Rheostat dimmer
A dial that turns a hunting light up or down smoothly, from barely on to full power, instead of clicking through fixed modes. Lets you bring the light up slowly on a called animal.
What it means
Hunting lights control brightness in three ways:
- Rheostat (dial) dimmer: turn a knob on the tail cap or on a wired remote and the output rises or falls smoothly. Sniper Hog Lights’ Hyperion tail cap, Kill Light’s HD4 tail cap, Coyote Light and NightSnipe’s NS750 work this way.
- Stepped modes: click or half-press through set levels (low, medium, high). Most general flashlights and many budget hunting lights.
- No dimmer: one output, on or off.
What it changes in the field
Callers often start with the light dimmed or pointed off to the side, find eyes in the edge of the beam, then bring the light up as the animal comes in. A smooth dial makes that easy and quiet. Stepped lights jump in brightness, which some hunters feel spooks wary coyotes. A remote dimmer switch mounted on the stock or forend lets you adjust without moving your hand to the light.
What to look for
- Whether the dimmer is on the tail cap, on a wired remote, or both.
- Whether it starts from zero light or a fixed minimum.
- Whether the remote dimmer is included or sold separately.
How we use it on this site
Each light page records the dimmer type the maker describes and whether a remote or pressure switch is included, optional, or not offered.