Improve Your Accuracy

We shooters are all alike: No matter how close our groups are, we wish they were closer. We wish we shot better at long range, or on the move, or in low light, or from a different position, or with our non-dominant hand - well, you get it. We just flat wish we shot better.

We all know that practice is the best way to improve our accuracy, but not all of us have the time to get to the range as often as we should, and the range can be pricey even with a membership. For some of us, the range is a good distance from our job or our home, making practice even less practical. Fortunately, there are ways to practice without live fire.

LaserLyte

I've written before about the LaserLyte that Margie gave me for Christmas. That thing is great! What I really like it for is to practice shooting on the move, or while the target is moving. I'll have Margie hold the target and rush down the hall toward me, or dart from side to side in and out of different doorways. Or I'll have her pretend to crash through the front door and attack me while I'm sitting in my chair.

You would be absolutely amazed at how long it takes you to grab a weapon and fire, much less fire accurately under those conditions, even though you are expecting it. That 21-foot rule is a joke.

Firing Accurately Is Key

In case you're not aware of what that is: Years ago a guy did an experiment to see how far away an attacker could be in order to get to you and stab you before you could get your gun out and shoot him. The "rule" he came up with was 21 feet away.

However, the people being attacked were expecting it, and they had open-carry holsters. In real life, I bet if you were just strolling down the street or through the mall, an attacker 50 feet away could reach you before you became aware of what was going down and managed to draw your weapon from concealed.

The point is, being able to draw your weapon and fire accurately is very difficult when someone is rushing toward you with evil intent. Firing accurately is the key here.

Why Am I Missing?

When Margie is rushing at me down the hall or through the door, I'm firing the blue gun at the LaserLyte target she's holding, and aiming at an area about 7 inches across. When I miss (more often than I care to admit), I have no idea why I'm missing - am I pulling to the left or right? Shooting too high? Too low? What the heck is going on?

The LaserLyte is helping both Margie and me to be better shots, and it's also giving us lots of practice drawing from concealment, but we still needed more help.

You can check out the LaserLyte system at http://www.laserlyte.com.

MantisX

I'm sure you've seen the error chart targets somewhere - it's a target divided into sections. When you shoot at the target, or any target, you can look at the chart to see what your main problem may be.

For example, if your shots consistently hit to the right of the bullseye, it will tell you you're using too much or too little trigger finger. The MantisX is an electronic system that works sort of like that error chart, but WAY better.

Choose Any Target

Here's how it works: The MantisX connects to the accessory rail of any firearm, and it works with live fire, dry fire, airsoft, and CO2. You install the app on your phone or tablet, turn on the MantisX and pair it with the app via Bluetooth, and you're good to go. You can choose any target. Just fire, dry or live.

The app will display a target and show you exactly what you are doing wrong (or right!). It will give you goals, such as 200 shots a week, track your improvement over time, and truly help you correct your errors. You can't change your mistake unless you know you're making them, and that's where the MantisX comes in. It really is a fantastic tool.

Shooting Will Improve

The reason I think you should shell out $149 for the MantisX is simple: It will improve your shooting. When it records a shot, it tells you exactly what you did wrong, but it also has advice on how to correct your mistake. It also tracks your shooting over time, so pretty soon you get a very clear picture of your most common errors, and you can begin to correct them.

The more you use it, the better you'll get. The MantisX helps you develop muscle memory - the correct muscle memory. That will make all the difference in your accuracy.

The Bottom Line

Bottom line: If you're serious about shooting, whether you shoot competitively or just for fun, for self defense or for your job, you need a MantisX. Get one and find out more at http://www.mantisx.com.