General FAQ
The DryFire simulator contains a safe, low-power light source generating a sharp beam of light which can be projected onto almost any surface a few feet or many yards away. Place the simulator on a table, or mount it on a photographic tripod, point it at a wall and stand behind it with your gun. You are ready to start.
The target laser is mounted on a mechanism that allows it to be directed at almost any position in front of you. The simulator is connected to a PC which controls all of its activities and, when you call “Pull,” generates the sequence of movement instructions that makes the target spot move along exactly the same path, and at the same angular speed, as a clay thrown from a trap in real life.
The muzzle of your gun is fitted with an insert that sends out a pulse of invisible light, which is activated when you press the trigger. The state-of-the-art camera, which is built into the simulator, detects the pulse generated when you shoot, does its calculation of lead required, and knows whether you had a hit or a miss.
If you had a miss, it knows by how much and in which direction so the simulator can use its own visible laser to show you the relative positions of the target and the shot. Even better, the PC can show you a “freeze frame” picture of the target and your shot.
The system automatically accounts for lead so you must aim at exactly the same angular position ahead as with a real clay – i.e. so far ahead for a crossing target or almost right at it for a going away or driven target.
DryFire simulators are serious training aids – not toys or games!
We have gone to every effort to ensure that shooting at a simulated target is exactly the same as shooting at a clay – that’s why you use your own gun with our simulators – not some specially modified or “toy” gun.
A critical part of shotgun shooting is “gun fit”. You will have selected your gun to suit you: left/right handed, barrel length, overall weight, sight plane, auto or O/U – and you want to practice with your gun – not a special one that is not balanced correctly or just does not feel right.
Our aim is to improve your scores. We want you to enjoy using the DryFire simulators using your own gun and then to take that same gun to your club and shoot a real round of skeet, trap or sporting. We want you to see how your scores improve with practice.
We know that using our simulators is fun (lots of fun – and there is no harm in that!) but all the time you are having fun you are improving your skills and that will show up when you take your gun down to the range.
Very accurate.
The path and speed of the target, the amount of lead you must allow, the moment when you first see the target, the moment it disappears (a rabbit between bushes for example), the moment it goes out of range, the effect of a strong wind blowing the target towards you or away from you – all these are programmed into the software.
DryFire works with angles – when standing on station 4 of a skeet range the angular distance from the high house to the low house is about 105 degrees. When you are standing behind your DryFire simulator the angular distance from the high house to the low house is about 105 degrees – you are standing fairly close to the wall the target is projected on so the movement from left to right, or right to left, requires EXACTLY the same swing as on the range.
The skills required to hit the moving spot of light are exactly the skills needed to pulverize clays on the range – that’s what makes the DryFire simulators the perfect way to improve your clay shooting skills.
It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yes, that’s what happens – it moves a spot of red-orange laser light across the wall in front of you and you shoot at it.
However, there is much more to it. Read on to learn the facts.
The very unique thing is that the spot of the laser light is following the exact same angular path at the same angular speed as the clay DryFire is simulating. Therefore, your indoor practice with DryFire will cause you to move your gun in exactly the same manner you would outdoors.
Now, using your own gun equipped with the DryFire Gun Laser, you will mount and shoot at the target using the same method of leading you do outdoors — an exact representation.
At the instant you pull the trigger, you will hear the sound of a shotgun blast (produced by your computer speakers) and instantly, if the DryFire system mathematically determines you would have broken the target, the moving red-orange laser target light will be turned off.
If, on the other hand, it was detemined you missed the target, the laser target light will continue on its trajectory until it lands on the ground.
At this point in the process, you have experienced the same things you do in real live shooting — you see a target, mount your gun and shoot at it, and watch to see if the clay target breaks.
Newcomers to clay shooting.
DryFire is the ideal way to get a lot of practice when learning the skills of clay shooting. If you are sensible you will schedule a series of lessons with the club instructor then you will need all the practice you can get. DryFire allows you to practice any time, anywhere; at home or at work and it helps you to develop the skills that will rapidly get you ready for competition shooting.
You’ve bought the gun, the jacket, the ear protection, the safety glasses, the cap and the ammo, you’ve joined the club and had the lessons – now’s the time to practice so that you can smoke those clays!
Competition shooters.
Shooting under competition conditions is stressful – no matter how easy the guy standing next to you makes it look (that’s just gamesmanship!) Competitions are not the place to practice – they are the place where you want to be 100% confident that your technique is perfect. Between competitions you need to build on your existing skills as you improve your average and move up through the classes.
DryFire allows you to chose the time and place for practice and lets you shoot one round or fifty rounds without worrying about the weather or traveling to the club. You may want to try a new technique – follow through instead of maintained lead for example – DryFire allows you to try a new technique without risking your competition scores.
Experts.
An expert is the first one to recognize that practice makes perfect. Without practice, skills begin to erode, muscle learning begins to decay and the mind begins to wander because the art of 100% concentration is lost. Experts know that beginners can quickly improve their skills because they are starting from a low base, but keeping high scores, and improving on them, is a serious problem. DryFire can provide you with better practice than the club because you will have to maintain a high level of concentration for a longer period of time. With DryFire in front of you, every time you call “Pull” you get a target. There is no moving between stands, no waiting for someone else on the squad to shoot – just 100% dedicated full-time practice. If you have the concentration skills to maintain high scores for half an hour with DryFire then you will have the skills to build your scores in competition.
