A co-worker showed me the video on a handgun target training tool that was new to me. If anyone is familiar with and/or has experience using this, please, share with rest of us. We all want to get better!

iTarget | iTargetPro (Laser Firearm Training System) Shoot Your Gun in the House

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

No experience with that setup but my wife got a BG380 with a laser and it is good training aid for her.
I don't think a laser is worth 2 cents on a pocket gun and had her shooting without the laser and she had bullets going ever which away and wouldn't believe me when I told her she was moving the gun when she pulled the trigger.
A few weeks of frustrations and I thought about using the laser and dry firing. It really helped with her trigger control and she saw that she was moving the gun when she pulled the trigger.
The system you are looking at should be good practice. Larry

I think it's pretty limited.
Unless you have a hammer fired semi auto (second strike capable) you will be jacking with the slide after every shot, or in the case of a revolver, spinning the cylinder after every shot.
Maybe of usefor precision shooting but for defensive shooting, not so much. There's probaby a market for something like this with long distance precision shooters. It would be easy to program in bullet drop, wind, etc.

It's not useless, but it is limited to one shot. If you really work on that one shot, it will definitely help with your presentation.

Watching the video though, that guy has a terrible presentation. If that's an example of how you'll improve...???

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

I've had a couple professional trainers tell me to avoid it because you end up focusing on the target instead of the sights

__________________
Retired Career Security Guard

Name-Drop; Armand Swenson taught me to clear the weapon, aim at a blank wall, and squeeze-thru. You are watching for changes in sight-alignment.
You need to have a trigger-press all the way thru until after hammer -fall that does NOT change the sight-alignment.
I couldn't shoot a handgun for **** until I started practicing his way.
Strong hand 10 mins. Weak hand 10 mins. Every night.
Then start practicing two-hand.
Works for me. YMMV.
Cheap and easy.

Almost all the people I've heard speak of using their handgun in a self defense situation didn't use the sights anyway.

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

Well that's certainly true. The first shot is AT LEAST as important as any subsequent ones don't you think? If it helps put the first one on target...

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

I'm guessing you mean for striker fired?

The whole video wasnt really professional so I can't fault them for the presentation. Seemed like the announcer and the camera were being rushed. The clip of the high ammo prices looked like someone was hiding behind the stacks of ammo spying on someone

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

I'll be the contrarian. I'm a big fan of the laser cartridges, but not the targets. I use a different brand. For my target, I use a cardboard IPSC target with a 1" black dot COM. Originally, used just cartridge and target. Now I use it with a shot timer set for par time, too.

It's helped me work on my accuracy and form, with my semi's and especially with my 642. It's not a replacement for the range, but it make dry fire sessions much better.

Just my 2 cents.

Ive been training in the evenings with Laser Ammo and the Laser Pet target. It has been great for draw times, trigger pull, and presentation form. The Laser pet has a few modes that make it easy to change up your training. I struggled with getting motivated enough in the evenings to do tradition dry fire training. There is something satisfying about hearing the validating beep of the electronic target and it registering another hit.

I think it could be helpful for basic marksmanship, assuming one is able to properly self-evaluate. I would have preferred to see a trace of the hold, and not just the placement of the shot.

I do not believe it is a replacement for either live fire practice or dry fire.

Live fire obviously tests ability with recoil anticipation and other factors in play, and is important for developing familiarity with the manipulation of the gun. I also feel that, mentally, there is no replacement for the distractions of a piece of paper and a target. Misses bear no weight with a laser in your basement, making it easier--too easy--to focus on applying fundamentals.

Dry fire, well...I believe that most people dry fire incorrectly. The first part of dry fire training is doing so without the distraction of a target or sights. In other words, you practice making a perfect, uninterrupted trigger pull, separate from all other factors. Once that is mastered, you move on to doing the same while aligning the sights, the goal being to maintain the same trigger pull, while keeping the sights aligned. What you don't want to do is adjust the trigger pull to keep the sights aligned.

From there, you repeat the process with the sights aligned on a target. Again, your goal is to keep the sights aligned on the target without changing the timely, uninterrupted trigger pull.

This method is difficult, as it requires you to first figure out the ideal, and then do a lot of self-evaluation and starting over. But I feel it is best.

That said, the price for the starting package is not bad (additional calibers are absurdly expensive). I believe that it is superior to not training. In other words, if the price of ammo would keep you from practicing live fire, and boredom would keep you from proper dry fire practice, this is obviously a better choice.

I think the correct way to state your 'need' is to say, "have a trigger press and follow thru until the bullet leaves the barrel". .........

