New weapon technology makes even novices expert marksmen

Weapon technology has advanced to the point where even someone who has never fired a weapon can hit a moving target at high ranges.

The rifles are marketed primarily to hunters, and to ranchers or other land owners who need to be able to control predator populations.

But the U.S. military has seen what they can do, and banned any export of the technology to foreign countries.

TrackingPoint is a company based near Austin, Texas.

They offer bolt action and semiautomatic weapons in a variety of calibers.

Dan Morelli is Senior Vice President of Engineering and and Business Development for TrackingPoint.

He explains that the weapons utilize a scope that's actually a digital video display, which is hooked up to a computer.

"What we're developing is what we call a precision-guided firearm," Morelli told KRMG, "so it's completely different from your traditional firearm."

The operator "tags" the target with the same kind of technology used by fighter jets and military drones.

The computer then calculates a firing solution based on several factors, Morelli said, including "cant, elevation, air pressure, the range of the target, the temperature, the characteristics of the ammo, the wind, the Coriolis effect."

And for those who want to share their hunting experience or use the weapon as a teaching tool, other can actually monitor what the operator sees over a wireless connection that sends the video to other devices, including smartphones and tablets.

It even accounts for target movement - on the higher-end models, even if the target's speed is as high as 20 mph.

The weapons don't come cheap; expect to pay between $7,500 for the basic semiautomatic model with a 0.3 mile lock range and 10 mph target velocity.

If money's no object, you can get the top of the line offering, a .338 bolt-action with a 1 mile lock range and 20 mph target velocity.

It will set you back about $50,000.