Dry Fire Targets: Paper, Camera and Electronic Systems
Compare paper, camera-based and electronic dry fire targets by the feedback they give, what they need to work and what they cannot show.
A dry fire target gives your practice a point of reference. The main difference between target setups is the feedback you get back: none, a detected hit on a screen, or a signal from the target itself. Which one suits you depends on what you want to review and how much setup you will accept.
This article compares three common setups. Check each manufacturer’s current specifications before you buy anything.
A target does not make the direction safe
Any target needs a safe direction behind it. A paper sheet or an electronic panel gives you an aiming point. It does not stop anything. NSSF defines a safe direction as one in which a bullet cannot possibly strike anyone, taking into account possible ricochets and the fact that bullets can penetrate walls and ceilings. Its rules say you should never point the gun at an unsafe target, even when dry firing with an unloaded gun. They also say to check the chamber, receiver and magazine for yourself. Our home safety checklist covers the rest. Follow the manuals for your firearm and training equipment, and local law.
Paper alone
A plain paper target needs no electronics. It gives you a fixed point to aim at and a way to keep your practice consistent.
What you get: a simple, repeatable aiming point.
What you do not get: any record of where a shot would have gone. With no laser or sensor, there is nothing to review afterward except your own observations.
Camera-based targets
Here a phone camera watches a physical target, which may be paper, and detects a laser pulse. LaserHIT describes a system that uses a laser cartridge, a mobile device and scaled targets, and reports shot placement, grouping and timing. Strikeman pairs its app with standard targets and offers more target options in its paid tier.
What you get: a visual record of detected hits, often with scores or timing, that you can compare over time.
What it needs: a compatible laser, a phone and a stable camera position. LaserHIT’s setup guide has a setting that tells the app which cartridge type to expect, so check compatibility first. If your setup uses a laser cartridge, follow its manual for fitting and removing it.
Limits: a hit that is not detected may be a setup problem rather than a miss. Scaled targets represent distance and size, but a scaled result is still not a live-fire result.
Electronic targets
An electronic target reacts to the laser itself and gives its feedback on the unit. Designs vary, so here is one example rather than a rule for the whole category. Laser Ammo describes its LaserPET II as a laser-activated, reactive electronic target with a numeric LED display, a tripod and six built-in training programs, including a hit counter, a shot timer and split times.
The same page shows why compatibility matters: it says the target works with the company’s own red or infrared SureStrike cartridges, and that other laser trainers will not activate it, apart from CoolFire.
What to compare: how it gives feedback, what data it keeps, and whether it recognizes your particular laser.
How to choose
Whichever you choose, the safe direction and your manuals come first. After that, start with what you want to learn:
| If you want to | Consider | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Keep practice simple and consistent | Paper alone | Target size and placement |
| Review hit locations across sessions | Camera-based system | Laser compatibility, phone position, lighting |
| Get feedback from the target itself | Electronic target | Laser compatibility, what data it stores |
None of these measures how the firearm moved before the shot. Motion systems do that, and they are not always an either-or choice. Mantis says MantisX does not use a target, and that it works in tandem with its Laser Academy target app. For more on that difference, see laser hits and motion feedback. For what the numbers mean once you have them, see what a dry fire app can measure.
Where TEKAIM fits
TEKAIM is a training device being developed for dry-fire practice, and it is designed to combine target-view feedback with motion data. Real-device performance is still being validated, so we do not publish detection accuracy figures for any distance or lighting. See the system page for its current state.
This article is general educational information. It is not a substitute for hands-on instruction from a qualified instructor, local laws and range rules, or the manuals for your firearm and training equipment.