Example on self-spotting with camera and spotting scope

[JonnyVang]

I often shoot alone at the shooting range in the morning before I go to work. When shooting at steel at long ranges it is hard to find out where you shoot if you start to miss the target.

I now have a solution to this problem. I have attached my Pentax DSLR to my Nikon Fieldscope ED50 with a 27x Wide occular. I can now watch the bullet trace and and where I hit by filming each shot. Here are some samples I shot this morning: (Look at the clips in HD (720p) to get more details)

6.5x55 @ 640 yards
YouTube - Hitting steel with 6.5x55 @585 meter part 1
YouTube - Hitting steel with 6.5x55 @585 meter part 2

308win @ 557 yards
YouTube - shooting steel with 308win @510 meter

It works better than I had expected.

 

[liltank]

Re: Self-spotting with camera and spotting scope

That is pretty cool. Thanks for the idea. How do you like that 6.5x55 and what is your load, rifle? Give us the skinny on the set up! Inquiring minds want to know!

Tank

 

[JonnyVang]

Re: Self-spotting with camera and spotting scope

The 6.5x55 setup is:

Sauer STR200 (Scandinavian Target Rifle) with 70cm Sauer barrel. The STR is basically the same rifle as the Sig-Sauer SSG 3000 but with a wooden laminate stock. Falcon Menace 4-14x44 FFP rifle scope.

The load is Norma brass with CCI-200, Berger 140 grs seated 1 mm from the rifling and 48.5 grs of Norma 15 lot 85036. This powder can change quite much between the lots but it is often similar to the Norma MRP in burning rate. Vo=840 m/s

The 308win setup is:

Browning A-bolt composite stalker with 19.3" left of factory barrel and a norwegian made A-tec TMM5 supressor. It has a Nikon Monarch 3-9x40 scope.

The load is Norma brass with CCI-200, Berger 155 grs and 47 grs of vith. n150. Total cartrigde length is 70.5 mm. Vo=830 m/s

 

[liltank]

Re: Self-spotting with camera and spotting scope

The 6.5x55 setup is:

Sauer STR200 (Scandinavian Target Rifle) with 70cm Sauer barrel. The STR is basically the same rifle as the Sig-Sauer SSG 3000 but with a wooden laminate stock. Falcon Menace 4-14x44 FFP rifle scope.

The load is Norma brass with CCI-200, Berger 140 grs seated 1 mm from the rifling and 48.5 grs of Norma 15 lot 85036. This powder can change quite much between the lots but it is often similar to the Norma MRP in burning rate. Vo=840 m/s

The 308win setup is:

Browning A-bolt composite stalker with 19.3" left of factory barrel and a Norwegian made A-tec TMM5 suppressor. It has a Nikon Monarch 3-9x40 scope.

The load is Norma brass with CCI-200, Berger 155 grs and 47 grs of vith. n150. Total cartridge length is 70.5 mm. Vo=830 m/s

That is a good looking rifle. Think you might be able to translate the metric to English? I saw that same rifle in a .308 at a gun shop close to where I live. I always wondered how they shot. They seem to be a pretty sturdy rifle.

Tank

 

[JonnyVang]

Re: Self-spotting with camera and spotting scope

Some translations
70 centimeters = 27.6 inches
1 millimeter = 0.0393700787 inches
70.5 millimeters = 2.7756 inches
840 m/s = 2 756 feet/s
830 m/s = 2 723 feet/s

I have also attached a video showing where this video setup really shines. When I missed the target with .308win at 557 yards :

YouTube - Missed the steel target with 308win @510 meter

 

[liltank]

Re: Self-spotting with camera and spotting scope

Some translations
70 centimeters = 27.6 inches
1 millimeter = 0.0393700787 inches
70.5 millimeters = 2.7756 inches
840 m/s = 2 756 feet/s
830 m/s = 2 723 feet/s

I have also attached a video showing where this video setup really shines. When I missed the target with .308win at 557 yards :

YouTube - Missed the steel target with 308win @510 meter

Thanks!

Tank

 

[Kevin Cram]

That's some pretty clear video. I've seen some that are so pixilated because of zooming past optical power and into digital it distorts the picture. I use a Kowa TSN 822 and Kowa TSN-VA1 digital video adapter along with a cannon DC-50. The camera itself has 10X optical but shooting through the video adapter it gets optically magnified x8.9, so in essence I'm looking at about 90X. Not to hi-jack your thread, but here's a link to what my video looks like. The deers a little hard to see as it's laying down looking away from us and there's only a small hole to thread the needle.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f84/655-yard-buck-mcr-338-408-chey-tac-50157/

 

[sniperjwt]

nice videos

 

[Gnome!]

JonnyVang,

Sir.. I'm wondering if you could get some pics or perhaps some video footage together of the target frames and the way they work as I have never seen anything like these before and would like to replicate them for home use here in Australia. Is there a link that I could go to to order or perhaps get plans from either way would be great.

Regards,

 

[300rum]

Dear JonnyVang,

Nice video. Did you think at installing a MB Defensive Edge style. 3 holes at top, and 3 left, 3 right
Are realy working to spot your own shots.
I shoot a heavy rilfe, 338edge, 300smk at 22x power scope and I'm able to spot all my shots past 200yrds.
I have it the same problem as you, but in the filed it will not work video and shooting in the same time and fallow up shot if needed.
For practice your setup is perfect. I do the same with a sony camera throught the spoting scope or binoculars.

 

[JonnyVang]

Hi, i have done some more shooting after my last post. I have also developed a new low pressure load with Vithavouri n570 giving me 2890 fps with the 140 grs Berger VLD in 6.5x55.
I have also got a nice norwegian made muzzle brake to my rifle.

Here's a picture of the rifle:

Some more videos:
510 meter:
YouTube - 3 shots at steel target on 510 meters (550 yards)

940 meter on a rainy day (aiming for the stone below the tree:
YouTube - 6.5x55 940meters on a rainy day

430 and 585 meter:
YouTube - 6.5x55 @ 430 and 585 meter

 

[JonnyVang]

After a 40 min long walk in the mountains I found this white spot in a hill 1137 yards away that I could shoot at with my 6.5x55. I was aiming in the centre between the white rocks.

YouTube - 6.5x55 at 1040 meter / 1137 yards

 

[JonnyVang]

Been testing a lightweight setup on my gear with a mini tripod for the spotting scope and a small adapter for using my HTC Desire Z smartphone as camera. The results was quite ok. Not as good as with the Pentax DSLR, but still good enough for its purpose.

Here's a clip shooting a Steel Bison at 470 yards with 308win.
YouTube - Bison hunting @470 yards

 

[JonnyVang]

Been testing a couple of other ways to film my shooting.

I found a cheap videocamera with 52x optical zoom that is "good enough" for most of my shooting.

Here is a a video first with this camera and then with a FFP-scope/compact cam combo at approx 900 meters (984 yards)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYy9V1t122g]6.5x55 900m 130 grs Norma Golden target factory ammo - YouTube[/ame]