Gun mounted camera?

[stumprat]

Does anyone have some good ideas on mounting a small video camera to a gun? I looked at the mounts at Cabelas. Pretty cheap looking. I am also not a fan of mounting ANYTHING to my scope.
Any ideas would be great. I hunt alone alot and would love to have some videos of my hunts.

[fishcrazy]

I have thought about the same thing. The one thing that bugs me is attaching a battery operated device to my gun might be illegal.


Kris

[JackOfAllTrades]

To the best of my knowledge, having something battery operated attached to the gun is not illegal unless it aids in the trajectory of the bullet. There are several scopes with red dot ilumination that take a battery. Not illegal. Even lazer sights are legal on a firearm. Not a bow for big game though.

Go for it...

-Steve

[PolarBear]

Ask a WDFW officer first.  My under standing is that even illuminated reticles are illegal.  I think it depends on what kind of day the gamey that checks you is having.

[stumprat]

It's legal to have a camera here. I have asked.
I'm interested in having it on my predator rifle. Not the muzzleloader.
No one here has come up with a decent mount??

[CastleRocker]

I've looked into it too.  I'm hesitating trying it though until I find an old, cheap camera.  I think that it would work, providing your gun had very, very little recoil.  The initial quick jarring portion of a rifle going off would be very similiar to dropping your camera.  I've seen first-hand what happens to a real nice camera from a drop from table level.  (Not good).  My son has a dvd with some of the footage taken from a gun-mounted camera on a 22 magnum, and there is some pretty severe looking jarring in the video.  Maybe a small piece of gum rubber bushing between the camera and the mount to cushion the initial blow.  Hmmm

[stumprat]

That's what I'm thinking. A good rubber isolator pad.
I want to mount it on a .223. Just looking for a good alternative to mounting it to the scope. If I get her figured out I'll post what I come up with.

[PolarBear]

Call or go out to the Simms lab in Shelton and see if they have something.  They make all kinds of vibration reducing mounts and gadgets.

[stumprat]

I'll check them out. Thanks for the tip.

[MtnMuley]

There's a company that makes gun-mounted and bow-mounted cameras.  I just watched their hunting show on an oddball channel last night.  They were shooting pigs.  Can't remember the name, but the tv show was the same name as the camera.  With a little research on the internet, you should be able to find it.

[Bofire]

Bushnell sells one, 5X and does videos.
Carl

http://www.bushnell.com/products/scopes/riflescopes/videoscope/737000V/

[stumprat]

Bushnell sells one, 5X and does videos.
Carl

http://www.bushnell.com/products/scopes/riflescopes/videoscope/737000V/

It's the whole camera? Not just the mount?
Cool I'll have to check it out.

[stumprat]

Looks cool,
But the customer ratings left alot to be desired.
Average Customer Rating:   2.4 out of 5 
 
 
2 of 5 (40%) customers would recommend this product to a friend. 
 
 

Customer Reviews for Bushnell Videoscope   Choose a sort order Date - Newest First Date - Oldest First Rating - High to Low Rating - Low to High 
Overall Rating:   1 out of 5 

Could not be any worse., November 16, 2008
By scru10izer from Western Ky
 

"This was the most disappointed I've been with any product! Purchased this and used only in bright conditions to try out. Then when hunting season came in I went out in the field and could not pick up anything unless it was sunny. The whole purpose for the camera is to capture your shot on camera. The problem is you are more than likely hunting in a woods situation and it will not pick up in the woods. I also was hunting a field thinking it might pick up but about an hour before sunset a buck walked out and i tried to video him and could not even see in viewfinder. Spoke to someone in customer service from Busnell and that was a joke. He said that it did not magnify light. That was an understatement it does not pick up at all unless it is sunny and snow on the ground. VERRY POOR PRODUCT."

 
Would you recommend this product to a friend? No
 
 
Review 2 for Bushnell Videoscope
Overall Rating:   4 out of 5 

bushnell videoscope, April 13, 2008
By videohunter from north carolina
 

"the scope works very good. nice and clear,very good color. wish it would have been made alot of years ago. well now ill have all them memories to keep on disc. thanks for a great product."

 
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes
 
 
Review 3 for Bushnell Videoscope
Overall Rating:   5 out of 5 

Live it again and again, April 13, 2008
By ThePaHunter
 

"Bushnell has really got something here! I tried the Videoscope out on plastic bottles filled with colored water, then shot with my 243. (since there is no game in season now) I was very impressed with the playback, you can see the splatter! I will purchase videoscopes for both of my boys before the next hunting season."

 
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes
 
 
Review 4 for Bushnell Videoscope
Overall Rating:   1 out of 5 

Videoscope good idea=bad quality, April 1, 2008
By KELLYVP from I live in Floridaa
 

"I have been a television director, producer and production company owner since 1964. I currently am a producer of turkey hunting videos for a small company. The videoscope which I ran across at the NWTF convention in Atlanta was the perfect device for POV (Point of View) shots from the gun. The device was designed to fit on a rifle scope. This is not proactical because of the distance and the poor quality of the lens. I needed to use it on a shot gun. This worked and all the functiions of the videoscope worked as advertised.
Now the problem. The final video quality at the highest level was not acceptable. There is a certain minimum that we must have to produce pictures on television. The videoscope offers a very bad picture. Well below broadcast standards and not as good as old vhs cameras.
Here is what needs to change. 1. Higher resolution. 2. Low light sensitivity settings 6/9/12 db settings. 3 A better lens system with possible zoom capabilities. 4. A shotgun addaptor to allow turkey, dove, duck and upland bird hunters the use of a video camera.
The Bushnell videoscope is a good idea that needs some tweaking. I sent my videoscope back to Cabelas."

 
Would you recommend this product to a friend? No
 
 
Review 5 for Bushnell Videoscope
Overall Rating:   1 out of 5 

videoscope, March 31, 2008
By ak62
 

"Never worked so I just sent it back for refund."

 
Would you recommend this product to a friend? No 
 

[JackOfAllTrades]

For less than $500 one would expect this to be capable of Television quality video???

You've got to be kidding me!

Take the customer reports for their merit, but realize who's writing in. It's a novelty at best, not a high dollar piece of video production equipment. I'll bet it's good enough for YouTube or just what's it's designed for, capturing memories to burn to DVD for friends and family.

Technology has come a long way, but there's always room for improvement.  I would think that the Videoscope would be cool if you could find it well under the SRP. But, for the same price, you might be able to find a mount, and a darn small vid camera that could be used for other things.

-Steve

[stumprat]

The other reviews are what I cued in on. I know they are not the caliber he was after.