The TrackingPoint 338TP, the Linux rifle that's accurate up to a mile

ZD Net ^ | 18 January 2015 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[circlecity]

"Read the article, gentlemen."

I did. And it didn't address what real benefit this would have for an underpowered round like a 5.56/.223. I guess for a really really poor shooter it could help but even an above average shooter should be able to shoot the effective range of a .223 with iron sights much less a scope. And a .223 round is not effective at all at ranges of 1000 meters or more. Shooting an M-16 or M-4 at those ranges is pretty much a waste of ammo.

[edpc]

Still true, but tech has been pushing that further back. The CheyTac .408 and Barrett .416 stay supersonic out to 2000yds. TOF, drift, and drop are significantly reduced. If the rail gun concept is ever made man portable, it’ll be point and shoot.

[going hot]

Looks like they incorporated a laser range finder to the reticle, so the guesswork is taken out of the distance reading, instead of having a separate range finder and then clicking to range, just paint the target, and line up the reticle to it.

Still needs to read the wind, and the rifle can only read the near wind, not the intermediate or far winds.

Would be useful for snap shooting distance targets. Kinda steep on the price. Maybe I will find one laying around somewhere, one day.

[aimhigh]

it used to be extraordinarily hard to hit a target consistently at 1,000 yards or more.

Stan Pate, shooting for Savage Arms

[going hot]

Might be a really long barrel for that rail gun, might need trainer wheels on the front instead of a bipod.LOL

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I don’t think the 1000 yd mark applies to the.223

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Soon to be unavailable and illegal to own by anyone not in the miltary....IOW...a serf. If they are obtainable at all now.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

5.56 with iron sights out of a 20” barrel is good to 600 yards in the hands of an experienced shooter. 1,000 yards requires a 90 grain bullet in a 24” barrel to stay supersonic - and just barely at that. The elevation is something like 50’ above target and a moderate crosswind will put you 25’ right or left.

M4 62 grain - anything beyond 200 yards is luck.

[NorthMountain]

Apparently, you missed that the device is set up on a .338 Lapua Magnum.

I agree, it seems a bit much for 5.56.

[thorvaldr]

“More than just a laser-targeting system, its sensors also track wind speed, direction, temperature, and barometric pressure.”

That’s a big step forward the models they’ve been advertising didn’t do that.

[edpc]

Plus, all the EM energy from it might make it just is dangerous for the user as it is to the target.

[DeWalt]

Price is too steep for you but your taxes will buy a bunch of these toys for local and fed L.E.

[NorthMountain]

Price is too steep for you but your taxes will buy a bunch of these toys for local and fed L.E.

And that is an outrage. These things are military weapons ... the belong in the hands of soldiers and of the unorganized militia, protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.

[circlecity]

"Apparently, you missed that the device is set up on a .338 Lapua Magnum"

I didn't miss that at all and such a device makes some sense on such a sniper rifle or any rifle chambered for a .308 or larger. But the article said there is a cheaper 5.56 version - that's what my comment was directed at.

[KarlInOhio]

I'm making fun of the "Linux rifle". The part that makes this a spectacular firearm has nothing to do with the OS. The engineer who designed the sighting and detection of air pressure and wind could have done it on any OS or ever without one. Does it make it easier (but more bloated)? Yes, but the OS ins't doing the shooting.

[edpc]

Agreed. I fired the M16A1 with standard 55gr ball in basic. During our downrange feedback drills, I was hitting the 300 target regularly, though my groups were very scattered. I’d consider myself a good, but not great shooter. A couple years ago, I tried hitting the 300m target at a nearby range with my 16” barreled AR15. Conditions were good, but the results were not.

[AFreeBird]

>>> Still needs to read the wind, and the rifle can only read the near wind, not the intermediate or far winds. <<<

I suppose that would depend on the sensitivity of the laser receiver. If sensitive enough, it could be possible to discern movement of dust particles in the air throughout the entire projected trajectory and adjust the reticle accordingly.

[NorthMountain]

We seem to be on the same page, then.

Peace (between you and me).

Death, doom, and destruction to the enemy.

[staylowandkeepmoving]

I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot various prototypes and the currently released versions (actually own the 300WM version) and know some of the execs and the development team. It is a remarkable piece of technology that takes into account virtually all variables but WIND has been the primary challenge. There are several technology options to address the wind but they’ve been too expensive and flukey to release. Maybe they’ve cracked it with this (proposed) release. BTW, it’s actually pretty boring after the first 10 or 20 shots. Even at 1000 yards you virtually can’t miss. I would never hunt with the thing as it’s too bulky and not very sporty.

[LaRueLaDue]

“... 1,000 yards requires a 90 grain bullet in a 24” barrel to stay supersonic - and just barely at that. The elevation is something like 50’ above target and a moderate crosswind will put you 25’ right or left.”

Sounds a lot like shooting the old black powder .45-70 at long ranges. But with the .45-70, you at least had a 300-500 grain bullet hitting the target down range, not 90 grains.