The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - First impression of Shotmarker Electronic Target

BobCat45 · September 18, 2021, 11:24 AM

That is one of the problems with the system. You can't, there is no physical evidence, the shot string saved in the computer is the only "evidence" there is.

And it can be vexing. I am not a very good shooter, and I shoot sling (bigger scoring rings than F-Class). But a number of the better F-Open shooters at our club shoot repeated 200-xX where little x is some number between 1 and 20. So match winner is based on X count, and the paper (and cardboard backer) are literally "shot to hell" by subsequent relays, so there is no telling - one either believes the Shotmarker or one goes home sore.

This has not happened at out matches yet, as far as I know, but I think we have a great bunch of people who embody the old term "sportsmanship" and are not about to get al in a lather on account of a dropped byte or bit or whatever. But The answer to your question is, once the next relay shoots there is no physical evidence and no recourse.

One other odd thing about the system is that even if it is working perfectly, if the paper target is displaced from the calibrated center, your actual physical no-wind zero is no good. You need to use sighters (unlimited sighters first match, but on the clock) to adjust your sights/scope to put the sight picture where the Shotmarker thinks the center is. That zero will work for that target, until the paper is replaced.

That's why I question using the system for across-the-course. Suppose the 200 yard standing/sitting target is perfectly placed per the calibration. In ordinary times we past the new 300 center over the 200, and it is never perfect but that does not matter because the shooter is shooting at the target he or she sees, and the scorer is looking at the bullet hole and deciding whether or not it touches the line. With this system there is nobody looking at the impacts but the system, and if the pasting was not perfect, your 10-ring sized group, which is centered in the 10-ring on paper, might leak out into the 9-ring on the Shotmarker. In this case there is actually physical evidence on the paper, but only until the next relay shoots; no pasting the old shots.

Sorry to go on and on complaining, it is really all good, just takes a while to get used to the new reality.

And I need to start doing more pushups and chin-ups to make up for not pulling targets two Sundays a month.

September 18, 2021, 11:24 AM	#10
BobCat45 Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Location: East Bernard, TX Posts: 523	That is one of the problems with the system. You can't, there is no physical evidence, the shot string saved in the computer is the only "evidence" there is. And it can be vexing. I am not a very good shooter, and I shoot sling (bigger scoring rings than F-Class). But a number of the better F-Open shooters at our club shoot repeated 200-xX where little x is some number between 1 and 20. So match winner is based on X count, and the paper (and cardboard backer) are literally "shot to hell" by subsequent relays, so there is no telling - one either believes the Shotmarker or one goes home sore. This has not happened at out matches yet, as far as I know, but I think we have a great bunch of people who embody the old term "sportsmanship" and are not about to get al in a lather on account of a dropped byte or bit or whatever. But The answer to your question is, once the next relay shoots there is no physical evidence and no recourse. One other odd thing about the system is that even if it is working perfectly, if the paper target is displaced from the calibrated center, your actual physical no-wind zero is no good. You need to use sighters (unlimited sighters first match, but on the clock) to adjust your sights/scope to put the sight picture where the Shotmarker thinks the center is. That zero will work for that target, until the paper is replaced. That's why I question using the system for across-the-course. Suppose the 200 yard standing/sitting target is perfectly placed per the calibration. In ordinary times we past the new 300 center over the 200, and it is never perfect but that does not matter because the shooter is shooting at the target he or she sees, and the scorer is looking at the bullet hole and deciding whether or not it touches the line. With this system there is nobody looking at the impacts but the system, and if the pasting was not perfect, your 10-ring sized group, which is centered in the 10-ring on paper, might leak out into the 9-ring on the Shotmarker. In this case there is actually physical evidence on the paper, but only until the next relay shoots; no pasting the old shots. Sorry to go on and on complaining, it is really all good, just takes a while to get used to the new reality. And I need to start doing more pushups and chin-ups to make up for not pulling targets two Sundays a month.