As a professional shooter, you know the importance of speed and shot placement.
"Perfect practice makes perfect", A shot timer is your best ally in honing these skills. It's a tool that's not just for competitive shooting, but also for military training and recreational shooting. It's one of the best interactive training tools you can bring to the range to practice. Let's dive into the best 4 shot timers that can help you elevate your shooting proficiency.
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PACT Club Timer III
The PACT Club Timer III is all about simplicity and focus. It operates with just one button, so you can keep your mind on your shooting.
It runs on a single 9-volt battery, and the buzzer is extra loud, so you'll never miss the start of your shooting session. It might be too big for your shirt pocket, but that's a small price to pay for its large display. This display, located on the flat bottom/front of the timer, gives you all the information you need:
- Multiple shots in a single string
- Time to first shot
- Set a par time
- Review of all shots
- Splits between each shot in the string
- And more
But don't let its simplicity fool you. This timer lets you craft and save your own drills. Plus, it has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can analyze your data on a larger screen. Its clear, easy-to-read display keeps you informed about your progress and in control of your performance.
CED7000 Shot Timer
The CED7000 Shot Timer is all about compact design and convenience. With its LCD screen, the CED7000 fits comfortably in your hand. One thing to note is that it doesn't come with a built-in belt clip.
With multiple buttons that are both intuitive and easy to navigate, and two sets of start/review buttons for personalized control, the CED7000 adapts effortlessly to your shooting style.
Tailor your training with customizable par time settings that let you set single or multiple par times with adjustable delay intervals down to hundredths of a second.
Simulate real-life shooting scenarios with flexible delay settings, offering options for fixed random/instant or custom delays.
With its shot detection microphone featuring 8 pre-programmed digital sensitivity settings, the CED7000 captures shots from any firearm with unparalleled precision. No detail goes unnoticed.
Competition Electronics ProTimer 3
The ProTimer 3 from Competition Electronics is a favorite among competition shooters. It earns high marks for its accuracy, ease of use, and custom drill setup.
This timer is proudly made in the USA and offers Bluetooth capability with a free mobile app, along with built-in shot string memory. Unlike other larger timers, the ProTimer stands out with its compact, ergonomic design that fits right in with most competition gear setups.
MantisX
Unlike traditional shot timers, the Mantis X10 Elite provides a comprehensive analysis of your shooting performance. It measures all your movements, helping you understand if you're moving your muzzle before breaking your shots, during your trigger squeeze, and even after shots are taken. This information is invaluable as it allows you to precisely analyze your shooting technique, identifying movements that would otherwise be undetectable.
The Mantis X10 Elite is also equipped with a mobile app that presents the data collected by the sensor in organized charts and tables. The app includes various courses, drills, and daily challenges that help improve different shooting skill sets. This feature is unique to the Mantis X10 Elite and is not found in traditional shot timers.
Shot Timer Buyer's Guide
How does a shot timer work?
Shot timers use a microphone or another sound sensor to detect the sound of a gunshot. When the shot timer hears the gunshot, it starts a timer and stops it when the sound of the shot stops. The shot timer then displays the elapsed time, showing how long it took you to fire the shot.
Some shot timers offer extra features like storing and analyzing data, creating custom drills, and connecting to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. These features can help you keep track of and analyze your shooting times, identify areas where you need to improve, and set up specific training scenarios.
Smartphone app for shot timers?
Yes, there are several shot timer apps available on both the iTunes Store and the Google Play Store. The best one on the market right now is the MantisX integrated shot timer.
The MantisX hardware uses precise accelerometers and gyroscopes to track the gun's movements and sends the information directly to your mobile device through the app. This process eliminates any interference caused by other shooters or background noise.
Can a shot timer be used for dry fire practice?
It's doable, but many fail to work due to lack of gunshot to register the shot timer.
However, using a shot timer during dry practice and range training offers another significant benefit: it introduces a slight element of stress. Any task becomes more stressful when you time yourself, and this is especially true for speed-based competitions like practical shooting. Any competitor will confirm that the starting "beep" of the timer can throw your mental plans for shooting the stage into disarray.
Regular use of a timer during dry practice and range training can help you become more accustomed to this stress, enhancing your performance when it truly matters.