As a passionate gamer and firing range enthusiast, few things get me more excited than discovering tools that can analyze and enhance shooting technique at home. The latest technology making safe dry-fire practice possible? Smartphone apps paired with gun mounts, converting your target accuracy into data.
The standout options in the space are clearly the Mantis Laser Academy and Strikeman targeting systems. They utilize similar core premises – mount up your phone and use app analytics to improve precision. But the hardware quality, software capabilities, and reliability factors difffer noticeably between the two.
I’ve tested and evaluated both setups extensively over 6 months of daily training. While both tools display promise, Mantis Laser reigns superior in nearly every category that matters. Here’s why smart shooters should invest in this category-leading dry fire practice system.
Building the Future of Firearm Training
First, let’s overview the founding stories behind the companies and baseline of what both tools aim to provide…
The Innovation of Mantis Laser Academy
Mantis began from military roots back in 2013, when founder Jeremy Simon asked artillery technicians for advice…
Table: History and Founding
| System | Founder | Origin Year | Impetus & Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mantis Laser Academy | Jeremy Simon | 2013 | Leverage artillery tech advice on tracking gun motion data to build next-gen firearms training |
| Strikeman Targeting | Strikeman LLC | 2021 | Provide basic targeting app to augment dry fire training with mobile sensor data |
Jeremy’s lightbulb moment using smartphone sensors to detect and analyze firearm technique marked a massive innovatation for the industry.
The system launched commercially in 2016 with further innovation and widespread app capability by 2019. Mantis broke ground in bringing detailed motion tracking and analytics to personal training that were unprecedented outside advanced military simulations.
Contrast With Strikeman Beginnings
The Strikeman app arrived far more recently in 2021, created anonymously by “Strikeman LLC” with notably little founder information…
While both tools offer at-home training convenience, Mantis stands apart for its pioneering background advancing data-drive accuracy enhancement dramatically. The innovation gap remains clear even now.
Head-to-Head Hardware Comparison
The physical equipment included and hardware capabilities build the framework determing what each training system can accomplish.
Of the two options I tested, Mantis again outshines for multiple reasons:
Superiod Build Construction – Mantis phone mounts feel perfectly sturdy and stable, crafted from military-grade materials that hold zero wiggle when firing. By comparison, my Strikeman mount slipped often, struggling to hold smartphone position consistently.
Bluetooth Remote Included – The Mantis package includes both a Small and Large Mount (holding most iOS and Android phones), along with a Bluetooth Controller to start/stop drills hands-free. Strikeman just utilizes awkward touch controls, lacking robust hardware ecosystems.
Versatile Positioning – With a dedicated Large Tripod, Small Rail Mount, and handheld remote, Mantis enables attaching your smartphone effectively anywhere with total angle flexibility for drills. Alternately, you must hold the Strikeman mount awkwardly while firing. Major ease of use limitation.
Vibration Precision Detection – Through subtle vibrations on the mount, Mantis can detect trigger pulls and gun motion accurately without buttons. Strikeman oddly requires pressing your phone screen to activate “shot”, which wiggles the mount and lowers accuracy each trigger pull. Less refined.
Premium Hardware Quality – From industrial aluminum build materials to the secure phone grips, Mantis simply utilizes vastly higher-end hardware components resulting in a superior training foundation. Strikeman often feels cheaply made in contrast.
For hardware capabilities that unlock the full potential of shot tracking and analytics, Mantis Reigns unmatched.
App and Software Capability Showdown
Even with effective hardware in place, the companion app determines what feedback and improvements an at-home training system can actually provide through software.
I pitted the Mantis and Strikeman apps head-to-head over 6+ months for targeting practice and skills analysis. Here‘s how the software shake downs:
Wider Target Selection – The Mantis app provides over double the number of practice target options over Strikeman – from basic circles to human silhouettes and even zombies! No matter your aiming preference, Mantis delivers.
Shot Groupings Data – As a performance obsessive, I love that Mantis apps show detailed shot groupings and heat maps for every session. Strikeman just indicates the general shot location, failing to capture true accuracy capability.
Reliability of Tracking – No metric matters more than reliably capturing ever shot for feedback. While Mantis tracked flawlessly over months, Strikeman struggled routinely with sync issues missing shots completely. Unacceptable failure rate for valid practice.
Analytics Dashboard – The Mantis app provides gorgeous performance trend graphs across warm up patterns, timed challenges, and target types. Strikeman just shows basic accuracy percentage – almost zero bigger picture analytics.
Adaptable Difficulty Levels – Smart adaptive training means the app responds to your current capability levels to push slight improvement. Mantis conqueres this with adjustable accuracy challenges and target sizes. Strikeman difficulty remains static annoyingly.
Pro Version Included – While Strikeman just offers its limited core app, every Mantis hardware purchase includes FREE access to their Pro app with remarkable enhanced analytics and comparison data. Outstanding value add.
