Gear Review: Strikemark GoPro Camera Mounts

Strikemark’s GoPro mounts come in three basic styles.  All are made from aluminum, and are milled for that delicate balance of strength and weight reduction.  The tolerances are tight and the anodizing provides a nice satin black finish.  The GoPro camera arm snaps into place with just the bare minimum of force (which insures that it won’t fall out when you’re running around).



The Deluxe mount is much smaller.  It is most useful for mounting a camera directly below the barrel.  This can produce dramatic video if you are shooting at reactive targets.  The mount could also be placed on top of an optic (if you had a section of rail above a scope.  Mounting the basic on the normal top rail works, but blocks your sight picture.

Shooting with the GoPro

 

There is a very steep GoPro learning curve.  I bought my first one a month ago and expected to be making stunning surfing videos, and epic skydiving shorts.  Alas, no.  In fact, I’m going to have to practice.  In the video below, we are using the Mossberg 464 SPX, the FNX Tactical, and the Walther PPQ.
But the GoPro has some serious potential.  I’ve seen great examples of hunts filmed with the GoPro.  It is an amazing tool for training.  And it is a solid way to capture anything gun related on video.  Right now almost all of the practical uses I’ve seen are casual.  But as the cameras get smaller, and better, there is a tremendous potential for the GoPro to be used the was LEOs use dash-cams.

Strikemark

 

There was only one downside that I found during this review, and it should be called “user error.”  I put the Cantilever mount on the Mossberg 464 SPX, and tightened it down.
But I managed to get the threaded bolt lined up with the rail’s screw.  Without realizing what I was doing, I fought the loose connection, overtightened the Strikemark, and stripped it.  No big deal.  I can tap a new hole in the aluminum, easily enough.  And I’ll pay more attention to exactly where I’ll place it on the rail.
Check out this video from Strikemark.  They have a great page of videos.  They clearly have more experience with the camera itself.  They’re work looks much better than my first efforts.  But rest assured we’ll figure it all out.