Lasers in practice?

[walsh]

My primary home defense weapon, if I can't get to my 870, is a Sig 229 with a Crimson Trace Laser. Is there any benefit to using a laser occasionally when training to become a better shooter?

I will say this, and a number of cops agree, it's on my home defense gun because I have been involved in two situations in the last three years where my weapon came out before theirs did (no laser). And if anyone thinks you will look straight down those sights, you will be a rare animal indeed. There is a natural tendency to gather information as you get tunnel vision and look at the threat. So assuming that happens, perhaps some amount of taking your weapon from low-ready to shooting as you look at the target and use a laser might be useful. I don't believe that without access to extreme stress simulated shooting under as much stress as they can get you elevated to will have you think of hitting those sights. Tunnel vision seems not to be conducive to doing anything visually but try to access the threat(s) and looking just down the sights is going to limit that so I don't think it's a natural act when you get an adrenalin dump and time slows unless your training is to the extreme. I think what regular practice will do is get you close to the point you wish to hit without the sights...I hope.

Just my 2 cents,

Walsh

Edited June 16, 2011 by walsh

[kevin c]

A laser pointer helped me see how much the POI bounced while aiming/shooting on the move.

[Buster9mil]

I got one of those laser training devices that fits down your barrel and sends a fraction-second pulse at the sound of dry-fire click. It really enhanced my dry-fire practice! You really know if your trigger press is throwing the POI off and helps correct it.

[dennisp5]

This is a little off the OP's subject, but since Buster9mil brought up laser training devices I have been thinking about them. Will using these devices take your attention off the front sight where your attention needs to be (for training to shoot with metallic vs laser ) sights and onto the target to see if you "Hit it"? Seems like the laser sight Walsh is talking about would require you to focus on the target which would be the opposite of your goal of using the training device. I guess I am asking if the laser trainer would cause bad aiming habits.

Dennis

[bigbear_98]

This is a little off the OP's subject, but since Buster9mil brought up laser training devices I have been thinking about them. Will using these devices take your attention off the front sight where your attention needs to be (for training to shoot with metallic vs laser ) sights and onto the target to see if you "Hit it"? Seems like the laser sight Walsh is talking about would require you to focus on the target which would be the opposite of your goal of using the training device. I guess I am asking if the laser trainer would cause bad aiming habits.

Dennis

I have wondered the same? I try not to look for bullet holes while shooting because it takes too long. I thought calling the shot was ideal.

[KungFuNerd]

I know this is an old thread but I've used laser trainers a lot.

What they are good for is sighting in your pistol.

The other thing they are good for is POINT shooting (not using the sights).

That's what I got it for.

I tried it for "Enos style" Dryfire practice and it was totally distracting.

[Chills1994]

this is way, way off topic as this relates to shotguns and the clay pigeon games of trap and skeet....

buttt....I went down to Sparta on Friday since the ATA's Grand was then in progress. I had just shot my first round of skeet, ever, the week before, when I stumbled upon these guys at the Grand:

http://www.dryfireus.com/

basically you stick a laser in the muzzle end of your shotgun barrel. A wire runs down under the barrel, under the forearm and attaches to a finger pad on your trigger. The computer projects a red laser dot on a mural of a trap range. That red laser dot comes out of the trap house painted on the "mural" and it represents a clay bird. Now, don't hold me to this, but I ASSume that when you squeeze your trigger, that activates the laser to light up or pulse from the muzzle. I am also assuming that the laser in the muzzle end is infrared. The system's eyes see where the IR laser dot hit in relation to the red visible dot on the wall/"mural" and determines if it was a hit or not. The computer keeps track off all the info and can analyze it for you.

Hmmn....now if someone could just adapt the same technology to USPSA/IPSC...

[Corey]

I'm not a huge fan of the laser training devices as when I dryfire, I'm trying to make myself look at the sights. Im sure a laser dot could be seen in the periphial vision, but I'm trying to get away from looking at the targets not the other way around.

Now what it might be good for is a coach to see how much muzzle movement there is on a new shooter.

[KungFuNerd]

I've totally quit using it on my 1911.

Point of Impact is covered up by the front sights/muzzle so the only way you will see the laser dot is if your alignment was way off. You will see a faint image of it in your non dominant eye which is even more distracting.

[cyburg]

I think it is great tool for instructors to utilize while teaching or showing the student what they are doing. If one wishes to utilize a laser for training I would recommend video taping you session then review the tape to see what your muzzle is doing. Otherwise one would tend to look at the laser and not the sights.

[Chromepulse]

I'll go against the grain here and say I like my SERT training pistol. It is not a substitute for dry fire, but it certainly can be an augment.

1. Makes dry firing fun. I'm more likely to pick it up a few times throughout the day and "plink" with it.

2. Excels at pointing out trigger control flaws, especially at top speed. I will mix in a few SERT runs just to make sure I'm still being as accurate as I think I am.

3. Helps point out what an "acceptable" sight picture is at different distances. This has given me a lot more confidence during matches and live fire.

4. Has really helped my strong and especially my weak hand shooting, focusing on a smooth trigger press.

5. Shooting on the move - again, lets you know how much your sight movement is really related to.

It's not the be-all end-all solution, but I believe it is a helpful tool. YMMV, of course.

[CSPCRX]

Issue I have is they can cause you to look for the red dot and not focus on the front sight. Especially the sound or firing pin activated units. That is why I made the laser activated targets for training on. Just focus on what is important the sight picture and the beep tells you if you hit.

My thoughts.