# Dry Fire Training



## Blotan Hunka (Nov 15, 2007)

Who out there consistently dry-fires? What type of training to you do? Do you incorporate any special skills or drills like reloads, malfunction drills, footwork? Do you use any special equipment like lasers, computers, targets?


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## thardey (Nov 15, 2007)

Blotan Hunka said:


> Who out there consistently dry-fires? What type of training to you do? Do you incorporate any special skills or drills like reloads, malfunction drills, footwork? Do you use any special equipment like lasers, computers, targets?



I do.

When I dry-fire, I focus on mostly one thing - not moving the gun. I also use my off hand to fully cycle the action, for training, but that's it.

Since I use a glock, I don't have to mess with snap caps, so I'll do a couple hundred dry-fires at a time, and get my hand nice and tired.

Usually I practice my dry-firing in my garage, and couple it with airsoft practice with my imitation glock. That's when I practice drawing, drawing from concealment, footwork, etc. I fire (airsoft, and dry) at a gel target (like 6 bucks at wal-mart) and it gives good feedback.

It's really helped my accuracy with live rounds, and it's a lot cheaper practice, too!

I once heard the advice of 1,000 rounds of dry-fire to every magazine of live rounds. It sounds like a lot, but you can crank out a lot of dry shots on a glock in 10 minutes.


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## Blotan Hunka (Nov 15, 2007)

I bought a "bullite" laser "bullet" on e-bay and shot it till it broke. Its a bullet that fires a laser beam and comes with small metal self-adhesive targets that show up the beam sharply. Lots of fun. I'm looking at a "laser blaster" product as a replacement. 

I always cycle my glock as if I had a malfunction. I also have a plastic magazine to practice mag changes. I have been incorporating lateral steps on the draw and moving to cover. Dry-fire is a must for serious shooters IMO.


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## thardey (Nov 15, 2007)

Blotan Hunka said:


> I bought a "bullite" laser "bullet" on e-bay and shot it till it broke. Its a bullet that fires a laser beam and comes with small metal self-adhesive targets that show up the beam sharply. Lots of fun. I'm looking at a "laser blaster" product as a replacement.
> 
> I always cycle my glock as if I had a malfunction. I also have a plastic magazine to practice mag changes. I have been incorporating lateral steps on the draw and moving to cover. Dry-fire is a must for serious shooters IMO.




How does that work? Every time you cycled the gun, you had to go look for your fancy bullet and put it back in? And does the shock of landing on the range floor mess up its accuracy?


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## Blotan Hunka (Nov 15, 2007)

Nope. Its a rimless bullet shaped device. No rim for the extractor to engage. Theres also an aluminum tube that you can thread through the muzzle to hold it in place, but I didnt bother with it.


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## thardey (Nov 15, 2007)

Blotan Hunka said:


> Nope. Its a rimless bullet shaped device. No rim for the extractor to engage. Theres also an aluminum tube that you can thread through the muzzle to hold it in place, but I didnt bother with it.



Cool, that does sound like fun.

There's a new kid's toy I saw at the local sporting goods store. It's a laser gun with plastic "bottles" that "break" when you hit them. I wonder if that little bullet would trigger them.

That would make for some fun, "cowboy action" shooting practice!


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## Blotan Hunka (Nov 15, 2007)

Heres a good video of an IPSC guy doing some dry-fire training.


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## thardey (Nov 15, 2007)

Those reload speeds are impressive.

Very smooth.

How can he check his accuracy? Is that what the little plates were for?


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## Blotan Hunka (Nov 15, 2007)

He's just dry-firing. I dont think hes using feedback of any kind. As long as your sights are on target as the hammer drops, you are training well.


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## Cruentus (Nov 15, 2007)

Blotan Hunka said:


> Heres a good video of an IPSC guy doing some dry-fire training.



He reloads like I do; I turn the weapon slightly so that my eyes can be right on it and my mag slides right in.

