Rifle Scopes Smart rifle scope

[jerry1]

How long will it be before our manual scopes are history? Is the Burris Eliminator and the Remington 20-20 showing the way of the future? Digital cameras are wiping out film. Compound bows taking nearly all of the recurve market. The computer has sealed the fate of manual typewriters. Hard line phones are disappearing due to the cell phone. Frankly the basics of a rifle scope has not changed much in a century. Better glass, tougher tubes. better adjustments etc.
In the end it is basically the same today as for the last ten decades. I can't help but feel that a game changing computerized rifle scope is close. What do you think?

 

[oldfatguy]

I hope not. What would be next - laser beams instead of SMKs?

OFG

 

[nwilling]

Makes sense once the tech gets cheaper and more manageable. Those things are huge and heavy now, completely unsuitable for practical uses like hunting. Military applications will likely be first, as usual.

 

[nwilling]

I hope not. What would be next - laser beams instead of SMKs?

OFG

Come on, laser beams would be pretty cool....

 

[win.308stealth]

Luke Sky walker used a laser sword. That was pretty cool.

 

[J_Roger]

I'm all about some laser beams... pew pew pew

 

[Longshot38]

A lot of groud still needs to be covered before the new age digital technology is ready to replace a good FFP optic with range finding reticle. The ability to pack a quality laser range finding unit capable of accurate ranging at distances beyond 1km, a ballistic computer that is fully user programmable with the shooters verified ballistic data, a backup system for manual use when the electronics fail, and and quality optics into a packaged of reasonable weight and cost is still not here yet. One day, but not today.

 

[E. Bryant]

I look forward to the age of optoelectronic rifle scopes, but will be investing in new hearing protection because I really don't want to hear the screeching and howling of the Luddites.

 

[dwkuska]

I think its a tough question. On the one hand you have scopes that can make just about anyone "Operator as Fuck." On the other hand lots of people are worried about EMPs and civil war. In which case the guy who DOENST Have to charge his scope is going to be the winner. Besides whats the fun of shooting long range paper if anyone can do it? Shooting is a skill that has to be developed. I might pick up one of these digital setups for giggles but good ol' glass and instinct are for more reliable.

 

[E. Bryant]

I might pick up one of these digital setups for giggles but good ol' glass and instinct are for more reliable.

Mechanical scopes are more reliable? Really?

I find it hilarious that people always like to raise the issue of EMP, when it is far more likely that a standard scope will simply shit the bed at the most inconvenient time and place.

 

[sulcop96]

Mechanical scopes are more reliable? Really?

I find it hilarious that people always like to raise the issue of EMP, when it is far more likely that a standard scope will simply shit the bed at the most inconvenient time and place.

Doe anything ever shit the bed at a convenient time and place?

Sully

 

[MoBoost]

Isn't it amazing, that despite the most advanced and rapid technological evolution in basically EVERYTHING during the 20th century, firearms are stuck in 1890s?

That makes me think that it just not going anywhere, till they figure out some sort of computer controlled self propelled projectile. The newest gizmos will come and go, but the good 'ol brass case, jacketed bullet and a refractor telescope are here to stay. Plus with the development of drones - military need for LR/ELR engagement will diminish, which in turn will stun further development.

 

[Dustoff82]

On the topic of laser weapons, just imagine how the liberals would shit themselves with the conception of those...

 

[dwkuska]

Mechanical scopes are more reliable? Really?

I find it hilarious that people always like to raise the issue of EMP, when it is far more likely that a standard scope will simply shit the bed at the most inconvenient time and place.

ANd here I thought a battery powered scope would be far more likely to shit the bed. Your scope in 20 years will still be usable. Will the electronics still be so spry? I think your getting all worked up over my comment that was really a non starter. I was giving my opinion on why I thought its a 50/50.

I have never had glass fail on me or break. Though I will say I have had LOTS of electronics phail epic or just downright cease to function within 1 year of owning. No if you read the remington site youll notice the scope itself is NOT FOR SALE. You have to buy the rifle attached to it. I really Hope Remington changes their mind, as a scope you cant re-mount(looks like its fixed on the rifles) is a scope thats pretty limited. I would also be interested to know how either scope keeps "zero'ed" Seems like if it wasnt zeroed properly from the factory it would be complete garbage.

 

[oldfatguy]

Mechanical scopes are more reliable? Really?

Really can't see traditional optics being any less reliable then the wheel barrow load of dead electronics I took to the recycler last week.

