Friday night four

[Jake]

Got into this group Friday night. We put out some sour corn before dark and it did the trick. While sneaking in there we spooked a doe which ran right through them and scattered them. When I turned the scope on they were starting to head back to the corn. The first one I shot was a big sow and the mother of those little pigs you can see darting around. Yes, more heavy breathing, you gotta love nv hog hunting! I really need to find the right illuminator. The streamlight tac is just too tight of a beam which washes out my image. You can adjust it wider it but it is an ugly beam and full of dark spots. I think the reason I missed seeing some of those other pigs running around is that my image was washed. It is weird how there is no wash in the videos. Oh to have thermal.... Can anyone recommend a good illuminator that has a clean adjustable beam that can be opened up to less intensity?

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

The Jake puts the smackdown on more hogs!! Great job.

 

[Ratdog68]

Mucho pig blood shed. Life is good.

 

[FrankT]

Good going, you got pork!

 

[JPK]

You are using a Photon 4.6, right? And with the cap closed and centerpiece punched out, right?

I have found the roughly $30 T20's from China to be great IR lights for the Photon. But make sure you get one with a high and a low power setting. I found the trick to getting the IR lighting right is to use only as much power as you need to and to use the zoom to regulate IR light within that high or low power range, which seems to be what you are seeking to do.

To use a wide angle to limit or eliminate "flashback" you need to be shooting from a stand or spot without too much overhead or side brush in front of you, or you'll get flashback from that source.

Both of my T20's provide nice clean wide angle light, no spottiness or dark spots.

I'd be more than happy to mail you one of my T20's to try, if you want to try one before buying one.

And a thought: maybe try the Photon with the cap closed, centerpiece installed, your IR light zoomed, and rely on the daylight pin hole to limit IR light?

Your knocking them dead, literally, I am envious!

JPK

 

[Curly Shuffle]

Nice going guys!!! BANG BANG!!

 

[Jake]

You are using a Photon 4.6, right? And with the cap closed and centerpiece punched out, right?

I have found the roughly $30 T20's from China to be great IR lights for the Photon. But make sure you get one with a high and a low power setting. I found the trick to getting the IR lighting right is to use only as much power as you need to and to use the zoom to regulate IR light within that high or low power range, which seems to be what you are seeking to do.

To use a wide angle to limit or eliminate "flashback" you need to be shooting from a stand or spot without too much overhead or side brush in front of you, or you'll get flashback from that source.

Both of my T20's provide nice clean wide angle light, no spottiness or dark spots.

I'd be more than happy to mail you one of my T20's to try, if you want to try one before buying one.

And a thought: maybe try the Photon with the cap closed, centerpiece installed, your IR light zoomed, and rely on the daylight pin hole to limit IR light?

Your knocking them dead, literally, I am envious!

JPK

Thanks for the info! Yes Photon 4.6 and yes cap closed, center punched out.
I will try with the centerpiece back in tomorrow night and let you know, that's a good idea.

Thanks so much for the offer but for $30 I think I'll just try one.
With the T20 can you focus the beam pretty tight and shoot pretty long range on the high setting?

 

[Jake]

Your knocking them dead, literally, I am envious!

JPK

Thanks man it has been a great year, the pigs just keep coming. I think they were always there they just learned to high-tail it when they saw the glint of a spotlight or flashlight. Night vision hunting is amazing.

 

[JPK]

Thanks for the info! Yes Photon 4.6 and yes cap closed, center punched out.
I will try with the centerpiece back in tomorrow night and let you know, that's a good idea.

Thanks so much for the offer but for $30 I think I'll just try one.
With the T20 can you focus the beam pretty tight and shoot pretty long range on the high setting?

Yes, on high the T20's provide enough light to reach beyond the Photon's capability, and the beam focuses tight, though on full focus provides a square of IR light, and it is bright on all four corners with a darker cross in the center. But with a tight focus you can provide some illumination on a tree line 600yds, maybe more, away if you are wearing a PVS14. Or enough illumination to make out deer at several hundred yards with the Photon (though a good ID is tough.) And you'll get eye shine from FAR away.

A medium or high 1" Weaver ring is required to mount a T20 on the Photon, can't recall offhand which. A low won't allow the T20 lens to clear the Photon's objective lens. A two piece ring is easier to get on a T20, I think actual diameter is a little more than 1".

