If you’ve suffered through any of my YouTube videos, you probably know that I do most of my shooting in the woods of N’Idaho. It’s public land, which means I can’t leave targets out there. So ideally the targets I use set up and break down fairly quickly — no Hickok45-style steel range for me. Coming to the rescue to solve those boring target blues, AutoTargets looks like it’s going to provide a ton of interest and target shooting excitement while still setting up quickly. At least physically, that is, because the Android app gives you full control over. . .
up to 32 of AutoTargets’ wirelessly-connected target lift units. Program scenarios to lift and drop targets, set hit requirements on each target (e.g. 2 body, 1 head before it will drop), keep score, track reaction time, receive audio and/or vibration hit confirmation through your Android, etc. More details here. Setting up run-and-gun courses sounds like a heck of a fun time.
Anyway, a couple of pre-production units will be showing up here for testing in the near future, so look for a review this summer . . .
Now this would be great for IDPA or such. For clubs that can afford it.
Looks like a nice training tool. However I bet it is expensive as all get out.
“for around the cost of a new gun”
So $400-$1,000 sounds like.
Yeah that term was pretty loose. A Jennings 22 or a Barrett semi auto 50. But I am guessing you are pretty close with the 400-1000
To be a little more specific, a starter kit will be around the cost of a Glock.
Looks pretty neat (though probably expensive). Does it come with that snazzy helmet?
It’s not as expensive as it looks! We designed this to be affordable and easy to use, so it’s not just for shooting ranges. It would be a great addition to your backyard range! (where legal of course).
Oh, and believe it or not, that’s just a Bell skate helmet with a GoPro mount!
Hm.
Put an ad your local ‘bargain shopper’ looking for folks who can help with ‘Gun Control’.
They can hold the the targets downrange.
Hilarity will ensue…
Price? Availability? Warranty? Lots of dazzle, but the devils in the missing details. I’ll gladly wait and see, and hope it doesn’t wind up like the BREN TEN and Crossfire carbine.
A lot of those details are available on our website. A starter kit will cost about as much as a new pistol, and it will be available for pre-order as part of our upcoming Indiegogo campaign. There is a signup on our website to be notified when the campaign launches.
The units will come with a solid warranty, because we believe in the design and craftsmanship. They are all made by us, right here in Pennsylvania. We are shooters too, and we want you to get years of enjoyment out of our products, so we designed them to last.
Thank you, and lots of luck!
Looking at their specs, I’m impressed by their user friendliness and KISS design philosophy. If they can keep the price of a target ~$100, this may work if it’s robust. It’ll need some good reviews – early adopters willing to risk and review are key.
I just signed up to be notified if their crowdfund start. I’m going to get a couple of these, call me an early adopter.
Awesome! Can’t wait to get some feedback from you when you start using it. Be sure to send us an email and tell us about your experience!
I also just signed up. I see a whole new way of training and fun on the horizon.
Thanks Dev! We would like to hear your feedback as well.
The trick will be the cost of the proprietary targets. Just like those digital pens that scan your document and apply OCR as you write, but require you to use special notebooks and paper. This could potentially be an amazing training aid, but even after the initial cost of the lift units, I suspect the true cash drain will be with replenishing your target supply.
With that said, I signed up for more info 🙂
The targets last a long time, potentially over a thousand rounds. Smaller calibers like 22lr and .223 will get the most use out of a target, but even 9mm isn’t too bad. You can shoot through the same hole multiple times and still detect the hits. The only time it will miss hits is if you shoot out a large hole and the bullet passes straight through the target without touching it.
In terms of cost per round fired, the targets are about half the cost of clay pigeons.
So the replacement targets are around 20 bucks, then? That’s not too bad if they’re good for a thousand rounds.
We don’t have an exact price on the targets yet, but you are certainly in the ballpark.
We will be posting videos soon that show how long the targets last. Obviously that depends on a lot of factors such as caliber and how accurately you are shooting. If you are interested in learning more about our product, I suggest subscribing to our Youtube channel, there will be a lot of content between now and the launch of the product. The link is http://www.youtube.com/autotargets
Thanks!
Yeah sorry, runs on android. The only people on earth I distrust more than the Government are the fvcktards at Google.
Their app probably reports a ton of information up to the Google mothership. Which Google happily hands over to the feds.
Nothing like self registration.
We take your privacy seriously. We are shooters and supporters of the second amendment. We chose to use Android because it is the most common platform, and there are a ton of options for affordable Android tablets. However we do have plans to support iOS in the future. If there is another platform that you would rather use, please send us an email at [email protected] and tell us about it.
Surely you don’t think Apple or Microsoft are any better than Google at respecting your privacy, do you?
In any case, as far as “self-registration” goes, if you’ve ever bought a gun or ammo with a credit card, or posted on a website like “thetruthaboutguns.com”, then the odds are “They” already know you’ve got guns.
I’m not saying any of that is right, but that’s the world we live in now, where personal privacy is a faint shadow of what it once was.
You do know that Android is an Open Source operating system, correct? While certain manufacturers will always try to limit what you can do on the device you bought, it is possible to take the big brother out of the OS installed on your smartphone or tablet. This, however, is impossible with a closed environment like Windows phone or anything Apple related.
Pretty awesome and VERY affordable when one compares it to other REACTIVE targets (like steel). While they may not replace steel, they definitely augment an idpa course.
I hope you guys sell a ton of them and eventually come out with some really creative designs and modes of action. This is cool now but I can see SO much future potential.
I know Chip (the guy in the video). I’ve worked with him since 2008 designing and installing advanced electronics at another place unrelated to AutoTargets. I’m nobody famous or important but I have been in the working world for over 30 years and I will say this, Chip’s dedication to this product is second to none. He really believes in it. I haven’t met the rest of the team but according to our conversations, they are all just like Chip. What I like about this company is they are all young and they all love to shoot. They’re going to be around for a long time. They are giving everything they have to the success of this company and product.
I believe that this product is going to be a game changer. I see high potential for the use of this product in military and law enforcement, and here it is at an affordable price us “regular Joe’s” can afford. I haven’t seen the product in person yet but I think this has great potential and it’s made in America!
Nice work Chip!
Thank you very much for the kind words, that means a lot!
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