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franklinsnapper

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Everything posted by franklinsnapper

  1. I've ran quite quite few different brands and models of the last few years on the fox. Wolfeyes SeaLion Hunter- good torch, comes with two heads, one aspheric lens that gives tight spot and one spot with spread. Solarforce M9- very bright long thrower with spot and spill. I still use it from time to time and is my back up rifle light. Olight M2X-UT Javelot- Awesome bright thrower with spot and spill beam pattern. Running two batteries with optional battery extension tube. Olight M3X Javelot- Very similar but slightly better performer than the M2X-UT. Has a separate brightness mode switch on the side of the head. Slightly different colour light to M2X, a little warmer or not as stark white is how I would describe it. Awesome performer as far as throw goes. I also have one of Fenring's Mark II Houndlights and it is run in tandem with the M2X using the green pill for closer or light shy foxes. Here's a photo of the .204 set with both lights. Top one is the HoundLight with red pill being used and the bottom light is the Olight M2X-UT.
  2. i just use a pair of these- https://www.liteshop.com.au/content/variable-scope-mount They have these, I've never used one though- https://www.liteshop.com.au/content/quick-release-gun-mount or these on eBay- http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30mm-Scope-Barrel-Mount-1-25mm-Ring-Adapter-w-20mm-Weaver-Picatinny-Rail-New-/191764246423?hash=item2ca60a2f97:g:mgIAAOSwaB5XkZql http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/25-4mm-1-Ring-Offset-Flashlight-Torch-Gun-Laser-Scope-Mount-20mm-Picatinny-Rail-/252314255064?hash=item3abf19fed8:g:0eIAAOSwYlJW3~dh
  3. Yep, for sure. I have had WolfEyes batteries fail prematurely as well as other eBay specials. The best 18650 battery are the Panasonic 3400mAh jobs. Olight use these and sell them rebranded as Olight. Can't beat them.
  4. Well, Ted, there are lots of torches that do the job. I have a fair few in my collection and they are all good for different applications. The following is a list of what I have and what they are good for and capable of... WolfEyes Sniper 260 is a small and compact torch with spot and spill light that is great for walking around the rabbit patch attached to my .22 Brno. 100m is about as far as I would comfortably shoot something with it, though. https://wolfeyes.com.au/LED-torches-flashlights/sniper-led-torches/ WolfEyes SeaLion Hunter is a longer throw with a choice of two heads to attach. One is a tight focused bright spot through an aspheric lens for longer shots out to 150m, the other head has spot and spill that is a handy searching light with more spread. I used to run it on my .204 and thought it was pretty good. I then read about the Solarforce M9 as having longer throw and bought one. It is a great torch that has spot and spill through a deep reflector and it was my 'go to' torch for the .204 on foxes for a season. Very reasonably priced at around $78. http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/products/solarforce-m9-xm-l2-u2-1000-lumens-550-meters-throw-flashlight After reading on www.candlepowerforums.com here- http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?392823-Olight-M2X-UT-Javelot-review-(1020lm-XM-L2-Dedomed-18650-2xCR123A-810m-throw!!!) about the Olight range of torches and being impressed by the figures quoted and videos on youtube I bought an Olight M2X-UT Javelot with a battery extender tube and was AMAZED at the throw and brightness of it. Very impressive. 810 metres of throw, bright beam with spot and spill. It has relegated the Solarforce M9 to the glove box as a 'walk around and look for the downed fox over the fence torch'. They make an M3X now and it is even better, not by much but it will throw a little further. 1000m claimed...... It is still the king of throwers in compact torches by some margin. I have a couple of others that were imported by a bloke on AHN (username=Foxfire) that he was selling to AHN members only. They are called Houndlights. They come with three diffent coloured emitters (red, white and green) that can be changed out in a minute or two. They feature a focusable beam, from tight spot to wide spread. I'v been mouting it above Olight M2X-UT on my .204 with the red emitter fitted for shy foxes. If I can't see them with the red for whatever reason I press the go button on the Olight and it lights them up hard. The Houndlight are Only available to AHN members exclusively and I'm pretty sure the latest shipment has now been sold out. Bottom line is, if you want super-bright long throw the Olight M2x or M3X can't be beaten in that compact rifle-mountable size. This is where I got mine with a battery extender tube and 4 x 3400mAh batteries. https://www.liteshop.com.au/content/olight-m2x-ut-javelot-compact-long-range-led-torch The M3X- https://www.liteshop.com.au/content/olight-m3xs-ut-javelot-ultra-throw-1km-range-led-torch Have fun looking. They are really good thing to have and will revolutionize they way you spotlight once you have one...... Thanks brinny. Happy to give guidance when I can.... The WolfEyes Seal are a great torch, my buddy Nathan has one and we have compared it side by side with the Olight M2X-UT Javelot and the Olight wins out. Not by much but it is slightly brighter and throws further with some surrounding spill light, whereas the Seal is a tight spot with minimal spill.
