The 4 Best Coon Hunting Lights — Reviews 2023

Best Coon Hunting Light Review

Photo by Matt MacGillivray / CC BY

Raccoon hunting is an American tradition dating back to when fur trappers were using the frontier to make a living. Raccoon fur is known to be warm, tough and dependable and was valued in the 1800s. This raccoon hunting is not a necessity or trade, but a time-honored hobby. One of the most important pieces of gear a coon hunter can have is a good light.

A coon light needs to be very bright and powerful, capable of cutting through the thick canopy of the American forest. The light needs to be tough and resistant to the elements. The light should be strong enough to be dropped, kicked and tossed and keep working. The light should also be resistant to water, especially to rain and dew. The best coon hunting lights can make the difference between a successful hunt and missing the shot.

Streamlight Sidewinder

The Streamlight Sidewinder is an interesting and versatile light. The Sidewinder is currently issued to the U.S. Marine Corps and has proven to be incredibly durable, strong enough to go to war and back. The Sidewinder uses a square design for the body that allows the light to stand on its own, and the rotating swivel head can change angle to suit your needs.

The Sidewinder is powered by two basic AA batteries and is capable of hours and hours of continuous use. The Sidewinder can adjust its brightness level by holding the powering button on, the light’s intensity will brighten to its highest intensity, before slowly dimming again. The Sidewinder also has four different light sources, a white light for the brightest light, a red light for navigation without losing your night vision, a blue light for tracking blood in the dark (blood will glow under the blue light), and an IR light for night vision.

The Sidewinder’s IR capability would be incredibly handy for those hunting with night vision scopes since coon hunting is done a night. The blue light can also help you track a wounded coon. The Sidewinder can also be adapted into a headlamp with the proper mount, or mounted onto the rail of a weapon. The Sidewinder is probably the most versatile flashlight out there and easily among the best coon hunting lights.

Septor LED Headlamp

Headlamps have always been a favorite for hunters since they allow the light to be shone exactly where you need it, and frees up your hands for a weapon or to control dogs. A headlamp can certainly serve the coon hunter in his or her adventures. The Septor by Streamlight is a very powerful and very large headlamp, perfect for coon hunting.

The lamp is large but is supported by both a wrap around strap and a wrap over strap to insure maximum support and comfort for the user. Headlamps that lack this wrap over strap due tend to slide downwards and require constant adjustment to maintain comfort. The Septor uses seven high-quality LED lights and emits an extremely bright light with an impressive distance.

The Septor can emit light for a total of a 120 continuous hours on the highest of three settings. The Septor is ultra powerful but has three brightness setting for when maximum brightness isn’t required. The Septor runs off of three simple triple A batteries and has a brilliant shine to it.

Streamlight TLR 1 Game Spotter

Streamlight has taken their popular and powerful TLR -1 pistol light and developed it into the Game Spotter addition. The Game Spotter uses a similar setup and controls to the original TLR, but features a much larger bulb and lens. The TLR -1 emits a powerful green light for a few reasons. The powerful green lamp will actually help in preserving your natural night vision when compared to a white light. Next, the green light is less likely to be perceived by animals, meaning it will not spook them as easily. The wide lenses take the beam and cast it widely, to increase peripheral vision.

The Game Spotter (see full specs) can attach to any Picatinny or weaver rail and a rail can be added to any rifle with a sling stud. The light shines at a 150 lumens at its peak intensity and this is plenty bright to spot a hiding raccoon. The light also features easy controls that allow it to either stay on or flash on for a moment.

The TLR 1 is waterproof, is capable of 1.75 hours continuous use on a beam that can reach over 300 meters. This is a short run time, but this is a powerful, compact light. It adds very little bulk or weight to a weapon. The Streamlight TLR-1 would excel on an AR platform, which incidentally enough is a perfect varmint gun. This is a contender for the best coon hunting light for sure.

Orion Predator

The Orion Predator is rather unique but oddly an excellent idea. The Orion Predator is designed to be mounted in a variety of ways including on top of a scope, and this gives the user the maximum amount of light possible when looking through the scope. The Orion Predator is perfect for the hunter using a scope and has a number of interesting features. The Orion predator can be mounted to a rail or even a barrel as well.

The Orion predator is capable of throwing a beam out to 270 yards and has the option to use a red or green beam. The Predator comes with a pressure switch so the shooter can instantly turn it on and off without delay. The light is rechargeable and capable of lasting up to 4 hours at a powerful 300 lumens, the light can last longer on different settings including 5 hours at 190 lumens and 17 hours on 50 lumens. The Predator is also water and shockproof and is built to military standards of durability. The Predator is a versatile option for a weapon mounted light for any hunter.

Light it Up

Choosing a good light is important when it comes to coon hunting, and it’s important to stick to a brand with a good reputation. Streamlight and Orion both have formed reputations for quality and durability. They also have not priced themselves out of the market like a few other flashlight companies. Any of the listed lights would be perfect for coon hunting, or really hunting any animal.

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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