Lamping with White lamp Vs red lamp

[Dave-G]

Long story short, a member got bogged down in my long running modified LED lamping torch thread so asked me to just build him 501B for lamping. He initially indicated he wants one for .22lr ranges but it later came clear he sometimes uses a HMR. To be fair the thread drags on somewhat so it's not surprising TBH.

 

As private messaging progressed the requirement changed to two torches. I built one with a broadish beam which is less concentrated and less likely to spook low range quarry, and one with a tightly focussed beam for more positive quarry I/D and taking the shot - or long range spotting.

 

He duly gets his torches and contacted me to say how great the builds are etc, BUT, they are red and he uses white light for lamping. I don't really know how it got that way because I don't build white light torches and have never implied I do.

 

 

I'm more than willing to take them back and let someone else have them but could a few members with better word power than me get the red light lamping message across please? I'm slighlty dyslexic and if I do it it will drag on again,

[eccles]

I nearly always use Red mate will go white if its a long shot and want to make sure its safe. Find red great for rabbits took 7 on the trot other weekend one after the other from the same spot. I also like the amber to for foxing. atb Terry

Edited September 4, 2013 by eccles

[jimmyb79]

In my limited lamping experience (2 years) white lights seem far more likely to spook quarry, red works so much better and even though I have an amber LED for my nightmaster as well, I almost exclusively use red for my shooting of foxes and rabbits.

[Luckyshot]

Everybody's ground is different and like the man in question I also use white light if not using nv. I took a video last week just to show how close I could get with white light but it didn't turn out too well as I couldn't keep the camera still (will try again) but the result was 5 yards max and that's on the same ground I have shot for 7 years every week.

[colin lad]

I have a few fields near roads where the road bends and cars throw a white light across the field which the rabbits are use to so i use white there otherwise it's red all the rest of the time

 

Colin

[steve_b_wales]

I used to use red, and still do on occasion, but have used amber for quite a while now. I can pick out quarry far better than when using red, and the amber light does'nt seem to spook them anyway.

[karpman]

Only use white light nowdays when out with the dog to be honest, only the. Because he is a **** and won't run anything on red lol. Soon as the filter goes on be acts like a bigger ****.

 

Karpman

[Dominicrobed]

We use white light also , just seems to work better where we are

[The Essex Hunter]

I use Amber for foxes because I tend to shoot out at a distance where the Red will not give me a clear ID, ( yes it picks up the eyes very well, I use a red hand lamp out of the truck when I drive then get out and walk and shoot under amber)

For very long shots I use white light.

I have just ordered a light set up for my .22 and they come with a red filter but I emailed them to ask for a filter swap to amber.

What is most important is what is behind your shot, so I like a bit more light to make that decision...

 

TEH

 

 

[camokid]

i have a amber filter on my lamp ..

 

i have used both and not found a grate deal of difference the white make id so easy and on longer shots its needed. but i have a lot of smaller farms that a white is just a bit much at times so i do tend to stick with amber

[joe soapy]

Am i confused? I think people using filters are not understanding whats happening.

Filament lights give a light consisting of all the colours, adding a filter to these cuts the amount of light seen.

The new LED lights only give off one part of the colour spectrum, adding a filter should make no difference to these

[bullet boy]

Personally if im using a Lamp I always use a White Light and no filters!!Dont like Filters and will ever use them!!

[malkiserow]

I think there is a world of difference between Red LED's and a white light with a Red Filter on it.

 

I suspect some of the replies above have not taken this into account.

 

I like to have both Red LED and White LED with me but use Red far more.

 

501B's are great but for those wanting a more sophisticated led light, the T20 will give you long distance focused beam AND wide spread for close range shots. You can get this in white or Red. Doing swaps may be easier in the dark with a 501B but I'd rather have a both red and white torches with me.... if nothing else you have a spare battery in the one your not using!

[FOXHUNTER1]

Never use a white light unless need it to see quarry better. Used to use red filter years ago but switched to Amber a long time ago and use it now for foxes and rabbits..

 

Nothing hangs about up here if you use white light

[evo]

Never use a white light unless need it to see quarry better. Used to use red filter years ago but switched to Amber a long time ago and use it now for foxes and rabbits..

 

Nothing hangs about up here if you use white light

+ 1 , if I switch a white light on anywhere near the rabbits they leg it, so I have two torches on my rifle , one red for spotting but nearly always use the infrared so they don't even know I,m there

[al4x]

It depends what you shoot and where, rabbits sit far better under a red light, foxes we usually use white with a dimmer. Red is a filtered light force 240 so you can see properly at reasonable range which you need on some of our ground where the ****** run dogs on foxes and they are all shy. Though I now generally use night vision on them now.

[njc110381]

We always use red here. White is usually hopeless and everything runs apart from the odd exception

[al4x]

White depends on how many headlights they see and who has missed them before!

[Dave-G]

White depends on how many headlights they see and who has missed them before!

 

I have found that too - one farm in particular runs alongside a busy road that sees a mixture of white headlights and red tail lights passing by without causing bunnies any concern.

[Alpha Mule]

While I agree the red light spookes them less than green or white, how can this be if they are colour blind?

[The Essex Hunter]

One thing I will add about white light, last year we went on the stubbles while the combine was working down a long field and whacked 5 foxes in the cut part, The tractors were on a long run back to the farm so I pulled the filter off and we just drove at them in the 100/150 yard range and polled all 5... very quickly.

 

Foxing is very much about being flexible, those of us who play that game will score the most...

 

 

TEH

[al4x]

Indeed very true teh, I'm starting to clear some problem ones on a pretty large shoot and this is all nv or last light. A combination of small fields and a couple of misses by others means an upset keeper when he is picking up dead poults. The upside is he knows where they are so I generally just turn up and shoot. One last night had been bumped twice while lamping but it walked out at 10pm 10 yards from me and heading towards the pen. I had to wait to get the nv back on the rifle and shot it about 80 yards cracking sport that gets the ticker going when they are that close and you daren't move

Edited September 8, 2013 by al4x

[the enigma]

I've one piece of ground where there's a young lad who runs his dog after rabbits,using a white lamp, and its left them damn hard to shoot. Flick a lamp on, and they head for the hedge. Last week I tried out a red led torch on them and it didn't spook them anywhere near as much.

[Salop Matt]

Well a piece of land I only shoot twice a year, yet drive passed twice a week is covered in bunnys and out of interest I spent the time to shine a lamp over them a few times to see how un disturbed reacted to red, amber and white light.

What I found on this land with these bunnys is that they were most spooked by white light, a bit spooked by amber but not all that bothered about red.

So for me I will stick to red from now on unless I want more range in which case I will use amber.

 

ATB

 

Matt

[rioulike]

i just use white light,but would never be without my dimmer