Those who enjoy some fun.
Gun Clubs.
DryFire allows you to extend the services you offer to your members. It allows people to shoot at any time of the day, no matter what the weather outside and it is perfect for those corporate days where you want to give people some instruction and practice before they start shooting at real clays – 5 minutes with DryFire can overcome some of the initial problems and boosts initial scores – a certain way to get your corporate clients to return again and again.
DryFire provides serious training aids but it is also fantastic FUN!
If you have a suitable PC, you will need your shotgun, a suitable room, and you will need to purchase a DryFire Home Pack. The Dryfire Home Pack contains everything else you need for one person. The Home Pack includes the following: the main simulator unit a gun assembly (which includes the muzzle laser insert, the trigger box, and a trigger switch), an AC/DC converter to power the simulator unit, a serial cable to connect the simulator unit to one of your PC’s unused serial ports (also called COM ports), and the Dryfire software.
You need a Windows PC to run DryFire. Macs do not support our systems.
• The PC controls the simulator to generate the targets and to see where you shot.
• The PC shows you exactly where you shot in relation to the target.
• The PC allows you to access this site for the latest news and software.
• The PC allows you to contact us for support via email.
Please check the DryFire Support page for full details on the type of PC required to run DryFire.
The base is 6″ x 6″ x 4.25″ (152mm x 152mm x 63.5mm). Underneath the base has a tripod bushing built-in which fits quite happily on top of a camera tripod. The simulator may also be ceiling mounted.
Not exactly. One difference is: there is no recoil.
DryFire provides a two dimensional representation of a target – it “flies” across the wall in front of you. On the range you have the advantage of three dimensions so that you can judge distance. DryFire helps here by providing you with a display on your PC screen to show you the targets in the setting of a shooting ground so that you know exactly where they are coming from, and going to, before you call “Pull”.
You can also select audio feed-back so that a tone is produced depending on the distance and speed of the target – a going away target will start with a high tone and this will decrease as it gets further away – a bit like the “doppler effect” in the sound a car or train coming towards you or going away from you.
Our field tests have shown that having the image of the stand on the PC screen, and seeing the target move across it, is sufficient to “set” the shooter ready for the target spot as it moves across the wall when he calls “Pull”. The brain is excellent at retaining the image of the stand and using it to control the shotgun when shooting at the target spot.
Yes.
The simulator contains a single laser to generate the target spot representing the clay. When you select simultaneous doubles the simulator displays the first target and, when you shoot, it immediately switches the laser to follow the path of the second target. So, if you are 1 second into the flight of the first target when you shoot, DryFire will pick up from 1 second into the flight of the second. On Skeet Station 4 your left-to-right high crosser will switch immediately to the right-to-left low crosser.
“On-report” doubles are obviously no problem – as soon as you fire at the first target DryFire will release the second.
When you have taken both shots (or failed to take both shots!) DryFire will show you the shot location for both targets.
Lasers are part of our every day lives – your CD player and PC laser printer both contain lasers. Looking directly at the bright midday sun is a very dangerous thing to do – don’t do it unless you wish to risk blindness. The same rule applies to a light source – don’t look directly into it.
The DryFire simulators direct the beam of light in front of you for projection against a wall or building. The beam is switched on only while the target is moving – thus minimizing the time it is in any one position. The beam and the spot it projects on a wall are certainly not dangerous – you can safely put you hand in the way of the light beam.
The laser source used by DryFire simulators is very low power and is the same as that used by laser pointers so it meets all the requirements for the safety regulations defined for them.
The pulse of invisible light sent during shot detection is of such short duration (a few thousandths of a second), and such low power, that it creates no danger to the eyes.
The simulator projects targets against a wall and you stand behind the simulator to shoot. You need a fairly flat wall, a minimum of 8 feet long.
The space requirements will depend on the type of training you plan to do. If you are a single shooter, using a Single Head unit, you’ll need the minimum of a 8 x 8 foot space. The projected targets will launch from one location on a 8 foot wall.
For doubles or pairs, and for team shooting, a Dual Head unit will need a larger width of 14-18 feet.
Shooters stand approximately 8 feet from the wall, with the DryFire unit mounted on a stand 4-6 feet from the wall, or mounted on the ceiling.
Small but obvious warning!
DryFire can simulate all targets, including tower shots to be taken directly above your head! Make sure that your room has enough space overhead for you to swing your barrel vertically – don’t select the tower targets if your room is too low – otherwise you will be replacing the lights and ceiling plaster!
No and maybe.
DryFire works best in subdued light. This is because the pulse of invisible light fired from your gun barrel is in the infra-red part of the spectrum. Direct sunlight also contains infra-red so it is best to ensure that sunlight is not directly falling onto the wall you are using for target projection.
In most cases DryFire will work perfectly well during normal daylight though you may have to close the curtains (drapes, blinds) slightly to avoid direct sunlight.
DryFire has an auto-exposure function and will tell you if there are stray sources of bright light in the room.
Sorry, but this has to be a little technical.
