GoPro cameras are certainly synonymous with surfing, parachuting, motocross and other action sports. There's no shortage of YouTube videos from firearms enthusiasts using the little cameras to capture fast-moving, three-gun events or document hunts. But until now, there has been no official tie-in between the shooting sports and GoPro.
But GoPro banners are flying as a sponsor of today's Industry Day at The Range at SHOT Show 2015, where members of the media are invited to try out many new firearms and accessories. GoPro has introduced the Sportsman Mount, which allows its Hero 4 cameras to attach to rifles, handguns, single-barrel shotguns, archery bows and fishing rods. Unlike GoPro's surfing mounts, the Sportsman Mount is non-reflective, keeping hunters' need for low visibility in mind. The mounting solution includes specially designed "BacPac Backdoors" for the familiar GoPro case that stabilize the camera during recoil, helping to capture better video.
When asked what inspired GoPro to get involved with the hunting and shooting market and to introduce the Sportsman Mount, the company's Ryan Chuckel said: "GoPro has always been about helping people create and share the most engaging content around whatever their passion may be. Obviously, enjoying the outdoors, hunting, fishing and shooting are all major enthusiast pursuits. As we look at any activity where people are able to capture great content, we work to develop products to give them new points of view and make it easier for them to use our cameras in the field. The Sportsman Mount was designed to be a universal solution for hunters, anglers and shooters to use the camera on everything from a compound bow riser to a gun barrel to a fishing rod handle."
GoPro introduced a mount years ago that fit the camera into a military helmet's night-vision shroud, so we've seen they're not shy about jumping into the tactical arena, either. Along these lines, we asked GoPro if there's a possibility of seeing a Picatinny or M-LOK version. Chuckel replied: "We are always exploring new mounts and accessories across every category we touch. We love to hear from consumers about what they would love to see next, and we have certainly heard the desire for increased mounting options in the shooting space."
Chuckel continued to tell the backstory of how GoPro and SHOT Show's alignment formed:
"GoPro has been interested in getting involved in SHOT Show since even before we developed the Sportsman Mount to directly address that market. We are the Official Camera of SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range because it will give attending media, retailers, content creators and influencers the opportunity to not only use our product on the range but also to experience creating some of their own content and meeting with our product experts to learn more about the full capabilities of our cameras and gear. We are stoked about giving people the right tools to capture and share the best content while they are out on the water, in the woods, on the track, on the range or wherever they may be enjoying their passion. The growing family of GoPro associates is made up of people with a diverse set of interests, which totally reflects our consumer base as well."
Introduced at last year's SHOT Show was the ATN Shot Trak HD camera that mounts to firearms. Read Military Times outdoors writer Ken Perrotte's Shot Trak HD review.
