Target camera for longer range - how to view bullet strike from firing point 300m away

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zambezi

zambezi

Well-Known Member
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On 100m ranges using centerfire ammo, tracking bullet strike on paper targets is do-able with standard optics.

Once target is out beyond 300m, certainty about POI on paper targets diminishes.

What would be useful is a camera system near the target relaying images back to a monitor on the firing point. Anyone know of an OTS solution out there?

For example, I would love to know what these guys use: MarkandSam AfterWork
 
bowji john said:
I use longshot cameras

There are several versions- one is good for 300m

I have two of them for my range

They are excellent

J
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Looks ideal. What was the cost with all fees landed in the UK?

Also: does camera view take in more than one target? And does the system allow for two or more receiving devices to be driven independently?

A similar offering at almost the same price I found was:

www.shootingmadeeasy.com

Target Camera – Sniper Edition | Shooting Made Easy

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www.shootingmadeeasy.com www.shootingmadeeasy.com

No reviews for the unit I found, so your user endorsement of the Longshot is valuable.
 
They are not cheap

Something like £ 500 per camera

You need a tablet, iPad or phone to view the image

I can see several paper targets at once, or zoom in to see just one at a time

I imagine two tablets or iPads may operate independently, looking at different paper targets at the same time

You can also set the system to log each shot and provide a group size and/or group centre

You can take a picture of your efforts and send them to a device of your choice

Image quality is excellent

J
 

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I definitely think a realtime video image is preferable to the graphic-only target systems like Shotmarker:

1763664016891.webp

Both the Longshot and Bullseye camera systems in earlier posts state that you should not encase them in protective armour as it will impair radio transmission.

Bullet strike to a range-deployed camera would be simultaneously negligent and expensive. What if you built an armoured camera that could sit inline of the target and close to it...and then long-lined that to the PTP radio situated out of shooting corridor altogether?

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Longshot do an extra receiver which may be placed away from line of sight

Its purpose is to extend the range of the 300m version to 1000m

It could probably also allow you to place a shield on the shooter side of the camera and relay the signal to the shooting position

Clearly hitting the camera accidentally does happen as the manufacturer offers a warranty to replace if hit by a round

I’ve not bothered, and just off set the camera 2m or so from LOS

J
 
Could a home-grown project-in-a-shed match the commercial solutions? Home-grown has two benefits right off the bat: U.K. user replaceable components and selection of ubiquitous batteries helps future-proof the build.

A Heath-Robinson solution probably cannot match the shot-tracking software and annotation of a dedicated app. However, a generic 30° FOV webcam-type solution can definitely have as many simultaneous users as you have smart phones/tablets on the firing point. Also, everyone can zoom their browser view to just the target in which they are interested independent of anyone else. The added plus is that because a webcam works with a browser - there is no requirement to install or learn how to drive a proprietary app.

I am now pricing components I think could deliver this generic IP camera solution at distance:

1763667135453.webp
 
Bruce used to make a home made setup, but I went with the Longshot because the soft wear is a really good bonus. Set your camera off to the side and you shouldn't ever hit the camera. I mean, if you are 2 meters to the right, you have bigger issues. Anyway, I got the cheaper version, can’t remember what I paid, but it is bloody brilliant bit of kit.
 
Back in the day when we were using those little 12v machine cameras (the manufacturer of which escapes me) as rear add-ons, I rigged up a Target camera using an FPV 5.8G TX/RX pair coming back to a plastic kit box with a 7” HD screen in the lid.



Still got it somewhere….

Cheers

Fizz
😎
 
Power budgets, camera FOV and focal depth, 802.3at vs 802.3af, and a myriad details yet to double check...but this looks like a viable aggregation of discrete components:

1763673116806.webp

In bullet point form:

  • Power is supplied by one 6Ah Dewalt-type 20V battery at each end
  • PTP radio is delivered by a pair of Ubiquiti LOCO5AC Nanostations [work at up to 5km with line-of-sight]
  • The POE injector selected supplies both passive POE [for PTP radio modem] and 802.3af required for camera. 7W rated
  • Reolink RCL810A [6mm] camera should deliver approx 30° FOV and in focus from 3m to ∞ . 1W rated.
  • Pi Zero + POE hat supplies routing and WiFi access node for tablet/phone

1763673817137.webp
 
A camera on the range floor could compromise the danger area of the range - so wouldn't be allowed on any well-managed range. The risk is higher if the camera is armoured. Dug into the range floor would be OK, I guess.

And it depends on what sort of range it is - a No Danger Area range would be OK, but I'm not sure that there's any such thing as a 300m NDA range. A tunnel range maybe?

Fine if you're shooting in a field though.

I've thought of doing this as a project but I've always been put off by the fact that I'd never be allowed to use it where I normally shoot (Bisley). If there's mobile coverage where you shoot then RPi + Camera + 5G dongle + battery would be all you need. Total cost would be less than £100 plus a fun bit of hacking.
 
urban said:
If there's mobile coverage where you shoot then RPi + Camera + 5G dongle + battery would be all you need.
Click to expand...

Agreed. But there is no reliable cell signal at venue in view, so this is an attempt to be network independent.

Also, a cellular solution would need to be locatable. So when you say a "bit of hacking" I guess that will include a cloud solution or DDNS strategy?

takbok said:
What about an FPV drone camera system?
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20 shooters, maybe 10 targets, 5 hours shooting session, multiple monitoring/receiving devices run simultaneously. Would a drone deliver that?


Perhaps the single most glaring fact is that the "cheap" home-grown solution I costed above is same price as a bells-and-whistles commercial solution..which has more software add-value items.

urban said:
Total cost would be less than £100 plus a fun bit of hacking.
Click to expand...

That got me thinking. The reason why standard wifi might struggle to deliver a video-capable signal at 300m is probably because of wasteful use of radiated energy via isotropic aerials. Might a tailored yagi antenna married to cheaper RPi router do it...
 
zambezi said:
20 shooters, maybe 10 targets, 5 hours shooting session, multiple monitoring/receiving devices run simultaneously. Would a drone deliver that?


Perhaps the single most glaring fact is that the "cheap" home-grown solution I costed above is same price as a bells-and-whistles commercial solution..which has more software add-value items.
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Yup, you could use a few different frequencies like they do when racing drones. Lithium batteries are cheap, size them accordingly for 5h.

I'm sure you could even have multiple camera's and just one receiver.

Be a whole lot cheaper and simpler than what you costed up.
 
Camera Rearview mirror kits for vans cost nothing and would be easy to rig up to a battery bank and have both ends of what you need

Just wonder how far you can extend a cabled system before it fails

doubt it's actually workable system
 
I would go for something like the 2K HD Recording WiFi Electronic Eyepiece Spotting Scope Camera - to keep it simple and small enough to carry around. With built in wifi, you can zoom it and possibly use your phone as a viewer if you don't fancy a larger tablet. You can always take a picture and zoom it digitally as well.

A cheaper alternate would be to use a camera mount for your phone to use with the spotting scope. Just turn on the camera if you are able to achieve the necessary zoom so that you can use it as a viewer without any additional pieces.
 
weblyish said:
how far you can extend a cabled system before it fails
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Laying cable is not an option available to us on the 300m space in question. Wireless or nowt.

Sampo said:
I would go for something like the 2K HD Recording WiFi Electronic Eyepiece Spotting Scope Camera
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I have a Swaro spotting scope and it is not sufficient for 300m+ target work. Does this electronic gizmo add digital zoom? If so, what is max distance you have made it work for you?

bowji john said:
Try it at 100m. It will drive you insane!
Click to expand...
Sounds like that idea failed muster on your range :)
 
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