Laser Clays
Laser clays involves using a special shotgun to shoot directly at special reflective clays. When you squeeze the trigger the shotgun sends out a powerful beam of invisible infrared light and this bounces off the reflective clay (assuming that you are aiming directly at it) and is picked up by a special receiver on the ground.
The beam of infrared light is “modulated” – this means that it is switched on and off several thousand time a second. The receiver picks up ALL infrared light, including that produced by the sun and by lights, but it ignores these until it sees some infrared light flashing on and off at the right frequency. It therefore knows when it has received a reflection from the special clay – therefore it knows that you have hit it. Each shotgun uses a different modulation frequency so the system can tell which shooter has hit the clay.
DryFire
DryFire also uses an infrared laser in your shotgun muzzle but it is of low power (for safety reasons) and it is not modulated. The reason for this is simple – with DryFire you do not have to aim directly at the target – you have to allow the same amount of angular lead as when shooting at a real clay. The camera in the DryFire simulator has to do two jobs:
• Tell when you have fired
• Tell where you have fired
There is an infrared filter over the camera so that it is only sensitive to infrared light and it will “see” a bright spot when you press the trigger. It uses the location of the spot to calculate whether or not you have a hit – taking into account the trajectory and speed of the clay, the muzzle velocity of your shell, the type of shell, your barrel length and the chokes in use.
Lead
Lead is critical in shotgun shooting and is the key feature that makes DryFire such a valuable training aid. Normal levels of domestic background lighting are fine with DryFire because the exposure level of the camera can be adjusted so that it does not respond to the levels of infrared light in the room.
However, if direct sunlight is coming into the room, or spotlights are trained directly onto the wall being used for shooting, the camera will not be able to differentiate between those sources of infrared light and the reflection of the infrared laser when you press the trigger – the camera will be swamped with infrared light.
DryFire does not modulate the infrared laser because it is using a camera to detect exactly where you fired and a camera “sees” the world at about 30 frames a second – far slower than the frequency of modulated light. With laser clays the receiver does not care where the modulated signal comes from so it does not use a camera but a simple photo-sensitive device which just knows that somewhere in front of it, anywhere in front of it, is a source of modulated infrared light.
Swings and Roundabouts
Laser clays can be used outdoors but requires that you shoot directly at the clay with no allowance for lead. DryFire requires exactly the same angular lead as on the shooting station and it provides very detailed feedback as to exactly where you fired and where your shot cloud is in relationship to the clay. The downside is that it must be used in a normal domestic environment with normal domestic levels of background lighting – no direct sunlight or spotlights.
Marketing Problem
Unfortunately, the very accuracy of DryFire creates a marketing problem for us and our dealers. At major shooting competitions, most vendors set up in tents outdoors. On a bright day it is impossible to demonstrate DryFire in a tent because of the high levels of infrared light coming through the tent fabric.
Yes.
Trigger boxes are capable of acting as a normal trigger (shot fired when switch pressed) or as a set/release trigger (pressing the switch “sets” the trigger and releasing the switch fires the shot.)
Checking Which Mode the Trigger Is In
Press the trigger switch. If the LED flashes when the switch is pressed the trigger box is in normal mode. If the LED flashes when the switch is released the trigger box is in set/release mode.
Selecting Release Trigger Mode
The trigger box is supplied in normal mode and can be converted into set/release mode by holding the switch down for five seconds. The LED will flash when the switch is first pressed and will light and stay on when the five seconds is up and the trigger box is now in set/release mode.
Selecting Normal Mode
To convert back to normal mode from set/release mode it is necessary to remove the batteries from the trigger box, hold the switch down for 15 seconds and then re-insert the batteries.
Existing DryFire users can purchase the new trigger box at the DryFire Store.
The question really is, “do the targets change angles randomly or do you program each shot for a change? I.e. hard right from station 5 is thrown until you change the program to throw a straight a way station 5, or does it change angles after each shot from station 5?”
It does what the rule book says! (And what Trap shooters in the USA have said when they helped us develop the layout!)
Rule K: “A trap machine which throws targets at an unknown angle shall be used.”
In our implementation the trap changes angle (within the limits permitted) after each shot you take. If you do not fire it counts as a “No bird” and you can shoot at the same angle again.
For doubles it is different – the trap angles are fixed (Rule N). Our system has one target spot, so for doubles it shows the first clay until you hit it, then it carries on with the flight of the second. In the case of ATA Trap Doubles it releases the right bird first for posts 1-3 and the left bird first for posts 4-5. This seems to be the way that most ATA shooters take the clays.
DryFire is infinitely flexible – if someone wants a layout which works in a slightly different way (like locking the angles until you press a screen button or something) then you will want to try the “ATA Fixed” layout.
You use your own gun with DryFire, so the weight and swing ability are exactly the same as normal. The manufacturer of the gun does not matter to the software – it is worth remembering the George Digweed using a $10,000 Krieghoff’s!
Things that are vitally important for our calculations are the chokes in each barrel and the barrel length.
This question could be broken down into two parts:
• Can you define a shot shell performance i.e. velocity, hardness of shot (such as trap, or tungsten, or hevishot for water fowlers), amount of shot?
• How about a Ruger Red Label 28 gauge configuration (for example), could this be modeled?
