Best Rifle Light Choices in 2024: Find the Right One For You

If you plan to use your rifle at night or in low light conditions, a rifle light is essential because you don’t want to be shooting what you can’t see. Personally, a rifle flashlight has helped me out more than once in low-light situations when I was out in the field. 

Rifle lights are flashlights mounted on your rifle and can make your firearm a lot more versatile and functional in the dark. You can use it to identify targets at night or even use it during the day in dark places.

There are a lot of options on the market and honestly, there isn’t a lot of information about the use cases for some rifle lights. So, after testing a bunch of lights, I’ve put together a list of rifle lights that I liked the best. 

Before we check out the reviews, let me tell you how a rifle light can help you. 

Why use a rifle light?

If you are a shooter who wants to be ready for low-light scenarios, bringing a rifle light helps you be prepared in several scenarios. Here’s how using one can make a serious difference:

• Night hunting – I mainly use my rifle lights for night hunting and, apart from my scope, it is the most important accessory in my arsenal. When you are out in the dark, you need to make sure you can see your environment as well as identify your game to have a successful hunt. A good rifle light does just that; it lights up the area enough for you to see game and take shots from a safe distance.
• Varmint control – Since varmints usually come out at dusk, having a rifle light is essential if your goal is reducing varmints on your property. The appropriate light for your rifle will help you identify pests more easily, expand your range, and enhance your accuracy while aiming. Sometimes, I’ve even used the bright lights to scare off varmints without shooting them. 
• Home defense – Rifle lights can be highly effective for home defense. Before taking any action in a home defense situation, it is essential to identify the targets clearly, and a rifle light enables you to do that safely. They also provide a way for nonlethal defense, as you can temporarily blind intruders with the bright light and de-escalate the situation. 

Rifle lights are good accessories to have on hand for any shooter, but there’s no one rifle light that’ll be the best fit for all kinds of situations. In this list, I’ve recommended some lights that I’ve tested and instead of ranking them in any particular order, I’ve sorted them based on their best categories.

How I chose the best rifle light

When it comes to rifle lights, I’ve spent enough time in dark and shadowy terrains to really appreciate their role in precision shooting. After countless hours behind the scope, I’ve realized that good visibility isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. I’ve tested a wide range of rifle lights in real-world conditions, making sure they hold up when you need them most.

I’ve relied on trusted brands but also reached out to fellow sharpshooters for their input. I didn’t stick to just the usual choices; I explored new options based on their recommendations and put them through rigorous testing. What I’m sharing isn’t just a list of specs; it’s a collection of lights that stand out in everyday life, backed by thorough evaluation and genuine feedback.

Gun University’s Picks of the Best Rifle Lights

Best Rifle Lights

Best overall SureFire Scout Light Pro Dual Fuel		Durable Can use two different battery types Compatible with different mounts	Buy on Amazon
Best lightweight Inforce WML Gen 2		Silent activation Lightweight Has different light modes	Buy on Amazon
Best for hunting Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount 2.0		Ability to charge without removing battery Tail cap with tail switch port Three activation modes	Buy on Amazon
Best budget Streamlight ProTac HLX		Durable Comes with extra accessories Compatible with SL-B26 and CR123A batteries Three activation modes	Buy on Amazon
Best premium Cloud Defensive REIN 3.0		Can use two different battery types High brightness Durable	Check Price

Best Rifle Lights Spec Comparison

Below is a table of the specifications for weapon mounted lights. Click the name of the item to jump to that review.

Best Rifle Lights

Here is our list for the best rifle lights.

1. SureFire Scout Light Pro Dual Fuel
2. Inforce WML Gen 2
3. Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount 2
4. Streamlight ProTac HLX
5. Cloud Defensive REIN 3.0

Best Rifle Lights – Reviews

I’ve written detailed reviews of the best products for each category and listed factors that can help you choose the best one for your needs. 

Best Rifle Light – Buyers Guide

Rifle lights are excellent accessories that can be helpful for any shooter, but finding the right one for you and your gun can be difficult, especially for beginner shooters. That’s why I put together this buyer’s guide to help you pick the right rifle light for you. 

