Not everyone has the time to head down to the range on a weekly basis or sometimes the weather is not permitting. However there are many viable options such as laser training software that will help you improve your shooting skills. Many of these programs run off your laptop and use a webcam to track your shots then provide the necessary feedback needed to correct whatever discrepancies you may have encountered.
That program is L.A.S.R.
L.A.S.R. – Powderless Indoor Range Software
Why Use LASR
Dryfire practice is an excellent way to work on shooting fundametals. Many top competitive and tactical shooters recommend dryfire practice with your firearm of choice. However, those same shooters also agree that dryfire practice is boring. While you get a lot of trigger time (without firing a lot of rounds of ammunition), you don’t get a lot of feedback and it’s difficult to see how well you are doing.
L.A.S.R fills the gaps in dryfire practice and gives you a way to track your progress, and makes dryfire more fun and engaging.
How It Works
To get started, simply point your webcam at a target, start the L.A.S.R. program, select your targets, and start shooting your laser training aid at the target. L.A.S.R will see each shot and record where and when the “hit” occurred. There are a plethora of features and modes that you can mix and match to create your own custom courses of fire.
L.A.S.R. uses advances in the field of computer vision to “see” the laser from your training aid and record the exact location of your shot. This unique system also provides a shot timer for the added benefit of working on timed drills, as well as numerous other features and modes to help you get more from your dryfire training.
https://youtu.be/I0w8HTjrrCI
What You Need
- Your Computer
- Any Targets
- Any Webcam
- Any Laser Trainer
Minimum System Requirements
- CPU: 1.0 GHz or higher
- RAM: At least 2.0 GB of RAM
- Hard Drive: 100 MB of free hard drive space
- Webcam: Any webcam will work, but recommended resolution is 320×240 at 30 frames per second.
- Operating System: Windows Vista, Service Pack 2 or newer (Including Windows 7, 8, or 8.1)
*Built-in webcams are not recommended, since they are typically pointed at you, not the targets.
*A modern, multi-core processor is recommended.
Features
Use ANY HardwareLASR works with ANY laser training aide and you can use almost anything as targets, from a lightswitch on the wall to a full-size silhouette. Any modern computer can run LASR, using any off-the-shelf webcam.
Easy To UseLASR is built for you: the user. Quick to set up, easy to use, and easy to learn, LASR has built-in instructions and resources to make everything incredibly simple.
All that is achieved while still having a ton of features and functions to help you get more from your dryfire practice.
Integrated Shot TimerNot only can you see where your shots landed, but LASR’s built-in shot timer will tell you when your shots hit the target so you can time your draw, follow-up shots, and reaction times.
Advanced Features & FeedbackAs you use LASR, you can save your targets so you can review them later. Additionally, you can graph your progress per shooter and by drill. This allows you to visualize your progress and gives you key peformance indicators that you don’t get otherwise.
Shot Tracking on Multiple TargetsLASR allows you to track shots on up to nine targets and allows you to track shots on up to nine backdrop/no-shoot/miss-zone targets. You can draw and edit these target zones to line up however you want with the camera image.
Shot Timer ModesModeled after a standard comstock timer, the shot timer in LASR has the following modes: Basic (not timed), Immediate Start, Random Start, Random Start with Par, Call Targets, and Repetitive Mode.
Adjustable Visual and Audible IndicatorsThe diameter and color of the hit indicators on top of the camera picture, the sound the targets make when hit, start signals, and much more is configurable and can be changed on-the-fly.
Special Purpose TargetsWhen you work on a drill, you don’t always have to be near the computer. Special purpose targets allow you to control LASR from across the room; with your laser training device.
Diagnostic ModeIf you are trying to diagnose a trigger control problem, or you are trying to help a new shooter visualize what a good trigger pull looks like, you can enable Diagnostic Mode. You will see a line drawn from your original shot; in the direction your muzzle was moving when the shot broke
Race ModePart of what makes shooting fun is learning with other people. Race Mode allows more than one shooter (up to 9) to use LASR at one time. You can run man-on-man drills against each other and then use the shot timer to see who “won.”
Reload ModeReload Mode allows you to set the number of rounds in your “virtual magazine” and when you’ve shot that many times, you will be prompted to reload. You can also, optionally, make LASR ignore shots for a certain amount of time so you can’t “cheat” your reloads.
Call TargetsCall targets will randomly call different targets for you to shoot. The software will default to the target zone number, but you can also customize the target names. You can even customize how many shots or how much time until the next target is called.
Target Down ModeTarget Down Mode allows you to customize a number of hits required to “down” a target, or you can let the software choose a random number of hits. This can be extremely useful for getting shooters out of a two-round cadence mindset, or enforcing a certain number of rounds per target.
Save and Load PresetsYou can save and load complete courses of fire, allowing you to easily switch between different drills and different setups. You can have as many presets as you like, and they can be as complex or as simple as you like.
…and much more!!