Good Dry Fire Drills
- Thread starter Lord Soth
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Smoke
Member
Practice drawing, getting sight picture and trigger control.
DO it over and over until it feels natural and becomes second nature. Then do it some more.
You will develop muscle memory so that as your gun comes up your sights will always line up with your eyes.
I dry fire several times a week. I find a fixed point on the wall. ( My spouses picture...
) and go through my draw stroke from the holster, get a good sight picture and try to control the barrel all the way through until the hammer falls.
Change the angle of the "target" from time to time. Up,down, left, right. Change the setting, ie.: sitting, kneeling, standing, etc.
It works wonders and will show next time you hit the range for live fire.
Also, never forget safety. Lots of accidents have happened while "dry firing".
DO it over and over until it feels natural and becomes second nature. Then do it some more.
You will develop muscle memory so that as your gun comes up your sights will always line up with your eyes.
I dry fire several times a week. I find a fixed point on the wall. ( My spouses picture...
) and go through my draw stroke from the holster, get a good sight picture and try to control the barrel all the way through until the hammer falls.Change the angle of the "target" from time to time. Up,down, left, right. Change the setting, ie.: sitting, kneeling, standing, etc.
It works wonders and will show next time you hit the range for live fire.
Also, never forget safety. Lots of accidents have happened while "dry firing".
sanchezero
Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2002
- Messages
- 555
Dry fire 1 handed weak and strong.
Drawing and shooting on the move or changing position.
Practice your reloads too.
Drawing and shooting on the move or changing position.
Practice your reloads too.
I'm a dry fire nut.
I have made a bunch of miniture IDPA targets in various sizes simulating different ranges. I have them taped all over one wall. I can rearrange them to make different stages.
I practice the draw stroke, trigger pull, sight picture, calling the shot and indexing. I also do movement drills, cover, reloading, moving forward and laterally, kneeling, sitting, and prone.
First and foremost you should learn your proper index and grip. Have your gun at the low ready, CLOSE YOUR EYES, raise the gun like you are going to fire. Open your eyes and see what your sight picture is. (you aren't aiming at anything in particular) but your front sight should be in the right place. Pay attention to how that feels, and adjust as neccesary. Do this several hundred times until you have a perfect index everytime.
Then do it one handed, weak handed, from the holster, etc.
A good drill for shooting on the move is to get a coffee cup mostly filled with water, hold the cup up like it is your gun aiming at a target, and practice moving. When you get to the point that you can do that with out spilling the water, you are to the point where you can reliably shoot on the move.
Oh and reloads, tons and tons of reloads. Use dummy rounds in the magazine to approximate the weight. Practice reloading with your eyes closed.
As a 3gun addict I also do all of this stuff with my rifle and shotguns as well.
I have made a bunch of miniture IDPA targets in various sizes simulating different ranges. I have them taped all over one wall. I can rearrange them to make different stages.
I practice the draw stroke, trigger pull, sight picture, calling the shot and indexing. I also do movement drills, cover, reloading, moving forward and laterally, kneeling, sitting, and prone.
First and foremost you should learn your proper index and grip. Have your gun at the low ready, CLOSE YOUR EYES, raise the gun like you are going to fire. Open your eyes and see what your sight picture is. (you aren't aiming at anything in particular) but your front sight should be in the right place. Pay attention to how that feels, and adjust as neccesary. Do this several hundred times until you have a perfect index everytime.
Then do it one handed, weak handed, from the holster, etc.
A good drill for shooting on the move is to get a coffee cup mostly filled with water, hold the cup up like it is your gun aiming at a target, and practice moving. When you get to the point that you can do that with out spilling the water, you are to the point where you can reliably shoot on the move.
Oh and reloads, tons and tons of reloads. Use dummy rounds in the magazine to approximate the weight. Practice reloading with your eyes closed.
As a 3gun addict I also do all of this stuff with my rifle and shotguns as well.
El Tejon
Member
A word on safety from the resident safetyninny:
1. Remember the 4 Rules, they are life;
2. Have a dry practice area, don't go snapping around the house;
3. Put all ammo away, a coffee can will work for your carry mags;
4. Guns magically reload themselves, 4 rules, if interrupted, start over, verbalize your intention to dry practice, verbalize your end of dry practice;
5. Backstop should trap bullet, rics inside your basement are bad;
6. Remember the 4 Rules, they are life.
All of the above is very good advice. I only add that I would work in some practice (presentations, draw strokes, reloads, etc) in the dark.