Different Factors To Consider When Choosing a Rifle Light

There are several factors you need to consider when looking for the right rifle light for your gun, but some of them are more important than others depending on your priorities. Here are some specs I look at when purchasing a rifle light:

Purpose – The right flashlight for your rifle depends on what you want to use it for. If you are looking at self defense, go with a compact and lightweight rifle light with 200-500 lumens in power so you don’t blind yourself in a home invasion. If you are planning on some nighttime hunting though, you are going to need a rifle light that has a long battery life and some good beam distance so you can sight your prey. 

Brightness – With a rifle light, the most important thing to look for is brightness. Brightness is what determines how powerful the light is and how far it can reach. I specifically look at the following specs to judge the brightness of a rifle light.

• Lumens – Lumens measure the total amount of light you get from a flashlight in a given amount of time. A common mistake that a lot of shooters make is getting the bulb with the highest lumens because they think that’s the best one, but this is not always the case; it’s really going to depend on what you want to use your light for. I usually go for a light between 200 – 500 lumens for self defense and a light with a brightness around 1,000 – 2,000 lumens for night hunting. Anything below 160 lumens won’t be powerful enough to give enough visibility for general use.
• Candela – Candela is basically how concentrated the light is in a particular direction. In tactical situations, higher candelas are great as they can overpower the incoming light source and give you a better glimpse of your target. Keep in mind that the highest candelas are not always the best; in fact, very high candelas can work against you for short-distance hunts and blind you. So always think about what you’ll be using your rifles for before buying rifle lights. 
• Beam size and shape/ throw – Throw is basically how much of the environment your flashlight can light up. Having more throw is great for night hunting; it lights up a large area and helps you hunt from a safe distance. For home defense and other indoor use, I recommend going with a balanced throw. It lights up your 9 – 3 O’clock positions without blinding you or giving away your position too soon.

Battery life – Battery life is super important to any shooter, so most of the options I’ve recommended here have a fairly decent battery life. That said, how much battery life you want will depend on your needs. If you’re planning on going hunting, I recommend going for disposable batteries that you can swap out on the field since you’ll be out for a longer period of time. If you use your rifle for self defense though, you want a flashlight that has a good standby battery life and gives you enough time to identify your target and shoot before you have to replace the battery. In that case, I recommend going with rechargeable batteries here. 

Construction, durability, and weight – When choosing a flashlight for your rifle, it almost always comes down to compromising between weight and durability. Most lightweight rifle lights don’t even feel like they are on your rifle and don’t compromise the balance of your forearm, but the trade-off is that they are very fragile–they will crack if you drop them and are not shockproof, so they won’t withstand a lot of rounds of recoil from your rifle. 

On the other hand, if you want a rifle light that lasts, then you can go for a light that is made of aircraft grade aluminum. These are waterproof, can withstand a lot of recoil, and will last you a while, but they will add some weight to your gun’s muzzle and throw it off balance. 

Mount – The mount your rifle light uses should be compatible with your rifle, so check the type of mount on a rifle light before you make a purchase. It’s always a good idea to go for lights that fit a standard Picatinny or Weaver rails, because most rifles use them. One thing to keep in mind is that while Picatinny rails can fit accessories with Weaver mounts because of the rail’s increased width, Weaver rails won’t fit accessories with a Picatinny mount. 

Activation switches – For control options and activation switches, look for something that’s easy to handle and use. When you are working with a high-powered rifle like an AR-15, the last thing you want to be doing is fumbling in the dark to switch it on or off. I personally like the pressure-switch positioning activation system because I can place it in my grip and control it as necessary. There are also some flashlights you can activate by tapping on them, but I find them to be unreliable. If you are left handed, look for an ambidextrous switch so you don’t have to adjust your grip to switch it on.

Control options – I recommend going for a flashlight that has at least 2 – 3 modes because you can use it in different situations that require different types of lighting. You usually get a high, medium, and low mode with most flashlights, and newer models also have a strobing mode, which can be used to send distress signals in case of an emergency.

Conclusion

Rifle lights are some of the best optics you can get for your rifle, and taking the time to find the one that can really help you out in the long run. The right light is a highly personal choice, so after reading the reviews, make sure you shop around and test a couple of them out until you find the best fit.

Rifle Lights FAQs