  5. I have the same issues when chasing the fox at night under the light. Changes in elevation, ie- cool in the gullies and on the lower flats then when I drive uphill the warmer air condenses on both ocular and objective lenses. Has cost me plenty of foxes over the years. I have tried lens caps, the Leupold Alumina flip up type, Butler Creek etc. Next thing will be leaving the Leupold neoprene scope cover on with holes cut front and back. Have to keep the scope slightly warmer than ambient air temp to stop fogging. Chemical wipes do phaark all.., if the the glass is colder than the air you get instant condensation. I now keep a lens pen in my pocket for streak free lens cleaning....
  6. Yes, Duncs, the Solarforce mob make great stuff at great prices. I was using an M9 as my rifle light and was quite happy with it. Shot lots of foxes with it mounted on my 204. After browsing through candlepower.com forum and reading other members opinions I got an OLight Javelot M2X-UT and it is a fair jump in brightness and throw over the M9. Running each torch side by side proved it conclusively. Olight illuminate well enough for me to be able to see the entire fox clearly (not just a dark shape with eyeshine) at 180-200m. The M9 is now relegated to a backup llight in case of failure.. I have quite a few torches in my arsenal now and they all have a purpose, from walking for bunnies with the 22 to 200m plus shots at the fox at night from the seat of the Polaris RZR or off the back of the ute. Wolfeyes Sniper 260- 22 rifle or 17HMR on the rabbits Wolfeyes SeaLion Hunter WolfEyes Dingo head light- great bit of kit Solarforce M3 Solarforce M9 Houndlight green LED bought off Fenring Houndlight red LED bought off Fenring, been using it when the pups come out in Jan-Feb and multiple foxes can be called in from one stand at night with the 22 or HMR Olight M2X-UT is the longest throw and brightest illuminator by quite a margin among this list. Read a review about the Javelot here- http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?392823-Olight-M2X-UT-Javelot-review-(1020lm-XM-L2-Dedomed-18650-2xCR123A-810m-throw!!!) Olight M2X-UT I have a Lightforce 170 scope mounted spottie as a back up as well, but much prefer the Olight. Hope this helps any interested members.
  7. Lots of options available. Quality LED torches mount on scopes are very popular and practical. Brand names include WolfEyes, Solarforce, Deerlight, and quite a few others. Lightforce do rifle mounted 12 volt halogen spotlights that come with scope mounting brackets. Whatever you mount up on your rifle you will still need a separate spotlight to search with as swing a rifle with the light mounted on it to spot with becomes tiresome very quickly. When spotlighting from my ute I use a scope mounted Lightforce 170 and spot with a handheld Lightforce 240. I've got separate power outlets mounted in the back of the ute for each light and the rifle sits in a rack until we are stationary and I'm ready to take a shot at a fox. http://www.lightforce.net.au/products/hand-held-spotlights/sl-handheldspotlights http://www.lightforce.net.au/products/huntsman/rmsmrmsgriflescopeandshotgunmountedspotlights For walking I use a Wolfeyes SeaLion Hunter LED torch mounted on the scope and a Solarforce M9 on a lanyard around my neck to spot with. http://wolfeyes.com.au/wolf-eyes-sea-lion-hunter-p-157.html http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=LF&s=26&id=572
  8. Check out the Solarforce M9 and the WolfEyes SeaLion Hunter. Both great torches with the SF M9 being better value for money in a long thrower....http://wolfeyes.com.au/wolf-eyes-sea-lion-hunter-p-157.html http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=LF&s=26&id=572 I use a pair of these for mounting on top of rifle scope- http://wolfeyes.com.au/wolf-eyes-m2-gunmount-p-130.html
  9. They are absolutely scmicko, Geoff. How much for one in Beefwood?
  10. I've been buying a fair bit of stuff from this mob in the States, mainly Carharrt work/outdoor clothing. They stock a range of boots including Danner. http://dungarees.net/danner_boots.php Got some Bogs boots from them that are fantastic, comfy, waterproof and camo!!
