Brothers Randy and Michael Gregg are currently developing a product called the Kill Shot, a replica hunting gun that takes photos instead of firing bullets. Users would locate their “prey” in the crosshairs, then pull the trigger, snapping a time and date-stamped shot, which gets stored on the memory card housed where the standard magazine would normally be. The Kill Shot could zoom and take video as well, but it’s unclear if it would have the magnification of a scope or if it’s essentially a digital camera housed in a gun-shaped case. Interesting idea, nonetheless, but seems like a potential recipe for disaster if misunderstood. (SFGate ran a topically related article over the weekend titled “Wildlife photography embodies thrill of the hunt.”) What do you think?
[via Gizmag]
34 thoughts on “Killer Wildlife Shots”
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I have one of these, but it’s a lot smaller and doesn’t come in a form that frightens people. It’s called a digital camera. Mine also fits in my pocket.
So my hands are free to carry my hunting rifle.
Terrible idea. Someone is going to die as a result of this project.
I would be concerened that an accident could happen. There have been several children shot by accident because an armed officer thought the toy was real. Neat technically though!
the russians already came up with this, its a telephoto lens and camera on a gun stock. It looks like a camera, works better than that will and hey it probably won’t get you arrested for when you forget and point at people to take their photo. Nice concept but stupid and dangerous
Apparently there’s still a version being made. http://bushhawk.com/
Might be a good idea to add a day-glo orange cap to the business end of that thing.
Professional cameramen in combat zones have been killed because their on-the-shoulder cameras “look” like rocket launchers. At least that’s the alibi used when forces don’t want media coverage.
They were also imbedded with insurgents in the area, but feel free to ignore that little detail. Sure, they get potentially impressive photos, but when they surround themselves with combatants they put themselves at risk.
got to agree with rest not a cool idea i love guns and hunting but i would never own one of these ever it will get people killed if they come across this and its being pointed at them they may pull there carry pistol and kill you
Reply to Dan.
True (and I’m not ignoring) but not all are imbedded with insurgents. Some are imbedded with government forces and some are independent. Forces (no matter what they say and on which side) do not always want media coverage. Throughout the history of combat photojournalism, photographers (and combat medics) have been targets.
“One does not hunt to kill. One kills to have hunted.”
–Ortega y Gassett
What a facile, stupid idea designed to get picked up by minimally-reviewed blogs!
very nice unlike the rest of you who right away think bad things about its use for me it would be perfect. take it out field line up on a animal pull the trigger. SNAP instead of a bust on the wall i would put the picture up :)
Pretty useless as a wildlife rig. The lens would have an aperture of about f8 or f16 which makes it about as useful for shooting wildlife as a kodak box camera.
Wildlife lenses need all the light that they can get. It’s not just about range!
A rifle shoulder mount can help make your images sharper – but it’s mostly just a gimmick
It’s a cute idea but I think it meets trouble on both sides of the gun debate. Gun haters are going to call it dangerous outright for various reasons. Gun lovers are going to dislike it because it demonizes the sport and/or because anything that gun-like tends to promote unsafe gun handling later.
Am I the only one who appreciates the Mosin-Nagant magazine?
I love it as a piece of art that makes a statement about the world we live in…
As a camera… there’s a lot going on obviously, some of it good, some of it not so good.
This, as a though exercise, or as an art project is one thing. This project as reality, in the world, in use, would represent idiocy manifest.
People get shot for having items that look like guns. This, IS a gun, that has been modified to not shoot bullets.
Something to survive by: If you point a gun at something, you better be meaning to kill it otherwise you shouldn’t be pointing a gun at it.