a TNVC Torch with surefire tape switch, works great.
I have a couple Surefire M952V for shorter range work.

I had the torch and illumination wise it was my favorite but it's big. I've been pleasantly surprised by an armasight one XLR-IR850

If I had to pick it would be one of those. I haven't tried the supertac personally to be fair.

I got an extra armasight xlr-850 and can confirm it's bright af

Another vote for the armasight for the money

The armasight illuminator is great, a little red glow but on par with most other illuminators.  Their rotating switch adjustable tailcap is interesting depending on what you are using it for.  I personally dug around in my box of spare flashlight parts and found a Blackhawk clicky tailcap that fits so now I have a simple on/off setup.  I actually ended up selling my torch because the armasight provided almost as much illumination in a much smaller package.

A bit OT but the torch is cool because you can one of their 3x adapters and then, instead of screwing in a 3x magnifier, screw in an IR filter to really cut down on the glow.

This.  I've used a bunch and this one is, by far, the most cost effective LED IR illuminator I am aware of.  I have not tried the Armasight but everything I have used from that company felt cheaply built.  YMMV.

I vote TNVC torch.

Armasight illuminator. I have the streamlight super tac one as well and although it is damn good, is not as bright as the Armasight one. I have used the rotating tailcap in a lot of different situations, mainly using the lowest setting to preserve battery life and increasing the gain on night vision since it's battery life is significantly longer. I also have the doubler and that makes for a badass system for some long range.

This.

So does anyone have a comparison between the TNVC Torch and the Streamlight tac IR?

I need to be able to pick up eyes at 500yds easily, so the torch and the adjustable beam is very appealing to me, plus the fact that it had high and low beam, and can swap out for higher frequency bulbs. All of that seems very tough to best.

Dang, I'm not seeing any negatives for me, I'll have to get one ordered.

Torch Pro vs Streamlight

@boxofrox

Email sent.

I don't have the newer variable power torch but I have spent time with mine and my hunting buddy has the supertac ir. The supertac is a better flashlight with tons of spill and a pretty strong hotspot for range. It will not touch the torch for focusing on something at range. For general use I like the supertac better but there is more visible red glow.

I'll take the armasight over both though. Focuses down tight or extremely wide and blows both out of the water on power and has 3 or 4 settings.

I had the original torch, variable torch, and torch pro in addition to the SuperTac IR (and many others).  I have not owned a torch pro mk2.  If you will be shooting mostly prone then get something with variable focus, otherwise ground splash can wreck your ability to see anything.  I have found the SuperTac IR to be the ideal solution for coverage and range.  I liked all of them but sold all but the Streamlight.  The fact that it is also silly cheap was just icing on the cake.  Streamlight makes good stuff, "no ragerts" here.  Surefire for life though on white lights

Here are the ones I use on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis - most of the models listed above

From left to right :

SureFire 6PX Pro (For size reference)

SureFire V1 - GREAT handheld or helmet mounted light.  Clean, uniform beam and long runtime plus light in the hand or on a lanyard around the neck.  If I'm walking around and need more light than the PVS onboard then it's perfect.  Not enough throw for weapon mounted beyond room clearing, though.

Armasight - good throw and spot/flood adjustable in a not-too-big package.  Funky twistable tailcap but has 4 power levels and an "off" position on each end of the twist.  If I'm stalk hunting it's what I usually throw on.

Streamlight SuperTac IR - great light, it's my go-to handheld if I might want to illum something beyond 50 yds but not have to swing around the rifle to do it.  More spill than I'd really want in a weapon light hunting under trees as much as I do...  It's CHEAP, too (costwise, not quality-wise - I think I gave 60 or 70 bucks on Amazon Prime)

Torch Pro MK.II (Has the PVS 3x magnifier in place and a Surefire tailcap) - this thing IS a beast, especially with the magnifier in place.  BUT it's on the end of an suppressed 6.8, so it's already a heavy rifle.  If I'm hunting from the tripod or more-or-less static, this light is my hands-down choice.  Through my Gen2+ WP clip-on, it makes shots out to a couple hundred no problem.  Through my Gen3 stuff it's daylight.  With the magnifier threaded on and the beam focused to the tight pattern, it throws a defined BEAM that looks like one of the old prison-break stitchlights in a Warner Brothers cartoon.  I can easily see and ID animals FAR beyond what my 6.8 SBR is capable of hitting with my NV clip-on.  It's truly impressive, and the PVS magnifier and surefire tailcaps make it versatile as all get-out.  With the magnifer threaded off, it's only bigger than the Streamlight by the length of the surefire tailcap.  Great runtime, too.  There have been times I've set just the light on my tripod to illuminate an area a couple hundred yards away then stalk up on it from a lateral direction and watched/hunted passively.

Aside from a few Surefire X400vir and 952Vs and dedicated DBALs, these cover all my nighttime lighting.

Nitecore C16 is phenomenal..but appears to be discontinued.