  11. I've got a couple of these (60 litre and a 120 litre) and they are great eskies. This seconds sale looks to have some bargains, but it is walk in only. If anyone is looking for some good iceboxes then go here- http://www.techniice.com/ice-boxes-seconds-sale?gclid=CLSi2bjPx7cCFcYipQodBFUAhQ They are cheap enough when they are full price and are tough as buggery being polyethylene outer skin. Love mine and they get plenty of use. I saw one up at Mount Panorama in Bathurst a couple of years ago that filled half the space on the back of a Lancruiser tray back. It was massive! The dude had it full of block ice and he told me it would keep ice for over a week. He was drinking at the time.... And no, I don't own the company, just spreading the word for good cheap gear......
  12. Welcome, Eliot. You'll find plenty of good info on here.
  13. Yep, they work well. Takes a bit to initially get the shoulder angle right but from there on it only takes a few swipes with the finer stones to get a very usable (read razor-like) edge back.
  14. Anytime, mate. Have fun and shoot heaps of the buggers.
  15. Top bits of kit, love mine. It's one of these- And it works great- Shot heaps with it, day and night. Plenty on youtube about them. Have a look at videos by user vicgarrett, he is a forum member and has posted some ripper videos calling them in with his FoxPro. Also do a search on this forum for FoxPro, plenty been written on here about them. Have read of these posts- http://www.aushunt.com.au/Forum/index.php?showtopic=22508&hl=&fromsearch=1 Best way to buy is direct from the factory so you can specify what sounds you want programmed on to it. Listen to the previews on their web site to pick what you want.
  16. Yes chrisso, to some extent you are right. The golden rule is the same as when you are going to hand call- ie set up directly downwind from where you expect the fox to be holding up. Wind direction is paramount to all types of fox calling/whistling. I check the wind direction before I leave home and if it is coming anywhere from NE to SE it has straight off stopped me from going to more than half the spots where I call them in. When I am setting up I decide where I am going to shoot from and place the vehicle in some sort of cover if possible. Usually in some manuka or tussocks and if conditions are fairly bright I'll throw the camo net over the top. I then walk out and place the caller on the steel peg I hang it off and walk briskly back along the same line to the ute and get into it. If there is one hanging right at the edge of the scrub when I walk out then yes, they may see me and piss off for a bit. Once the caller starts up it all changes. If they didn't get a whiff of your scent they will investigate and hopefully that is when you spot them stalking in and take your shot. These things don't necessarily need to be set up out in the open either. You would need to be closer to the unit and laying in wait with a shotgun to ensure success as the rifle would be nearly useless in scrub. Hand calls would probably be better suited in those situations.
  17. Don't know about the Cass Creek product but the FoxPros are top of the line electronic callers. I have a FoxPro FX-3 , which is an older, discontinued model and it has lured in about 40 - 50 foxes for me over the past year. They are not cheap by any means but if you do a lot of fox hunting, they are worth their weight in gold. There are some other AusHunt members that have other models form the FoxPro range and from what I have read on posts to this forum, they are all very satisfied with their results using these callers. AusHunt member vicfox has posted some great videos showing a FoxPro in action on YouTube Here's a couple of them- Here are some photos of result that I have had- Here is the link to the FoxPro website- http://www.gofoxpro.com/site/products/digital-calls/ If I was looking at any particular model to buy it would be the Firestorm for me.
  18. Absolutely, I agree with vicfox. Brilliant unit that has paid for itself easily. Daytime calling is revolutionised with these things. I have the FX-3 (now a discontinued model) and it almost guarantees success if there are foxes about and you do all the right things as far as wind direction, choosing locations where foxes are lurking, etc, etc. I usually set up around 100metres or so from where I set up the caller and all foxes are taken with the rifle when they appear. I almost always shoot from the back of my ute after concealing it in fern, manuka or else I throw a camo net over it to disguise it somewhat. Tenterfields and other whistles and hand calls work too, but the FoxPro take the foxes attention from you and focuses them onto where the caller is, while you sit and use the remote to fool them. It's addictive stuff once you figure out what works. Bottom line is that these things are a serious fox caller that work, they are not a flash-in-the-pan gimmicky gadget.
