I am a strong believer in dry fire practice. I’ve experienced first-hand the benefit of it. It’s the best way to keep training while also saving money. Plus, it saves time when you don’t have to travel to a range and can just practice in your home.

When I had an opportunity to try out Laser Ammo's LaserPET™ II (Personal Electronic Target) and SureStrike™ laser cartridge, I wanted to see if it really is an affordable and useful option for dry fire practice.

The training package comes with the LaserPET™ II and SureStrike™ 9mm Laser Cartridge, battery pack for the laser, five changeable target cards, AAA batteries (can also be charged via USB, cord not included), mini tripod and user guide. No computer is needed, you don’t even need a cell phone or other device.

It was much smaller than I expected, and extremely lightweight. This is beneficial because by being small it takes up very little room no matter where you choose to place it for practice.

Reminder: Practice all dry fire safety measures! See page 3 of the instructions for specific information.

The directions are very clear, so it sets up easily. First, I placed the system on the provided tripod. This makes it very useable as it can be moved to a table, a counter, outside on a log, pretty much anywhere you feel like practicing. I put it on the mantel over the fireplace and it was the perfect height. It also has a wall-mount you can use instead if you prefer. I have a spot at the end of my hallway where I keep a paper target tacked to the wall for my dry fire practice. I removed that target and hung up the system and performed some practice drills. Another benefit of the system being lightweight is that I could just hang it on the pushpin, I didn’t have to use a nail.

The wall mount usage worked so well I’m going to leave the LaserPET™ II there instead of hanging the single paper target back up. This way I can more quickly access it which always makes it even easier for me to put time in practicing.

I used my Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 C.O.R.E. since that is my usual competition gun and I did have to rack between each shot with it. However, it’s important to know that you do not have to rack all guns. Some guns, such as the Taurus G2 and G3 have restrike capability so you don’t have to rack between shots. I’ve used these with the Laser Ammo Smokeless Range and they work fantastic. So, I got one out to try with the LaserPET™ II and I can report that they worked just as flawlessly with it as they did with the Smokeless Range.

After finishing my dry-fire practice I used a small wooden dowel to easily remove the SureStrike™ Laser Cartridge and placed it in an easily accessible spot so that I can get my gun out, put the cartridge in, push the on button on the system and immediately begin practicing. Set up and put away take very little time. No more excuses of not having enough time to dry fire practice.

The Laser Ammo LaserPET™ II and SureStrike™ is most certainly an affordable – and fun! – option to increase your dry-fire practice time and improve your skills.

By Nancy Keaton, Freelance Writer

See a short video of Nancy testing it here.