Get out and train… but don’t neglect the fundamentals. Not everyone has the budget or time to travel to a top notch training facility with a seasoned instructor. Those are priceless opportunities, but if you are anything like me, you have a busy life, a family and a budget. I should probably start sticking to mine… I digress, but the point is often we find ourselves not getting to the range as frequently as we would like. And when we do get there to throw a few rounds we might be by ourselves. Sometimes it can be hard to critique one’s self. If you have developed bad habits along the way, your self-analysis could actually be hurting your performance. I have some bad habits when it comes to shooting (I think most of us do) and they are hard to identify sometimes. They can be even harder to break.
That’s where training aids come in. There are lots of them out there. They could be something as simple as inducing a malfunction with a spent piece of brass on range day or daily dry fire practice in your home (keep that live ammo out of the equation!). Training aids can also be had in more complicated (and costly) options such as laser pistols and computer programs. Freaking laser beams ya’ll! If used properly, training aids can be very helpful. Not as helpful as your favorite instructor screaming at you to, “Get that gun up!”, but helpful none-the-less.
Personally I dry fire a lot and will sometimes use a SIRT laser pistol based off the Glock 17. It’s purple. Don’t judge. While walking the booths at Industry day at the range this year I came across another training aid that showed promise. My editor and I were talking and walking and the Mantis booth caught our attention. They had a little dry fire shooting gallery set up using their MantisX Firearms Training System. Looked like fun. We took turns using the MantisX system with a CO2 operated pistol. We were shooting at a target that was about 48 inches away and getting data on a tablet showing us who was shooting better. While I won that competition the results weren’t stellar. I think I averaged 87 out of five shots. Humbling. But, I still came out on top.
How does it work? The MantisX system provides real time data to the shooter. The system is implemented using a few simple steps. First attach the device to your pistol or rifle of choice using the accessory rail. The device is smaller than a typical weapon mounted light and attaches easily. Next turn it on and connect it to your phone using their free app. The app works with Android and iOS. Tell the app what you are shooting. Rifle or pistol. You can use the system for dryfire, CO2 or live fire. Just tell the app. Right or wrong handed, position of the device and location. Label your firearm from a drop down menu. Shoot. Collect the data. Simple.
The device analyzes your shots based on your first point of impact. Shoot a string of shots at the same spot every time. That is the goal. The system will take each shot and break down the movement of the firearm and provide you with a score, graphs, pie charts and suggestions of how you could improve. It looks at your trigger press and break. It will show a breakdown of where your shots hit with a Possible Causes suggestion. For example, as a right handed shooter that hits left it will suggest, “Too little finger on the trigger.” Or maybe the shots are high it will say, “Tightening Fingers.” Regardless how you score you will always get feedback on how to improve.
Does it work? Absolutely.