Kill Shot camera rifle: Non-lethal hunting
This has to be the coolest camera gun concept ever! The Kill Shot is being developed by three brothers, Randall, Daniel and Michael Gregg, The Kill Shot is a mock rifle with a digital camera scope. The name may be imposing but this camera rifle is anything but, allowing hunters the ability to garner all the excitement of the hunt, but sans the bloodshed. The Gregg brothers have set up a web page detailing their idea and business model as well as a Kickstarter project fundraiser to build a working prototype. Here's the really cool part,If you donate $100 or more you will receive a prototype 8-megapixel Kill Shot. How does it work? The Kill Shot captures an image when you pull the trigger. Picture quality will be a minimum of 8 megapixels which is considered the quality of a 8X10 35mm photo! As judged against an average 35mm photo taken on good quality, typical ISO-range film printed at a standard size, most manufacturers seem to suggest that a 6 to 9 megapixel digital camera will give you comparable image quality. The cross hairs will show on the photo where the shot would have been, the background will show if the shot was safe or unsafe. It will help teach gun safety by operating like a lethal hunting rifle, except, it takes pictures and fires no projectiles. The power button is in the position of a safety and will only take pictures when power is on. This will teach operating a safety correctly as the only time the safety should be off is when you are ready to fire. Ethical shot placement and the sport of hunting are taught all in one! KillShots are stored on an SD card and able to be downloaded to your computer via a USB cable.
From their website:
• Hunt game without necessitating the kill
• Document wildlife and intended targets during outdoor excursions
• Serve as hunting safety tool to train young or novice hunters in proper handling and operation of a lethal weapon
• May be used year round and without a permit
• Photo or video serves as trophy instead of actual animal
The Gregg brothers see the Kill Shot not just as a training tool for hunters, but law enforcement as well. Because the camera models bullet flights, it can be used by police snipers and counter-snipers to train in force-on-force scenarios that put no one at risk. And since it doesn’t use ammunition, it’s a very inexpensive tool to use. There is the usual wet blanket criticism that this will get people hurt; but I think if used correctly, the Kill Shot is relatively benign and poses little threat to the user. That being said using it correctly implies not using this to photograph heads of state or family outings in the city.
