The most accurate shooting system in the world?

[Patrick Chadwick]

a “precision guided firearm,”

I am not intending to denigrate this system, but I would like to get past the advertising hype to consider some aspects of reality.

It seems to me that what this system does is to store the sight picture at the moment when the shooter presses the button. So if the shooter aims into the mud and presses the button, then the subsequent shot will also go into the mud. In other words, the shot cannot be any more precise than the shooter's initial acquisition of the POA on the target.

So the shooter must still aim accurately.

When the trigger is pressed, the shot is not instantly fired. Instead, the system will fire when the sight image matches the stored image. The firing pin is released, the primer is struck and the cartridge is fired.

From the moment that the firing pin (a.k.a. striker) is released, the system can do no more. It may be described as a “precision guided firearm" but it does not actually guide the bullet after firing.

From the instant when the electronics releases the striker to the bullet leaving the muzzle will take about 1.5-2 milliseconds. During this time, if the muzzle moves, then the course of the bullet will deviate from the line of the POA. Taking rough figures from rifles I actually possess, one minute of deviation over an 30 inch distance is about 0.008". If the muzzle moves 0.008" in 2 ms, that is a speed of 4 inches per second. Waving it around so that the system fires when the POA accidentally coincides with the stored image will not produce a good shot.

So the shooter must still hold the rifle still.

Once the bullet leaves the muzzle it is just as subject to ballistic variations caused by powder charge, bullet tolerance, wind etc. as any other shot made without the firing system.

So external ballistics still plays as big a part as ever.

Finally, the target used in the advertising film is a great big plate, of the kind that I (and many others) can hit with most of my rifles (including the BPCRs), using iron sights without any of the high-tech add-ons. For me that is not a convincing display of accuracy.

I have no doubt that the system is fun to use, but it cannot be any more accurate than the shooter's ability to aim the rifle correctly, hold the rifle still, and use good ammo in a good barrel. It will not turn a bad shooter into a good one, and in fact may be a hindrance in learning the basic skills. Like all crutches, it may stop you falling over, but will not teach you how to walk.

Looking forwards to your replies!