Practice Makes Perfect
Mantis offers a smart, affordable way to improve your customer’s shooting skills
by Shannon Farlow
The Mantis system connects the firearm to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Firearms instructors and experienced shooters understand the importance of dry-fire training. It’s one of the most effective methods for improving proficiency and eliminating bad habits. In this age of ammo shortages and rising prices, dry-fire training can also save shooting enthusiasts thousands of dollars. Although traditional snap caps still work, Mantis Tech has developed a smarter way to train. The Mantis X10 Elite and Mantis Laser Academy are two digital training systems that help shooters quickly sharpen their skills. The affordable systems are ideal for both new and seasoned shooters—and FFL dealers who want to encourage their customers to train.
Based in Oswego, Illinois, Mantis offers an ever-expanding lineup of training systems and accessories for pistols, rifles, shotguns, and archery. Mantis systems are used by the U.S. military and special forces, law-enforcement agencies in all 50 states, and shooters in more than 60 countries. Their products are endorsed by several professional shooters and instructors, including John Correia, Ryan Cleckner, and the legendary Jerry Miculek.
“With the ammo shortage and high prices, many shooters don't know the value that dry-fire training can provide,” says Mantis president Austin Allgaier. “Professional shooters do 80 to 90 percent of their training with dry-fire practice. It is safe, effective, and affordable.”
Mantis X10 Elite
The Mantis X10 Elite (SRP: $249.99) represents the latest generation of Mantis X systems. It compiles and analyzes thousands of data points per second for instant feedback. With incredible accuracy, the Mantis X10 records every movement of the gun before, during, and after the trigger break. It displays the data in simple charts and provides advice on how to correct any problems.
The kit includes a barrel mount for shotguns and rifles, a universal Picatinny rail adapter for most firearms and bows, and a USB charging cable. Everything is tucked inside a protective case that’s small enough to stow in a typical range bag.
Getting started is quick and easy. Simply mount the X10 Elite sensor on a firearm’s Picatinny rail and download the Mantis X app on your smartphone. There are multiple drills to run, including shot timer, primary versus support hand, compressed surprise break, reloads, and hostage rescue.
Concealed carriers will appreciate the detailed holster-draw analysis. It breaks down the holster draw into phases from the starting beep to gripping the gun, drawing the gun from the holster, rotating the gun to horizontal alignment, steadying the gun on target, and, finally, the shot.
The longer X10 Elite training courses feature multiple levels of marksmanship, basic combat, and advanced combat. Mantis also offers creative daily challenges such as “Wrong Side of the Bed,” which begins with the shooter in bed. At the sound of the timer, the shooter retrieves their bedside weapon and then dry fires five times on target for speed and accuracy.
The Mantis X10 app stores the results of each session, enabling the shooter to track their progress. The Mantis X10 is also designed for live fire training. A “Recoilmeter” tracks the firearm’s movement before and after each shot to help correct flinching and other unwanted motion.
“Practice leads to improvement,” Allgaier says. “We've collected and analyzed millions of shots to understand the correlation of data-driven training.”
The Basic Marksmanship Course offered by Mantis helps new shooters gain command of their firearm.
Mantis Laser Academy Training System
The Mantis Laser Academy (SRP: $149) offers a completely different—yet highly beneficial—training experience for shooters. It converts virtually any room or space into a training facility, allowing shooters to get high-quality reps in at home. This is especially important for those millions of first-time firearm owners.
“With so many new shooters, it is essential to train,” Allgaier says. “Many purchase a gun without thinking about training. Mantis products enable shooters to master the fundamentals quickly and efficiently.”
The Laser Academy employs a laser training cartridge, multiple “smart” targets, and a smartphone app that uses a phone or tablet to track each shot. The portable kit includes full access to the online Mantis Laser Academy, a laser cartridge and extraction stick, a set of 5x7-inch smart targets, mini tripod with smartphone holder, and a protective carrying case.
To set up the Laser Academy system, insert the training cartridge into the chamber of the gun. Then attach the targets (using non-marring, removable sticky pads) to a wall, door, or other structure. Finally, set up a smartphone on a tripod near the targets.
Each time the firing pin strikes the cartridge, a laser beam shoots down the barrel. When the beam strikes a target, the smartphone app records and scores the shot. The Laser Academy offers a variety of training modes, such as duels with a training partner, close contact from holster, compressed surprise break, holster draw, and multiple shots on multiple targets.
Both the Mantis X10 Elite and Mantis Laser Academy provide measurable benefits for shooters looking to improve their skills. The two systems complement each other with a broad mix of dry-fire training capabilities. Best of all, Mantis continues to improve their products and bring new ones to market, providing economical, proven training options for FFL dealers and their customers.
The ammo shortage presents dealers with an on-going customer relations issue, and the frustration on both sides of the counter is palpable. Rather than simply telling a customer to “come back and try again next week” you can recommend a training system that allows them to gain expertise without expending a valuable resource at the range. Your recommendation for dry-fire will go a long way toward creating that all-important bond between retailer and regular customer. (mantis.com)
The Mantis “Pushing” screen lets the shooter know his dominant hand is pushing the gun up (often in anticipation of recoil).
Shot-by-shot analysis helps a shooter determine what he is doing right, as well as what he is doing wrong.