Dryfiring - Do I need a target?

[tank69]

OK, i've come to the conclusion that I need to practice. Normally, I can jump into something and do "ok", but I am inconsistent on my shooting, so I am going to FAITHFULLY practice.

If I just simply dryfire, while watching TV, etc., is that getting me anywhere? I mean, is that "training" so to speak or do I need go from a draw, acquire target and pull trigger? I do plan to train with the timer and target as well, but i'm talking about the times I can't do that, just want to pick up the G35 and JUST dryfire.

[Jake Di Vita]

Handling a gun will always help however it won't give you nearly the improvement that a structured dry fire routine will give you.

I reference you to Steve Anderon's book. Nothing better out there to teach you what dry firing is all about.

[Merlin Orr]

Handling a gun will always help however it won't give you nearly the improvement that a structured dry fire routine will give you.

I reference you to Steve Anderon's book. Nothing better out there to teach you what dry firing is all about.

I've shot 10,000 people on HBO...Mostly Bill Maher..

[raz-0]

structured dryfiring will pay MUCH bigger dividends with much less time invested. I was doing draws and trigger control dryfire without a time for a while and wallowing at high d level scores for quite a while. I got a timer and did some structured practice, and In about 2 months was C, and two months after that made it to a low B. I honestly probably practiced less than I did before I got the timer, but it was much more productive practice.

[ChuckS]

Tank,

Try these Matt Burkett Dry Fire Drills

Just try not to shoot your monitor!

[BritinUSA]

I think you need a target to aim at. The reason is that picking up the sights following a draw or reload is only half the process. The sights must be aligned to the target, not aligned to a blank space on the wall.

[Flexmoney]

Tank,

I like to pick out targets from around the room..at various heights and distances.

Practice snapping the eyes to the target...the gun will follow..as it comes on target...bring your visual focus back to the front sight. Repeat.

[Kory]

I do that too.

Lightswitches, stuff on shelves, that smudge on the wall, stuff on TV, etc.

look at something, then get the gun between it and my eyes, click.

[eric nielsen]

Tank

Sent you an email.

If anyone wants a JPG of an ipsc target with the azones colored white, just email or PM me with your email address. It prints out 8.5 by 11" or with XP you can select 4 small ones on a page, 2 medium ones, etc

[Turtle]

Flex brings up a very good point. Shooting is mostly a visual/mental skill, not just raw mechanics. That's not to say that dry firing to improve your gun handling mechanics is not very important, because it is. So, take your pick: gun, target, or gun and target. I "dry fire" all the time without a gun. I'm training my vision because I can only shoot A's as fast as I can see them.

[Merlin Orr]

Tank

Sent you an email.

If anyone wants a JPG of an ipsc target with the azones colored white, just email or PM me with your email address. It prints out 8.5 by 11" or with XP you can select 4 small ones on a page, 2 medium ones, etc

Eric

Thanks for the target. I just cut out some cardboard backers and replaced my old scale targets with the printed ones you sent me. Lots easier to see!

[BSeevers]

I rarely use paper targets since there are so many others around the room

[kevin c]

I dryfire both w/ and w/o targets.

I have scaled targets of differing sizes on the wall of my practice area, allowing me to simulate different distances up to 40 yds. For me, it helps to actually put the sights onto the target silhouette. I have also have one target marked at the dead center of the A zone. Practicing to acquire the target at exactly that point lets me get a strong visual reference for the target's idea POA.

A drawback of scaled targets all at the same distance is that your eyes don't make the real focussing change needed for targets that really are 10/15/20/etc. yards away. For me, it's kind of hard to put up practice targets all over my home or office, so any set of conveniently located inanimate objects will have to do.

[Flyin40]

I've shot 10,000 people on HBO...Mostly Bill Maher..

I watched him last night for a few minutes with Janet Reno on and he is a complete idiot.

Flyin

[benos]

Various dry fire methods build different skills.

Dry firing at a blank wall improves sight alignment and trigger control skills. This part of your dry fire training should not be underestimated. Once you've developed a certain proficiency there, adding a target will teach you to recognize the correct relationship of the sights to the target. Then adding multiple targets will teach your eyes how to "keep moving."

be

[tank69]

Thanks Brian, that made quite a bit of sense. I've been using a target and the MB timer setup on the webpage and it is helping quite a bit. One thing I did decide to do was tape the glasses, WOW, what a difference that made. i'm left eye dom and right hand shooting. Hopefully i'll get the peepers trained!

[jjanglin]

Ive been using one of caspians air soft guns.

Tha mags are hefty enough to practise reloads.

I use a piece of small twine and string it up holding 6 6" paper plates

and shoot them from accross the room.

Ive got some small Ipsc targets=got them off the web.

I put them on a ipsc target and put another piece of card boad on the back

slanted towards the wall at the bottom and put a bucket underneith

to catch the pellets. got this set up in the back room.

I use standard Ipsc targets and set up a small stage in the back yard

these air soft pistols will go through or stick in the target at 20 feet or

so.

Jim Anglin

Sailors Custom Pistols

[RTevolution]

Dry firing presentation

I think there is an important step to the dryfire presentation that is often overlooked and falls right between IDing your target and bringing the gun to target. Once you ID your target the Sight Picture begins by mentally visualizing your sights on target. Mentally focusing to the point that you can clearly picture your sights on the target as your hand is delivering the gun to target and then the actual sights replace the mental image.

[MR_not-so_INCREDIBLE]

Tank,

Try these Matt Burkett Dry Fire Drills

Just try not to shoot your monitor!

Hey, these were really cool ! (Well, for me anyway )

Uh, what would be a good time for a draw and single shot coming out of an IDPA holster? I spent about 10 minutes drawing my CZ 75 B from my CenDex holster, and dry firing one shot each time. I set the timer to 1.5 sec, and I could barely get my gun out and one shot off . Heck I doubt I'd have even scared the target...

I keep reading posts here about you guys getting like .75 sec draws . I don't think I can even get my hand on my gun in .75 sec

Man, I really stink

(But I am just getting into this stuff, so maybe there's hope yet )

[XRe]

(But I am just getting into this stuff, so maybe there's hope yet )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One step at a time, my friend Find out roughly how fast you can do it, now... Then work on some technique, and start challenging yourself w/ faster par times. Repeat, ad nauseum. You might be suprised what you'll eventually be able to pull off....

[carinab]

Gotta agree with Benos (master of all things that go >bang<). Do dryfire with and without targets. For me the idea is to train my subconscious to recognize a good sight picture because it makes decisions far quicker than my conscious mind. The sites (and especially a dot) are always moving to some degree. If you relied only on your conscious mind to give the order to your finger to break the shot, the sights will have moved by the time the impulse goes from brain to finger. This also ties into the "trust" concept. Trust that your subconscious knows what an acceptable site picture looks like for the shot you need to make.