By Paul Helinski
InteliScope, LLC
https://inteliscopes.com/
This is a cup-half-full, cup-half-empty product. It all depends on the way you look at it. First of all, what is InteliSCOPE? InteliSCOPE is a smartphone holder that mounts on your picatinny rail, allowing you to use your phone as a sighting scope while providing you the ability to record video. The mount physically holds your phone on the top of the rifle, and a standard Google Play or Apple Store app does the sighting through the camera on your phone. We tried the Android version with a Samsung Galaxy S4, and it does what it says it does, with a few important caveats.
First, the hardware itself is not a clip. It is a screw-adjustable squeezing mechanism with rubber feet to hold the phone securely. We found that the phone moves in the mount unless you really tighten it down tight. Do you want to do this? You could damage your case or crack your screen. The newest models come with cases for iPhones, and you could technically use this model we tested with a case, but you are still squeezing the outside of your phone. I’m not sure that is worth the potential trouble compared to just buying a separate GoPro or Contour camera that is made specifically for weapon mount.
The InteliSCOPE software app is not as dicey as the hardware but not perfect either. Please see the pictures and captions below. The InteliSCOPE gun mount is $99 or $169 for the one we have pictured here. The app is free. You can download it from your Play store now. Just search for InteliSCOPE with one “l”, not two, or the wrong one comes up.
 InteliSCOPE is a hardware mount that turns your smartphone into a sighting device. We tried the one for Android phones on the Samsung Galaxy 4 |
 This is the other side of the InteliSCOPE, mounted on an IWI Tavor. In this position the bolt handle bumped your hand on the phone. |
 The permissions are not terribly abusive. If you plan to shoot video, just be aware that if the phone rings, you gave the app permission to monitor and switch to the ringer. |
 The app for IntelliSCOPE can be found in your Google Play store, or Apple Store. Spell it with one “l”. |
 This is a screenshot of what you see. Using 1x at 10 yards on this phone there is actually a slightly wide angle effect. |
 A fairly major bug in the software is that if you zoom in to 5x, then do anything in the app, then go back, it is stuck at 5x yet showing 1x. |
 Several options give you pretty good flexibility as to what you want on your screen and how the app works. |
 This is what the target looks like at 5x and 10yards. If you have clicked out, you have to first hit the minus then the plus to get to actual 5x instead of just it saying 5x. |
 There are four different reticles. The red dot is still well over 1MOA at 5x and blots out the target at 100 yards. For that reason it isn’t effective for hunting. |
 The app comes with four rifles installed. You can add to them or edit the ones in there. |
 It took me a while to figure out that the button that says Sight In is actually how you sight it in. The FAQ on the website is useless. This is another reticle. |
 The TAVOR shot low and to the right. |
 This is my most disliked feature, yet I acknowledge that it is cool. Once you set up the rifle in the menu, it leaves the reticle there. it is odd shooting with the reticle not in the center, but a hit is a hit, and it is nice that you don’t have to redo it over and over. |
 From what I can tell, the distance markers on the screen that you can adjust only address parallax and not bullet drop. I changed the distance; my bullets didn’t get higher. |
Sounds like a neat “gadget-guy” idea but I think I’ll just stick with the scope and let the kill satisfy the “recording” proof!
I recommend not spending hard earned $ on this setup because even though it is a neat idea and the mount is the best available. the inteliscope app needed for it is pure, pretty junk. The app does does not work in-sight in mode: Across the top of the sight in screen it reads “at 4x zoom (all my phone camera is capable of), 1 click= 1.3″” But if this was actually the case 1 click would not jump the reticle up or down or sideways across my target (which is at 1`00 yards) THE 2 feet i can see it jump!. And this company does not even seem to be aware of this issue, or maybe they got their startup millions and really JUST DON”T CARE ANYMORE. i have a Motorola E with lollipop Android and the APP is oure trash, which unfortunately makes the sturdy $90 mount useless junk as well. Furthermore, shooting my AR-15 makes this app unfocus the camera and to get it to focus again, i have to minimize the app and maximize it FOR EVERY SHOT!!!.I am so disappointed and disgusted with this junk that I am now out to trash it EVERYWHERE I possibly can on the internet ,
Great idea. Either you have to sight it in every time you go to the range (waste of ammo and money), or leave the phone permanently attached to the gun. So now every where you go your open carrying. All the accidental shootings while cleaning fire arms? Yes your honor, I was answering the phone.
No you don’t have to re sight it at all
LOL. Reminds me of when I fly, I like to try and find the most ridiculous/dumb product in SkyMall.
Your phone would either fall out because the action opening and close would loosen the screws holding it on the rail or get beat to deal because of the action opening and closing. The first laser and holographic sights I had were very early models and had a tendency to get out of alinement from being beat to death–even on a cal. .22 pistol.
What happens when it rains or you fall down crossing a river or stream…
Tried it…. after the first few shots and the recoil kicks the phone out and it falls to the floor… I tossed it away… not worth the money… but more importantly .. that’s 5 min. of shooting time I will never get back…
We should all attach one of these to our defensive rifle. With a smart phone broadcasting our location including specific information about our gun to boot, it’ll save the government time and money when one day they do come for your gun (and you). Never forget, the government is ‘here to help’.
Don’t get too excited about this….Obummer approved the “killswitch” for ALL cell phones. Nothing like ‘sighting in’, then they kill the cell phone towers. Regular optics will save the day….
Wow! But how does it look in 3D? My HTC is 3D cell.
Take the NSA shooting with you! Now you too can take a federal agency to the range, on hunts, or just plinking on your property. Those hard-working folks at the NSA, watching out for your safety, working 60 hour weeks, can finally get a well deserved break, even if it’s only vicariously through your iPhone, Droid, while using spyware to keep tabs on your safety. Also, you can have fun re-zeroing your ‘scope’ every single time you go to pull the trigger.
Awesome!
I forgot to mention those guys who play Airsoft might really like this.
Looks rather wide on the Tavor. I guess they did address the incoming call/text in the app. Quite an expensive mount, for something that will never be tough enough for the bumps and scrapes of real world use. In fact, for $100-$150 you could get a GoPro or Contour, although you can only record with those. Maybe it could help you simulate the reticule from real optics to help you decide what real optic to buy. I guess it could be fun on the range. Good article though, I have seen these things around, nice to know what they actually do and don’t do.
“…uh, sorry guys I can’t go hunting today,:
1) I forgot to charge the phone”!
2) …………….My wife needs the phone.
3) ……………..my daughter has the phone.
4) …………….I forgot to pay the bill.
Ain’t technology grand???
test driving the software on the iPhone 5, I didn’t note the software bug they found in the android version. Just ordered a mount off their site and it was order 26##, so it’s still in the regular mode. I’d like to have a .22 mount version of the mount as well for pellet gun as well. awesome adaption of smartphone technology !!! Well Done !