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.

Advantage Group Gunfighter 1 and Carbine 1

Just wanted to give a quick review of a couple of shooting courses that I was able to take this weekend by a training company that goes by the name of  Advantage Group. They are the training component of Unity Tactical.

I have been looking for a company that did training in my area for many years. Till now, I always counted on receiving my training from sources inside the Marine Corps. Since I have been out for a little over two years now it has been difficult to find something that is close to me that is affordable. Most classes are either in Texas or Florida and the added cost of travel has made these classes unaffordable to a guy like me. Enter Advantage Group!

Not only is this class affordable, but the classes are created and instructed by a real life high speed operator. I say that semi sarcastically, however Nate Stokes has a pretty impressive resume including being an Army Ranger as well as working with JSOC. The guy has been in the thick of it and he gives you a GIANT buffet of information to his students to choose from.

I stole the term “buffet” from Nate, but as he explains: as you go through this course he gives you all this information. He wants you to go through and pick the things that personally work for you and add it to your “plate”. As you go through other courses pile more on your plate until you have this plate full of information.

I recommend both of these classes to anyone regardless of skill level. In both classes we had students ranging from a 65 year old retired school teacher, to LEO, to ex-military, and civilians who just wanted to learn how to run their weapons when/if they needed to.

Starting with their “Gunfighter 1″ class, I highly reccomend this class to anyone who uses a weapon for protection whether it is every day as in LEO, or anyone who carries a CCW weapon, to the person that has a pistol in their car or nightstand.This class teaches you everything from drawing the weapon in a gunfight (which occurs up close and personal) to shooting from alternate positions while using cover like behind a car, under a bed, around a corner in your home, etc. Shooting on the move, shooting offhand, as well as offhand manipulations were all covered as well. This class is jam packed with material.

Shooting While Moving

What I really like is that Nate preaches the psychology of gun fighting in his class as well. Students walk away knowing that it is the more motivated of the two engaged in the fight that walks away with their life. “Violence of action” is a phrase that is heard again and again throughout the course.

The following day I was able to shoot the “Carbine 1″ course. Again I recommend this course to anyone regardless of experience level. The class had a good mixture of novice civilians, LEO, and ex-military. After getting out 100 yard zero, we covered how to present the weapon to the target, including proper gun fighting stances. Shooting on the move was covered as well as alternate shooting positions were covered. As in the gunfighter class, the carbine class had a good mixture of instruction as well as practical application. Plenty of scenario-based tactical problems were presented to students to make them used the skills they learned throughout the day.

Alternate Shooting Position VTAC 9 Hole Drill

This class definitely reinforces that shooting is a perishable skill. Going to the range, staging in front of the target is not enough in my opinion. Is it better than nothing? I guess. If anything I think it just presents training scars that teach us the wrong way to do things. In terms of formal instruction I can not say enough about the value you get out of a training course from Advantage Group.

I’m glad that I could find such a professional training group so close to home that I can take “advantage” of.