Learning to use a laser.

[Prof Young]

So for $119 I got a Beretta Pico Laser body and a flashlight body. According to the Beretta website that's about $240. Good deal, and thank you Beretta. Anyway I've got the Laser body installed and am trying to learn to use it. Amazingly I'm not any better a shot with it than I am with regular sites. :-) It's all about holding the gun still . . . right.

So talk to me. What has your experience been in learning to use a laser on your carry gun.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[TXAZ]

It was fun to try and it helped to see how much the gun bounced but I’m more accurate with iron sights than the laser.

[Onward Allusion]

Do not aim with your eyes. Aim with your mind's eye. Point shoot. Follow the dot. Do not acquire your target using your iron sights then look for the dot.

For me, lasers are not useful at distances more than 5 to 7 yards. Better to use iron at anything further. Ever try to look for a 1/4" red dot at 30 feet???

[cw308]

Learning to shoot with a laser is pretty simple . Im shooting a Colt New Agent 45ACP came with Crimson Trace Laser Grips , now I'm training to point an shoot . I would suggest to get a steady rest like your range bag an rolled up bath towel , shooting about waist high , target set at 21 feet . Hold it steady on the rest with the laser on your target an practice pressing the trigger an shooting with out the dot bouncing . Most problems are the way your holding an pressing the trigger . Shoot with a rest for awhile until your groups tighten up an you get a feel for the gun.

[Cheapshooter]

Good for training to see just how much you really move. Also good for instinct shooting practice with an empty, checked, and rechecked gun!
But you are seeing one of the biggest faults in relying on a laser for actual defensive purposes. While you are searching for the little dot you may or may not find, your attacker is shooting, stabbing kicking, grabbing, and/or choking you. Learn instinct, point and shoot first. Rely on your own ability to quickly deploy, anf fire the gun without the gimmick. Keep it for that one in ten thousand chance that you might need it in total darkness if you must.

[Water-Man]

" It's all about holding the gun still . . . right."

Wrong. You will never hold the gun perfectly still.

It's all about timing. Pulling the trigger when the laser is hovering over your point of aim.

[Old Stony]

I've tried lasers numerous times, but to no avail. I've found they are much more useful for me to entertain the dog with. She loves chasing the dot...

[Bill DeShivs]

The best way to use a laser is to remove the batteries.
Then use the sights.

[Rob228]

One of the ways I drastically improved my trigger control was to train with an unloaded Ruger SP101 with Crimson Trace grips. I would hold the laser on a doorknob for the duration of the long, stiff trigger pull. It is like the old trick of putting a dime on top of your slide while you dry fire, if the dime falls off your trigger control is off or you are flinching. By watching the laser I could see exactly what was happening as I squeezed the trigger, and developed the muscle memory to hold the gun on target. That is the only firearm I have a laser on and I only use the laser for dry fire.

[cw308]

Rob228
I've also shoot my share of door knobs , muscle memory & eye hand coordination is very important. Shooting a revolver is harder to shoot then an auto , I carried a revolver for 25+ years , just recently changed to a 3" 1911with CT Laser Grips , Seems like most don't care for lasers but I like them . I guess every little bit helps for me .

[CDR_Glock]

First, a laser doesn’t make a person a better shooter.

It’s useful if you can’t bring a gun up to eye level.

It is calibrated at a specific distance. Closer than that, it shoots at a different point of impact (many times, higher) and when further, many times lower.

Red is visible out to 7-10 yards. Green can be seen 15-20 yards.

Key is the proper grip, trigger control, cadence, aim, and stance/platform.

I recommend dry firing, at first, using the laser as a guide. As you go through the trigger cycle, then you can see if you keep it in place.

Red dots are superior for aimed shooting at further distances.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[cw308]

Crimson Trace Lasers are set at 50' any closer your round will be lower and depending what laser right or left to the dot but not by much . You can adjust the laser for your distance. The dot will show you what your doing wrong . I think it's a good add-on . I have one pistol with CT Laser grips that is my favorite . You can adjust your gun like me , I shoot at 21 feet all the time , that bullet hits where the red dot is at that distance , easy to compensate if closer or further back .

[Bob Wright]

Believe it or not, I saw this when laser sights first appeared:

Two young ladies came out to the range with Colt Combat Commanders (I think) fitted with laser sights. They tried to fire and then put the red dot on the target to guide the bullet!

