Image courtesy inteliscope

It’s not waterproof, it’s not shock-proof, it’s not nitrogen-purged, and there’s no guarantee it will return to zero or even hold it, for that matter. But if you want to stream your prairie-dog kills (or PETA-approved airsoft battles) live over the Interwebs, Inteliscope’s new  can turn your iPhone 4/4S/5 into a 3G-enabled HUD rifle scope. Seeing that I have an iPhone 4, I’m massively curious to see how well it delivers on the whole ‘turn your gun into a video game’ promise . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPd2QNMSLnM

Inteliscope’s teaser video hints at multiple reticules, preset BDCs for several sample projectiles from Nerf darts to 5.56 bullets, and some goofy light/strobe features. Because what would an iPhone app be without some kitchen-sinkware thrown in for the hell of it?

I have to say that we’ve got our doubts about this. Optics are useless unless they’re very solidly mounted to their host firearm, and there’s a reason that real scopes and mounts are made from steel and alloy instead of plastic. Even if the mount is solid (a very big if), iPhones aren’t built for shock or water resistance and the recoil from anything larger than a 5.56mm class rifle is likely to destroy them.

If it does manage to surprise us with ruggedness and repeatability, the iPhone-o-scope rifle will still be nothing but a range toy. With luck it will be a fun range toy, and it might even be good enough for small-game hunting at modest ranges.

Delivery is expected to start some time this month, but Inteliscope is reporting a backlog of pre-orders. MSRP: $99, but pre-orders get $30 off.

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25 COMMENTS

  1. Getting ready to squeeze the trigger on that perfectly zero-ed shot…aaaaand your mom calls.

      • I recommend not spending hard earned $ on this setup because even though it is a neat idea and the mount is the best available. the inteliscope app needed for it is pure, pretty junk. The app does does not work in-sight in mode: Across the top of the sight in screen it reads “at 4x zoom (all my phone camera is capable of), 1 click= 1.3″” But if this was actually the case 1 click would not jump the reticle up or down or sideways across my target (which is at 1`00 yards) THE 2 feet i can see it jump!. And this company does not even seem to be aware of this issue, or maybe they got their startup millions and really JUST DON”T CARE ANYMORE. i have a Motorola E with lollipop Android and the APP is oure trash, which unfortunately makes the sturdy $90 mount useless junk as well. Furthermore, shooting my AR-15 makes this app unfocus the camera and to get it to focus again, i have to minimize the app and maximize it FOR EVERY SHOT!!!.I am so disappointed and disgusted with this junk that I am now out to trash it EVERYWHERE I possibly can on the internet ,

  4. I guess it just ain’t real if you can’t do it on a smartphone. I wish people would get outside more and just take a walk, leaving the electronics at home. It’s a pretty wide world out there and most of it won’t fit on that little screen.

    On the other hand, I could SO imagine a scenario like this: youtube video showing a shooter using this screen to attempt to capture his target squirrel’s head exploding. Shooter is being filmed by a buddy who is the only one noticing a black bear coming out of the trees. Shooter misses screams from buddy as he just can’t take his eyes off his iPhone. Net result is a pretty entertaining bear mauling. That might be a youtube channel I could subscribe to.

  6. Had a buddy using his Iphone for ballistic calculations while at the bench for some long range fun. Fourth pull of the trigger and the Iphone, which was just off to the left of his gun on the bench, shatters from the recoil.

    No thank you. Guns and Iphones don’t mix.

    • Caliber? Situation?

      I’ve used my iphone as a ballistics calculator for the smaller stuff (7.62×39, 5.56) and it worked out just fine.

      I wouldn’t want to use for an optic though.

  7. Meh, it looks like a bracket that holds the iPhone and some gimmicky software. I’ll wait for the version that comes with 20x optics, fixed reticle, auto range finder, windage and bullet drop compensation.

    Regarding the iPhone… it’s not a great video camera. 30 fps won’t be fast enough to capture exploding fruit with good detail for example. A dedicated system capable of 120 fps or more would be a lot better and also a lot more expensive.

  8. c’mon now- being able to record the final moments of Mr. Prairie dog right before the 55 grain bullet impacts his little head and then sharing it with the YouTube audience is every mall ninja’s dream

  10. Great, now all the hipsters in Starbucks will stop staring at me when I come in with my AR. After that its off to the Apple Store to get a 6.8 upper.

    Hey will I need a facebook for this app or is that only if I want to win at gun contests?

    ETA: I can finally justify a high end optic because Im sure some eotechs are cheaper than this a&&anine idea

  11. What’ll be fun is when they add object tracking so you get the trackpoint style software with your iphone. Obviously it’s not hooked up to the trigger, but it can alter the reticle to indicate your degree of on target-ness.

  12. Are they seriously marketing it as a way to turn your gun into a video game? What a dumb thing to do. There is already enough problems with linking video games to deranged people shooting things up.

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