Strikeman Vs Mantis: Who to pick when shopping for a dry-fire training system?

When it comes to training with your firearm it can be very timely and costly to maintain regular range visits. Live fire training is critical, but is only one component to having a well rounded routine for training. Dry-fire training allows you to safely train with your firearm in your own home. Utilizing a dry-fire training system can keep you consistent with your training while saving you money on ammo and time at the range. But where do you start? What do you buy? In this article you will be able to compare 2 of the top dry-fire laser systems on the market today, Strikeman & Mantis Laser Academy. Here, we’ll break down the pro’s and con’s of each and what you need to know when shopping for a dry fire laser system.

Training Kits & What’s Included

Strikeman: The Standard kit is priced for $99 with the Marksman kit coming in at $152, and they both include:

• Customer selected laser cartridge caliber
• Ejection rod 
• 1 basic target & 3-piece stand
• Tripod & mount
• Carrying Case (with Marksman kit, not standard).

Mantis: The mantis laser academy is currently priced at $159, and includes:

• Customer selected laser cartridge caliber
• Ejection rod
• 12 targets & 5 metal standing loops
• Small & large tripods
• Carrying Case (does not fit target & stands).

	Mantis Laser Academy	Strikeman Standard Kit	Strikeman Marksman Kit
Cost	$159	$99	$152
Additional Laser Cartridges	one provided with 10 additional calibers available	18 different calibers available for purchase, selected caliber included in purchased system	18 different calibers available for purchase, selected caliber included in purchased system
App Design and Support	3 sections - drills, courses, videos	5 sections - social feed, compete, train, metrics, profile	5 sections - social feed, compete, train, metrics, profile
Available Drills/Game Modes	31 total games and drills, however additional targets & in app purchases will be needed for full access	Strikeman offers 9 unique interactive targets, 23 distinct game modes, and over 30 specialized game rules — totaling more than 50 different ways to train	Strikeman offers 9 unique interactive targets, 23 distinct game modes, and over 30 specialized game rules — totaling more than 50 different ways to train
Number of Targets Available	12 included, 6 for additional purchase	1 included plus 6 available for purchase. Open target allows for any printed target as well	1 included plus 6 available for purchase. Open target allows for any printed target as well
Calibers Available	8 different calibers (9mm, 40 S & W, 45 ACP, 380 ACP, 38 Special/357 Magnum, 357 Sig, 223/556, 10mm)	18 different calibers (9mm, .380 ACP, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .38 Special/357 Mag, .357 Sig, .45 Colt, 10mm, .223/5.56, .303, .308, 30-30, .243, .30-06, 7.62x5.1mm, 6.5 CRDMR, .300 AAC, 12 Gauge)	Choose one of the 6 most popular to include in your kit, (9mm, .380 ACP, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .38 Special/357 Mag,223/556) and add on any of the full 18 as an add-on

Photo Comparisons 

Carrying Case	Target & Stand	Ejector Tool

Customer Journey

Strikeman:

1. You begin by creating your profile in the Strikeman app. You also have the option to continue as a guest, but it is simple to create your account if you want to track your metrics and utilize the social feed. This allows you to add friends, firearm information, and session preferences to your account before you begin training.
2. Following the set up you will be directed to the training tab of the app. However, you will still need to set up your Strikeman system and calibrate the app to the target. The set up is very simple and the target stand and tripod are fairly sturdy. Just slide the pieces of the target stand together, attach your phone to the provided tripod, and you are good to go.
3. You will begin your actual training by entering your session preferences such as distance, number of shots, time shooting, etc. These details can be saved as a training template which you will be able to quickly pull up in future sessions. The shot detection is quick and accurate and is accompanied by a gun shot noise when the laser is registered. You can even alter your sound effect in your app settings. When using the Strikeman system with their provided target all shots fired were recorded and scored with precision placement.
4. Once you have concluded your session you can use the voice commands feature to repeat your training, post your results on your social feed, or move to the metrics tab to review your shooting data. Once there you can review individual sessions, overall metrics, and achievements you have earned while training.

Mantis:

1. Same as Strikeman your journey will begin in the app. Once the app is opened you’ll start on the drill portion of the training tab. There you will find starter welcome videos guiding you through your basics. These videos will help you get your targets and tripod set up to begin training.
2. The set up is simple but both the target stands and tripod are very weak and struggle to support heavier targets or phones. Once your system is assembled you can begin your training.
3. The laser academy from Mantis provides initial courses which will take you through different shooting drills and targets progressively. You must score the set minimum in your session in order to move on to the next section of training. If you are looking for less structure you can explore the additional training modes available, however most will require you to print additional targets from the Mantis site. When shooting Mantis targets with their system, the shot tracking is great. All shots, even ones off target are properly tracked and scored, and the app will also include tracking lines to identify which way your gun is pulling when shooting.
4. Once you conclude your training you can go into the history tab to view your prior sessions. There the app will provide you with playbacks of your session showing where shots placed and the order they were fired. Outside of your metrics you can also navigate to the videos tab which will provide you with tutorial videos and tips on shooting.

App Comparisons

Strikeman: The Strikeman app has seen major updates since bringing the app development in-house. The current version has speedy calibration time, accurate shot tracking, engaging social and compete features, and more.

The app has excellent usability when it comes to Strikeman specific products. The open target mode also allows you to use non-Strikeman targets. The tracking on these targets have very accurate shot placement but can experience issues with scoring. Strikeman currently does not support multiple targets in use at once but this feature is on the roadmap for the developers. 

An advantage the Strikeman app does have is its compete and social features. The compete mode allows you to go head to head with another Strikeman user, adding more of a game element to the training. Social features in the app will also allowing you to have friends and compare shooting metrics.

The app does a great job at compiling your metrics, both from a general view and by individual sessions. Within metrics you can review your grouping, shot angle, average scores, achievements, and more.

Finally, the base app offers a lot to its users, with only 2 training modes unavailable with the standard app. (screen shots of the app provided below)

Mantis: The Mantis app offers a lot out of the gate but can be a bit overwhelming with the options.

The apps calibration is a bit more timely and does not always respond correctly when using manual calibration. However, once calibrated the shot tracking is both informative and accurate. The app does struggle with non mantis branded targets, calibration with open target modes tend to crash the app.

The app struggled with the compete mode as well, also crashing when reviewing the session. The Mantis app does not offer any social features but it does offer an extensive list of courses and tutorial videos for individual training.

When it comes to reviewing your training the app is more focused on individual session than overall averages. This is great for a more granular view of your shooting habits, but does make it harder to track growth. In terms of the base app, Mantis offers a lot to its users, with a handful of modes and features reserved for the paid version. (screen shots of the app provided below)

Grading Across Apps

In Conclusion

When comparing the two systems both offer clear advantages that can improve your shooting with dry-fire training. However, the edge does seem to go to Strikeman.

• Lower Price Point: For a lower cost the Strikeman base app offers quick calibration and accurate shot tracking.
• Simple Calibration: Strikeman's calibration system is both faster and easier to operate.
• Seamless Compete Mode: Strikeman provides a better compete mode with an active social feed... without the app crashing.
• Advanced Metrics: Finally, the Strikeman app offers more quality analytics allowing you to see individual sessions and your rolling averages.

Overall, Strikeman is the best bang for your buck when it comes to your dry-fire training choices. Whether you are a seasoned firearm user or new to firearm training completely, the Strikeman system provide a simple and fun at home training that is sure to improve your shot.