Night time hunting is a rapidly growing sport with the use of night vision devices (NV). In order to go night hunting using NV, a night vision scope paired with an infrared light, or IR illuminator is needed to see targets in complete darkness. After doing research and spending many hours in the field, we think the Coyote Reaper XXL IR is the best performing light overall for most people. Read further to see if it’s your best option.
IR Illuminators can come in many different forms and generally look like just a regular light. The one thing that sets them apart is the bulb or led that emits the light. There are a number of different frequencies that an IR bulb emits light. For hunting purposes, we are only concerned with the 850nm and 940nm illuminators.
Is IR illuminator visible?
IR illuminators are not really visible to the human eye unless you look directly at the bulb at close range. You cannot see a beam or any kind of light coming off of it unless you are looking through a night vision device.
Can animals see IR light?
Animals can not see it either in the same way that is described above.
The 850nm lights generally help you see much further by throwing off lots more light. It has a red glow if looking directly at the bulb. The 940nm lights throw off a purple color glow and do not illuminate quite as much as the 850nm.
Below are reviews to the top 4 IR Illuminators on the market that can see the farthest distance. Read on for more info about determining which is the best for hunting.
4 Best Hunting IR Illuminators
| 1) Predator Tactics Coyote Reaper XXL IR |
| 2) ATN IR 850 Supernova |
| 3) LumenShooter A9P IR |
| 4) Wicked Lights A67IR |
1] Predator Tactics Coyote Reaper XXL IR
This is one bright light!! It has a bigger battery than all the others and lasts almost 5 hours. The diameter of the battery is bigger so it needs a special mount. (A simple mount is included, and we used to recommend upgrading to the adjustable mount –> PT Adjustable Mount for better and easier tuning to your scope. But after further use in the field, we recommend sticking with the mount that comes with it. It is tighter to the weapon and not so floppy. The light beam is fully adjustable and it is really bright. The light also has an intensity control and it is waterproof.
The Good Stuff:
- For Use With Night Vision Optics
- 800 Yards of Beam Throw
- Adjustable Focus
- Intensity Control
- Premium Quality 850nm Infrared Emitter
- Mounts to Rails
- Halo Control
- Rechargeable
- Waterproof
- Matte Black Finish
The Bad Stuff:
- The included mount is hard to adjust and is not a quick detach
- There is an adjustable mount available, but is not a quick detach
2] Wicked Lights A67IR
This light has a knob on it that lets you change the bulb by rotating the knob. It has 850nm, 940nm, and redbulbs. This is a cool feature if you need the ability to change it on the fly. It also has a knob for the intensity of the light so you can change it quickly on the fly. It also comes with a quick detach adjustable mount which allows you to tune your light to your scope with ease. The mount is well built too! One bad thing is that the approximate run time of the batteries is only 2.5 hours. You may want to have 2 spares with you while in hunting situations.
The Good Stuff:
- Patented 3-in-1 bulb color changer knob
- Full intensity control
- Adjustable beam
- ~600 yards of light for detecting targets
- Comes with quick detach adjustable light mount
- Precision machined T6 Aircraft grade aluminum with type III hard anodization.
- O-ring sealed, water resistant.
The Bad Stuff:
- Battery life is only 2.5 hours
3] ATN IR 850 Supernova
This light is pretty good, but it comes up short as far as range capabilities go. It does come with an adjustable mount , which is a plus. If you dont need a ton of range when hunting, then this may be the light for you.
The Good Stuff:
- Constructed from aircraft grade aluminium.
- Surface: hard anodized finish, highly durable.
- LED: Using high power emitter with a long lifetime.
- Waterproof to IPX8 standard.
- Four modes of operation.
- Flawless white beam.
- Uses single lithium 18650 battery.
- 3.5 hr run time
- Removable grip ring.
- Easy rail mounting system.
- Accessories: battery charger.
- One-year Warranty.