Fwiw, I tried one helmet mounted for use with a PVS14 for seeing into shadows. It's a little too large for that, and too bright. Works better handheld, in the same way you would use a powerful white spotlight without NV.

I'm at my hunting club now for deer bow season, and hoping to kill aMaryland sika deer for the grill in the morning. I have one of my T20's with me for use at long range with a PVS14. The brand is EVOLVA, and I got it off of EBay. They use rechargable 1850's and some are offered with a battery or two plus charger. When you get your T20 you will find a tail cap on/off switch. Clicking it turns it on and off - obviously. Not so obvious is that pushing the switch, but not hard enough to click it, will change power setting. I'd be embarrased to tell you how long it took me to discover that!

JPK

 

[Jake]

Yes, on high the T20's provide enough light to reach beyond the Photon's capability, and the beam focuses tight, though on full focus provides a square of IR light, and it is bright on all four corners with a darker cross in the center. But with a tight focus you can provide some illumination on a tree line 600yds, maybe more, away if you are wearing a PVS14. Or enough illumination to make out deer at several hundred yards with the Photon (though a good ID is tough.) And you'll get eye shine from FAR away.

A medium or high 1" Weaver ring is required to mount a T20 on the Photon, can't recall offhand which. A low won't allow the T20 lens to clear the Photon's objective lens. A two piece ring is easier to get on a T20, I think actual diameter is a little more than 1".

Fwiw, I tried one helmet mounted for use with a PVS14 for seeing into shadows. It's a little too large for that, and too bright. Works better handheld, in the same way you would use a powerful white spotlight without NV.

I'm at my hunting club now for deer bow season, and hoping to kill aMaryland sika deer for the grill in the morning. I have one of my T20's with me for use at long range with a PVS14. The brand is EVOLVA, and I got it off of EBay. They use rechargable 1850's and some are offered with a battery or two plus charger. When you get your T20 you will find a tail cap on/off switch. Clicking it turns it on and off - obviously. Not so obvious is that pushing the switch, but not hard enough to click it, will change power setting. I'd be embarrased to tell you how long it took me to discover that!

JPK

I can't thank you enough for the help JPK. I'm going to order one right away. Good luck, I hope you get a good one in the morning!

 

[gshock]

good hogs down .... always fun hitting them in the dark.

 

[customcutter]

Good job Jake. Yes the computer screen is a lot larger than the image on the scope.

 

[Jake]

Yes, on high the T20's provide enough light to reach beyond the Photon's capability, and the beam focuses tight, though on full focus provides a square of IR light, and it is bright on all four corners with a darker cross in the center. But with a tight focus you can provide some illumination on a tree line 600yds, maybe more, away if you are wearing a PVS14. Or enough illumination to make out deer at several hundred yards with the Photon (though a good ID is tough.) And you'll get eye shine from FAR away.

A medium or high 1" Weaver ring is required to mount a T20 on the Photon, can't recall offhand which. A low won't allow the T20 lens to clear the Photon's objective lens. A two piece ring is easier to get on a T20, I think actual diameter is a little more than 1".

Fwiw, I tried one helmet mounted for use with a PVS14 for seeing into shadows. It's a little too large for that, and too bright. Works better handheld, in the same way you would use a powerful white spotlight without NV.

I'm at my hunting club now for deer bow season, and hoping to kill aMaryland sika deer for the grill in the morning. I have one of my T20's with me for use at long range with a PVS14. The brand is EVOLVA, and I got it off of EBay. They use rechargable 1850's and some are offered with a battery or two plus charger. When you get your T20 you will find a tail cap on/off switch. Clicking it turns it on and off - obviously. Not so obvious is that pushing the switch, but not hard enough to click it, will change power setting. I'd be embarrased to tell you how long it took me to discover that!

JPK

Hey JPK I just realized I forgot to thank you again and give some feedback. I purchased two of those T20s and they are amazing. They make the photon a whole different scope. Also they are great with the pvs14 because the narrow halo doesn't gate it down like the streamlight does. I can see hundreds of yards and id animals easily with my 3x magnifier. Thanks again!

 

[JPK]

You are welcome. Glad the T-20's are working out for you!

JPK