For years I hiked w/ a Tikka+. Then I went to Yellowstone and decided I wanted something with more throw to spot the grizz that was about to eat me, so I got a Tikka XP. Then I started reading all the flashlight/headlamp threads on here and got obsessed.
I decided to try modifying my Princeton Tec EOS according to some instructions I found. I put in a brighter LED, which lets me run it at a lower setting ie: more runtime. But more importantly, I switched the optic for a reflector which widens out the beam pattern, while keeping throw. Very cool! Now I have the perfect headlamp… except the low's a little bright. Very easy to do, if anyone wants to know how I can talk you through it or show you the link. All you need is a $8 soldering iron from Radio Shack and minimal comfort with fixing/breaking things.
