Internal electronic scope cant indicators

[Danehunter]

As far as I know SIG was the first to market scopes with electronic internal anti-cant indicators.
Now Leupold is offering it on a VX6 model or two.

I think this is an important advance for long range hunters as even a small cant has large consequences at long ranges. Hopefully within a very few years this will be part of every illuminated scope. I say this because using my bubble levels is such a PITA.

One of the good things about these electronic anti-cant indicators is that they are supposed to be more accurate than a bubble level. But the best thing is see about these new "levels" is that it is a constant reminder to shoot from a level rifle.

SIG has taken things another step up with its "Electro-Optics" Bluetooth connection between their rangefinder and some scope models that are equipped with a series of lighted hold over dots on the vertical crosshair. Yeah, the Burris Eliminator scopes have this built in, and now with up/down angle compensation to boot. So SIG is merely giving is the same thing but with a separate dedicated rangefinder to help.

?? Will we see scopes and rangefinders with all the sensors and programming of a Kestrel 5700 including a hat-mounted airspeed impeller? (Better keep all your pricey electronic shooting aids in your lead shielded safe so a nuclear EMP burst doesn't disable them come the apocalypse.) ;o)

Eric B.

 

[toddc]

I have asked myself this since I bought an Eliminator a while back and am beyond impressed with it. Glass sucks. Time to shoot and accuracy of solution? Priceless. I shoot a steel shoot every month with a timed stage out to 1200. Shooting solo I can hit every piece (10 total) in under half the time a two man team can. Game is often not real big on hanging around while you laze, calculate, dial or holdover and shoot. With the Eliminator its a 1 second process. I don't see why a wind and weather rig is far away from the market. Many on here have openly mocked the Eliminator, yes the glass sucks compared to a Nightforce, however for a 1200 and under hunting scope I don't see how it can be beat. Yeah technology sucks but I came from the Barr & Stroud and DOPE book era and the Eliminator is an incredibly deadly system. Finally, have you ever had trouble ranging stuff because your rangefinder is shaking and you don't have a tripod handy? Never again. Scope included rangefinders, apps and weather systems will totally change this sport. It's coming.

 

[Danehunter]

todd,
"It's coming."

Yep, sure as God made little green apples the LRF and ballistics technology is very rapidly progressing as well as becoming less expensive. Just look at any kind of current laser rangefinder (LRF).
Not only do they range to outrageous distances like the Nikon 4000 yard unit but they work better in many crappy situations like brush and rain and prices are dropping as well.

So maybe similar to Leica's LRF binoculars, they will make a LRF scope like the Eliminator III with good glass, cant and up/down angle indicaton, temperature and air pressure sensors, compass (no readout, just internal data for calculating coriolis effect) and Bluetooth for wind input from a hand-held anemometer.

PLUS it will have a built in ballistics engine, and, like Leica's HD B 3000 binoculars, a micro SD card that you can put in your computer and download your exact ballistic data and put it into the scope. That means you need to input now only your cartridge type, bullet weight but BC number and exact muzzle velocity.

With all this and good glass, say one level below ED glass, I would definitely take out a home equity loan to pay the $3,500, necessary for all this technology in a rugged scope.

Can you imagine a US sniper with a scope like this? Ooooowwwweeeee!

Eric B.

 

[kiwikid]

Have you looked at the Swarovski dS? Most of what you are after is included.

 

[Bman940]

id technology is a must for hunting in my opinion. Have you checked out Vibration Reduction rangefinders? IMHO it makes a world of difference in ease and accuracy of ranging. I started with Nikon's first Gen 7iVR and still use it today. I haven't used the new MONARCH 3000 Stabilized but I love the size and how fast it ranges.

 

[toddc]

A bell installed anemometer could be developed that would calculate both wind speed AND direction. No need to have a separate meter.

 

[joseph singleton]

REVIC....

 

[Tyler Kee]

It was one of the first things I thought when I shot the Tracking Point prototype many years ago after having just tested the Eliminator v1. Wholly stupid, clunky, large systems at the time. But I also remembered seeing pictures of the first Surefire lights, Vietnam era NV, and other technowizardry strapped to early rifles. They looked pretty dumb and clunky and now you can have a thermal on your rifle that can see in the pitch black for 3/4 of a mile for less than the cost of a reasonably priced used 4 door hatchback.

I think TP spent way too much time and engineering effort getting the scope and firing system to work together. They should have just done a nice integrated scope and called it good.

If memory serves, their engineering team told me that they had played with lasers for wind reading - something something particulate disruptions or speed or some such. Very far out stuff and way over my head.

 

[tmmcampbell]

Does anyone but me worry that fish and game departments will look at all this technology and start implementing rules to limit the range for hunting?

 

[cohunt]

Does anyone but me worry that fish and game departments will look at all this technology and start implementing rules to limit the range for hunting?

Some states already limit "smart optics" and smart guns.
Colorado does not allow the use of ballistic apps in the optics or gun...right now a lighted reticle is fine, as far as I know lighted cant indicators are fine but nothing on the rifle or scope can have a "computer" of any kind for big game hunting, so scopes with range finders that alter the poa/poi, ballistic apps connected or internally in the optics, light intensifies (nv) wind or drop calculators in the optics or gun are NOT allowed by cpw.

So Burris eliminator, atn x-sight, bushnell yardage pro , sig bdx, tracking point rifles/optics, etc are not allowed

Seems like a scope with a range finder read out MIGHT be ok as long as it does not alter your aim point in any way.

 

[CMP70306]

REVIC....

Thank you, just started reading this and was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention them.

My dad and I ran our Revics at range for the first time during a long range shooting class this past weekend. With 5 shots over the chronograph and a rough 100 yard zero on a new barrel I was able to hit the small 1 to 1.5 MOA targets out to 800 yards.

 

[tmmcampbell]

In Oregon muzzleloaders are limited to bullets that are shorter than twice the bore. If they did that for all rifles that would severely limit how far we could kill game animals. Just worried with all these advances something like this may occur.