They were of the impression that the bullets became beam riding missiles!


Bob Wright

[Screwball]

I love lasers for dry fire practice... really useful tool. However, I don’t train with them. I do see that they are zeroed periodically, but I don’t use the laser when at the range other than that. Battery dies, no harm... as I’m still planning on using the sights.

Reading an unrelated book (about long range rifle shooting), I did see a very different idea for laser zeroing. You’ll always have your POI meeting the laser plane at one point, since it will be offset. If your laser is an inch low and to the left of the barrel, you zero at 15 yards, at 30, it should be about an inch high/right. For the difference in POI, likely not a big deal to worry about (similar to the 50 yard zero and 5.56mm with red dots).

The author mentioned that he would put the dot the same position at POI as it would be positioned from the bore. That way, the relationship of the laser to the POI is the same. If you have a laser below the barrel, just put the dot that far low when zeroing. I haven’t really attempted it, as I consider lasers more of a nice thing to be available to you... but it does seem sound.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

I have found that if the laser is properly sited that it just gives me a 1/2 to 2 "
target. I do not rely on any laser except in semi dark/dark lighting. I originally though that lasers were the answer to great shooting.
I have changed my thoughts on this.

[cw308]

Whether using regular sights or laser sights they are adjusted for a specific range to be accurate and hit what your aiming at , when you add a laser set at the same distance gets you there faster and I need all the help I can get . I'm a 308 benchrest shooter , 1911 shooting is much harder at a fraction of the distance.

[kozak6]

I don't think laser sights are terribly useful.

Think of them as a supplement for iron sights rather than a replacement.

They might be ok for low light (if you can safely identify your target), and for unconventional shots. Crimson Trace used to have some videos demonstrating peeking and shooting around corners and cover and such.

[Cheapshooter]

The way I used a laser that I had on my LCP for a short time was instinct "shooting" practice. With an UNLOADED gun I would draw it from my pocket, and instinctively point it at a door knob, light switch, wall outlet, etc. Then push the button on tje laser. Although through lots of similar live fire practice through the years, and the perfect pointability of the LCP I wasn't surprised to see the red dot on the target, or very near, every time.

[hemiram]

Maybe it's my older eyes, but I am much better with the laser than I am with regular sights. It's not even close. One of the fun things to do, in a mean way, is to let shaky friends try to shoot a laser equipped gun. I have one friend who has nothing really wrong with him, but he shakes terribly, as his mother did starting at about the same age. That dot jumping around always amuses me. I have by far, the steadiest hands of anyone I know, regardless of age. But most of my shooting friends, shaky or not, outshoot me unless I have the laser. With the laser I put on my SAR CM9 Gen 2 9mm, I shoot very well at anything I can see the dot on. I have 3 more lasers in the packages and I'm looking to put one on my original Taurus PT111 G2, and another one will eventually go on another gun, maybe my Sig P220.

[turkeestalker]

I would agree that lasers are superior for aimed shooting at further distances.....when used in the manner that Mr. DeShivs outlined.

They can be a useful training tool, but best when not relied on beyond that... just my opinion.

[DFM914]

Most self defense situations will likely take place under 10' or less. A laser is just going to slow your reaction down in my opinion. I own a couple of good lasers but do not have them mounted on any handgun that I will carry.

[Cheapshooter]

A laser is just going to slow your reaction down in my opinion.

Nor are they needed at that distance for any reason. Even in pitch dark. Sights are not even needed, and will slow you down at 10'.
But lasers sure look cool in the movies, on TV, and in the commercials during the "experienced professional's" cable TV shows that are getting paid to sell them.

[cw308]

With most carry guns the time it takes to use ,it's mostly a point an shoot situation . I'm training with a grip laser mounted.on the top right side of the grip with a pressure pad positioned on the front of the front strap , makes a fast point an shoot accurate hit , saves time to raise aim an fire . Like back in the wild wild west . A different way to train , makes things interesting & fun .

[CalmerThanYou]

I do not like the CTrace built into my Kimber 1911 grip, I seem to be distracted by keeping pressure on the activator.

[Cheapshooter]

cw308, "train" that way, then leave it off, and shoot. If you really trained yourself to shoot, and not look for the little red dot crutch, you will find that you shoot just as well without it.