Why You Need To Try Out The Mantis Laser Academy System

Posted by AJ Koenes on Mar 25th 2022

Mantis Laser Academy Training System is a great system to use when you are trying to improve your skills. It is easy to set up, and you should be able to understand it. The system does a great job of helping you get better.

Where To Buy the Mantis Laser Academy System

Mantis Laser Academy System - $159

AR-15 Training

Blackbeard: the auto-resetting trigger system for AR-15 - $219

Or you can buy the individual components and expansion packs

The Mantis Laser Academy System aims to enhance your handgun shooting accuracy. I discovered that it accomplishes this by analyzing your draw and following up shots. The system is made up of several parts, including targets, cell phone attachments, and lasers.

The targets are designed so that you can practice with your cell phone. You use the cell phone to map the target, lock-on to it, and initiate the practice. This is done by placing your cell phone close to or far away from the target, depending on the size of the target you are using. Once you have locked on to the target, the system will start providing feedback.

Installation of the Mantis Laser Academy System

The Mantis isn't like other installations. My Laser Academy arrived in a black box with several extras. I was overwhelmed because I had no idea what to do with all of it. There were two sets of targets - one big and one small, a tripod that is quite large and set up presumably for an iPad, and then a smaller tripod that was packed inside a small zippered case contained within the box.

A small bag came with the laser cartridge, tripod, and sticky tabs for your targets. There was also a quick start guide, some putty, as well as some promotional material.

Field Testing of the Mantis Laser Academy System

The Laser Academy dry fire laser training system is mostly reliant on the app. The app is pretty easy to use. You just have to download it and go through the tutorials. After that, you will be able to use the targeting system. The app is also fun because there are different scenarios, games, and systems to choose from. Plus, you get a detailed assessment after each stage.

There are a few different stages in this app. For the first few, you will use basic targets. You will shoot one of the controls to start the match. The timer will then beep as it would in an actual USPSA match, and then you will draw and fire. After you finish the stage, you will fire on the control again to end the stage. As soon as you stop playing, your rounds are counted. You're given information such as how long it took you to take each shot, where on the body your shots landed, and other useful information like your fastest follow-up shot and where it was placed. This became an interesting and addictive game almost immediately. Within the first few matches, I could see my follow-up and target acquisition times increase substantially. It took a bit longer but eventually, I saw my draw times increase as I got back in the saddle and remembered how to do things slowly and smoothly. These basics are things you often forget when you're out of practice such as me.

I practiced with the Laser Academy Training System a few times a week. I started seeing some improvement at first, and then I continued to see small improvements over time. After a month of practicing, I was curious to see how well I would do if I used the system for real work.

I made a website for my local shooting range and learned that they were having a USPSA-style bowling pin match. I had no clue what to expect, but I figured I'd give it a try anyhow. I haven't mentioned this before, but I've been practicing with an H&K USP compact in 9mm.

My first experience at a gun show was when I was younger. I turned 21, so to commemorate the occasion, I purchased my first firearm from a vendor at the gun show. This handgun was fairly old and looked like it had been carried by a police officer. The slide was scratched and worn out, with no bluing left on it. I replaced the barrel before treating the slide with Titanium Nitride, which made it appear golden. Regardless of how often I use this weapon, it will be more durable with Titanium Nitride.

This gun is not precise. It looks fantastic thanks to the bright slide and barrel. However, it is not the sort of handgun you would use in a competitive shooting match against other individuals that are skillful with firearms.

In the competition, there were a lot of modified 1911s and match-grade pistols as well as 22 revolvers. I discovered later that people preferred 8-round 22's. If you successfully hit all of your targets without missing, you won't have to reload the gun. The Mantis has helped improve my shooting skills with the H&K USP compact. I wouldn't claim that I'm particularly accurate with it, but I can use it effectively nonetheless.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to see how the handgun would handle after a few months of training. At orientation, the guy running the shoot described how he started. He would fire off 150 rounds with horrible stage times and in some cases not even finished a match. That's how I thought I would end up knowing my history on the range with this handgun.

I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to hit the target with my pistol. But I wanted to see if the Mantis Laser Academy could help me improve my aim. I did different stages and found that I was able to hit the target more accurately with my H&K USP compact. In all 7 stages, I did well.

In my opinion, my draw and follow-up times were very fast. I was surprised by how well I did during the match. Match after match, I expected that "beginner's luck" would wear off and I would have to struggle to finish the stage. That never happened.

When we got the results back, I saw that I did not do as well as some people. In fact, I was 18 out of 23. I was surprised to see that I ranked so high when I bowled with a handgun. My H&K is not the most accurate gun, but the top five contestants were under 40 seconds, and contestants 6 through 13 were under 70 seconds. My time was at 75 seconds.

Specs of the Mantis Laser Academy System

The specs of this product are not normal. You don't have the measurements for how fast it goes, how heavy it is, or how strong it is. So I think it would be more useful to talk about what the product is made of.

There are two sets of targets to start with. The first set is based on distance. I used the small red, tripod packed inside the soft case with my Android Pixel 2 phone. This worked out very well. The 9mm cartridge went inside my handgun. Once I verified that it was clear and safe, all there was to do was to set up the targets. I quickly learned that cell phones cannot be placed as close or as far away from the target as you want in order to map them, lock-on, and initiate the practice. The problem is that your environment doesn't allow you to set your cell phone close enough to the target. That's why there are two different sizes of targets. The larger targets work well when you can't get close enough to the target with your cell phone, but the smaller targets are a lot easier to carry around and use.

The wooden dowel inside the soft case helps you eject the cartridge from your barrel. This is because the laser cartridge does not have a rim to allow your ejector to latch onto it. I found this out the hard way when I was at the USPSA bowling pin match and had to frantically get my firearm ready for the tournament.

Besides the targets and the cell phone accessories, there is also a larger tripod that I never used. I think this tripod is for bigger devices like iPads or really big phones like the ones Samsung used to make. The only other thing in the kit is some mounts you can use to attach the targets to things. You can use a pedestal mount if you have a lot of counter space, or you can use the included adhesive putty to stick them to a wall.

Pros of the Mantis Laser Academy System

The pros of this system are clear. It helps you improve your skills, makes you more accurate, and helps you follow up faster. Shooting is a skill that can fade if you don't practice it often. This system is a great way to keep practicing every day, even if you don't have a range in your backyard or it's too rainy to go outside. You can set it up at home and the variety of targets and scenarios will never get old.

The app gives you audio cues for when to shoot. Overall, I thought that having the Mantis Laser Academy System with me was very helpful and gave me an advantage over other people in the competition. It's easy to set up and use, which is a big plus. You don't need any special tools or knowledge to be able to use this system. The product is also made well and should last a long time.

Cons of the Mantis Laser Academy System

The only downside I can think of is that it takes a while to set up and you need to learn how to use it properly. I didn't really understand the power of the system until I met Elise Abbott at the Mantis X booth on the SHOT show floor in 2022. They had a really good setup where I could load my app and use one of their training weapons to understand how it works.

Final Thoughts on the Mantis Laser Academy System

I have known about Mantis for a few years. I have tried other systems like it, but I never really got into them. I think the main reason is that I didn't understand how they worked. But this Laser Academy Training System is different. It is easy to understand because the targets and the app layout are intuitive. They make sense, and that's why it's easy to use them. The feedback you get from the app is very useful. It helps you improve your skills. For a system that costs less than $200, I can't think of any better way to keep your skills sharp. There are a lot of expensive systems out there, but I can't think of any that are as good as the Mantis Laser Academy in the same price range.

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