Wherever you stand on gun control, you can probably agree there are just some common sense restraints when it comes to gun use.
For instance, unless you’re Elmer Fudd there probably is no good reason to bring, say, a rocket launcher for rabbit hunting. You may also have a hard time convincing a judge that “Terminator 2” style minigun is just for hunting quail. That’s because as effective as those weapons may be, there is no practical reason to have that much firepower, in those scenarios.
That being the case, it could be argued that there is no practical reason for the power of the TrackingPoint sniper rifle to exist. But damn, I’m kind of glad it does.
That’s because the TrackingPoint is every overpowered video game or comic book weapon come to terrifying life. It’s main selling point is its ability to take into account wind, distance, obstacles, measurements, and more through internal systems. This matters because the weapon is so smart, it will not allow a shot to be fired until it is absolutely sure what you are aiming at through the laser point sight will be hit.
Also, like other smart devices, it has Wi-Fi capabilities, built in USB ports, and an included iPad Mini to store all of your shots on and upload them wherever you need.
Let’s be clear here. If you had a gun in a video game that wouldn’t fire until there was a guaranteed hit, you’d be banned for hacking, and uploading videos of it would be in bad taste. As this is a real weapon that can do just that, there are a few safety precautions, such as it being password protected to only function at full capacity by the original owner. While not the greatest preventive feature, the price point of around $22,000 will keep it out of most people’s hands.
I say most though, because these rifles have already begun selling to some apparently very high demand, to the point a waiting list has been created (and of course, a full background check applies). While there is obviously a long, long moral discussion regarding a rifle like this, just looking at its functions objectively, and as a rifle intended for hunters, makes it difficult to not see this as an impressive piece of technology.
And yeah, pretty bad ass too.