1. Remember the 4 Rules, they are life;
2. Have a dry practice area, don't go snapping around the house;
3. Put all ammo away, a coffee can will work for your carry mags;
4. Guns magically reload themselves, 4 rules, if interrupted, start over, verbalize your intention to dry practice, verbalize your end of dry practice;
5. Backstop should trap bullet, rics inside your basement are bad;
6. Remember the 4 Rules, they are life.
All of the above is very good advice. I only add that I would work in some practice (presentations, draw strokes, reloads, etc) in the dark.
Denny Hansen
Member
Hate to sound like a nag on this subject, but...
Most deadly-force encounters occur in low/no light situations. Practice going for your light simultaneously with your handgun with whatever technique you prefer: Harries, Rogers, etc. Try different techniques for different situations. Try one-hand/weak-hand practice with the light held in your teeth, armpit or between your legs. You can't count on the fact that the BG is a bad shot and you won't be wounded.
Even if you have a dedicated light on a long gun, practice with a hand-held light--batteries go dead and bulbs blow when needed the most.
In short, train for worst-case scenarios. Surviving is training with copious amounts of luck thrown in for good measure.
Above all else, live by the
Four safety rules.
Denny
Most deadly-force encounters occur in low/no light situations. Practice going for your light simultaneously with your handgun with whatever technique you prefer: Harries, Rogers, etc. Try different techniques for different situations. Try one-hand/weak-hand practice with the light held in your teeth, armpit or between your legs. You can't count on the fact that the BG is a bad shot and you won't be wounded.
Even if you have a dedicated light on a long gun, practice with a hand-held light--batteries go dead and bulbs blow when needed the most.
In short, train for worst-case scenarios. Surviving is training with copious amounts of luck thrown in for good measure.
Above all else, live by the
Four safety rules.
Denny
Safety First
Member
very good info so far, I have learned from this as well,that is basically the reason I came to the
board,to learn from those with years of experinece with hand guns
board,to learn from those with years of experinece with hand guns
kannonfyre
Member
I know that this applies to ARs and not pistols so please bear with me.....
....a drill taught to me many moon ago. From prone position with your rifle, remove the magazine, and "load" the rifle. Have a buddy balance a coin on the barrel and then try to squeeze the trigger without the coin falling off. An exercise in trigger control that I can't seem to do.....
....a drill taught to me many moon ago. From prone position with your rifle, remove the magazine, and "load" the rifle. Have a buddy balance a coin on the barrel and then try to squeeze the trigger without the coin falling off. An exercise in trigger control that I can't seem to do.....
sanchezero
Member
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2002
- Messages
- 555
Kannon,
You can do that with a pistol as well. Its just harder.
You can do that with a pistol as well. Its just harder.
Dave Williams
Member
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2002
- Messages
- 377
Gabe Suarez's book,
Tactical Pistol Marksmanship, has a whole chapter devoted to dry fire drills and malf clearance, called The Perfect Practice Routine.
Highly Recommended!
Available at www.amazon.com
Dave
Tactical Pistol Marksmanship, has a whole chapter devoted to dry fire drills and malf clearance, called The Perfect Practice Routine.
Highly Recommended!
Available at www.amazon.com
Dave
BerettaNut92
Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2002
- Messages
- 9,723
Ah, more great words of wissim from El Tejon, brasshoppah!
El Tejon
Member
Ahem, Skunk, the gong? Where's the gong? How can you do the gun-fu thingy without the gong?
Now, where's my carbon fiber lighter for the candles?
Now, where's my carbon fiber lighter for the candles?
bad_dad_brad
Member
I use a mirror as a live target. I dry fire shoot myself. Effective. Just zero in on your strong eye and you will be pointing to point of aim. Just MAKE SURE the gun is UNLOADED! I read a story once about a guy doing this in his hotel room once and he took a mirror out, much to his embaresment.
El Tejon
Member
bad, you talking about the marine at Gunsite with the .308. That's a lot more than embarrassing!
4
4 eyed six shooter
Guest
Think of other situations that you may find yourself in, such as being held at gunpoint and the BG asks you to slowly remove your weapon and drop it on the ground. I have gotten really good at reaching for my pistol with my weak hand, swiping off the safety, and as I swing it so it is pointing at the target, firing the pistol upsidedown with my ring finger. Be ready to clear a jam after firing the pistol this way. Works really great with revolvers also. If you carry a back up, learn to put it into action quickly also. The more you think about what if, the better you will react in a real situation.
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