Best Drone to buy for target viewing?

[muleman69]

Looking for a drone to check targets out to 1000?? Don't want to break the bank but do want a good one

 

[beemanjohn]

What do you call breaking the bank? Knowing how much you want to spend would help a lot. It takes a pretty good drone to fly out 3000 feet. The super cheap ones will not work that far out. (I own a DJI Mavic pro that I bought very lightly used for $600. It will do what you want and then some. )

 

[TAJ45]

I have thought of that vs a camera or the latest frame and sensor gizzie. The only prob I see w the drone is you cant really run a string w quick feedback on every shot.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have a gopro drone and it works well. A target camera is more along the lines of what you need

 

[NWnewguy]

Costco has the DJI Mavic mini for sale for about $400. My exchange student from last year bought one and it would do what you're looking to do and be pretty fun doing it. Of note, they aren't worth much in the wind. That would be the down fall of your plan as I see it, if you lived somewhere like OK or NM, where the wind is always blowing 10+mph.

 

[1shot]

I have a Holy Stone 720 that will do it in calm conditions, but it's kind of finicky about satellite reception. Buy a shot marker from Adam McDonald and never look back.
I hope this helps,

Lloyd

 

[Shooter13]

I have a DJI Phantom 4 pro, works great in the wind but was pricey a few years ago when purchased, a good used one would be great and if you get the pro you don't have to mess with connecting your phone to view (comes with a monitor/screen).

 

[SEGARE]

I own a DJI Mavic Pro also. 1000 feet is a chip-shot as far as controlling it goes. However, I think a range camera would definitely be a better solution.

 

[Dave Berg]

I've done what you want to do with a DJI Mavic and a Phantom 3 Pro. It works pretty well even for strings of fire if you keep the time down to 15 to 20 minutes of flight time. Just run the quad up a hundred feet or so between shots. It will just hover there without you doing anything. Snap a still pic after ever shot and you'll always know which shot went where. It will return home when the battery gets low enough and you can swap in a charged one.

I did it because I had the drones for other reasons and certainly wouldn't be purchasing one just for that purpose. They're way more expensive than the purchase price suggests once you add the "necessities". They're extremely easy to fly but getting them ready to fly can be a rather long and involved process. A license from the FAA is required which right now is just a registration but that may or may not last. All told flying a drone is a fairly expensive and complicated endeavor.

They are a great deal of fun for other things. I you've got one by all means fly it. If not there are probably better, less expensive ways of seeing bullet holes at 1,000 yards.

 

[jpx2rk]

Your gun range may/may not allow them, better ask first.

 

[paperpuncher]

OP if you decide you want a target camera I have a bullseye LR target camera.I bought a shot marker dont use the bullseye anymore.

 

[muleman69]

What do you call breaking the bank? Knowing how much you want to spend would help a lot. It takes a pretty good drone to fly out 3000 feet. The super cheap ones will not work that far out. (I own a DJI Mavic pro that I bought very lightly used for $600. It will do what you want and then some. )

Thinking around a grand? Just finding hits on gongs would be great

 

[beemanjohn]

If you have a grand to spend, you can get a real good drone, if that's what you decide you want. They are a ton of fun to fly, and I use mine for all kinds of stuff, like scouting the river for a good place to hunt ducks ect. For better or worse, DJI makes the best drones out there. I bought used because they come out with a new model all the time and you can find some real nice lightly used ones for a whole lot less than new. I would think for what you want it for you would want a Mavic, a Phantom 3 or 4 (newer is better) or a Mavic air. (the Mavic mini is so light it can get blown around a bit in the wind) And, you really want one with the "fly more" kit which comes with extra batteries and props. Batteries are expensive. Have fun!

 

[SPQR70AD]

there was a guy on you tube that rigged up a unit for pretty cheap and then showed how it worked

 

[themayor]

I tried with a drone wasn’t happy. Get a shotmarker

 

[Devin Wiggett]

Buy a shot marker