Setting up your camera safely
SpotterCam watches your target from downrange, so the camera sits forward of the firing line. Placed the right way it is out of the line of fire and protected from splash and debris. Here is how to put it there.
Range rules come first. Every range has its own rules about
what may go downrange and when. If a range officer or the range rules say
no, that is the end of it. The guidance below is how to do it safely where
it is allowed.
Where it goes
- Forward of, and to the side of, the target — looking back at the sheet, not standing in front of it.
- 30–45 degrees off the line of fire. Far enough to the side that it is never in the path of a shot, close enough to see the sheet clearly.
- Low, close to the ground. A low camera is out of the way and easier to protect.
- 15–25 ft back with the 12 mm lens. That is the working distance for that lens; it gives the camera a clear view of the whole sheet.
- Tucked into the base of the side berm where the range allows it — the berm itself shields the camera from the side.
How to protect it
- 2–3 sandbags in front of the camera, or a wooden box filled with sand or dirt in front of it. Only the lens needs to see past the edge — everything else stays behind cover.
- Sandbags are allowed at every range. They are the standard, accepted way to shield gear downrange.
- Never use steel plate. Steel can send a ricochet back toward the line. Sand and dirt stop splash and debris without bouncing anything back.
When to set it up
- Only while the range is cold. Set up and aim the camera before anyone is shooting, and only go downrange when the range is cold.
- Never go downrange during live fire. If the camera needs adjusting mid-session, wait for the range to go cold.
Aiming it
- Keep all four corner squares of the target sheet in view. That is how SpotterCam lines itself up with the sheet.
- SpotterCam notices if the camera gets bumped. If it moves, it will tell you rather than quietly scoring against a shifted view.