# Blood trailing Flashlight



## Fatwater (Dec 1, 2016)

I had a great Browning light I bought about 4 years ago at Gander Mountain.  I think it was 600-700 lumens.  It had 3 led bulbs and cast a perfectly solid large wide beam.  Of course I've lost it and of course they don't make it anymore.  I have a Monster now it is a very good light but I would like a wider more consistent beam.  Anybody have a suggestion?

Also, do any of the so-called blood lights actually work?  I've always been told they are bobo.


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## 660griz (Dec 2, 2016)

Coleman Gas Lantern for best blood tracking 
I use a NiteCore HC30 headlamp with 1000lms. Works good so far.


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## rvick (Dec 4, 2016)

I've never had a "blood-tracking" light that worked. They all make the blood look black to me. A bright Xenon bulb is my favorite.


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## Browning Slayer (Dec 5, 2016)

Shoot a 300 win mag and you won't need the light..


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## Nicodemus (Dec 5, 2016)

Browning Slayer said:


> Shoot a 300 win mag and you won't need the light..





You will if you don`t put the bullet in the right place.  

I prefer a Coleman lantern myself for blood tracking.


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## Fatwater (Dec 5, 2016)

Browning Slayer said:


> Shoot a 300 win mag and you won't need the light..



Ha, yeah good idea.  But you know it's usually somebody else's deer you end up tracking while your food is getting cold and your whiskey is going somewhere else.

Thanks for the input guys...


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## Fatwater (Dec 5, 2016)

Are y'all serious about the lantern?  Gas lantern?  Why?  I assume you like the light it throws off better?


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## rvick (Dec 5, 2016)

Browning Slayer said:


> Shoot a 300 win mag and you won't need the light..



  It's not caliber, it's bullet placement.


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## rvick (Dec 5, 2016)

A lantern is fine if you are not behind a dog and don't use one if you plan to call a dog, the fumes are the devil on a dogs nose.


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## Lilly001 (Dec 5, 2016)

I find that a bright white light is best. There is so much red on the forest floor that the blood light, even working correctly, are all but useless for me.
I use the bright light and look for the sheen blood reflects.


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## Browning Slayer (Dec 6, 2016)

Nicodemus said:


> You will if you don`t put the bullet in the right place.
> 
> I prefer a Coleman lantern myself for blood tracking.





rvick said:


> It's not caliber, it's bullet placement.



19 years ago I would have agreed. Back then I was shooting factory loads and a Browning Bar 270. I shot an 8 pointer that was quartering away (about 110 yard shot) and hit it just behind the left shoulder (which should have been right through the pump station). Buck dropped like a rock. I climbed down the tree, jumped off the platform of my climber and when I hit the ground the deer got up and took off running. I trialed that deer for a mile before I found it the next day. The bullet hit exactly where I placed it, hit a rib bone and did a complete ricochet and came out it's right ham about just a couple inches from his pooper. After I shot that deer I started hunting with my 300 mag that now I do my own reloading and I have some very supped up rounds that I spent days and days working on at the range to turn that gun into a 1,200 yard hunting rifle. I've shot over 60 deer with that gun including Elk (out to 700 yards) and I've never had an animal run more than 20 yards. And I've also had a couple bad shots that did not hit the lungs or pump station and still, the animal has not gone more than 20 yards.

It's not the caliber of bullet I'm concerned with. A 30 caliber bullet is the same in a 308 or an 30.06. I shoot a 168 grain bullet on all of my animals (Elk included). It's the charge that is pushing it. My buddy shoots 165 grain out of his 308 and uses 1/4 the charge I do. It's like hitting a nail with a hammer vs hitting it with a sledge hammer. If you are off with a hammer you'll just bend the nail. If you are off with a sledge hammer, you still flatten the entire thing.

And back on topic, the Coleman lantern gets my vote as well. I've trailed many of deer for other folks and the light my coleman lanterns give off is just flat out bright. You can also get a reflector that will aim the light kind of like a flashlight.


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## rvick (Dec 6, 2016)

Sounds like you have excellent bullet placement. No need to track.


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 7, 2016)

Browning Slayer said:


> Shoot a 300 win mag and you won't need the light..



I have one. I love it. I have had to track deer a good ways more than once after shooting them with it.  

I have never had any trouble blood-trailing deer with a regular old flashlight/headlamp.


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## king killer delete (Dec 7, 2016)

Gerber blood light


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## rvick (Dec 9, 2016)

Lilly001 said:


> I find that a bright white light is best. There is so much red on the forest floor that the blood light, even working correctly, are all but useless for me.
> I use the bright light and look for the sheen blood reflects.


  X2...A few years ago Gerber would send you an addressed envelope so you could send their light back, no questions asked. Just like everything else though, hardly two people like the same light.


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## 01Foreman400 (Jan 16, 2017)

I prefer a headlamp with a nice even flood for tracking.  The one I use is the Surefire Maximus.  It can be set from 1 to 500 lumens so it's a great all around headlamp as well.  I'll be upgrading to the new 1,000 lumen model before the season starts.


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## rayjay (Jan 17, 2017)

Lowes discontinued their Hypercoil flashlight. I have 4 or 5 and it's flat out the best flashlight I have ever owned. Long lasting batt, built in charger and the best feature is the adjustable lens. You can have a pinpoint light or a wide area light. 

When I start having to replace them I will definitely look for the adjustable lens.

https://www.amazon.com/Kobalt-Hypercoil-Light-63453-kobalt/dp/B018A32BJG


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