The Vision

It was April 2017

I was laying in the prone firing position on the M4 qualification range on Camp Dodge, IA. The entire battalion was conducting individual weapons qualifications that day. I didn’t have any supply convoys to run or training meetings to attend, all I had to do was shoot. It was a perfectly sunny, 70 degree day, which never happens on range days. The targets on the military range would randomly “pop-up” which was our signal to engage them. They would drop down if we hit them or the time ran out. This added to the realism and excitement that would give Soldiers a boost of adrenaline and urgency to hit their targets. This type of dynamic shooting range was far different from the static pieces of paper or steel gong targets that I normally shot at my range back home.

When my shooting iteration was over, I walked off of the firing line thinking about how great it would be to have interactive targets like those at my home range. That night, I searched the internet for similar systems. I found several companies that tried to replicate the military systems, but the best price I could find for a similar solution cost $800 per target. Most of these systems used proprietary targets too, this meant that you had to buy their special targets in order for their system to work. They usually came at a premium price too, on top of what you already paid for the target system upfront. This was still extremely costly for a recreational shooter, like myself, especially since I wanted between 6 and 10 targets to set up a decent sized range.

The engineer in me decided to

build my own

I went down to the local Radio Shack and bought a microcontroller and all of the necessary components to build my target system. I spent the next four weeks on YouTube teaching myself how to solder circuit boards and write computer code. My original system ran off of a tablet connected to a Raspberry Pi microcontroller. Hobby servos were attached to steel targets using Velcro, and 50 foot Ethernet cables ran to each one. This system worked great at the range, but after a couple of months, I wanted something that was more refined and had fewer cords. I tried to find something similar online that would attach to steel targets instead of using proprietary ones. To my surprise, I could not find any system that would attach to existing targets and allow them to interact with the shooter in addition to not being able to find any interactive system that was within my price range as a recreational shooter.

In July of 2017 I submitted a patent application for the Trigger Interactive system. Work continued on development of the system and in January 2019, Trigger Interactive, LLC. was formed. Our engineers are currently refining the system and we are looking forward to bringing the thrill, realism, and excitement of this affordable system to the shooting industry. Submit your email address to receive updates while we continue to work on our product and website. You can also enter for a chance to become a beta tester!

Tyler Brockel
Chief Executive Officer | Trigger Interactive, LLC
Veteran Owned | American Made

Contact Us

  • info@triggerinteractive.com
  • 605-223-1002
  • 2301 Research Park Way
    Brookings, SD 57006
  • Veteran Owned | American Made

Realistic, interactive, and cost efficient firearms target solutions that elevate the level of intensity and training realism for all shooters wanting to improve their marksmanship skills.

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Contact Us

  • info@triggerinteractive.com
  • 605-223-1002
  • 2301 Research Park Way
    Brookings, SD 57006
  • DUNS: 117177275
  • Veteran Owned | American Made