BUILDING A DATA CENTER

People wax poetic about long-range shooting, describing it as a mix of art and science. They suggest it has an air of sophistication that harks back to the days of the Creedmoor Rifle Range on Long Island or the pursuit of the Wimbledon Cup at Camp Perry, Ohio. In the past, determining elevation and windage often depended on experience or an intuitive sense of what was right. There was a sort of pseudo-magic involved. But today is different. Now, we have advanced ballistic solvers, advanced optics, and unmatched ranging capabilities. We can access up-to-the-minute wind data and collect chronographic data in real-time. All of this is at our fingertips. That’s why companies like Amazon or Microsoft shouldn’t be the only ones investing in data centers.

DATA CENTER?

Okay, maybe not the same kind of data center—a data gathering station might be more appropriate. Still, the point is to have a setup optimized for collecting and storing ballistic data. This isn’t new, but it’s not widely adopted. Honestly, the only places I’ve seen this are at PRS or ELR matches. These data centers are basically tripods converted into spotting, ballistics, and data stations. And while I’ve seen photos of these devices online, I never bothered to look into them until GunCon 2025. I was wandering through Range Day when I discovered Kinetic Development Group (KDG). I’ve been aware of KDG, especially their FN SCAR accessories and parts; however, what I didn’t know was that their suite of products included a spotting scope hub and their patented KINECT MLOK hardware. That’s when it struck me—I had to do this.

THE HEART...I MEAN THE HUB

The HUB is what makes everything work. While I’ve seen other companies offer similar products, KDG’s version is sensible and reasonably priced. KDG explains it best: “The Optics Hub is a complete ecosystem for your spotting scope and accessories. Its innovative design allows you to seamlessly integrate all your essential gear, including laser rangefinders, mini-red dots, laser target designators, dope cards, Kestrels, and more.” Essentially, your spotting scope mounts in the center (with the HUB acting as a cage to protect it), and it’s surrounded by MLOK slots, 1/4x20 threads, and camera-style threaded mounts underneath. This setup lets you optimize your gear to suit your needs, whether at the range, a match, or in the field.

SPOTTING SETUP

For the spotter, I used something I already owned—the Vortex Viper HD 20-60 angled. I’ve found this to be an excellent spotting scope and a great value for the price (plus it’s backed by Vortex’s VIP warranty). To enhance its capabilities, I added the Viper Reticle Eyepiece, which makes calling misses easier. The spotting scope just cleared the walls of the KDG HUB during installation. Note that I removed the eyepiece to make it easier. This unit was then mounted to a Vortex Switchback Carbon Fiber Tripod using an ARCA adapter, mounted underneath. This keeps the setup relatively lightweight, but it’s not something I’d want to hike up a mountain with.

For the 12 o’clock position, I added a piece of MLOK rail so I could attach KDG’s SIDELOK mount. KDG offers a variety of SIDELOK mounts in different optic footprints, as well as pic rails. I chose a DeltaPoint PRO footprint model to pair with a Vortex Defender-ST (at this point, I might as well keep everything the same). And this is where my biggest complaint is: while the DPP and Defender-ST share the same footprint, they aren’t exactly the same profile. The DPP is square in the back, but the Defender-ST is radiused. This has caused frustrations in the past, as it did on this day. By a fraction of a millimeter, it wouldn’t fit. Luckily, I’m somewhat handy (emphasis on somewhat) and used a medium-grit file to carefully remove material from the back of the mount until the red dot fit. After some time, I succeeded and was able to mount it easily. Of course, you may wonder why a red dot on a spotting scope, and the answer is simple. At high magnification, a spotter’s field of view is quite narrow, making it difficult to find a target. A red dot aids in that. Look through the red dot to see where you want to look, and then move to your spotter to identify the target.

DATA COLLECTION

So far, I’ve mainly covered observation—you know, identifying targets and spotting hits and misses. Now it’s time for data collection. One of the unique products KDG offers is a KINECT mount for the Garmin XERO C1 chronograph. The Garmin XERO revolutionized the industry upon its introduction. Up to now, you either had to mount something on your gun or shoot through a device down range. Even the revolutionary Labradar was large, expensive, and finicky.

With the Garmin, I can access accurate information quickly, setup is painless, and it hardly takes up space. With the KDG KINECT mount, I can store it with my spotting setup or easily remove it and attach it to the side of a rifle.

JUST THE START

This is just the beginning of building a data center. I hear KDG is developing a KINECT mount for a Kestral, which I’ll be sure to buy once (or if) it becomes available. That will elevate my data center to new heights. I’d also love for them to find a way to easily mount a rangefinder on the side—like a traditional rangefinder, not a newer weapon-mounted one (which you could, and it’d be cool, but it would be costly). Many rangefinders have threads on the bottom to attach to a tripod. It would be great to have the versatility of the KINECT system. And even a phone mount would be helpful, especially with popular apps like Hornady’s 4DOF or Applied Ballistics. That way, they can be easily accessed.

After that, I’d like to add an Armageddon Gear Tripod Caddie to create greater modularity and functionality.

FINAL THOUGHTS

How we shoot long-range has evolved. We are no longer guessing, but that means using more gear and more data collection devices. Keeping everything in a convenient spot streamlines the entire process—obervation, ballistics, and weather. Do you need one? No. But is it nice to have? Yes. Absolutely yes.