The Bad Stuff:
- Some owners had problems with the mount not fitting the light and not fitting some rails
- beam not too adjustable
4] LumenShooter A9P IR Dimmable Hunting Light
This light is powerful like the Reaper and the Wicked Light. It does come with extra bulbs in case you want to use it without your NV scope., and the bulbs are easily exchanged. It also has a full intensity control, as well as an adjustable beam. It is waterproof, which is a plus, and has an OK battery life. We would recommend getting a different mount for this light because the one that come with it just doesn’t offer that many benefits.
The Good Stuff:
- Extreme Long Range Varmint light kit with Intensity Control and 650 yard visibility
- 4 different color beams- green,red ,white and infrared (IR)850nm LED
- Tool-free interchangeable led modules (featuring the powerful Cree XPE2 LED)
- Light can be focused from a wide flood to a spot beam equipped with glass convex lens.
- Intensity Control Rheostat switch allows infinite control of the light intensity. It also allows you to turn the light on directly to ANY desired brightness level from 5% to 100%.
- Average 3-4 hours of constant run time.
- Aluminum alloy housing, anodized for durability
- Waterproof
- Quick release universal scope mount
The Bad Stuff:
- Not a picatinny mount
- Not too many reviews
Most of the night vision scopes being sold today come with an IR illuminator. For example, the ATN X Sight 4K Pro 5×20 comes with an illuminator that you can see out to 250 or so yards depending on the conditions. The distance you can see is also related to the proper aiming of the illuminator with the scope. Check out the video below for an example of what it looks like at night.
Factors that Help Determine Which IR Illuminator is Best for Hunting
Now that we understand more about what IR illuminators are and how they work, let’s talk about what factors help determine which is the best for hunting? Below are four factors to explore when choosing an IR light for your night vision.
- Weight
- Size
- Battery life
- Beam distance
- Beam adjustment
- Water Resistance
- Dimmability
The weight and size of an IR light need to be considered based on your hunting situations. The smaller lights don’t usually help you see as far as the bigger lights and bigger size will equal more weight. If you are stalking for miles at a time you may want to get a smaller light. If you are just hunting out of a blind, a bigger light with farther distance may be what you need.
The battery life is also a huge factor in choosing an IR illuminator. Some of the bigger lights don’t run as long as some of the others, but generally you want 4 to 5 hours run time. It will also benefit you to have a spare charged battery in case the hunting is intense.
Another thing to consider when buying an infrared light is the beam distance, or how far the light will go. The bigger lights are going 600 to 800yds and even farther. While the stock ATN light (described above) goes about 250 yards.
Can you adjust the beam on an IR light? Most IR lluminators on the market today have an adjustable beam. This means that you can widen the beam to a more of a flood light for up close situations. Or you can twist it into a spot light position for more far away scenarios. You want to buy an IR illuminator that is adjustable!
Water resistance is the next factor to consider. If the light get wet and you can’t use it, then is it really worth buying? IP65 rating is the minimum rating one should consider when purchasing an IR light. This rating according to Wikipedia IP Code is dust proof and water jet proof. This means that the light can take some water, and dust should not enter the light enclosure.
Is the IR light dimmable? When hunting in different situations, having the ability to turn the IR light on at the lowest power setting while at close distances is ideal. Farther distances require medium or full power to the light. Check to see if the light is dimmable before buying.
Can I use an IR illuminator and night vision to hunt where I live? You definitely want to check your local and state hunting regulations before you engage in such activities. Florida recently (a few years ago) is allowing night hunting for year round on private land for coyotes and feral hogs.
In closing, there are plenty of options available when choosing the right IR illuminator for hunting. Determine the factors that will lead you to successful hunting scenarios including; Weight, Size, Battery life, Beam distance, Beam adjustment, Water Resistance, and being able to adjust your intensity. Any option listed here will “kick the pants off” the stock illuminator that came with your night vision scope.
The factors that we chose were:
- Long battery life
- Intensity control
- Beam adjustability
- Beam distance
- Water resistance
Our final pick is the Coyote Reaper XXL IR. It has the most features for our needs.