I think dry firing training is crucial as well. I use airsoft to back up my dry firing also. I even use my airsoft M4 for room clearing practice and muzzle awareness. But I haven't tried anything like a bullite. Sounds like fun.


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## Blotan Hunka (Nov 15, 2007)

Take a look at this guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgdq1FBYTUE&feature=related


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## Marvin (Nov 15, 2007)

Blotan Hunka said:


> Take a look at this guy.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgdq1FBYTUE&feature=related


Holy Poo Poo!! that guy is smooooooth


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## Blotan Hunka (Nov 15, 2007)

Pretty impressive huh? Hes on the Army shooting team...ahhh.. to be paid to do nothing but shoot and have all the range time, equipment and ammo supplied by Uncle Sam. That would be THE LIFE!


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## Guardian (Nov 16, 2007)

Blotan Hunka said:


> Who out there consistently dry-fires? What type of training to you do? Do you incorporate any special skills or drills like reloads, malfunction drills, footwork? Do you use any special equipment like lasers, computers, targets?


 
All my dry firing practice was for speed in reloaing whether speed loaders were used or clips.  We also would do it for the purpose of clearing jams or malfunctions that would be the norm in a semi-automatic or automatic, merely speed and coordination for the pistols or rifles in different weather conditions, wet, cold so on and so on.

Only do it now as a refresher.


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## arnisandyz (Nov 16, 2007)

I dryfire at least an hour a day on non-match days.

You have to stay focused when you dryfire and stick with a program no matter how boring it gets.  I found its really easy to let the mind wander or scatter and get overloaded with trying to do too much. I do practice draws, reloads, movement, but mostly the basics of focusing on a target, bringing the gun to the target, focus on the sights, pull the trigger making sure sights don't move, snap vision to the next target and repeat. This works probably the 2 biggest things that will improve your shooting, your vision and your trigger finger.

Never really was a fan of the Bullite. To me it reinforces bad habits of looking for your shots (instead of calling them from your visual inputs of the front sight).

Also, dryfire becomes more beneficial when combined with livefire. When you are shooting live you need to to take in as much as you can...remember the sensation of recoil and how the gun tracked and what you saw when the gun went off.  Take that info into your dryfire session. After a while livefire just becomes verification that you are practicing dryfire properly.


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## Cruentus (Nov 16, 2007)

Blotan Hunka said:


> Pretty impressive huh? Hes on the Army shooting team...ahhh.. to be paid to do nothing but shoot and have all the range time, equipment and ammo supplied by Uncle Sam. That would be THE LIFE!



I put that clip in another thread recently. He is smooth as hell...


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## KenpoTex (Nov 16, 2007)

I do quite a bit of dry-fire (not as much as I should).  I primarily focus on my drawstroke, front sight focus, and trigger press.

I also use dummy rounds to practice my reloads and malfunction clearing.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jan 6, 2008)

I dryfire as well and supplement with airsoft too!


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## Lisa (Jan 13, 2008)

Here is what I do to practice basic skills for hold and balance with Dry firing:

Session 1: Using a "white target" (meaning no rings or bullseye)

a) Aim, close eyes, wait 15 seconds, dry fire, open eyes and look where you are sitting on the target.  Do this 10 times with a 30 second rest in between.

b) Same as "a" only wait 10 seconds before dry fire.  Again do this 10 times with a 30 second rest in between.

c) Dry fire 40 shots 

Session 2:

a) Dry firing eyes closed x 10 as per "a" above with good concentration on feeling and balance.

b) Dry firing with a normal target 10 shots with GOOD FOLLOW THROUGH.


After each Session we also do a holding exercise with the opposite hand.  For me this means holding my rifle as I would in a right handed position.  Don't worry about aiming, the point of this exercise is to help equally build your muscles on your weak side of your body.  Do this 10 times for one minute each with 30 second rest in between.


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