Frequently Asked Questions, and User Manuals How do I get and then install the PC Software that can optionally be used with the ReadyShot Target?
Here is the link to download the full installation file. CLICK HERE for software download. Since this is an executable file, you may have to approve the download depending on which version of Windows you are running. Then choose to Save the File to your computer, using a spot you'll remember and be able to find again in a few minutes. I suggest saving to your desktop. You can delete this file when you are done with the install and know the Target is connected to the PC.
Here's what to do once you have saved the exe file to your computer:
Run the ReadyShot_1p1p1.exe program (double-click on it to run it) to unzip the software into a folder which will be named ReadyShot_1p1p1, and will be located in the same directory to which you stored the original file.
Open the directory ReadyShot_1p1p1 and run the file CDM20600.exe, answering Yes or Continue to any questions. This process will install the drivers on your computer so it can communicate with the Target.
Then, from the same directory, run the setup.exe program. Follow through with any questions to successfully install the software.
Once installed, connect the Target to your computer using a USB cable, ensure the lower right Target LED is blinking, and start the ReadyShot program. On the Settings tab, you should see the line Target Firmware Version 1.1.1.
A1: A ReadyShot system is a lot of money. We think the ability to practice in your own home, with your own gun, using your own tactical scenarios is a very valuable thing to have. We also think the ability to build confidence and comfort at arms is valuable. And we think a system that makes practicing not so tedious, maybe even fun, is valuable. But those things are all intangibles, and we're asking you for real money. Think about this:
How often do you practice with live ammo? Hopefully at least once a month? Keep that up, since there is no substitute for live-fire practice. But add up what it costs each time. The big ticket is ammo. $0.22/round for bulk 9mm is about as cheap as it comes currently. Other calibers are more expensive. 100 rounds fired each month as practice is hardly enough, but let's just start there. 12 trips to the range adds up to well over $250, or more.
If you are practicing with live ammo, you must be going to a range or similar location. Most of us don't own our own live-fire shooting location, and we need to pay for range time. Range fees might run around $15. Over a year, that adds up to $180.
Most of us can't walk to the range, so there are some costs associated with our time and transportation. This one is tough to estimate, but let's say $5 per round-trip. $60/year.
For live-fire, you gotta shoot at something, and the range usually sells cool targets for a buck or two. $25/year for the paper.
Cleaning a pistol is not as hard as it used to be, but it still has to be done. Again, tough to estimate this one, but the time and materials might be $3 each time. $36/year.
Even if you are not personally paying for all this, somebody is. Please forward this info to them ASAP.
Result: $551/year = $250 minimum for ammo + $180 range fees + $60 gas + $25 targets + $36 cleaning
That all adds up to $551. Each year. Only practicing one time per month, about 100 rounds each practice session, using the cheapest 9mm ammo I could find on the web from a reputable vendor. You absolutely have to practice with live ammo, to make sure you maintain proper trigger manipulation, weapon control, and recoil control. But how are you going to do any tactical manuevering practice at the range? How are you going to build muscle-memory so that at 2am you can wake up, get the gun out of the drawer, point it in basically the right direction, adjust so you are really pointing it in the right direction, and eliminate the threat in a timely manner? That takes practice too, and is actually, in our opinion, more important than live fire practice.
Besides, think of the cost of fixing the walls if you do 100 rounds of live ammo practice at home...
Q2: How good does ReadyShot mimic the actual trigger feel on my gun?
A2: We get this question from people who are trying to reduce their time between shots fired, so they can fire five or more shots per second. IDPA and IPSC competitive shooters are especially interested in getting their "splits" down to well under 0.20 seconds, while maintaining accuracy. If you are looking to feel the trigger break and reset, and are using a single-action or safe-action semi-automatic, you will need to practice with live ammo. Each gun's particular feel is unique, and each competitive shooter spends thousands of hours with his or her gun.
The software in the ReadyShot Target and GunKit is tuned to work reliably in a multitude of environments. Flourescent lights, laser sights, and room lights being turned on in the middle of a practice session could all cause issues, so we've worked hard to filter them out so they do not cause false hits. We've also worked hard to ensure the GunKit laser fires each time the trigger is pulled, which means we've had to introduce some filters and timings to prevent "machine-gun mode" or laser pulses occuring on their own. The net result is that ReadyShot is capable of shooting and registering as fast as three shots per second in its standard form.
For those interested in using ReadyShot and shooting faster than 3 shots per second, we have successfully tested a stripped-down version of software which is capable of sub-0.12 second splits. This system is analogous to taking a street-production Chevy and stripping it down and then souping it up to be a Nascar entry. The outer shell looks pretty much the same, but the car can only make left turns and goes really fast. If you are interested in this special version of ReadyShot, please contact us.
Q3: My gun isn't listed as available, so what am I supposed to do?
A3: You should buy a ReadyShot Target, and use your own laser. Our favorite alternative for a laser on a gun for which we've not yet designed a ReadyShot GunKit is to use a Crimson Trace. We believe that maybe 80% of the process of training to defend your family and home and self is to make sure you can get the gun in your hand and pointing in the right direction in a timely manner. With a Crimson Trace, or any other laser that you can quickly turn on and off like a pulse, you can practice all the motions of accessing the gun and bringing it on target, and then pulse the laser to hit the target.
If you have a gun that goes "click" when dry-firing, such as a revolver or double-action semi-auto, there are other laser training devices available. Please contact us, and we'll help you buy one of our Targets and a laser-trainer that works with it. We've tested many of the other lasers with our Target.
If you have a semi-auto single-action or Glock with their Safe-Action, you won't get any click sound when dry firing. Along with Glocks, the XD and XD(M) as well as M&P pistols fall into this category. We know of no other way to effectively dry-fire practice with these pistols, other than by using ReadyShot. All the other laser trainers of which we are aware depend on an audible click and the vibration of the click to initiate a laser pulse. ReadyShot uses a small magnet temporarily stuck to the back of your trigger, and a magnet sensor on a circuit board in a magazine. When the trigger magnet moves, the sensor checks to see if it moves far enough to initiate a laser pulse, and then fires the laser.
If your pistol is a polymer frame semi-automatic and the trigger moves through its full range when dry-fired, we can probably get a ReadyShot GunKit put together for you pretty quickly. Please let us know what you want. If you are the first customer of ours for that particular make and model, we'll give you a good discount, which we call the Guinea Pig Discount.