Agreed. For what it is, it seems like a decent tool. I saw them demonstrating it at Shot Show and wasn't really impressed there. Yeah, it works. Yeah, it scores the target. Yeah, it will help you with that first shot. I don't know, I'm not spending my money on it, but I can't really say it's a bad thing.

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

Absolutely correct, Big Cholla. Follow-thru.

I've used just a laser cartridge for the past two years to dry fire with my .40 Shield. I consider this setup but is is a bit expensive and requires setup with a smart phone. Using a semi-auto with a striker does require jacking the slide open each time in order to cock the pistol. That also is good training. Using a laser cartridge does provide good training and you can do it in your home targeting items on the wall like pictures, etc. or outside using varied items for target. It certainly does not replace actual firing but it does help accuracy- if you train well. Just be careful and make certain your weapon is cleared and no ammo is even near it. Mistakes can happen. Never get over confident.

I saw something similar on an episode of "Into The Fray" (I think) but they held the pistol (would work with revolver too) about 1/2" from wall & went through the exercise. Made movement from trigger pull very obvious.

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk

Snap caps make it easy to follow through over & over & over &....free!

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk

I use a sure strike laser in my 586. Best 60 bucks I spent when it comes to dry fire practice.

__________________
Fear only God

your talking about a laser not one of these .. the laser only comes on when the firing pin strikes the back of it and causes a pulse .. you have to use your sights to be on target .. the laser isn't on full time on most of the laser target sets I have seen ..

they can be quite expensive .. if you get multiple targets .. some are good out to 50 yards ..so you could set up a different course in your back yard or your house each time you would use them ..

The cost has kept me from buying one .. and the cheap ones don't last .. or work properly ..

I do a dry fire exercise where I draw a dot on a piece of paper and tape to the wall at muzzle level .. actually there is a crack I aim at on the wall which is a brick chimney .. This I found to be one of the most beneficial exercises I do ..

Please be sure the pistol is unloaded and the magazine and chamber does not have a round in it !! I use a room in my home where no ammunition is allowed at any time to do my dry firing in .. that's including my carry pistol !! I check my weapon 3 times before doing any drill !! You can never be too safe ..

Hold the pistol with my Viridian laser attached on the dot 1 -2 inches away from the wall and dry fire the pistol .. any even tiny movement will be obvious .. do that 10 - 15 times each hand and then 2 hand grip .. total 30 to 45 times 3 times a week .. up to 135 times a week and 360 to 540 times a month .. it will add up fast .. your off hand trigger finger and wrist on your off hand will become stronger in just a few months and it will become easier to fire your pistol accurately !! Total time spent 5 to 10 minutes for the drill .. so don't say you don't have the time !!

you will be surprised how much it will help .. I add any slide cycling to my shot count on springs ..

I was specifically talking about the Laser Lyte trainer. I thought PO was talking about something similar. That said there's a LL trainer that marks your shots on the target that would probably work better

__________________
Retired Career Security Guard

I think dry fire training has a place and uses, especially if you get limited range time. If you are a person that would like feedback on your dry fire training, then set-up like this can be helpful.

I have used a laser cartridge for over a year now and enjoy being able to see where my shot would have hit, especially when practicing drawing. It is better if using a DA gun, because then you don't have to cycle the action after each shot, but still has some benefit.

I have used this for a few months now and I like it. I put up a full sized target on the wall and then prop the phone up in a homemade holder. Avoid red on the target it will cause you issues.

I could never get into the dryfire thing until I saw this program. Now when the wind is howling and snow is flying I can still get some trigger time in when I want to.

The downside I have found with it is that if you calibrate it for like 5 yards and then you go back to 15 yards the point of aim is off a bit, so you need to do a calibration for each distance. Also with a semi-auto it was hitting close to aim, but with my 625 it is hitting low and to the right so when I change pistols I need to do a quick calibration again.

They also added a $5 upgrade that has a draw timer now, that makes it a lot more entertaining now since you are timed you miss pulling your cover and screwing up a good set.

I myself would not use it if I had to shoot at the paper on the tray. Go to the Dollar Store and pick up a laser pointer and try the program out, that should tell you if you think you will like it or not.

As for using it with a revolver I think it is faster than reracking the slide. Just pull the hammer back a little bit and then you can rotate the cylinder backwards for the for the next round.

Thanks for the tips. Think I will put this on my list of future purchases.

__________________
Stay protected my friends.

Great comments on the iTarget Pro. Any comments on the Surestrike Laser ammo vs iTarget Pro Laser?

Please send me 100 FREE snap caps in .38 special. Thanks so much. LLB