LAS VEGAS -- An Israeli company unveiled its next-generation digital rifle sight, designed to work more like a smartphone than a high-powered hunting scope, at SHOT Show 2019.
Sensight US Inc., a subsidiary of Sensight Ltd. in Israel, showed off its new smart scope, which features a wide viewscreen, touch-screen operation and a 1.3-20x zoom capability, according to Hanan Schaap, chief executive officer of Sensight Ltd.
"It's a very sophisticated system," Schaap said, but added, "If you know how to work with a smartphone, you can work with this. It's that simple."
The sight features dual cameras that operate at 1080p at 60fps and can record and stream to iOS and Android systems, he said.
With the swipe of a finger, the shooter can zoom out 3x, 5x, 8x, 12x, 16x and 20x. Range adjustments and reticle type can also be selected with a simple touch.
"You can choose different reticles. ... I can choose different colors, different shapes -- an endless variety of reticles," Schaap said.
The new sight has a ballistic calculator, 3D gyroscope and GPS.
The sight is also "suitable for any light condition," Schaap said, first describing the low-light mode that "gives you an extra 20-to-25 minutes at dusk."
"When you go to full darkness, you can remove the [infrared] filter so you can work with an IR illuminator to see in full darkness," he said.
The main battery powers the sight for eight hours, but there is also an external powerpack that snaps on for an additional 12 hours of operation.
The first generation of the new sight is scheduled to be ready sometime in April or May for the "low price" of about $1,000, Schaap said, adding that future generations will get more sophisticated.
"In the first generation, we want to make it simple enough for people to use," he said.
For now, the sight will be geared toward calibers such as .308, .300 Win. Mag., and .338 magnum, Schaap said.
As high-tech as the new sight is, Sensight is not marketing it for military use.
"We are looking at recreational shooters in general; we are not aiming now for military," Schaap said. "The sight is a tool, an instrument that will help hunters and target shooters enjoy their shooting experience more."
-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
