In a previous article, I covered Modite’s new Noxon line of popularly priced handheld and weapon lights. I mentioned the Modlite HOG a couple times; that it uses a larger 21700 battery and there is a boost adapter that lets a standard head work with the HOG body for longer runtime in a more pocketable light. But I didn’t tell you why Modlite offers a light that while still modular, is an outlier in their ecosystem. So, let’s do that now.
Why the HOG?
If all Modlite products are modular, why is the HOG different? Available with handheld and weaponlight bodies, the HOG trades pocketability for longer-lasting, higher output. With the OKW head, this light puts out 170,000 tightly focused candela (the amount of light that is emitted in a particular direction) for around 3 hours. And the HOG really shines (pun intended) as a sniper rifle weapon light, allowing accurate long-distance shots. What distances are we talking about?
Daniel Nagy, a former detective with the Cleveland Division of Police and currently an active Cuyahoga County, Ohio deputy, used a weapon-mounted HOG to illuminate steel at distances from 100 to just under 400 yards.
This side shows the Modlite ModButton Lite LINK rail-mounted using the Modlite ModButton Lite MLOK Adapter.
His speed and accuracy gave him first place shooting the Modlite-sponsored Redline Consulting Nighttime Gas Gun Series match on March 15, 2025. This is an intensive, long-range, low-light four-stage contest that allows the use of white light or night vision.
Participating as a private citizen with his personal rifle, Daniel took readings from his Kestrel 5700 Elite weather meter with ballistics, then used mental math and manual holdover or dialed the offsets into his optic, depending on which stage he was in.
The maximum hit score was 155, which he achieved with a time of 142.46 seconds. The second-place winner came in at 221.68 seconds, more than a third slower. (See the scoring chart below). Daniel’s individual stage times/par times were (stage 1) 41.82/90, (stage 2) 26.05/90, (stage 3 – shown in the video) 23.87/60 and (stage 4) 50.72/100.
The video below shows Stage 3, sequence 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1. Targets 1, 2 & 4 at 130yds, Target 3 at 100yds, par time - 60 Seconds, Courtesy of Daniel Nagy.
Daniel, who started shooting as a kid and continued in the military, has been competing for three years. He tells us, “The HOG delivers unmatched clarity and target identification at night. Paired with the Zero Comp optic, I was not just in the competition but led by a significant margin. The HOG provides an overwhelming abundance of light on the target, making my shots fast and accurate.”
Now think about this in real life — you’re the team sniper working a nighttime active shooter or hostage situation. Your CQB weapon light is always mounted and your NV gear is tuned for longer distance shots. But what if you don’t have time to get to your NV gear, if your agency even supplies it? How long is a minute when lives are at stake? It’s nice to know that by using a Modlite HOG as your weapon light, one button press can unleash the power of the sun when you need to positively ID your target up to several hundred yards.
The hardware that made up Daniel’s winning kit:
- His personal rifle in 5.56, built from a stripped BCM lower with Geissele SSA-E trigger and Radian components topped with a 14.5” Knights Armament complete upper.
- Zero Compromise Optic (ZCO) 420 scope.
- CGS silencer
- AAC 5.56 NATO 77 grain OTM (open tip match) ammo @ 2,700 fps.
For more information on lights for law enforcement, check out Police1’s category pages for weapon lights and handheld lights.
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