Surefire X300 Ultra VS Turbo. I like the focused beam of the X300 Turbo for long range illumination, and I also like the flood beam that the X300 Ultra offers in CQB environment. For outdoors use, I would definitely use the X300 Turbo. But this doesn't mean the X300 Ultra sucks.
Based on many years of use experience, the Surefire X300 Ultra still provides users great weapon light applications, and the Surefire X300 Turbo features the same body as the X300 Ultra, but the candela output rating is now on steroid.
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Surefire X300 Turbo
The Surefire X300 Turbo is the clear winner when it comes to lighting up something up close as well as lighting up something far away. In all of my low light range sessions, I exclusively use the Surefire X300 Turbo for its high candela output performance.
Outdoor Range In Low Light
Any targets in between 100 and 25, the Surefire X300 Turbo has no problem clearly identifying what they are in the dark.
On the other hand, the Surefire X300 Ultra has a hard time illuminating targets at around 50 yards, where I just have a difficult time seeing what's down range.
Home Defense Settings
The Surefire X300 Turbo's beam pattern is a bit tighter than the Ultra, and for home defense use, the light can illuminate many dark corners of the scene, and also provide wide enough spill beam to see everything around.
Surefire X300 Ultra
The Surefire X300 Ultra is still a good light despite the release of the Surefire X300 Turbo.
- Lumen: 1000
- Candela: 11300
- Strobe: No
- Runtime: 1.5 hrs on high
- Throw: ~180 meters with useful light before dimming down
- Length: 3.76 in
- Weight: 4.4 oz
- Waterproof: IPX7
- Construction: Aerospace aluminum & Mil-Spec hard anodized
For most room scale environment, the Surefire X300 Ultra does a good job at illuminating the scene, where everything in the room is visible.
The only time where the Surefire X300 Ultra falls short is when I tried to use it to light up something further away.
Things like hallways, shelf racks and tree lines are very difficult to illuminate when the throw performance isn't quite there.
Outdoor Range In Low Light
The Surefire X300 Ultra's beam pattern isn't as tight as the X300 Turbo. When I don't wear glasses at night, the scene up to 70 yards or more becomes difficult to see without the throw performance.
However, the TIR lens provides me plenty of spill beams right in front of me to see everything nearby. I can use this beam pattern to search and navigate in low light.