Gear Review: LaserLyte Laser Trainer Target TLB-1

Last week Hurricane Issac was bearing down on my hometown in East Louisiana. As we were preparing to hunker down for the storm, I knew that I had to be prepared to keep myself occupied in the event that we would be stuck at home for a long period of time. I had a couple of books to read, but I knew that reading would get old quick. It was going to be windy outside so I wouldn’t be able to shoot my bow. As we were closing up shop at the office, I walked by our LaserLyte display and the LaserLyte TLB-1 Trainer Target caught my eye.  I picked up a target along with a 9mm and 45 ACP training cartridges thinking that if anything else, I might be able to get some good practice in.

Over the next several days while the wind and rain were bearing down on us, a constant click….rack……click…..rack….click sound could be heard echoing through my house. Here is a rundown on my experience thus far:

LaserLyte TLB-1 Laser Trainer Target:

LaserLyte Trainer Target

• Packaging and Assembly: The package itself is very simple and easy to open. The cardboard box is made well and I think will serve as storage for the target and cartridges for many years. Opening the box, you find the training target, a screwdriver, instructions, and a set of batteries (which was nice because I didn’t have to use my hurricane batteries). Set up of the target is a breeze. Simple install the provided batteries and use the provided phillips head screwdriver to join the two halves of the target together. Now your ready to start dry firing.

• Operation of the Target: With it’s simplistic design, operation without reading the instructions is a snap. When you are ready to begin your session, switch the target power switch to the “ON” position and you are ready to go. I recommend shooting 3-4 shots at most, then shoot the “DISPLAY” target to show your shot placement. If your shot placement is the same spot every time, only one shot spotter will display.  That’s why I recommend 3-4 shots. After you display the shots, shoot the “RESET” target to clear everything and you are ready for another round.

LaserLyte Laser Trainer Cartridges:

• Packaging and Assembly: The trainer cartridges come packed in nice blister packs that look really good hanging in the retail store. The cartridges come with batteries pre installed as well as an extra set. The cartridges work on small lithium batteries so there is no chance of the batteries leaking during long periods of storage like alkaline batteries do. Each cartridge is individually packaged and has the caliber clearly marked on the body of the cartridge.

• Operation of the Cartridges: The laser pulse is emitted from the cartridge when ever the firing pin strikes the rear of the cartridge. To start your training all you have to do is insert the cartridge into the firearm’s chamber and you are ready to  go. The cartridges have rubber o-rings , one on the front and one on the rear, to hold them inside the chamber. I found that I needed to remove one of the o-rings for the cartridge to fully seat into the chamber of my pistols. On the 45 I removed the rear and on the 9mm I removed the front to see if it made a difference on which o-ring was missing. I found there to be no difference. If you ever need to change the batteries, simply unscrew the rear of the cartridge from the front half to gain access to the batteries.

Modified LaserLyte Training Cartridges

How to Change the Batteries

Observations and Thoughts: Practice makes perfect is something that I can remember coaches and instructors drilling into my head throughout my life thus far. However I think it is better to say that “perfect ” practice makes perfect. Sloppy practice could definately produce training scars, so be mindful of how you approach using your target.

The only downfall of the target that I can tell so far is the fact that I can’t use it outside. I didn’t think that it would work seeing as it works on a laser pulse to register “hits”. It would be nice to be able to use it outdoors so that my wife wouldn’t have to put up with all of the clicking. Bright light will effect the unit’s performance.

Whether or not using the target will perfect my shooting abilities are still in question and only time will tell. But it is nice to have something to use indoors when I want to be able to get some dry firing time into my training regiment.

I haven’t been keeping tract of how many times I have been shooting each cartridge to see how long the battery live is.  I’m really not too worried because it came with an extra set so I didn’t even think to keep tract.

Overall I would say that the product is solid in it’s design and operation except for the double o’rings on the cartridges. A single o-ring would have been sufficient. Very simple and easy to use design makes this target a nice addition to my gear collection. For more information or to see other products offered by LaserLyte, check out OutdoorOutfitters.com or got to LaserLyte.com.