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Shooting a laser-guided rifle made me feel like a robot
By all accounts, I shouldn't have hit the dummy target 300 yards downrange because everything was working against me. For starters, the Las Vegas desert was windy as hell. Factor in that I was shaking thanks to nerves, cold temperatures and the pressure of a camera rolling while I tried something brand-new and you have a recipe for failure. Or should have. While I can barely pull off a headshot in a video game, I nailed one on my first try with TrackingPoint's high-powered, precision-guided rifle. Once the initial wave of "Holy shit!" wore off, something else replaced my elation: I didn't feel I'd earned that bull's-eye because basically all I had to do was pull the trigger. On my way back into Sin City, I couldn't get over just how cold and emotionless that left me feeling.
Welcome to CES, where $50,000 can turn you into a skilled marksman
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708{width:629px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708").style.display="none";}catch(e){} What's holding most everyone back from being a talented sharpshooter? Lots of training. But now you don't even need that to hit a target from thousands of feet away thanks to TrackingPoint's Mile Maker sniper rifle. Well, anyone who's rich enough that is. The outfit's targeting this (pun intended? You be the judge!) massive and heavy gun at people with way more money than time: folks like doctors and lawyers who want to go on safari in Africa and come back with a zebra bust for the wall, guaranteed. If you have a spare $49,500 lying around, you could bag practically any trophy too. But doesn't that take away from the art and discipline of shooting? For TrackingPoint's answer to that question, check out our stage interview above.