  19. Just took delivery of the WolfEyes Sea Lion Hunter. Had a play with it out the front of the house when it got dark. Very impressive bit of kit. This new torch will be set up on my .204 and the smaller torch I already had (WolfEyes Sniper 260 with a 350 lumen led bulb) will sit on the .22 or the .17HMR. You get two led bulbs with the Sea Lion Hunter- one long distance spot for out to 300m (so they say in the blurb that came with it) and another with a spread beam that reaches out to 150m. Just have to wait for the floods to subside and I'll be out there having a crack. I have a spot where the floods create little islands and the foxes get stranded on them and have no where to go. Last time we had a flood of a similar level we sorted out quite a few that just sat there, all wet and bedraggled waiting to be shot. Might have to wear waders to retrieve them for scalping though.
  20. Tactical torches from www.wolfeyes.com.au these guys have a broad range of torches for all sorts of uses. I have the Sniper II and I'm very happy with it for use on my 22. Will be buying the Sea Lion Hunter for centrefire rifle use in the near future. Here's what it looks like- Other members are using Solarforce set ups with all sorts of bulb/reflector configurations. Perhaps someone who uses these can provide some advice on them. I know fenring and his fox shooting mate and use Solarforce to good effect
  21. The Lightforce 240 works very well for mine. Not expensive and fairly robust. I also have a 170 scope mounted. Both these units are plugged in to permanent power outlets in the back of the ute. We spot the foxes with the big light then turn it off and pick up the rifle (.204 Ruger) with the 170 on it. If they hang a long way off or if there are fences between us and distance dictates it, then we will light them up with the 240 to give as bright a sight picture as we can get for the loooong shots. They're both good lights I have a WolfEyes 260 Sniper LED torch as well. It has an upgraded Cree LED Bulb that gives 350 lumens. Rifle mounted on the 17 HMR it works nicely. There are more powerful LED torches out there but this one does me fine. If I was going to buy another WolfEyes, the NightHunter would be my pick. Cheers, FS.
  22. I bought a FoxPro FX-3 late last year and I can't speak highly enough of this little machine. Have a look here- http://www.aushunt.com.au/Forum/index.php?showtopic=21726 If you are seriously looking to get one, you could not go past this one- https://www.gofoxpro.com/JLiStore/getdetails.php?prod=1003 Since receiving mine I have shot about 40 foxes, some during the day and others at night under a light. One thing is certain though, my numbers are up on what I was getting prior to using it. Don't get me wrong, I was doing ok with conventional mouth-blown calls but this thing gives you a great advantage by virtue of it being able to be operated with the remote control which takes the fox's focus off where you are sitting and concentrates it towards wherever you haven the caller set up. Of course, all the normal precautions like wind direction etc, still apply. I was not able to buy direct from the web site but after emailing (sales@gofoxpro.com) their sales dept, the deal was done. Cheers, FS.
  23. Have a look at the range of torches from WolfEyes- www.wolfeyes.com.au I have the Sniper 260 and it's a great gun-mountable torch. I have no problem plinking rabbits out to 80m with it on my Brno .22. A mate has the Nighthunter and it is simply brilliant. Cheers, Franklinsnapper
  24. Hi to all, Spotlight fox shooting at least once a week is what I do almost exclusively- 2 x lightforce spotties (one rifle mounted) in the back of a Mazda Bravo turbo diesel. Rifle used is a Ruger M77 stainless synthetic in .204 Ruger with a Leupold VX3-L 6.5-20 x 56mm. I use Hornady 32gr and 40gr V-Max ammunition which seems to be a great combination so far. Up until 2 months ago I was using a Ruger M77 stainless laminate in .22-250. It had been a great rifle but was not grouping well enough for the long range shots we are usually presented with in the open country sheep paddocks where I go. I usually deck a few bunnies with a Brno .22 when foxes are thin on the ground from the beginning of Spring until all the young dumb foxes start getting about around mid-December. Have got 51 foxes this year. Usually average about 120 foxes per year off two adjoining properties that belong to a couple of farming mates. We see plenty of other game under the light but foxes are our quarry and all other creatures (except cats) are free to go on their way undisturbed. Deer are spotted every time we venture out but I have no interest in hunting them. Most deer seen in one night is 7. Mostly hog deer sometimes a fallow or two. Once we establish that the eye-shine is from a deer we drive on looking for ferals. My wife thinks I'm mad when the weather gets cold and windy and I start talking about 'how perfect the weather is for fox shooting'. Beats the hell out of watching bloody TV at home in a warm lounge room. All good fun. Hoping to share info on this forum and learn any new tricks from other members. Also interested in other members experiences with new gear- lights, callers, rifles etc. Cheers, Franklinsnapper.
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