Caldwell Ballistic Precision LR 1 Mile Target Camera

[RobD]

This review is for all you Gibbs percussion muzzleloaders and other long range shooters and hunters.  If you have a hankering to test out yer gun (literally, any gun) and yer shooting mettle at long range distances (whatever "long range" means to you) this camera system will be of great value in getting you on target and finding the right load for your muzzleloader.

After using the Caldwell Target Camera 1 Mile System a number of times at distances to over 400 yards, here's my review.

For the Midway sale price + shipping, you get a camera system that works extremely well for its intended purpose - getting a clear, large image on your cellphone or tablet of a target face at distances that would strain even the best spotting scope. Using just the transmitter (TX) and not the receiver (RX) it allowed perfect target images at 448 yards on my cellphone. The images are bright, clear and in focus. It's rated to a mile, which I have doubts about, but I do know it will easily do 1000 yards by using the supplied RX.

OK, what's not to like? The camera app software is VERY basic and will not blink the last shot fired result. You've got to keep track of bullet holes in target faces. It does allow taking a continuous video, but I suspect that might be a burden on the TX/camera battery. The way around that is to use the app to take an image of each shot, then review the image sequence to look for target face holes.

Here's a link to a target face I shot at 200 yards with a Sharps .45-70, iron sights, using paper patched bullets, real black powder (Swiss), shooting off cross sticks and sitting. It's an animated GIF compile of each shot taken, 20 in all. Starline brass, 78 grains of Swiss 1-1/2f, a single .060" LDPE wad, 1/32" powder/wad compression, 9# Fidelity dry paper patching on all 16:1 alloy cast slicks.  The first 10 rounds are up in the face and target backing with 403 grain slicks, the next 10 rounds are all in the center black (the moving "hole" is a fly on the target face!) using 523 grain slicks (adjust your screen view angle to better see the center black holes) ...

http://www.bpgang.com/media/caldwell.gif

Holes in black targets are a little hard to see because the target camera needs to be angled well off the target, but you can see them in the animated GIF image. The camera is 720P but it would be better if it was 1080P (it should not be hard to find and adapt one for under $50, but this is NOT required). I ran the camera system for well over four hours and no battery issues.



A good feature of the Caldwell system is that the TX and RX have supplied tripods.  This is something that's needed if your range isn't flat land and the camera needs to be elevated for line of sight, or if you're dealing with a target pit.  Here's my TX and camera setup at my club range 200/300 yard target pit. This is the beginning of the pit which extends for a total of 30 elevated targets.  Notice the ladder, it's there to escape the pit if a black bear enters the other open pit end (and yes, it was needed numerous times over the decades) ...



For the Midway sale price, this camera system is well worth buying.

Note:  The Midway price for this long range camera system has dropped to $244.42 as of 9/15/2019 - that's a steal!

[Ohio Joe]

I'd say that's a pretty darn good idea & buy, for those shooting that long range stuff.    Midway has always had good deals a running for the sportsman shooter.

I've got an old Bushnell spotting scope I use. It'll pick up the .22 Rimfire holes at two hundred yards when I'm shooting iron sights... It also works well for muzzle loading ball holes as well (naturally).

I'm not likely to shoot beyond 200 yards - but if I were, I'd say it would sure be worth getting one of those. 

Thanks for the heads up, Rob! 

[Hawken]

RobD

When my grandsons....and I shoot our suppository rifles we gave paper up a long time back! We use AR500 5/8" thick and when painted white the impacts stand out like a 5 carat diamond in a billygoats behind! Paints cheap. BTW...that's ten shots from 900 yards! Steel works mighty fine for BP also!

308 Win/Remington M700 factory barrel/action by Sharps Man, on Flickr

[Bigsmoke]

Rob,
Sorry to be talking cartridge stuff, but it is black powder cartridge.  I was wondering about your stated load.  78 grains Swiss 1 1/2 Fg, etc.
Now, it seems to me that back 20 years ago or more when I was thinking about getting involved in BPCR and I was loading some .45-70 cartridges, that by using a 20" drop tube, I could only get about 55 grains or so of Ffg Goex in the case.  Granted, I did not use a compression die, just the effect of the drop tube.
So, the question is, were you really able to squeeze 78 grains of powder into the cartridge?  If so, WOW, good job!!!  Other than that, I have no idea what the heck I am talking about regarding BPCR.
John

[RobD]

Rob,
Sorry to be talking cartridge stuff, but it is black powder cartridge.  I was wondering about your stated load.  78 grains Swiss 1 1/2 Fg, etc.
Now, it seems to me that back 20 years ago or more when I was thinking about getting involved in BPCR and I was loading some .45-70 cartridges, that by using a 20" drop tube, I could only get about 55 grains or so of Ffg Goex in the case.  Granted, I did not use a compression die, just the effect of the drop tube.
So, the question is, were you really able to squeeze 78 grains of powder into the cartridge?  If so, WOW, good job!!!  Other than that, I have no idea what the heck I am talking about regarding BPCR.
John

at the risk of talking outside of the muzzleloader world, but with regards to some of the crossover similarities of stuffing a barrel tube or cartridge casing, i will explain. 

i can easily get in 82 grains of swiss 1-1/2f let alone 78 grains.  basically, it's real black powder so you fill the case to it's rim by compacting (this is not compressing) the powder in a drop tube and i made mine 29" long - this interlocks the kernals of powder, settling it deeper into the case (or chamber).  in fact, due to this sharps' tighter chamber, if it was a normal .45-70 chamber i'd get near 85 grains into that case.  after compaction, a wad is added and the wad/powder are compressed a nominal 1/32" - that's all.

this is also what happens, to a fair degree, with a muzzleloader as the drop down the barrel will help compact the powder in the chamber.  this occurs to a bit lesser degree than with a drop tube because of fouling in the barrel and the spiraled rifling (if not a smoothbore). 

the gun, a pedersoli sharps, started off as a .40-65 and i had both its barrel and chamber chrome moly relined and rechambered for .45-70 with a special paper patch reamer.  the gun can't load standard .45-70 lubed bullets, the chamber is too narrow. 

paper patched bullets were THE accurate way to load the muzzleloader rifles of the civil war and that carried forth to the late 19th century and the killing off of the buffalo by the buffalo runners via sharps and rolling block rifles.  the demise of paper patching had more to do with production (too slow to wrap bullets) than finding lubed bullets as better (much faster to produce) - they were not, they are not!  hope this helps. 

[Bigsmoke]

Thanks, Rob.  Appreciate the additional info.  Regardless, I am still amazed that you can pack that much powder into the case.  If I recall correctly, the fellow who bought my Pedersoli Sharps had the chamber enlarged so that he could load a .45 x 3 1/4 cartridge (.45-120).  Or maybe it was a .45-90.  I only saw it once after I sold it.  I recall one day I had an opportunity to compare it with a Shiloh Sharps.  What a difference in the smoothness of the action and the feel of the rifle.  Almost like totally different guns.

[RobD]

oooooooooooo !!!  here's what yer missing - it's chambered for paper patched bullets that sits in the case 1/10" !!!