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SCATT Trainer: More Trigger Time More Often!

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Over the winter before the 2016 season, I bought a SCATT USB Trainer. Which is a nifty program that allows me to see where my dry fire shots actually go. As it turns out they are not all Xs.

How It Works

I have the USB model. I went with this one for 2 reasons. First, It was the cheapest, but more than that I knew I wouldn’t keep the battery charged in the wireless version.

The system consists of a target frame, a sensor, a target controller, software and wires to connect them all together.

The rifle mounted unit uses an optical sensor to track where it’s being pointed at on the target, and a microphone to tell the software when the user clicks the trigger.

It’s a nice simple design that allows the user to focus on practice not messing with the setup. I use the rail mount for the sensor which allows me to put it back on the same spot quickly so I can just take a couple of sighters, move the spotter to where my call was and get back to practicing.

Why Should I Get This?

The way I see it there are 3 key benefits of SCATT Shooter Training Systems.

1. More trigger time, more often. This is the biggest advantage of the SCATT trainer in my option . Even if I leave all my Highpower stuff in my truck ready to go, and I’m lucky enough to live 23 minutes from the nicest range on the East Coast. There is still an hour wasted in logistics, driving, and setting up targets. With SCATT, 5 minutes and I’m “shooting.” Which let’s me squeeze in trigger time whenever I can.

2. Ammo and costs This one is obvious but it saves on a wear of your rifle as well. Even handloading isn’t free.

3. Instant feedback with the equipment you use for matches. It has helped me work on parallax, rebuild my positions which would have taken days at the range. The traces have really helped me “get to know” my shots to the point now when I make a bad shot on a real target, I can picture the trace in my head.

When I first got this system it was so I could see if my dry fire shot was a 10 or a 7. But I’ve noticed, after using it for 2 years, as my shooting slowly improves, the traces make more sense and show me things I can work on.

Tips For SCATT users.

1. Find a dedicated place you can keep it set up and ready to use.

For awhile I horsed around with a windows tablet, then using my primary laptop, but I end up buying a cheap windows laptop to dedicate to just the SCATT. If I only have to put on my jacket and pick up my rifle I’m much more likely to make time to practice

2. Point a bright light at the target. This is an easy way to help boost contrast for both your eyes and the target sensor.

3. Commit to using it as much as you can. Personally I try to shoot a quick string of 10, just like a match between work and dinner.

What model should I get?

There are 3 versions, Basic, USB, wireless and a live fire version. I recommend the USB to people when they ask for a few reasons. First, as I mentioned, I don’t have to worry about charging it. The basic doesn’t include Service Rifle Targets, but if all you can afford is the basic, get it, it’s better than a dot on the wall!

The live fire version looks neat and I’d love to play with one, but it was out of budget for me. I wouldn’t try to use it in a match but it would be neat to use while practice.

What Gear do I Need to Be a Competitive Shooter: Nothing

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The “gun community” is constantly clucking about “what gear do the pros run” throwing money at their safe queen rifles for instagram pictures.

The governing body of PRS has gone so far as to poll shooters about what gear they use. Right down to their bag and rifle case.

Get real. A Pelican Case and a Tactical Tailor bag are worth exactly 0 points.

Being competitive in shooting sports takes skill not gear.

Dry fire, practice, learn, show up and shoot your best, don’t collect gear.

Monardgate: magic jackets and the emperor’s demands

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In a recent email, Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) claimed Monard Jackets add 7 points in off hand, presumably with magic, and therefore Monard jackets are banned. 
In reality, and as widely known to most shooters, monardgate all stems from Gary Anderson dictating that certain jackets must be banned because he “hates” them.

Sometimes at work one has to deal with a board member who must be pleased as illogical as the request may be. This is a hobby and we shouldn’t have to deal with this drama, while we are supposed to be having fun.

Maybe Mr Anderson should stick to ISSF, where they have a special tension gauge to test jackets before each match.

Your Other Left: Camp Perry 2017

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2017 was my 6th trip to the National Matches at Camp Perry. Back when I first started this blog, and shooting high power, I went for the games matches, however over the years my interests have shifted. 2015 and 2016 I shot more or less all the CMP  rifle events at Perry. This year however marks the first time in 6 years I did not fire my M1 Garand at Perry, or any wood guns for that matter. This year I only shot the XTC Service Rifle Matches. the Hazzard Match, P100, NTI, NTT and NTIT.

It’s not that I don’t like shooting the Garand its just a matter of time and trying to focus on my shooting goals.

That said, it was a great trip. kicked off the weekend shooting the new “Oliver Hazzard Perry” (OHP) match. Which is Rapid Sitting, Rapid Prone, and 10 rounds of Slow Prone. The calendar originally had this as a 50 round NM course match but at some point it as shortened to this format. No one likes off hand anyway so this was a nice change.

My shooting buddy and I did great at this match, coming in top 50! Little did we know it would be down hill from there. We came back to the Camp Ground and plotted taking over the world over the next couple days.

I started out soggy in the P100 getting some of the jerky off hand shots out of my system. Then I managed to make a good wind call at 300… the wrong direction.  I can’t use the excuse that the knobs go the other way, I turned the knob the way I intended. I just forgot my lefts and rights! at 600 I remembered how to shoot and posted a respectable 98.

NTI started out interesting, we only had 4 people on our FP as opposed to 6. So after pulling solo for the first two relays I ended up with a fair amount of down time throughout the match, which was nice.

Anyway off hand stared out with a 7 but, I shook it off and managed a 91, last year off hand was a disaster for me, so I was real happy with that as I dropped into sitting.

My sitting group was low by about 1/4 minute which cost me a pile of 9s. It wasn’t the end of the world, I was still in it as long as i “just shot my average” going back.

A bad wind call at 300 made the math get a little tighter rolling back to 500 down 22 was no fun. But my 600 yard performance has been pretty good lately, a mid 190s and a little bit of luck would have done it. But, despite opening with an X I ended up dropping a couple of 8s that were my fault and some waterline 9s that gave me a 190 in the end. So more or less i posted some mediocre scores, especially in rapids, didn’t give up, but ended with a 468, six points shy of the cut.