Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Yesterday I wasthinking (dangerous I know): What if somebody were to make an electronic archery sight, with a built-in laser rangefinder that automatically compensated for a pre-programmed arrow speed and distance, and superimposed a sight dot on an attached digital tv screen that fit inside the sight window? The technology is there to do it. It would be awfully expensive for an archery sight, but do-able.

Hear me out:

Instead of looking through your sight window at the actual target, you would instead be looking into a digital screen (think about something similar tothe screen on your digital camera).The screen would show a real-time image relayed from a tinycamera on the front of the unit (again, think of your digital camera). You could zoom in/out and there would be no need for peep sites. The rangefinder would then run the yardage of the intended targetthrough thecpu,calibrating for distance and superimposing a dot on the screen. Just point and shoot.

That's a head scratcher.

I know it wouldn't be legal everywhere, but the point is that I think it's possible.

I'm not sure if what I'm trying to describe is actually coming across the right way, but it was just a totally random thought that hit me last night.

Really, the on-board cpu wouldn't have to be all that sophisticated, just able to draw a parabola based on the arrow speed entered, then use the rangefinder input to pick the appropriate point and move the dot to compensate for the correct elevation.

I've got steam coming out of my ears. Better get back to work.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Dude....I'll just GIVE you some deer meat if ya need it that bad!

:D

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

hahaha I'm sticking to the pins... that would end up being more than the bow in price

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Yea , the pins are working good so far.....but a site to zoom would make those long Allegheny Co. shots easier .....but in my experience , the more buttons and what not , the more im going to F it all up.....

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

I think that sounds cool but I don't think I would use it unless it made a video of my kill. I also think you would still have to use the peep unless there were three dots in the screen. Two of the dots would have to let you know that your bow was level and the third would be the pin at the correct yardage. If we were using bow's in war's these days I bet they would already have this kind of sight. Great idea man, again, I don't know that I would use it but it would be cool to see.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

That's wierd. I was just talking to my wife about that idea two weeks ago. Nefarious is right, though. That kind of tech would cost more than the bow. Combine the laser range finder, digital camera, microprocessor, and lcd display, and it would be one pricey piece of hardware. Still, someone would buy it. The processor would have to be somewhat powerful to quickly superimpose the dot or crosshair to allow for movement.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

I agree. And by the way, they have something that works very similar to what you're suggesting. You don't have to worry about the distance until you get WAYYYYYYYYYYYY out there. THis invention has been around for a long time. It's called a GUN. LOL

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Very interesting thinking QS... the hologram stuff is pretty similar with fewer options.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Not a bad concept, but not something I would want to be raising and lowering from my treestand. I would like to expand on your idea and simplify a bit if you would indulge me.

Working in IT I see things all the time that don't make sense (e.g. a manager that brings his laptop to a meeting so he doesn't miss email when he's got a Blackberry on his hip)[&:]. The point of that is you don't need all of that computing power on your bow.

If you took a sight, similar to what Summit put out this year with a little more guts to it, and did all of the computing on your home computer, you could download the information to the sight. You would input your bow's speed, arrow weight, FOC, etc. and let the computer calculate the formula for distance compensation. That way all of the number crunching is done and you have a more compact unit. The rangefinder unit could work similar to a scan mode and the whole sight could be activated by a touch pad on the bow's gripto save on battery life. Heck you could even include a solar panel to charge your battery while you sit. Then when the deer approaches you grab the bow, automatically engage the sight with your hand and draw. Once you are on the deer the sight would scan the distance with the range finder and the dot would compensate with the data already loaded from the PC. Place the dot on the target and release.

This would take all of the guess work out of gapping pins or estimating drop on a single pin sight. The downsides would be price, durability, and that the manufacturer would have to make it so it wouldn't compensate too far or you'd have guys taking more unethical shots than they already do. Being a techy I like the idea, but it kind of takes some of the skill out of bowhunting. Plus it'd be illegal in PA, we can't even have Lumenocks.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

it would be nice to add night vision;)

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Next on Futureweapons, learn how advances in primitive hillbilly technology have turned averageredneck bowhunters into elite killing machines. LOL

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

You could also imprint the program with editing software.....and it could handle that task while you're there in the tree. If it would then download the information to your website.....it could be on the tube before you got home.

I'll still GIVE you some venison if you need it, though!:)

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Bry - you're right - you could use one of those pressure pads that they have for laser sights on handguns and assault weapons to power up the thing. You could use a USB memory stick to xfer/store all the data.

I'd just like to see if it's possible to actually create a sighting system that's capable of handling all those tasks, but still small and user-friendly enought to actually perform under field conditions. Hmph.

I live for kicking around stuff like this.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

The people part of the problem with a sighting system like this is that far toooooooooo many people couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if they were standing in the barn and were using "perfect" form. Now give them something like this and you will have all of these sameidiots thinking they could just pull pack the string and "shoot from the hip" so to speak.


You know the peopleI am talking about. The ones that come into a bow shop to purchase their very first bow one day before opening day of deer season and want it set up and "sighted in" so they can go out andkill a deerwith a bow for the very first time in their life. [&:][:@]

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

That would be neat to see but there goes all of the funny hunting stories when you/your friends miss! Takes all the fun outta shooting too. Heck, you probly wouldn't even need to practice shoot! But good idea tho!

