Review: The MantisX Firearm Training System
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.04.18
Shooting is actually really complicated, there are a ton of things that have to happen just right. The way you hold the gun, sight down the barrel, your breathing, grip, and trigger squeeze all have to come together perfectly at the moment the trigger breaks. If any of tiny little details go wrong, your shot will suffer.
We buy the best firearms, custom triggers, expensive training, and a ton of ammunition to get better. Then, after a long day at the range, we stumble home with raw fingers from loading mags and probably never address the real problem because we don’t even know what that problem is or that there is a problem at all.
There are some instructors that can point out mistakes on the fly but they aren’t around for every shot. You need a companion there with you that doesn’t pull punches to spare your feelings. In comes the MantisX, without a doubt the most advanced training system in its price range.
Training pistols have been around for a while but, training pistols are expensive, the software is expensive, and any additional features are just one more cost to deal with. However the biggest problem I have with training pistols are that they aren’t my pistol. They’re not the gun I put on every day or the gun I take to the range. The trigger is alien and the grip feels wrong. Remember, train with what you carry.
That is just what MantisX allows you to do. Instead of a fake gun, you get a small device that attaches to any rail system or via adapters to virtually any firearm, rifles included. Sync it up to any smart device and let the painful feedback on your faults begin! Just remember there is no growth without suffering.
Once the device is setup with your handedness, caliber, and the type of firearm you are using, do a proper safety check, you are ready to start. Dry fire a few shots and MantisX will give you feedback on what you did the instant before trigger break and provide you a score from 0 to 100 that will probably put a sinking feeling deep in your gut. But don’t worry, the MantisX doesn’t judge, its wants to help. The app will give specifics on what you did wrong and how to fix it. It’s easy to deny your faults but try the advice, I bet it will be right more than wrong.
Oh, but you aren’t done yet! After putting in a half an hour or so, things get noticeably better. But what about recoil and that satisfying bang? There is no stress of other shooters, no realism! Well, the MantisX has a live fire mode that is just the ticket. Grab some ammo and head out to the range.
Whether live or dry, things work about the same. Set up a target and get to work. I found that the prediction of how I threw a shot, no matter how small, was accurate most of the time. Yes, the system isn’t perfect and seemed more reliable during dry fire. Wrong or right, it still gives good solid advice and listening to it won’t compromise your shooting.
In our device driven world, it’s easy to have a drawer full of niche gadgets that you never use. The MantisX is not one of those devices. With the versatility of mounting to different firearms, you can keep your pistol skills sharp and switch over to brush up with the old deer rifle before next season.
We all want to be better shots. It’s not only a matter of safety but a matter of pride. The MantisX is just the edge you need to be your best. It’s also a lot of fun when you get down to the nitty gritty details. There is no substitute for real, professional training but MantisX augments your range time well! It is sort of like shooting with that one know-it-all uncle, but MantisX gives better advice.