Across target selection, data capture, adaptivity, and analytics, the superiority of the Mantis Laser Academy software package shines through again.
Reliability and Support Value
What good comes from advanced hardware and software if the system proves unreliable or lacks sufficient troubleshooting resources?
Both Mantis Laser Academy and Strikeman targeting offer digital user manuals to reference. But issues inevitably crop up amid regular training. When they do…
Community Forum Access – Mantis provides immediate access to member-only community forums with searchable questions and detailed answers from company reps. Strikeman offers zero community access I could find for advice. You‘re left helpless.
Quick Email Support Response – Despite reaching out 3 separate instances with synchronization and app issues, I never received a single support response from the Strikeman generic email address. Mantis Laser replies reliably within 24 hours in my experience.
Hardware & App Refinement – The Mantis Laser Academy system receives routine firmware updates enhancing vibration detection, equipment tweaks for usability, and app upgrades driving improved analytics. Strikeman has issued zero product improvements since its release.
Ongoing Content Development – Because Mantis ranks as the definitive leader in shot tracking tech, their team frequently develops and rolls out proprietary target packs and specialized drill content monthly to take training further. Strikeman has rather gone radio silent.
Reliability and support separate successful brands from short-term players. Mantis Laser Academy demonstrates its commitment here markedly over Strikeman‘s lacking efforts.
Impact On Actual Shooting Ability – The Proof
The rubber truly meets the road in whether adopting one of these at-home training systems delivers concrete shooting skill improvements out in field use.
After months drilling with both setups and tracking my progress, I can say…
Tightened Shot Groupings – Through the depth of analytics and reliably tracked repetition, my shot groupings shrank noticeably faster under Mantis measured training. Strikeman’s fluttering inconsistencies failed to demonstrate real progress.
Quicker Sight Picture Acquisition – One of my goals centered on tightening my draw-to-fire timing. Again, through the superior sensor data and time-to-fire charts in Mantis, my acquisition speed improved dramatically over 6 months. Strikeman offered no timing or improvement clarity.
Feedback Driving Refinement – Having clear accuracy heat maps, grip wobble measurements, and aggregate progress data keeps motivation high while training under Mantis. The hollowness of Strikeman’s erratic tracking makes refinement directionless.
Simply put, the extensive qualitative and quantitative feedback within the Mantis Laser Academy app converts to quantifiable shooting skill gains far beyond what Strikeman’s tempermental solution can ever achieve.
The Level-Up Potential Over Time
While a $150 price tag catches attention upfront, the true measurement comes from long-term usage and satisfying skill growth years into ownership.
This comparative potential proves where Mantis Laser Academy justifies higher investment, while Strikeman threatens flatline obsolescence:
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Ever-Expanding Content – Mantis Laser makes continual content expansions a top priority with new drills, training games, and target options added through updates regularly. Strikeman has gone fully quiet since launch.
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Reads Muscle Memory Gains – As technique improves, the Mantis motion sensors can detect the markers of muscle memory growth in your steadiness and speed metrics. No such insight exists from Strikeman’s jumpy app.
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Analysis Fosters Further Improvement – Mantis delivers a masterclass in performance analytics, where informed diagnosis on grip weaknesses or timing delays allows correcting issues for the next level. Strikeman analytics remain vapid and surface level.
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Adapts Along Your Skill Progression – Smart adaptive training means Mantis app difficulty adjusts as your accuracy and speed hit new thresholds to keep challenging your maximum ability. Strikeman lacks any adaptive underpinnings.
The beauty of the continually evolving Mantis Laser system is the way it addresses flaws, then grows along your skill tier to keep your progression accelerating over months and years. Strikeman simply cannot compare on longitudinal potential.
Final Verdict – Dollar for Value Evaluation
When evaluating any premium firearm accessory, the pivotal judgement boils down to tangible value exceeded monetary investment over years of ownership.
For at-home training that nudges your technique toward peak performance daily, Mantis Laser Academy earns a thunderous bang for buck. The bundled Pro app access, continually expanding content updates, reliability of motion tracking, and downright brilliant performance analytics make meaningful accuracy and speed skills progression inevitable.
Alternately, the Strikeman Targeting app delivers such demonstrably erratic shot capture struggling to inform any real improvement that the paltry $100 feels steep. Shoddy SDK development prevents Strikeman from every catalzying truly accelerated dry fire skills, especially long-term.
So for dollar-to-value ROI that transforms an interested shooter toward expert marksman capabilities over years of ownership, the winner becomes crystal clear:
Mantis Laser Academy stands miles ahead as the superior dry fire training investment – the only system built for serious skill growth from amateur to pro.
Whether just dipping your toe into professional-grade improvement analytics or ready to master elite reaction times from the draw, Mantis Laser Academy has you covered now and for thousands of focused training reps to come. Strikeman fizzles fast.
Choose the at-home training advantage designed for the highest tiers of technical mastery – invest in revolutionizing your skills with Mantis Laser Academy. Simply the future of firearms practice realized.