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Practicing is more than figuring out where your pins should go. You should first practice with your form until you can get good groups at a distance (out to at least 60 yards). Then practice from twisted, awkward postions that you might experience in your tree stand. Then practice from your tree stand. Once you have done all of this and can maintain 6 inch groups at 40 yards from any position in your stand, then and only then are you ready for the woods IMO.

No amount of technology will replace that.

Besides, there is always buck fever. Could you imagine the ribbing you'd get if you did miss with this device?[:-]

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

My excuse is, my sight locked up and there is no CTRL-ALT-DEL buttons for me to push and by the time my sight re-booted the deer was gone:D

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

And you could draw it back with a Hooter Shooter mounted in your treestand and leave it at full draw so that you could fire it remotely from home without ever getting out of bed... you guys have way too much time on your hands.[&:]

Nothing drives me nuts more than the deckhand who'll spend 15 minutes trying to figure out how to rig the picking hook to pull a pot across the deck rather than spending the minute it would take to put his lazy ass behind it and push it where it belongs! :eek: I guess that's why Neanderthals make such good deckhands.:D:D:D

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Or you could just set the hooter shooter to be aimed in a fixed position about 3.765' back and 2.433' up from your CORN PILE!

Then set it on a motion sensor with a 4 second delay.....and you could just check it every afternoon!

BWAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA

OK.....I know.....:eek:

Dude....I'll STILL give you some venison!

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

I thought i had alot of time on my hand at work... WOW.lol

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Man, y'all are a tough crowd. Honestly, it really didn't take all that long to come up with that "brainstorm" - just about 3-4 minutes last night on a commercial break during Sportscenter. Add in a minute and a half to type it out this morning, and that puts us at a grand total of five minutes. I do that stuff all day - my brain races a hundred miles an hour in 30 different directions at all times.

By the way, I'm not trying to come up with an unethical way to hunt, just throwing a random idea out there in case anyone wanted to run with it.

Like it or not, as technology and electronic components become smaller and more readily accessible, this is the kind of stuff that we're gonna see over the next twenty years. Mark my words. I remember when it was heresy to even mention the thought of using a non-aluminum arrow, or a peep sight, or a mechanical broadhead.

Wait till the price of these things comes down, and you'll REALLY see people get wound up.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Does that thing come with a riser-mount for your bow???!!!!

:D

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

As long as you could upload tetrus to the screen, I would be interested[8D]. But really, I just think I would stick to the pins.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

I got one for ya Quick. How about cloaking camo? You have a camera taking an image of what's behind you. Then with your fiber optic equipped suit, transfer that image to the front, making you totally invisible. I know they're working on it with military vehicles, tanks, hummers, etc.
That would be way cooool !!

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

How about a laser guided arrow? You can mount the laser on your bow and the on/off button to the riser. Point the laser and let the arrow go no sights or range finder needed:D

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Somebody already sells that Springcaller.



http://www.nvginc.com/bowlsers.htm

Illegal in most states. LOL

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

All this sort of stuff is illegal in Colorado. Won't let us use anything electronic on the bow.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Geez,
I just looked this up on the Colorado Department of Natural Resources website:

3. Handheld bows

a. During the archery seasons for deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, sheep, goat, and moose, only lawful hand-held bows may be used by archery license holders.

b. Bows must have a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds. The let-off percentage shall not exceed 80%.

c. No portion of the bow’s riser (handle) or any track, trough, channel, arrow rest or other device, excluding the cable(s) and bowstring, that attaches to the bow’s riser can contact, support and/or guide the arrow from a point rearward of the bow’s brace height.

d. Bows can propel only a single arrow at a time and no mechanism for automatically

loading arrows is allowed.

e. Equipment using scopes, electronic or battery-powered devices cannot be incorporated into or attached to the bow.

f. Hydraulic or pneumatic technology cannot be used to derive or store energy to propel the arrow. Explosive arrows are prohibited.

The way this reads, you can't even use the battery powered lights to illuminate your fiber optics. As to paragraph F, I wonder why they felt the need to include the prohibition of EXPLOSIVE ARROWS?

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

Because some genius was probably out there"bowhunting" witha necked-down potato cannon using Aqua Net tolaunch Chuck Norrisgrenade-tipped, incendiary aluminum shaftsat his neighbor's pet deer.Lifestyles of the not-so-rich-and-famous.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

I'm talking about the arrow tracking the laser, like a laser guided bomb. Point the laser and the arrow goes to it without really aiming.

RE: Bowhunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

This is good! I will say I am LMAO........ Great idea, whith the viedo record though. I would give it a try!!

RE: Bow hunting Techies - here's a head scratcher.
 

there are all kinds of possibilities with new technology coming out . Laser ,cloaking devices, night vision,satellite tracking.If you wanted and the budget wasn't a problem you could track it coming in know its location laser guide it in with very little room for error. Cool to think about but would make it to easy and take the fun out of it






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