Author Topic: Dry Firing (Read 1072 times)

Possum · « **on:** February 12, 2003, 10:09:48 AM »

I can just speak for myself, but I get in front of the TV and "shoot" my Contender. It allows me to get the timing and feel down for the pistol. I can also line the scope up on things in the house and I've learned to acquire the target quicker in the scope.

Selmer · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2003, 12:06:52 PM »

I'm with Possum on this one. I like to point at things in the house, especially critters on hunting shows, gun UNLOADED ALWAYS!!!!!!!! The wife thinks I'm crazy, but she's always impressed when we go shoot and she can't figure out how I can shoot my shotgun so well, but I used to do the same thing with that, but that has become an extension of my arm now, she throws clays for me and this fall I shot a box of 90 clays and didn't miss a one, she loves to see them turn into powder and hang in the air like a little smoke bomb. If you're looking for definition of dry-firing, it's cocking the gun unloaded, and practicing your trigger pull while aiming. When using a rimfire or shotgun make sure you have a dummy round or a spent round in the chamber to absorb the firing pin, I've been told it doesn't hurt centerfires any, but I still have a dummy in there just in case. If you don't have dummy the stress could weaken the firing pin and cause it to break. It's a good way of testing your flinch on the range as well, have a buddy load the gun for you and mix in spent shells, that way you never know if it's loaded and if it's dry fire and you're flinching, it's embarassingly obvious, dad did this to us with the .308 and .243 when we were boys, it worked great, if we flinched, we were done for the day because a flinch can get worse the more you shoot.
Whew, that was a long one, sorry!
Selmer

Bullseye · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2003, 01:31:59 PM »

You still need to make sure the gun is unloaded, but with a contender all you need to do is break it open and close it. Then pull the trigger without cocking it. It is the same trigger pull as cocking it and pulling the trigger. It must be opened and shut again after ever trigger pull.

Gregory · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2003, 05:34:39 PM »

Quote from: Bullseye

You still need to make sure the gun is unloaded, but with a contender all you need to do is break it open and close it. Then pull the trigger without cocking it. It is the same trigger pull as cocking it and pulling the trigger. It must be opened and shut again after ever trigger pull.

I agree with you about the trigger pull, but I find practice, with a dummy round or snap cap in the chamber, to be better. You have to learn to deal with the hammer fall as well.

Steve Pennington · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2003, 12:30:59 AM »

Dry firing really helped me. I had and still have to fight the tendancy to flinch when shooting my contender. At first I flinched with any caliber over .22 rimfire. I dry fire inside as much as I can. I can tell a real difference in my shooting when I keep up a constant regiment of dry firing. I can shoot up to 30-30 rounds without much trouble. Still regress when shooting my 30-30. Tried a 45-70 last fall, still can't shoot it to my satisfaction. Right now the barrel I shoot best, besides my .22 is a 6.5 US.

Anybody have any ideas how I can get over flinching with the big bangers like a 45-70. Still trying with factory loads. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Possum · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2003, 01:47:32 AM »

The only way I overcome it is to shoot, shoot, shoot, and shoot. The more I shoot the less it occurs.

Jerry J · « **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2003, 02:55:02 AM »

Please note, under NO Circustances should you DRY FIRE a TC ENCORE without a SNAP CAP. I have gone through a few firing pins doing this. The pin will break at the most in opertune moments. I now dry fire with a snap cap and have a few extra firing pins on hand just in case. Jerry J

X-Ring · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2003, 03:10:39 AM »

Hey Ken what tape was my hero in?

helobill · « **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2003, 04:18:17 AM »

I like Selmer's idea, we used it at the Naval Academy when trying to teach the new Plebe's to shoot the 45 without yanking them all over the range. It's amazing that folks will swear they don't flinch, until you mix in a "dud" and they almost fall over the shooting bench anticipating the "boom" or they pull the trigger and automatically go into a movie pose with the gun almost straight up...uh, young fella it didn't go off, why did it recoil that high? It was lots of fun teaching there, once you know what you're doing wrong it's much easier to fix. I still have someone mix in a couple every now and then to check myself. You never know when you'll pick up a bad habit. Bought some brass from Gregory and he had made a home grown snap cap. Pretty good idea, put a bit of stiff rubber in the primer pocket of a brass casing. Absorbs the shock so the firing pin doesn't slam against anything.
Helicopter Bill

Gregory · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2003, 05:05:08 AM »

Bill
The rubber I used for the "snap cap" was from a pencil eraser. I can't take credit for the idea, I read about it years ago.