Many folks use laser training ammo (such as Laserlyte, SureStrike etc) to practice dryfire for sight alignment and trigger control - great way to practice any time and save on cost of ammo (though nothing of course matches actually putting lead down range). These are great devices and are supplemented by a growing variety of targets that react to the laser "shot" and show where the shot would land, show grouping etc.. Such electronic targets (example LaserLyte, LaserPET etc.) run generally around $100 or more. Laser Ammo also sells LASR software for your PC that allows you to use your PC or laptop with a video camera to capture the laser "shot" and display hit location and other statistics on the PC/laptop screen - very cool, BUT they charge $120 for the software (ouch!! :shock: )
If you have an Android based smartphone/tablet that has a camera (what smartphone or tablet doesn't have a camera these days), there is a cheaper alternative. A guy in Ukraine or Russia has developed an Android app that essentially does the same thing, called "Laser Range". Hang a paper target in a safe place. Verify your weapon is empty and insert your laser training cartridge. When you start the app, you position your smartphone/tablet 1-5 yards from the target, camera pointed at the paper target. Using pinch/swipe, you line up the target on screen to "overlay" the paper target, hit the go button, and commence simulated firing. The app plays a gunshot sound, announces the score for each shot, keeps totals and statistics for distance from bullseye, shows location of each shot, announces total score at the end of each string of fire, keeps a picture of each target for string of fire which you can keep or delete. The app allows for you to input the actual size of the paper target ring and bull, select caliber (so that scoring is done by scaling the bullet caliber in mm to the actual target size and bullseye size), select how many shots per string of fire (for magazine change practice, for example), counts down between strings of fire, keeps track of and records the time in seconds between each shot and each string of fire, does timed fire drills, can turn the voice announcements or gunshot sounds on or off, and lots more.
Cost of the app: $4.64 US. Nope, I am not kidding.
A LOT cheaper than any other laser target system I could find on the interwebz. And it works.
I use a SureStrike 9mm laser training cartridge, but it also works with the LaserLyte training cartridge (per commenters on the app site), and I use a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. Only drawback is that, of course, you can't use your pistol's laser sight (red or green) - it's iron sights or nothing. In your own basement, you can safely practice timing, draw, accuracy, trigger squeeze, with real time feedback, for as long as you like. With the SureStrike system from Laser Ammo, the "standard" 9mm cartridge has interchangeable laser end caps and adapters that just screw on, so you can purchase adapters for most weapon calibers, incl. .12 ga. One cap type also doubles as a boresight laser.
The app and more info on it, is available on Google Play for Android. I don't know if the guy did the app for Apple devices or not. Here's the link on Google:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...nge&pcampaignid=APPU_1_irjkVpqlEIL4mAGoooyQDA
If the link doesn't work, try searching on Google Play Store for "Laser Range" by Uratol on your Android device. Hope some of you find this app as useful as I have found it. Hard to beat for $4.64...
Regards,
TC2
If you have an Android based smartphone/tablet that has a camera (what smartphone or tablet doesn't have a camera these days), there is a cheaper alternative. A guy in Ukraine or Russia has developed an Android app that essentially does the same thing, called "Laser Range". Hang a paper target in a safe place. Verify your weapon is empty and insert your laser training cartridge. When you start the app, you position your smartphone/tablet 1-5 yards from the target, camera pointed at the paper target. Using pinch/swipe, you line up the target on screen to "overlay" the paper target, hit the go button, and commence simulated firing. The app plays a gunshot sound, announces the score for each shot, keeps totals and statistics for distance from bullseye, shows location of each shot, announces total score at the end of each string of fire, keeps a picture of each target for string of fire which you can keep or delete. The app allows for you to input the actual size of the paper target ring and bull, select caliber (so that scoring is done by scaling the bullet caliber in mm to the actual target size and bullseye size), select how many shots per string of fire (for magazine change practice, for example), counts down between strings of fire, keeps track of and records the time in seconds between each shot and each string of fire, does timed fire drills, can turn the voice announcements or gunshot sounds on or off, and lots more.
Cost of the app: $4.64 US. Nope, I am not kidding.
A LOT cheaper than any other laser target system I could find on the interwebz. And it works.
I use a SureStrike 9mm laser training cartridge, but it also works with the LaserLyte training cartridge (per commenters on the app site), and I use a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. Only drawback is that, of course, you can't use your pistol's laser sight (red or green) - it's iron sights or nothing. In your own basement, you can safely practice timing, draw, accuracy, trigger squeeze, with real time feedback, for as long as you like. With the SureStrike system from Laser Ammo, the "standard" 9mm cartridge has interchangeable laser end caps and adapters that just screw on, so you can purchase adapters for most weapon calibers, incl. .12 ga. One cap type also doubles as a boresight laser.
The app and more info on it, is available on Google Play for Android. I don't know if the guy did the app for Apple devices or not. Here's the link on Google:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...nge&pcampaignid=APPU_1_irjkVpqlEIL4mAGoooyQDA
If the link doesn't work, try searching on Google Play Store for "Laser Range" by Uratol on your Android device. Hope some of you find this app as useful as I have found it. Hard to beat for $4.64...
Regards,
TC2
