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Crossbow mounted camera / 3D league

MikeD

MikeD

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I didn't get any good footage while hunting last fall of this spring so I decided to test the camera out at the 3D range.

The Camera used is a Contour Roam mounted alongside the scope rail.


(If you watch full screen and in HD you can see the arrow and hit on some targets)

Some of the shots look like duplicates. Rules stated two shots at each target from multiple stake locations, some of which were not that different. Some shots got missed as I kept forgetting to turn the camera on. DOH!!

For hunting I am going to look for a different camera. I like the quality of the Roam but the wide angle lens makes objects at 30 yards look like a football field away.

I've got a ATN Shot Trak HD coming that I should be able to get set up and ready for next weekends course. This cam does not have the high frame rate of the Roam but it has a better field of view for this type of thing. I'll post the video of that for comparison after I test it out.

As a side, this was my first 3D course with a crossbow. It was fun but getting the arrows out was a PITA. I bent one arrow and lost another that passed through the target. I tried the old trick of rubbing a bar of soap on the arrow shaft but it did not work to well. I picked up another product, the name escapes me now, but it was recommended by the range operator so I'll give it a go. I'll provide feedback after next weekends shoot. The league is going to run 10 weeks. I also plan on joining a different 8 week league at another club beginning the end of the month. I may rotate bows as well once I get the video camera squared away.
 
nice , I got a couple buddies from work that do the league with regular compound bow. One of them is always near the top and has won some sweet stuff over the years

Just like shooting firearms in a dynamic manner this will pick your shooting up to the next level.

there are two others around here too, one is on a big screen , they give you blunt arrows and it scores hits on the screen.

The other is a regular 3d course but the targets move on track and rope pulls.

Keep it up, make you a better shooter than your neighbor who just stands in front of a hay bale all day
 
That's cool mike.

A few years ago, I made a home made camera mount from an old scope ring, and tapped a 1/4-20 screw into the bottom of it so I could screw a standard camera onto the gun. Obviously, this was turned upside down to mount a camera, but it still works well.

I never mounted on an xbow, but I have mounted it on a few different rifles while hunting, but the camera does seem to make everything look a lot farther off than it really is. That is for sure.

I look forward to updates.
 
Stuff I've used as arrow lube:

WD-40 - not so good plus bad for the carbon/alum bond.
Armorall - works reasonably well
Silicon spray - same
Harley Lube - works the best. Expensive but free for me ;-)

I use old Loctite bottles that I cleaned out and opened a hole in the cap. Stuffed with cotton balls and filled. I just poke the arrow tip in each time I shoot it (I keep the bottle in an outer pocket of my quiver).

BTW, you're lucky to have a 3D course to shoot a x-bow on. None around here as they eat thru targets too fast.
 
OhioArcher said:
Stuff I've used as arrow lube:

WD-40 - not so good plus bad for the carbon/alum bond.
Armorall - works reasonably well
Silicon spray - same
Harley Lube - works the best. Expensive but free for me ;-)

I use old Loctite bottles that I cleaned out and opened a hole in the cap. Stuffed with cotton balls and filled. I just poke the arrow tip in each time I shoot it (I keep the bottle in an outer pocket of my quiver).

BTW, you're lucky to have a 3D course to shoot a x-bow on. None around here as they eat thru targets too fast.
Click to expand...
I think the stuff I bought was called arrow snot. LOL

I don't understand why xbows wear targets out faster. Maybe the faster bows, but I'm shooting my 318fps Raptor, while fast is not any faster than many of the hunting compounds today.

I was looking around for some random 3D shoots and many clubs still do not allow them. My club was reluctant to until the state allowed them during archery season. There are still many who do not like them but I don't think the club wants to turn away potential memberships or family memberships over it.
 
The weight of the bolt times the speed. Your kinetic energy is far higher. Also, most bolts are slightly larger in diameter than standard arrows. They make bigger holes and tear up the foam faster. Add that to the fact that targets rated for x-bows are more expensive. Clubs want to keep their targets as long as they can before replacing them and keep expenses down.
 
Got the new camera yesterday so I'll definitely be trying it out this weekend.

I'll take come pics of it but my initial thoughts on the ATN camera. The lens cover has no cord or anything to keep it attached when not in use. It's small and will get lost soon. The camera can be configured with the mount on 3 sides. Anyone want to guess what side I need the mount to be on for my current setup?

The on/off is very simple, just a lever just like my TLR-1 light
 
MikeD said:
The camera can be configured with the mount on 3 sides. Anyone want to guess what side I need the mount to be on for my current setup?
Click to expand...

I hope the camera has a mount on the side you need it.
 
John A. said:
I hope the camera has a mount on the side you need it.
Click to expand...
No. It will work on one of my bows but not on the other but i can work around it.

On the newer bow I made a bracket such that the camera sets on top of it. The camera has mount options for every side but the bottom. I just need to redesign the bracket.
 
Here's the video from this weekends round using the ATN Shot Trak HD:


I'm disappointed that there was no sound with the video. I need to call support and figure out why. Once again I forgot to turn the camera on a few times. This camera has 5x zoom so the targets look much closer than with my other camera. I really can't see the arrow in flight but it is clearly visible in the target (at least in 720 HD)

Once again two shots per target from slightly different positions
 
oli700 said:
Awesome shooting man !
Click to expand...
Thanks, I was pretty happy with my round. I missed way right on the first two targets. My arrow had a slight bend that I didn't notice. First time I just thought it was me. The tom turkey I put both shots too low, both were within an inch of each other but lower than the 5 ring. I really enjoy shooting these courses. I shoot them for fun and for practice rather than scoring on paper. I honestly do not thing there is a better prep for hunting than this type of shooting. If I can hit these with no shooting stick or range finder than shooting from my stand should be easy. LOL
 
You are correct.

Hunting can be a very fast paced.

Even hunting with a shotgun, I've missed my fair share of birds and squirrels and things.
 

pretty much the same video but I got the sound issues worked out. I had to use different editing software
 
I like that camera better than the other.

I can actually make out what you are shooting at.

The one in your original post seems like everything is 10 miles away.
 
I'm going to play around with it a little more but I think this will be the cam I carry with me in the woods this fall.

Two things I do not like about the ATN camera.

1. You have to have a allen wrench to add/remove it to the rail. I will be looking for a QR intermediary base.

2. It is not rechargable and uses the CR123 batteries. Replaceable batteries is good but with my rechargeables I could plug it in between each session and know I have a full charge each time. With the batteries I always risk having a partial charge or replacing it and wasting a battery,. I may have to look into rechargeables in this size.

The Roam cams have proven their reliability to me after numerous mud runs and hunting trips, this cam still needs to prove itself over time.
 
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