Hey everyone. Did some digging around the forum but couldn’t find any up to date info.
Now that I’m mostly back on my feet I’m trying to rebuild all the lost muscle memory and get my draw times down to where they used to be. Since all my shooting spots are under a couple feet of snow at the moment I need to do this via dryfire. Unfortunately my Pocket Pro 2 won’t reliably pick up the striker sounds on either of my home defense or carry pistols. So I can’t get a baseline for where I’m at now.
Since my funds are limited at the moment I need to do this on the cheap, preferably without investing in any new hardware. So I’m looking for an app that will give me a beep to draw then record the time to first shot with either the sound of the striker or the view of my laser cartridge hitting a paper target. Most of the reviews on the App Store do not give a great deal of confidence in the accuracy of the apps out there. Anyone having good luck with a particular app?
I don’t know your budget limit but at least consider the MantisX. The basic X2 (least expensive) model is only for dry fire, the mid level Mantis X3 can do live fire and dry fire, and the top level MantisX10 can do dry and live fire and also holster draw analysis.
The phone app is quite good, with both measurement and a number of drills to perform. (with a second phone app, the X10 even does shotgun analysis.)
I started with an X3 and a year later traded it in upgrade to the X10. Very happy with it.
For actual timer on the range I also use the Range Tech, but have not tried it with dry fire for other than par time; I do not know if it will record the click of the striker in dry fire.
I’ve been wanting to pick up a Mantis X for awhile now. But along with the equipment it looks like I’d have to get new holsters as well to use it for draw practice. None of my holsters are light compatible so there is no room for the sensor.
But you should be able to do well enough by using the par time and working it up/down in 0.1 increments and just observing whether or not your click preceeded the beep
You do not need a light-compatible holster to use a MantisX for holster draw. They sell a small rubber rail for $10 that you stick with adhesive tape to one of your magazines. The MantisX attaches to that and away you go.
Alternately you can buy a mag rail adappter from them for your gun that has the rail already attached.
I have used the add-on rail for mags for a SA pistols (SA-35), my M&P 2.0, and even for a SIRT (the rail on the SIRT 110 is a scosh too big for the Mantis).
I have found the SIRT program good. The downfall is being able to analyze what you are doing wrong. One way is to notice slashes instead of dots. Another one is being able to be true to yourself and not using the laser strikes to adjust your aim. I rely on my first strike and figure out if I am using a proper grip and proper aiming. In real life we will not necessarily see the bullets hit a target and we should not be looking for it either. Proper sight picture and sight alignment are key.
I also use it for point shooting to see proper actions to the target. That is also a one-shot action. This has helped me in my initial diagnoses of proper grip and finger control.
The mantis has been very helpful at recognizing of gun movement during the shooting procedures. This has also helped a lot with my accuracy and speed. It covers the diagnosing the problems that are accruing during training.
I have also used slo-mo video to watch what is going on while I am shooting too. Diagnosing problems this way takes a close look and understanding to if you are doing it right or not.
I’d be willing to throw a few dollars at an app if it was reasonably accurate. But your par timer idea is a good free solution. Just not as convenient since it might take some chasing back and forth with the timer to figure out about what my average is.
It sounds like the Mantis is definitely worth the money. But my budget focus at the moment is on food and trying to rebuild the rainy day fund. Maybe someone will splurge on one for me for my upcoming birthday:) Unfortunately no one in my family is into shooting sports so they don’t understand that shooting related items are actually really fun gifts!
So I used @Nathan57 ‘s par timer idea. Took some back and forth but think I have my new baseline average. My times were not as bad as I thought they might be given my rebuilt muscles and lack of practice.
Time from random beep to first shot starting with arms relaxed and hands down by side:
1.25 seconds with shirt tucked in.
1.5 seconds from concealment.
My accuracy left a little to be desired though. To get those numbers I had to settle for a two inch square target at 8 feet away. I didn’t count a time as successful unless I could hit that square 5 times in a row before the final beep. I got a few shots in under 1 second but most of them were off of the two inch target by an inch or two.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Find your sweet spot - a comfortable draw time that that lets you put a round where you want it. Repetition and consistency will get you where you want to be. Lots of dry firing is one of the keys.
In my experience, the average concealed carrier from their actual carry position with their actual gun, warmed up on the range under perfect conditions, will generally be between 2.5-3 seconds if they aren’t “shooters” and 2.0-2.4x seconds if they are somewhat regulars.
1.5 from concealment is what you usually see from people who dip their toes into competition shooting and/or carry a gun professionally and treat it as such. And sub 1.5 down to 1.0 is serious competitors/winners/firearms trainers level
Now, I honestly have no idea what a 2" circle at 8 feet equates to really but it sounds pretty tight to me
Thanks for the input. I would call myself an aspiring competitor. Hope to enter some competitions this year.
I was using my newish appendix carry holster with my P365. I think the appendix position speeds things up a little. My shots were a bit all over the place on the two inch paper. Would have felt better if a higher percentage clustered closer to the center.
I don’t know how many people here remember @TexasEskimo. He had a legitimate sub 1 second draw and fire on a target at Tueller Drill starting range. I actually told him that if he and I ever got to the point of wanting to shoot each other. I would post up a thousand yards or so and shoot him from over yonder somewhere. Or we would have to be using knives. That I might have had a chance at.