Yes, in the User’s Table you will create the shell that you want to shoot by selecting the muzzle velocity, the shot size, and the weight of the load.
From DryFire user Michael H: “I am a competitive skeet shooter and I have specific hold points (where I hold the gun just prior to calling “pull”) and these are mostly found by comparing the barrel to the skeet house, using it as a reference point. For example I hold at 1/3 of the distance out from the high house to the center stake, and as high or higher than the top of the high house when I am about to call for High 4.
Can I see the simulated high house on the wall to use as a reference?”
Answer: DryFire displays the path of the clay not the actual trap or trap house. It is a simple matter to mark the start of the target’s flight on the wall with something like a Post-It note.
Michael also asks: “the website says it duplicates target speed. Does this mean the target slows down the further it gets across the field, as does a real target?”
Answer: It certainly does. DryFire accurately represents the speed and angular trajectory of the target as seen by the shooter on the stand. If you want to simulate wind conditions by entering wind direction and speed it will also show the effects of wind on the target.
Yes. This unique type of shooter was taken into consideration when the system was designed, and it is possible to locate the simulator to the side of the shooter rather than directly in front of the shooter. Once you have set the system up, it is a simple matter to tell the DryFire software exactly where the simulator is in relation to the shooter – from that point on the software does all the calculations necessary to display the correct target path as seen by the shooter.
Customer:
• Clay Shooting is all about lead
• Perceived lead – amount of visible daylight between end of barrel and clay is not dependant on distance to clay (although some additional lead is required for longer distances due to de-acceleration of shot, but forget this for the moment).
• The lead is a geometrical calculation related to speed.
DryFire:
Agreed. Lead is in fact the “angle” ahead of the clay rather than the “distance” ahead of the clay – distance ahead will increase the further away the clay is from the shooter – but the angle will remain almost the same.
Customer:
• Speed is therefore, paramount to understanding visible lead.
• Perceived speed is also paramount.
DryFire:
Maybe “perceived ‘angular’ speed” would be more accurate. In other words, if it takes 1.6 seconds to swing from a clay leaving the High House to reaching the distance marker, over an angle of, say, 110 degrees, then it should take the same time, and swing through the same angle, on a simulator.
Customer:
• A clay at say 60mph at 40 yards range will be perceived as being slower than one at 60mph at 10 yards range.
DryFire:
Agreed. One point here – traps are defined (according to all the rule books!) not in terms of speed, but in terms of the distance thrown and the height at an intermediate point. The longer the distance, and the lower the intermediate point, the faster the clay will be. e.g. a clay thrown 88 yards with an intermediate point of 4 yards at 11 yards out will be a lot faster than one thrown 88 yards with an intermediate point of 8 yards at 11 yards out. It all ends up with slower/faster clays but traps are set up (officially) not by speed but by distance and intermediate height.
Customer:
• With DryFire the shooter to wall is a constant approx. 6-9 feet
• How therefore, is speed dealt with?
DryFire:
Angular speed is the same as on the range. Traps in DryFire are defined in terms of distance thrown and intermediate height – just like the real thing. Stands are designed as being at a certain position and facing a certain direction. So, a stand close-in to a crosser will result in a much faster target spot than a stand defined further away – just like the real thing.
The distance of the shooter from the wall is taken into account by DryFire’s calculations so that the part of the clay’s angular flight that will fit on the wall, as seen by the shooter, is displayed. If you can see a full High House to distance-marker clay on a wide wall at 6 feet from the wall, but you then stand back at 16 feet, it is obvious that you will no longer see the whole flight path on the wall – DryFire will show that portion of the flight path that you would see.
Customer:
• What speeds are represented by the CLAY SLOWDOWN data?
DryFire:
The DryFire Clay Slowdown feature does not change the angular flight of the clay – it simply introduces delays into, or speeds up, the travel over that flight. So, a slowdown factor of 1.5 will make a 2 second clay take 3 seconds. The “normal” value is “1.”
Clay slowdown is not a change to the trap itself (it does not change distance or intermediate height) – it is simply a convenience for training purposes. We like to start people on a factor of 1.5 and work up to 1. We have some Olympic shots who practice at a factor of 0.75 on the grounds that if they can hit those they will have much more thinking time when they shoot real Olympic clays.
Customer:
• Without the shooter appreciating speed, DryFire can’t work.
DryFire:
Absolutely correct. The comments above should answer that – that’s why DryFire’s angular speeds match those of clays from a trap.
Remember that DryFire provides two things:
• Accurate angular speed
• Accurate angular target trajectories
To hit a DryFire target you need the same angular lead as on the range. If we talk about lead in terms of yards we all know that this will depend on a number of factors:
• The speed of the clay
• The angle of the clay’s path to the shooter – crosser’s require maximum horizontal lead, driven targets require no horizontal lead
• The distance the clay is away – it takes time for you to squeeze the trigger, for the gun to fire and for the shot string to reach the clay’s distance.
A close-in target will require you to swing much faster but the lead required will be less than for a target further away when you will be swinging much slower.
It is tempting to think that many of the clays we shoot at perform a large graceful arc in flight. In most cases this is not the case for two reasons:
• Clays are not missiles – their shape means that they actually “fly” through the air. At the start of their flight, when they are edge-on to the direction of flight, they perform like missiles, but as their energy decays and they reach the top of their flight, they begin to slow down and fall as they become belly-on to the direction of flight.
