The MantisX Firearms Training System is one of the best training tools I have added to my tool kit. I first saw it at Shot Show and got to try it out for a few minutes with a Sig P226 air pistol. It allowed me to shoot shot after shot and see where my shots landed.
The system is a small sensor that attaches to the rail of any gun. Adapters are available for guns that don’t have a rail. It is charged by a USB cable. After installing the device, you download the app onto your smart phone or tablet. Turn on the system and give it a minute to connect to the app. Then you just pick a target, aim and fire. The app will show you a score of up to 100, and give you feedback on your shot. I get a lot of “breaking wrist down” which verified what I’ve been told in IDPA, that I’m often shooting low.
The system can be used in many different ways. It can be used with a real gun for dry fire. You just rack the slide between each shot. It can be used in live fire at a range. It can be used with an air gun like the Sig that can be dry-fired and racks each time, or an air gun that you have to rack each time.
It can sometimes be used with a SIRT gun. There seems to be differing sensitivities in the units. Mine worked fairly well with the SIRT, not always recording every shot but at least around eight out of ten. My friend’s did not work with the SIRT. When she called the company they said it wasn’t designed to work with the SIRT. However, then the one she had wouldn’t charge, so she called the company again and they immediately sent her a replacement one and that one works with the SIRT. So if you plan to use it with a SIRT, it may or may not work. The biggest bonus though, was that my friend was extremely happy with their customer service and how quickly they responded to her.
The first time I participated in a shooting event after trying the MantisX, I realized how much it already helped me. I was shooting low and remembered that it told me I broke my wrist down, so I worked at concentrating on keeping my wrist up – and immediately improved my shooting.
The MantisX is a truly useful training system, very handy for training when you don’t have a range nearby or land to shoot live fire. You can simply use it in your living room for practice, and you get the immediate feedback to help you train and improve your shooting. The fact that it can also be used on various guns is a huge plus as well. At $149.99 it’s well worth the price.
If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, try American Concealed’s Shot Correcting Target Poster. Take this poster (available for $10 for a pack of two or for $15 in packs of three) to the firing range with you and quickly and accurately diagnose what is causing you to shoot off target. The diagram helps you decode why your shot pulls away from center, in any direction.
