MagnetoSpeed T1000: Shoot. See light. Receive instant gratification.

How The MagnetoSpeed T1000 Enhances Your Target:

• Impact sensor activates high-visibility LED on bullet's impact for instant feedback.
• Hit indicator visible well out past 1,000 yards.
• The rapid-fire mode adds a time element to precision-shooting.

Targets, in all honesty, don’t get the blood pumping. And it shows. Most shooters are still content plugging holes in simple sheets of paper. In turn, the terminal destination of our bullets has changed little over the years. OK, plate steel has made inroads — however, that’s not exactly the firearms equivalent of the iPhone.

Pity. It seems we could do more at that end of the marksmanship equation. After all, the target is the ultimate goal and deserves better than zombie graphics or simulated blood. Ideally, a good target should improve training, advance competition and make us better marksmen.

Since I’ve lead you by the nose to this point, there’s no call to build further suspense. As you’ve most likely gathered, there’s something out there that offers a majority of the previously mentioned assets. The twist: It’s not a target.

The MagnetoSpeed T1000 target hit indicator is one of the cleverest shooting accessories to come down the pike in a spell. And while its name might sound a tad pedestrian, its capabilities are anything but.

What Is The T1000?

If you’ve ever played a video game or even pinball, you know when you’ve scored. Nasty as those time-wasters tend to be, they certainly know how to reinforce success. Their light displays are akin to the Fourth of July on New Year’s Eve. In essence, the T1000 brings this same positive feedback to the shooting range, only without the gaudiness.

The device itself is unassuming. Basically, it’s a metal tube with a crystal-clear rubber reflector protruding from its bottom or top, depending on how you hold it. It attaches to the rear of an AR500 steel target in seconds via heavy-duty Velcro. You’d almost not even know it was there until you send a round downrange. Then the magic happens.

Red light: You’re on target.
Yellow light: You’re within a few feet.
Nothing: You’re checking your dope.

It’s really that simple, and it’s pretty slick. But I’m sure there are some doubtful souls out there. After all, why spend your hard-earned cash on the T1000 if you can simply listen for the hit or look for the spall? That’s 300-yard thinking.

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Flirt with 800 yards — maybe even 1,000 — and things change. That distinctive sound of copper-jacketed lead against high-carbon steel becomes a mere suggestion of what it was at half that distance. Add a stiff crosswind and you’re demanding plenty from your auditory system — not to mention your nerves. As for reading impact marks … well, I guess you enjoy painting a lot. And target swing? Not if you’re shooting a small caliber on a heavy sheet of steel.

Looked at that way, the T1000 is a pretty powerful device, especially if your usual spotter is tied up with honey-dos the weekend your trigger finger gets itchy. Furthermore, in most cases, you don’t even need your scope to see it light up. That’s not only convenient — that’s a godsend. And that’s only the surface of what the target hit indicator offers.

T1000’s Facets

Even at $150, the ability to evaluate your shooting completely from your riflescope is well worth the price of admission. However, the T1000 expands the potential of rifle shooting past a pure distance game: It also adds an element of time. One of the most ingenious features of the T1000 is its rapid-fire mode. Basically, when set to this mode, the unit counts your hits until there’s a 2-second gap. Then it blinks back how many time you were on target.

Even bolt-action shooters can benefit from the mode, though it’s a steep challenge. Hitting, working the bolt and hitting again within two ticks of the second hand is a tall order, even at the relatively tame range of 300 yards. With time, I expect it could pay dividends come next mule-deer season with unparalleled follow-up shots.

The Future Of Hit Indicators

MagnetoSpeed is only getting warmed up with the T1000. While the unit makes a world of sense for medium- and long-range shooters, the company has seen how the concept extends to the world of up-close-and-personal training as well. Enter the T250.

Basically a scaled-down version of the T1000, the device is designed for pistol shooting and is perfect for those deft souls who ring steel so fast that the sound of one hit bleeds into another. But that’s only half of it. The yet released T250 is also programmable from a smartphone app, offering a number of engagement scenarios.

Imagine targets A, B and C outfitted with the T250. The light on A goes off, and you shoot it. Then C flashes, and you put a round dead-center. Finally, B comes alive, and you get it no sweat. Then A again …

In short, this type of training adds the element of reaction, which is challenging and fun, but it’s also a very useful self-defense skill. For the money, there are few things that better simulate multi-threat engagement.

Parting Shot

Long ago, MagnetoSpeed proved they’re the whiz kids of the shooting world. Accurate and practical, the company’s barrel-mounted chronograph is a must-have for serious rifle shooters. Thankfully, the Texas concern hasn’t stayed in its own lane when it comes to innovation.

The T1000 is a practical addition to nearly any marksman’s kit, even if his limit is mid-range. Bestowing a degree of freedom, the target hit indicator means constructive shooting anytime. And with the T250 on the horizon, MagnetoSpeed looks to do the same for pistol shooting.

I won’t go so far as to say the company and the T1000 has reinvented the target, but I might be so bold as to say that they’ve done plenty to revolutionize target shooting. The T1000 makes it much more simple, enjoyable and, most importantly, fruitful.

The article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.