• Many of the clays we shoot at (particularly Trap and Skeet) do not reach great heights – 12 feet or so for trap and 14 feet, for skeet. If our eye position is about 5 feet, then it is obvious that we do not have to look up much to see the clay at the top of its flight path.
Absolutely not!
Ask any gun club owner about his “conversion rate” – the percentage of visitors/trial lessons he turns into long-term shooters. The majority of people who come along with friends for a trial shoot, or as part of a corporate day, get disillusioned about how hard it is and they are never seen again.
Having a DryFire simulator in the club allows a new shooter to get a lot of practice within a very short period of time. A good instructor is essential, but when the lessons are over the novice can take up position behind a simulator and really work on technique, while looking at results and problems on the PC screen. No longer does he have to rely on someone with a good pair of eyes looking over his shoulder and spotting the shot pattern – with DryFire he can see exactly where his shot pattern went in relation to the target.
So, the novice gains confidence–and the next thing may be an order for a gun and a lifetime of shell sales, membership fees, and competition fees.
Corporate Entertainment Days
DryFire simulators are perfect for use by gun clubs Corporate Days or when the weather is not suitable for everyone to be shooting in the open. There is nothing worse that a group of visitors hanging around in the wet with nothing to do!
Instructors and Coaches
Instructors and coaches will find DryFire simulators particularly useful. Once the needs or weaknesses of a shooter are identified, the instructor can provide advice and then set up the simulator so that the shooter gets intense repetitive practice on that particular skill before going to the range. This makes DryFire simulators one of the fastest of all possible ways to cure problems with technique.
Really, that’s for you to judge – check out Laser Shot at www.lasershot.com.
There are so many systems with “laser” or “virtual” in their title that it can become very confusing. Systems boil down to two types:
• Shooting at special clays using special shotguns.
This can be outdoors or indoors and requires special clays to reflect back the beam of light fired directly at them. Such a system is fantastic fun but it requires a special shotgun, not the one you have tailored to your needs, and it does not allow for lead – the movement of the clay before the shot string reaches it.
• Shooting at a screen image usually projected from a PC screen.
Limitations on screen size tend to restrict these systems to “going away” targets only – DTL, ABT, OT etc. In most cases a special gun is used, but the latest ones do allow you to place an infrared projector on your own shotgun.
Both types of systems tend to be expensive (a complete Laser Shot system, with PC and projector, sells for over $14,000 according to their web site) and may be purchased by arcades and major clubs, but most often they are hired by the day for special occasions.
Obviously with any projection system you will not get the full range of targets because
a) the screen will not be large enough and
b) you have to stand too far away to get the right body movements
By comparison, DryFire:
• is designed for every shooter to use at home
• is affordable at a price of under 1/3rd the price of a decent entry level competition O/U shotgun.
• requires allowance for lead
• provides very accurate targets and very accurate feedback on where your shot cloud went
• supports all types of clay targets: sporting, skeet and trap
• requires the same body movements as on the range – a full swing left to right for Skeet Stand 4 high house for example.
• supports “off the wall” shots – if your ceiling is of a suitable height, DryFire will put tower shots over your head!
The only requirements are a wall and a PC.
Note: For those with the luxury of PC projectors DryFire can be used quite happily for disciplines where the target will fit on the screen – DTL for example. Just line the simulator up so that the DryFire target spot starts at the on-screen trap and off you go.
PC projectors are very expensive and our highest priority is to provide systems that can be used at home (or in the club) on any suitable wall.
Feature DryFire Other
| Is it designed to be used with your own shotgun (12g, 20g, 28g)? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of shell? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to define Point Of Impact (POI) settings for each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it provide a patterning board option to align test pattern your shotgun? | Yes | No |
| Does it support all shooting disciplines: trap, skeet, sporting, FITASC? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it support Olympic trap singles with all 9 ISSF setting tables? | Yes | No |
| Does it support Olympic trap doubles and Olympic skeet based on ISSF rules? | Yes | No |
| Does it support ATA 16 yard singles, Handicap, and Trap Doubles based on ATA rules? | Yes | No |
| Does it support ABT, DTL, English Skeet and American Skeet based on national rules? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it support Universal Trench with all 10 setting tables? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it support “fun” layouts such as starshoot, duck shoot and target practice? | Yes | No |
| Does it support a full swing for wide crosser’s: -60 degrees to +60 degrees? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Does it require the same swing angle, the same swing speed and the same amount of lead as a real clay target? | Yes | No |
| Does it support high or overhead shots – like towers? | Yes | No |
| Does it support very low shots – like rabbits? | Yes | No |
| Does it provide a full range of sporting targets: crosser’s, walk-up, driven, quartering, teal, tower, rabbit etc.? | Yes | No |
| Does it provide detailed feedback on every shot – how much above, below, ahead or behind? | Yes | No |
| Does it provide a 3D representation of your shot string in relation to the clay? | Yes | No |
| Does it operate in both metric and imperial measurements? | Yes | No |
| Does it support singles, simultaneous doubles and on-report doubles? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to create your own sporting and FITASC layouts? | Yes | No |
| Does it work in any room with a wall of 10 feet or more in width? | Yes | No |
| Was it originally designed as an arcade game? | Yes | No |
| Does it allow you to select any type of chokes in each barrel? | Yes | No |
| Was it specifically designed to provide accurate practice in the shooter’s home? | Yes | No |
| Does it require an expensive PC data projector? | Yes | No |
| Can it provide a background display using a PC data projector if you have one? | Yes | No |
| Could you use it with a slide projector and a slide of your own shooting ground as background? | Yes | No |
| Does it work with any version of Windows (95, 98, ME, 2000, NT, XP)? | Yes | No |
| Was if specifically designed to provide accurate practice in the shooter’s home? | Yes | No |
| Does it work with desktop and notebook PCs? | Yes | No |
| Will it work with a very low cost, older, pre-used (second-hand) PC? | Yes | No |
Notes:
• DryFire uses your own gun – not a toy gun or one you “borrow” for the occasion. We believe this is critical for serious practice because you will be using your own gun on the range and you will have selected that gun to suit your build and your style of shooting. If you are a serious shooter you will probably have had the fit of your gun adjusted by a professional gunsmith – so, it is essential that you use your own gun for practice.