OFG

 

[E. Bryant]

ANd here I thought a battery powered scope would be far more likely to shit the bed. Your scope in 20 years will still be usable. Will the electronics still be so spry? I think your getting all worked up over my comment that was really a non starter. I was giving my opinion on why I thought its a 50/50.

I have never had glass fail on me or break. Though I will say I have had LOTS of electronics phail epic or just downright cease to function within 1 year of owning.

If the electronics inside such a scope are constructed to the sort of standards that we'd expect from a durable good (think automotive, appliance, military, or professional camera) instead of the cheap crap foisted upon consumer products, then I'd have every bit of confidence that it will be more reliable than present mechanical scopes. If I'd have any reliability concerns, it'd be the area of software - but that topic is a bit too esoteric for consideration in this forum.

I'm not going to play the game of pretending that mechanical items are automatically more reliable than electronics. Scopes aren't in the same category with hammers and Dana 60 axles when it comes to toughness. If I look back upon my last 15 years of automotive design experience (as well as what I've learned from maintaining my own cars and those of friends and family), mechanical bits are far more likely to fail than electronics. No one wants to accept that because the human mind has so many biases, but it's impossible to argue with the actual numbers.

The other thing to remember is that no one is going to force anyone to give up their mechanical scopes. The mere presence of the TrackingPoint and Trijicon technology has not caused Grandpa's Simmons to disappear from atop his deer rifle.

 

[E. Bryant]

Really can't see traditional optics being any less reliable then the wheel barrow load of dead electronics I took to the recycler last week.

What sort of electronics were those - a bunch of POS consumer products designed to barely survive a 90-day warranty and intended to be obsolete the moment that warranty expires, or the sort of ultra-durable products that we depend upon every day in our automobiles, appliances, aircraft, etc.?

A rifle scope built like a modern cell phone will be a massive disappointment. Construct it more like a Trimble Nomad, and I think most of us would be very happy.

 

[oldfatguy]

What sort of electronics were those - a bunch of POS consumer products designed to barely survive a 90-day warranty and intended to be obsolete the moment that warranty expires, or the sort of ultra-durable products that we depend upon every day in our automobiles, appliances, aircraft, etc.?

A rifle scope built like a modern cell phone will be a massive disappointment. Construct it more like a Trimble Nomad, and I think most of us would be very happy.

Got me there - no automobiles or aircraft. But there were two lap tops and one desk top (Dell) as well as a couple of routers, palm pilots, and various other devices. None of it came from the toy dept at Wally World.

OFG

 

[USP45]

I do not think that there is any doubt that we will see more electronically assisted scopes in the future. Why? Because there is a market, and the systems are already being developed. When we as shooters go out and practice shooting at long ranges, practice reading the wind and using a reticle and mil dot master to accurately judge distance...well it is rewarding when we get it all right. It is neat to be able to do something that not everyone else on the block can do.

With that being said, there are people out there who would like to be able to go hunting the 1-4 times a year, but they do not want to spend the time shooting that some of us do. Some of these people have money, perhaps lots of it. Could they afford to learn how to shoot? Sure, but they have other things to spend their time on. So here, I have developed this Super Z3000 scope, all you have to do is put the dot on what you want to hit, hit a button, and it will take into account the 5 requirements of accurate predictive fires, and place a reticle in you view showing you exactly how to hit that target!

Now this Super Z3000 may cost 10-15k... but if you have more money than time....

So the people who are on this site may not be a target audience, but there is an audience out there who would pay for such a scope. So they will be developed.

As for electronics going down or not being reliable, for the most part much of that can be overcome. We have pieces of electronics mounted on the M777 that are very reliable, and they ride on the recoiling parts of the cannon. They take a very rough ride, but they rarely fail. I have never actually seen them fail come to think of it (not going to get into what they are or what they do).

Anyway, I am pretty sure that these "do it all" scopes will continue to be developed. And they will get lighter, smaller, faster and more reliable then they are now. It is just a matter of time. This does not mean that our simple mechanical scopes will go the way of the Dodo as simple will always have its place, but the electronics will come about even at a lower consumer level.

 

[RTH1800]

This might be fun for shooting if it is your thing. I very seriously doubt it will be legal for hunting in the US.

 

[NewsShooter]

Burris is a piece of crap IMO, set one up for a friend as he was incapable of doing it. Wouldn't wish one on a friend and I'd never buy one.