Gear Review: LaserLyte Laser Training System (LTS)
A great way to improve your shooting is to shoot. The best way to improve your shooting is to shoot well. You could go to a range every day, close your eyes and blast through a magazine full of rounds while holding the gun gangsta style and never improve one tiny bit. If you go to a range every day, slow things down, make sure that every aspect of your shot is right every time you shoot, there is no way you won’t improve. This puts the fundamentals of shooting (stance, grip, sight picture, trigger control) at the utmost importance.
Wait…check that…safety is the utmost importance. The fundamentals are second. Back to the review…
Let me preface everything I say moving forward with the following statement (which will be reiterated multiple times): Nothing can possibly substitute for range time. There is nothing you can do to avoid the range if your goal is to be even an acceptable shooter, not just an awesome shooter. Got it? Good.
The problem is that ammo is expensive right now, difficult to find and ranges are crowded. It makes things difficult to get the practice we want. Dry fire practice is ok but it still leaves out that needed feedback of “would that shot have hit anything?”, which is the ultimate goal of shooting.
Enter LaserLyte with their “LaserLyte Training System”. The LTS system is made up of two components: a laser that fits inside of the gun and a target that detects the laser beam. LaserLyte offer two options for the target: a larger target for stationary bulleye shooting and also a recently released “LTS ReactionTyme” target which consists of two very small targets that are made to test reaction time and dynamic targeting. This review, however, pertains only to the standard LTS Target.
The LTS Target is light and can be placed on a shelf or easily hung on a wall. It takes 3 AA batteries and, from my own testing, seems to last a pretty long time on those batteries (I’m still on my first set after extensive use). The bullseye is a little less than 5 inches across and can record shots up to 50 yards (light conditions permitting). If you hit the bullseye, it will record the approximate location of the shot. When you’re done, you then shoot at a sensor on the bottom left of the device and the bullseye will light up showing you where it detected your shots. Shooting at the sensor on the lower right will reset the target.
The laser emitters come in various sizes (even rifle calibers) and are meant to be dropped into your gun like a normal cartridge. There is a button on the back of it that is activated by the firing pin of your gun. When struck, the laser will fire for about half a second. Long enough for the target to register it as well as to give you a bit of instant feedback as to where it hit. From my testing, it doesn’t stay lit long enough to grab the attention of my cat or any of my dogs so the risk of them chasing the beam and knocking things down is minimal (although your pet’s observation skills may vary).
The laser cartridges themselves wedge securely into the chamber of the gun and are beveled at the back so that your extractor won’t catch them. This both protects your extractor and keeps the cartridge in place for when, like me, you have a gun with a single action striker instead of a double action trigger. Glocks and XS and such will have to be cycled between shots. If they don’t have a cartridge for your gun caliber, or a cartridge doesn’t fit, they have an insert that fits in the end of the barrel and is activated by sound instead of the firing pin. They work just as well as the cartridges and can be used in multiple guns and calibers.
Pro Tip: a wooden chopstick from last night’s Chinese takeout (washed, of course) is great for removing the cartridge from the chamber and won’t damage the gun.
I’ve been using this like crazy lately and I absolutely love it. It’s allowed me to try out various things, like shooting with both eyes open, without having to waste ammo seeing if they work for me. Mrs. Noob and I have even used it to settle disputes using a “winner gets to pick where we eat lunch” type of scenario. The size of the target area is small so if you can nail every shot you can be pretty sure you’re going to hit a normal sized target as well. That makes for a great confidence builder, if I do say so myself. The momentary blip from the laser gives you good, instant feedback as to how you’re doing and the display mode allows you to assess how you did overall. I don’t regret one single penny I spent on this device and it’s one of my favorite things I’ve purchased for my hobby in a long time.
That’s not to say I don’t have some complaints about it…
The target itself doesn’t feel very solid to me. It’s surprisingly light and the plastic doesn’t feel very sturdy. It’s not like I’m going to be throwing it across the room to practice hitting moving targets. I do have a cat, however, and they like to knock things off of shelves. I can’t help but feel that if this thing fell from head or chest height, it wouldn’t fare well. As I paid for this with my own money, I don’t want to test that theory. I should also point out that the “Display” and “Reset” sensors don’t work well unless you’re shooting them almost point blank. So you can set your target 50 yards away but unless you can hit a 2 inch circle at that distance, you’re still going to have to walk right up to it to see how you did.
I also feel like it might work in some bad habits. As it doesn’t cost anything to use it, you will likely spend a great deal of time with it. Having to cock the hammer of your pistol or cycle the slide after every shot, I think, could commit that to muscle memory. I know you’re probably sitting there saying “oh, that would never happen. I know not to cycle my gun after every shot.” To that I say “science and history say otherwise”. Take a look into the police shootout in Miami many years ago where the officers were taking the time to stuff the brass from their revolvers in their pockets instead of letting it fall to the ground in the middle of a firefight. Why? Because that’s how they practiced it on the range. When push comes to shove, you’d be VERY surprised at what you’ll fall back on. You have to be extra vigilant to make sure you don’t develop the wrong muscle memory when using this tool.
Even if it doesn’t create some bad habits, it still doesn’t give you the whole picture either. You still need to consider safety and trigger discipline. It also doesn’t help you with recoil management. There’s a big difference between dry fire and live fire. That “bang” and how you deal with it is, and will always be, an important part of range time.
If you want to use this to work on your trigger control, sight picture and such, I don’t think there’s a better tool out there. I wouldn’t even remotely consider a replacement for good, old fashioned range time. All that being said, the LaserLyte Training System is a heck of a fun time.
UPDATE: Sorry, can’t believe I forgot to put the price on it. The MSRP on the LTS Target is $250 and the laser cartridges are around $100. They are available online and at many stores for less than that.
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