• With DryFire you use exactly the same skills as on the range. You take up position, watch for the clay, swing, fire and follow through exactly as with a real clay – if you don’t you will miss – just as with a real clay. Using the same skills means that the more you practice, the faster your muscle memory will go into auto-pilot allowing you to focus your entire attention on Mr Digweed’s three most important items – “the target, the target, the target.”
• DryFire allows for lead – you have to judge the speed of the target, its angle of flight and its distance so that you apply the right amount of lead. DryFire is not like a shoot-em-up arcade game!
• DryFire is designed for use at home, at work or in the club. It provides you with the most important ingredient in the development and retention of any skill – practice – lots of it – at an affordable price and wherever you are.
• We do not believe that DryFire has a serious competitor as a training aid for the competitive clay shooter – if you find one, let us know and we will run a comparison.
There are a few considerations here:
No recoil
There is no recoil when you press the trigger with DryFire. You hear the “bang” on your PC speaker, and you can turn that up as loud as you wish, but you get no recoil.
Recoil can bring about its own problems – flinch (the anticipation of recoil) being the main one.
Watch a shooter the very first time he uses DryFire and you will likely see him move slightly backwards when he presses the trigger – he is anticipating the recoil. It shows that many more people suffer from flinch than realize it.
We do not claim that DryFire is a cure for flinch but it does do two things:
• It identifies if you do flinch when pulling or releasing the trigger.
• It allows you to practice with no recoil until there is absolutely no movement of your shoulder when you press the trigger.
Two dimensional targets
DryFire targets are accurate – they fly at the same speed and angles as clays at the club. Because DryFire displays the target on a two dimensional surface (a wall) you don’t get the same impression of distance as you do on the range.
Take a look at the answer to the FAQ question: Is the simulator exactly the same as the real thing?” to see what we have done to overcome this.
Motor backlash
DryFire uses low-cost servo motors (the sort used in model aircraft) to drive the target laser and camera. These motors have a finite life and they are designed to be replaced when eventually they wear out. They are available world-wide from model shops and they are available from DryFire as low-cost spares.
All types of motors suffer from backlash – the movement in the gear-train as it changes from one direction to another. DryFire targets therefore jerk very slightly when the target changes direction – for example, when an upward moving target reaches the top of its flight and begins to fall to the ground.
This effect is minimal with fast targets that have a large amount of angular movement – such as sporting crosser’s or targets on Skeet Station 4. The effect is slightly more on going away targets which rise very little and which have very little movement across the shooter’s angle of view – trap shots for example.
We could have used other types of motors (direct DC motors with position feedback via encoders, or stepper motors) but they have two major drawbacks that ruled them out:
• They are very heavy
• They are very expensive
Such motors would be of marginal benefit and require more complex electronics, a more powerful power supply and a totally different way of mounting the camera and target laser. In all they would have almost doubled the retail price of the system. We did not feel that this was a good idea – we can live with a very slight jerk because of all the benefits that DryFire brings.
Targets
• Starting point and height of clay
• Landing point of clay
• Intermediate height of clay (ex: 12 foot high at 10 yards from the trap)
• Type of clay: standard, rabbit, rocket, battue etc.
• Wind direction and speed
• Orientation of clay: edge-on clays (crosser’s) are much harder to break than face-on clays (driven etc.)
• The drag factor that will slow down the clay over distance (this will change with orientation during the flight)
• The effect of gravity
• Amount of energy required to break the clay (this will depend on the orientation of the clay and the shot cloud)
Shots
• Barrel length
• Chokes in each barrel
• Muzzle velocity of the shell
• Size of shot (pellets) in shell
• Number of pellets in the shell
• Amount of energy in each pellet as it leaves the muzzle
• The drag factor that will slow down the pellets over distance
• The effect of gravity
• The amount of lead required – this will depend on the trajectory and speed of the clay
• The position of the clay in relation to the center of the shot cloud at the time the shot cloud and the clay are at their closest
• Total number of pellets that strike the clay – depends on distance and distribution of pellets within the shot cloud
• Amount of energy remaining in each pellet when it strikes the clay (distance dependent)
If the clay is within the shot cloud, and the total amount of energy remaining in the pellets that strike the clay exceeds the amount of energy required to break the clay, then the shot is recorded as a hit.
