shotkam camera opinions?

I know a guy who got one a couple of years ago and he was liking it at that time but I haven't talked to him about it since.

I think there is potentially good value there to improve your shooting for skeet and trap because the targets are always the same. It may be less so for sporting clays since every set is different and you still have to be able to figure out what needs to be done in your head if you want to score well. I could be wrong on that though.
 
It’s an interesting idea. It will show you how you missed in relation to the bore of your gun and the target.

Which could be useful information.

But it’s not going to tell you why unless you’ve already got a good inkling.

Head off the stock, looking at the bead instead of the target. Poor hold point etc.

I wouldn’t discourage one, especially if you’re an accomplished shooter and have a good idea
what might be going wrong.

Otherwise I’d seek professional instruction. Get instant and experienced feedback.
 
A fellow that I shoot trap with has one, seeing the shot charge in the air would be nice for some of the sporting clay targets that I occasionally have issues with. But a person would have to have a laptop with them, to download the video and see the shot charge, so you can make corrections and evaluate them, while you are still on the course.
 
james01 said:
I think I want to buy one of these to help improve my trap shooting.

Anybody here have one or know someone who uses one?

If so, did it help? or was it just a gimmick?
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I have one and love it. It is my independent witness. Guys on your squad full of advice? You stopped. You were behind it...

You know they are often FOS but they mean well. The ShotKam isn't guessing. If it shows you were behind it, you were. If it shows you stopped the gun, you did. If it shows your hold point too low, it was. If it shows the bird got away from you and you had to play catch-up, then that is what happened.

As for "why", it can also be insightful. If you stopped the gun, you were probably checking the gap. If you are occasionally over it, you probably lifted your head or mounted poorly. If it got away from you, move your hold point.

You can review the shot on your smartphone right after the shot if you like (though that would hold up a squad if you did it often.) Auto record, power management and controls in the app are done very well.

I find it a very useful tool. At about the cost of 3 lessons, I see it as good value for the money spent. (Don't skip the lessons though.)

To my dismay, it has not done much for early cataracts or slowing reflexes. :rolleyes:

Rob!
 
bdft said:
Do you find that your average has increased since using the Shotkam? Can you translate the information you get into more targets hit?
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When I bought the ShotKam (great Black Friday deal), I was in a slump. I seem to have come out of that now, but who knows how much the ShotKam is responsible for that? No, I'm not going to suggest the ShotKam is going to increase your score. It will give reliable and undeniable input to your problems. What you do with that input will determine any change in your score.
 
New Brunswick Shooter said:
Search online I think there may be better quality out there. Saw one at Moncton Sports show that had lots of features!!
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I have done extensive research on these types of cameras, and at this point believe that the Shotkam is best one on the market at the moment.

Could you provide a name for the camera that you saw at the gun show or manufacturer that you believe is better please? Thanks
 
Rob! said:
I have one and love it. It is my independent witness. Guys on your squad full of advice? You stopped. You were behind it...

You know they are often FOS but they mean well. The ShotKam isn't guessing. If it shows you were behind it, you were. If it shows you stopped the gun, you did. If it shows your hold point too low, it was. If it shows the bird got away from you and you had to play catch-up, then that is what happened.

As for "why", it can also be insightful. If you stopped the gun, you were probably checking the gap. If you are occasionally over it, you probably lifted your head or mounted poorly. If it got away from you, move your hold point.

You can review the shot on your smartphone right after the shot if you like (though that would hold up a squad if you did it often.) Auto record, power management and controls in the app are done very well.

I find it a very useful tool. At about the cost of 3 lessons, I see it as good value for the money spent. (Don't skip the lessons though.)

To my dismay, it has not done much for early cataracts or slowing reflexes. :rolleyes:

Rob!
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Great response!
Thanks, that was exactly the kind of concrete real world feedback I was looking for.

I am not a beginner.

I am looking to add 1 or 2 birds per hundred to my 16 yard scores.

In handicap, I am looking to improve a lot more than that. LOL

I am hoping that the camera will be able to show me how I missed those birds. Especially the ones that I think SHOULD have broke, but didn't.
 
I shot some clays 2 days ago and someone had one. I asked his opinion and he lamented that the batteries were unreliable in cool or cold weather. It’s a summer toy.
 
Al Bear said:
I shot some clays 2 days ago and someone had one. I asked his opinion and he lamented that the batteries were unreliable in cool or cold weather. It’s a summer toy.
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I haven't used it much in warm weather, but I get about 200 rounds in the cool weather. Settings can make a difference - ie; the number of seconds recorded for each event - as well as wifi viewing of events in the field. The latest model is 2018 and is said to be a big upgrade from previous models.
 
I have one, i like it a lot. I havnt found it as educational on the skeet field as i hoped, probably because i can already self diagnose there well. I have a high 96+ average. For hunting it was hugely educational, turns out i miss nearly all live game in front.

I would buy one again.
 
Does the camera also have audio capabilities? For instance if I shoot and miss and say "I think I missed behind it", when I'm watching the replay will I be able to hear why I think I missed the shot?
 
Yes.

I can hear myself call pull. Sounds odd as default playback is at ½ speed.

I have used mine in cold weather. I’ve shot 500-600 targets over a couple of weekends without recharging. My unit is a 2018 model.

I did have to replace it after 8 months or so as a circuit board loosened. Replacement was quick and easy, about 3 weeks.

As others have said, it’s probably best used to confirm what you think you’re doing wrong.

People seem to think they would miss a bird, review it on their phone, adjust their move and kill the clay. This is a rabbit hole I won’t start down. Knowing where you missed tells you nothing, knowing why you missed tells you everything.

The other thing to consider is weight and balance. I don’t notice it. I even think it helps my swing, but I had one student who could not use it as the change in balance really messed him up.

Before getting the ShotKam, I would have bet my gun I used some sort of swing through or pull away 95% of the time (I don’t see lead). I actually start in front of the bird most of the time, and use a collapsing or maintained lead most of the time.

Wade Kirk
Director/Owner, Nova Sporting Clays
NSCA Level One Instructor
 
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