HOLY SHIT!  you can put a PVS 3x on the Torch?  damn, now i gotta get a magnifier for reals!

I seem to remember having to buy a threaded adapter ring from TNVC for the magnifier.  It was pretty inexpensive as I recall.  And look for a magnifier secondhand, they're pricy new but milsurp go cheap (unless you're at a gun show...)

I'm really not sure what is out there with a better throw than the Torch/Magnifier combo without springing for a SPIR or similar - haven't really looked any further as the Torch outthrows my clip-on's range for shooting...

The Luna elir is the best easily obtainable illuminator I have found for use with a clip on. You can aim and focus the illumination exactly where you want and have 0-100% control over the power.

I assume you mean the laser version with filter removed? Do you have experience with the Gen 1 version or the Gen 2 version with integrated picatinny mount? I have not seen output of the Gen 2 with filter removed.

I'm not sure on gen 1 or 2. Mine is an elir-3 and it works amazing for shooting with a clip on.

If you don’t use the tape switch I wouldn’t use anything other than the evolva from amazon. The t20 was a tad more powerful than my dbal d2 and there are brighter ones. Cheap and I haven’t broke mine.

hey @TNVC or @TNVC_Augee, do i need an adapter to put a 3x magnifier on my Torch?  i didn't see anything on your website, so i assume its not made anymore?

Is it polymer body instead of aluminum? 9 setting dial, not a rheostat? Have a small LED on indicator? If so its the newest and Id love see some beam pattern pics if you dont mind.

Mine has a polymer body and "on" led, rheostat and click tail cap.

All these replies and nobody seems to acknowledge that he is using a $600 digital scope.

The t-20 based flashlights, like the evolva, are a good start. There are various versions of that light with larger aspheric lenses. T-38, t-50, even t-60somethig and 70 something. Most of these are originally homebrew developed for digital night vision using generic host flashlights, and the Chinese sellers figured out this sub market existed and produced ready made units

Most of the recommendations you are getting are for illuminator better suited to image tubes, not digital systems. You need an illuminator that would overwhelm the typical image tube based systems, to get the light you would need for the distance you want to work with in a digital system. Big focusable aspheric lenses are king. You wont be operating operationally with the x-sight, so you don't need a light rated for jumping out of space shuttles.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

The laser has a filter that cuts the power output down to measured class-1 levels. A lot of people get these and rip out the filter to get a class-3b laser illuminator.

Is it safe? Meh, as safe as any 3b laser device.

For shooting with a clip on where excess spill washes out your target I haven't found anything better unless I could get ahold of a la5 out something like that.

For those with the SuperTac IR- if you get a 52mm 850nm IR (bypass) filter like this one it will take the red glow out of the equation.  I think I had to mount the 52mm filter in the lid off a Butler Creek Blizzard cap (#9) and use the body of a Butler Creek #39 Flip cap (or vice versa) since I couldn't get the clear lens out of the SuperTac IR.

The head of the SuperTac is 2.2" diameter.  The BC #39 flip cap fits it snugly, but the flip caps have an opaque cover.  I swapped the front flippy cover from a BC Blizzard #9 onto the body of the BC #39 flip cap and it all worked as I intended.  I removed the clear lens cover from the BC Blizzard cap and replaced it with the 52mm IR filter and epoxied it in place.  The assembly has performed great for 4 or 5 years.  I think I had about $30 in it.  $10 each for the three pieces.  Oh, and I highly recommend the overpriced Streamlight remote for hte SuperTac on a rifle, but I really like remote pressure switches/

Put me down for one please...

ETA: @TNVC

So... still love to see output pics. Just wonder what the beam quality/intensity is like.

Ipotato pic. Treeline at 550yds.
Attached File

Awesome! I'll buy one.  @tnvc

Thanks for that. Is that at the widest setting? What magnification on the optic?

Can anyone offer comparison of the surefire 600v against everything listed so far?

I don't recall the details but I know that is not the widest or narrowest beam width and it's not on max power, 1/2-2/3 maybe. Optic is a 4.5-27 razor.

That thing looks pretty impressive. Might have to pick one up.

I bought an Evolva. Figure can always use it for a loaner or back up, when I get something better.

I bought an evolva t67 and it is an absolute beast for absolute illumination scanning wide open areas. I replaced the orings between the tube and head with some a bit thicker so it doesn't wobble or adjust quite so easy.

The Luna has a specific use where it is better than anything else I have and that's with a clip on.

Thanks for the oring tip. The t38 I bought has a little wobble in the middle of the adjustment range that I'm sure will get worse with use.

Sniper Hawg Lights.  Beats the pants off Evolva

To piggy back on this thread, what is the top choice for minimizing the red glare? I had a Torch for testing but unfortunately I was the one running it and didn't take an opportunity to see it from down range but I had several team mates say they could track me due to the red glare. I know the correct answer is DBAL, ATPIAL or MAWL but those are priced beyond what most guys will individual purchase and we should have the class 3 versions anyway.