Note: At long distances it is quite possible for the clay to be within the shot cloud but to be struck by insufficient pellets to break it – especially for edge-on clays.
This question probably means “what is the time between calling ‘Pull’ for one target and then for the next?” The answer is 4 to 7 seconds. And the software allows you to fire two shots at any target (assuming two barrels or two cartridges in a semi-auto).
It then sets up ready for the next target (or the same one again if that is what you have selected) and off you go again.
We do not recommend keeping your shotgun at the shoulder and just calling “Pull” repetitively – that’s not genuine practice and the gun will soon get very heavy! Lower your gun between targets and take your time before calling “Pull” again – that’s far more realistic.
Software updates may be downloaded from this website at any time.
Keep an eye on the Download Page for any new changes. If you can download it and install it yourself, it is truly FREE.
If you aren’t able to download these files, you can purchase the latest update on a flash drive from our website for $10.00.
Also, from time to time software changes can be made in the Dryfire unit itself (this is referred to as firmware). The simulator is designed so that its firmware can be updated directly from a PC. If DryFire releases a new version of the firmware it can be downloaded from this website and loaded directly into the memory of the simulator using the normal RS232C serial cable.
Software updates are free of charge.
Software and firmware updates, and new target files, are provided free of charge. As we improve the software we ship with the simulators we will make that same software available to our existing customers via our download page.
The small print
The only software we may charge for will be any not supplied as standard with our products. This may be specialized software written by DryFire, or it may be software developed by third parties and sold under our Third Party Software Program.
Yes.
DryFire comes complete with an unregistered copy of the Course Designer software. With this you can design any sporting or FITASC layout complete with traps, shooting stands, trees, hills, fences and walls/banners.
You can try Course Designer at your leisure and design as many layouts as you wish. If you like the software, and you would like the targets you create to be launched in the main DryFire software, you can purchase and register the package.
Is it hard? Do I need to know a lot about computers?
Course Designer uses a graphics screen and allows you to “drag and drop” the objects you want on the screen. You can move objects around and you can edit the individual properties of any object (the release angles and clay speed on traps for example.)
Within a few minutes of loading the package you will be creating your own layouts.
Technical FAQ
This almost always indicates one of the four (4) possible servos is having trouble. As you might expect, the most likely item that will cause a problem will be one of the servos (the only moving mechanical part in DryFire). Their movement is controlled by a continuous stream of data being sent to the servos through the USB cable. The composition of the data stream causes the servos to rotate clockwise, counter clockwise, or remain stationary. In almost all cases, if the trajectory on the wall is doing something you know is not correct the associated servo or servos are malfunctioning.
A little tip: Servos can go bad in lots of different ways, from just plain “dead” to a small jerk at just the wrong place in the trajectory. Or maybe the servo is moving too slowly when it is cold or hasn’t been used for a period of time.
When you see these deviations from normal you should begin to suspect one of the servos.
A little history: Since this product was first produced in 2000, I have never seen a bad trajectory that didn’t turn out to be a bad servo.
Are they repairable? No, but they are replaceable.
Can they be oiled or greased? No, it will only make a mess.
Are there other possible causes? Yes, let’s explore some of them.
Could it be the USB cable?
No, because if the USB cable is bad or you have made it too long (in excess of 16 feet without an active component buster), it will simply stop working and there will be no trajectory; not just a jerk or the wrong speed trajectory.
Could it be the internal PC board?
Not likely as a bad component on the PC board will bring the whole system to a halt.
Could it be the firmware or the software?
No, if it were either of these, you wouldn’t have a trajectory.
My advice: If the wiggle, giggle, jerk, or mis-direction of the trajectory is bad enough that you do not want to continue practicing, then, on a piece of paper, record the following information:
1) Left or right head as you view the DryFire unit from behind.
2) Name of the layout.
3) Target name inside the target window.
4) Distance or time down the trajectory.
5) On paper make a sketch of the trajectory.
6) Your guess as to whether it is a vertical or horizontal problem.
6) And any other details you are observing that could be important.
7) Your name, address, phone number and email address.
8) How long you have had the DryFire system.
When you return your unit for repair, include the above information on a piece of paper and place it in the shipping container.
Why is this important? Because before we can fix the problem, we will need to duplicate what you are seeing.
Since DryFire was first shipped in the year 2000, some new customers have called to say, “my gun won’t shoot.”
Based upon personally speaking to several hundred of these customers, over many years, let me give you a path to determine your problem.
First, you need a little knowledge regarding how the DryFire system deals with every shot. When the target is launched, the camera, mounted right next to the visible laser is turned on and is responsible to let the system software know when it sees invisible infrared light in the circular area around the visible target laser. The camera also provides the size of the infrared spot on the wall by passing onto the software the actual number of camera pixels it saw.
Note: Your gun laser is highly focused and produces a spot which occupies between 8 and 12 camera pixels.
If the number of pixels is less than 20, DryFire processes the location of the infrared spot believing the spot was created by your gun laser.
