Thread: TargetVision LR-2 Target Camera

Shooting, it’s a great way to waste money, I mean spend money, I really mean invest in gear. The stuff you need is endless and when you get everything you need then there’s stuff you just flat out want. Then there is the constant upgrading of stuff you already have to something that’s just that bit better. And don’t even get me started on reloading or should I say handholding.

As I get older, I mean more experienced the list of stuff that must be upgraded seems to be getting bigger, at least the mortgage is paid off and we are still both working, though she has made hints about us dropping down to one income NOOOOOOOO!!!!

I have recently found my way into long range shooting so here we go again more gear right? Yup. I had to have a dedicated rifle so off with the old 7mm Mag barrel and on with the new one and a better stock thanks Dan and I finally found a use for that .284 Zigliani suppressor I picked up second hand a year or so ago and of course more expensive scope I mean better scope. And some of the competitions shoot sitting and standing so a tripod and pig a saddle etc etc.

The trouble with long range shooting is the targets are a long way off. So while practicing if you are not at a club range with electronic targets seeing your misses I mean hits can be a challenge. Walking a km there and back is a chore. You could spend thousands on a spotting scope and still not see what’s going on. I was looking at going in another direction. Ever heard of target cameras? I was sort of aware that there was stuff out there that would probably work but had not had any experience with it.
A search around the internet showed there were several companies who claimed their stuff was the best there was. But some of it had cables and connections to plug in some had screens you had to put up and some of it was just a joke. As I am planning to go to the States later in the year to attend some shooting classes I though great I can bring something home. Then I found Gear Locker. They had exactly what I had been looking at for the same price I could bring it back with me.

But were the claims made about the system actually realistic? Did the TargetVision LR-2 really send you a video stream of your target from up to a mile (1600m) away? Before I laid out cold hard cash I just had to find out. Contacting Kerry at Gear Locker I found he had one I could borrow and try out. Thanks Mate.
So now I just had to find a place to trial it. Not as easy as it sounds. Scanning Google Earth highlighted how hard this was going to be. 1600m is a long way. Its bigger than pretty much all parks or there are trees in the way or the topography is wrong you know hills or bridges or other crap. I nearly wore out the ruler thingy going back and forth before I hit on the Manukau Harbour foreshore.

So I had it, from Taylors Bay Reserve at the end of Bluff Tce Hillsborough across the Manukau to the far side of the new pedestrian bridge across the South-Western Motorway in Onehunga should be about 1600m. After a couple of false starts due to rain I finally dropped off H to baby sit the camera and off I went.
So to explain the setup. The LR-2 is the middle model there is a Marksman 300yrd a LR-2 One Mile and an ELR Two Mile model. Yeah I know Americans only two countries in the world are not metric the good old USA and Haiti makes you wonder.



The LR-2 One Mile setup has a camera module and a receiver. You set up the Camera a semi safe distance from the target face the back of it towards where you will shoot from and do the same with the repeater unit which you sit next to you at your shooting position. Turn them on and connect to the repeater with your smart device by Wi-Fi. Simple right. And it was. I used a GPS tape measure on my phone and worked my way out from my first stop at just over 800m all the way to just out past 1600m. It really was that easy it was confirmed I now had a new thing that I just had to buy so I could get better at shooting. Damn you Kerry.

I am travelling to the Tekapo area to practice for the upcoming “Alpine Long Range” event on a private station in June at ranges I used to think were stupid but after shooting and sometimes hitting gongs 1km away anything under 300m just looks boring. I will let you guys know how it works in the real world. By then of course I will have spent my money so will I really tell you if it’s not all its made out to be?