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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4lKF5uC0jI//

Our high school trap club recently bought a DryFire laser shooting simulator and already I am a believer. A device that eliminates the noise, recoil and expense of live fire makes huge sense as a teaching aid.

For instance, we took a senior who had never shot a gun and taught him the basics with the DryFire. He shot two rounds of laser trap a few days before his first trip to the range.

We started him on straightaway clays first at the gun club, and then let him try a full round of 16-yard trap. First time he broke 7×25. After another session on the DryFire, he broke 22×25 on real targets the following Saturday. I have never seen a kid climb the learning curve that quickly. He gets a lot of the credit, but so does the DryFire.

The unit consists of an oscillating head that projects a dot onto a mural and a laser arbor that fits into the muzzle of your gun. A button that fires the laser straps onto the trigger. You plug the system into a laptop and it shows the result of every shot immediately. When you shoot with proper form and keep your eyes on the laser dot, you hit it. When you make a mistake that would cost you a real target, you miss, as you can see when you watch the guy on the video struggle with right-angled birds.

Although DryFire can also be set up for trap doubles, bunker trap, skeet and Sporting Clays, from what I have seen so far, it is best for trap. Initial software installation took time, and there is some setup and recalibration involved if you switch guns, but overall, it has been money very well spent. You can buy a single unit for $1,050 and set it up in your home. While that may seem like a lot, it really isn’t when you compare it to the cost of gas, targets and ammunition for a day at the range.