However, if the number of pixels seen by the camera is 20 or greater DryFire ignores that anything has happened. In other words, if the number of pixels is 20 or above the assumption is made that the infrared couldn’t have come from your gun and therefore going through the normal process would be wrong.
Therefore, as you consider your problem be aware that “my gun won’t shoot” is very likely being caused by (1) unwanted infrared on your shooting wall, which has created a spot size of 20 or more camera pixels.
However, (2) it could be that your gun assembly is not delivering a pulse of infrared light to your shooting wall. Either of these scenarios could be the problem.
So, the first thing you need to do is determine which of the above conditions is the problem.
The best approach is to wait until after nightfall, go into your DryFire room, leave all the lights off, except for your computer screen. Close all the doors in the room and begin shooting.
If the gun shoots every time you pull the trigger, then you have proved you have an infrared lighting issue. Once you have proved to yourself you have a infrared lighting issue you will be able to fix the problem.
Look for the following:
1) Outside light has a large component of infrared which you can’t see because your eyes can’t see the infrared wavelength. But, it is there. So, make sure you block out all possible sources of outside light. Also, most indoor light sources produce some infrared. Fluorescent and LED light sources produce the least.
2) Do not have a light in front of the DryFire unit. When the DryFire camera looks directly at a light of any type, it will see enough infrared to cause a problem.
3) It is possible to have “hotspots” or regions on your wall that have to much infrared. This is usually caused by spotlights.
4) Do not have windows, doors, or lights behind your background canvas as the camera will see infrared through the canvas.
If during the troubleshooting process you proved the room was not the problem, then continue on to the next topic.
“Troubleshooting my Gun Assembly”
Check the following:
1) Check the Trigger Switch – with the Trigger Switch plugged into the Trigger Box, press and release the Trigger Switch while watching the red LED on the bottom of the Trigger Box. If the LED flashes, the Trigger Switch is GOOD. If the LED doesn’t flash, unplug the Trigger Switch from the Trigger Box.
Next, use a little screwdriver and short the two (2) recessed pins in the Trigger Box together while watching the red LED. Don’t worry when you do this, you can’t hurt yourself or the Trigger Box. If the red LED flashes, the Trigger Switch is BAD. If it doesn’t flash, the Trigger Box is BAD.
2) Check the Trigger Box – if step 1 above proved your Trigger Box was bad, then the only thing you can do is replace the batteries. Slide the top cover off to expose the batteries. Take note that the large flat side of the batteries is touching the spring. The batteries can be ordered from the DryFire web site or you can purchase them locally. If you try to purchase them locally, you are looking for an Energizer 357 or equivalent. You will likely need to go to a battery specialty shop to find these batteries.
After replacing the batteries, plug the Trigger Switch into the Trigger Box and again press and release the switch. If the red LED flashes, the batteries were BAD. If the red LED doesn’t flash, the Trigger Box is BAD and you can order a replacement from the DryFire US web site.
3) Check the Muzzle Laser Insert – if you press and release the Trigger Switch and the Red LED does flash, then the next step is to see if the Muzzle Laser Insert produces a laser light. This is a little strange, because this laser produces an infrared light which is invisible to the human eye. However, in the right environment, you can see a slight flash of reddish light.
In a dark room, with the laser insert about 1/2 inch from a piece of white paper, you will be able to see a slight flash of reddish light each time you press and release the trigger. So, plug the Trigger Switch and Muzzle Laser Insert into the Red Trigger Box. Take a piece of paper and this Gun Assembly into a dark room and try it.
If you don’t see any flashes, you have one of two possible problems.
(1) The the Trigger Box could be BAD, or (2) the Muzzle Laser Insert could be BAD. So, I would suggest you call the DryFire toll free number (1-877-357-1485) and order both replacement parts. Explain to the DryFire person the trouble you are having and let them know that you will be returning, for credit, one of the two pieces. Once you have the two replacement parts in your hand it will be easy to figure out which piece is GOOD and which piece is BAD.
Trigger boxes supplied from March 1st, 2002 onwards are capable of acting as a “pull” trigger (shot fired when switch pressed) or “release” trigger (shot fired when switch is released.)
Checking Which Mode the Trigger Is In
There is a small RED light (referred to as an LED) which protrudes through the plastic on the bottom side of the trigger box. Watch this LED as you press the trigger switch. If the LED flashes when the switch is pressed the trigger box is in the “pull” trigger mode. If the LED flashes when the switch is released the trigger box is in the “release” trigger mode.
Selecting Release Trigger Mode
The trigger box is supplied to the customer in the “pull” trigger mode, but can be converted into the “release” trigger mode by holding the trigger switch down for approximately ten (10) seconds. You know you have held the switch down long enough when the LED turns RED and remains on. To prove you have made the conversion, press the trigger switch while watching the RED LED (it should NOT blink). Then release the trigger switch and watch to make sure it does blink.
Returning to Pull Trigger Mode
To convert back to the “pull” trigger mode it will be necessary to remove the batteries from the trigger box. But, before you remove the batteries, take note of the direction they are currently installed in the trigger box (the big flat side touching the spring). With the batteries removed and the trigger switch connected to the trigger box, depress and hold the trigger switch down while you slowly count to 30. Now, re-insert the batteries.
Existing DryFire users can purchase replacement parts at the DryFire Store.