Posted: 10/23/2008 11:34:37 PM EDT
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How does one practice dry fire with a single action? Reason I'm asking is because I want to dedicate a lot of time this winter to practicing various aspects of my shooting. But, I'm not a big fan of dry fire, because it seems to me that it instills bad habits if you are doing something wrong (I learned this summer that my grip and draw were way off, for example) and then it dawned on me that even if I bought a timer, the dry fire wouldn't be 'accurate' because my second and subsequent shots would be double action (CZ97B)! (or single action if I build up my 1911.) Granted, I have already decided that the only 'at home' practice I was going to do was reloads, maybe some draws and transitions. But, it got me to thinking. I've been spending some time the past few days at Enos's boards, and was reading about various dry-fire drills, when I realized 'Wait a second, 95% of these guys run open class single action 1911's! How the heck are they dry firing?! Racking the slide each shot?' I also need to shoot much more. I only shot maybe 1500 rounds this season, and most of that was in competitions! I need to spend more time at my reloading bench, and less time slacking. So, what are some of y'alls thoughts on practicing with dry fire, or otherwise? |
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You can gain a lot from dry firing. I rarely pull the trigger. I practice transititions, draws, reloads, strong and weak hand, movement. drawing and shooting around barricades, table starts. Just about anything you see at a match can be practiced in dry fire. Make sure you go get a good sight picture and only shoot "A"s anything else is engraining bad habit Get Steve Andersons dry fire book. it will give structure to your dry fire |
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Quoted:
How does one practice dry fire with a single action? So, what are some of y'alls thoughts on practicing with dry fire, or otherwise? Dry fire practice is so that one works on squeezing the trigger without pulling the gun. Yes, you rack the slide after each shot. The concept of dry fire practice is not about speed, it's about control. |
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Dry fire practice can be much more than practicing trigger control.
Get a timer and "shoot" drills against a par time. Keep lowering the par. Make sure you have the necessary sight picture when you break the "shot." Pull the trigger on each "shot." No need to recock the hammer. I second the Anderson book. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
How does one practice dry fire with a single action? So, what are some of y'alls thoughts on practicing with dry fire, or otherwise? Dry fire practice is so that one works on squeezing the trigger without pulling the gun. Yes, you rack the slide after each shot. The concept of dry fire practice is not about speed, it's about control. Not true! If you are taking part in a dryfire routine for competition as some point it MUST be about speed. Gaining an "acceptable" site picture and getting a good trigger pull as fast as possible is the whole idea of it. |
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Not true to you. It's a bit of both.
You have to learn the technique first and then the speed will come. Yes you push the speed in dry fire via use of a timer and lowering the part time, but you DO NOT sacrifice the technique for speed. The technique must be held true. If you just throw the gun up on the draw, you are not accomplishing anything other than setting yourself up for failure. What's better? A 1.5 second draw to a plate at 15 yards that drills the plate or a 1.0 second draw to the same plate, followed up by 1-3 follow up shots since you were worried about speed instead of acquiring the correct sight picture and applying the visual patience to see what needed to be seen. Your sights are you speedometer. If you don't see it, don't shoot it and THAT'S the skill you pick up in dry fire. Pick up Steve Anderson's books and you'll be surprised at the gains you make. Rich ETA: I'll use the Angus Hobdell story from my own experience. I can clear a plate rack in under 2.75 every time. I can do it right about at 2.2 when I'm rockin' and rollin'. In a match though, which one am I going to do? I'll go with the confidence that I can comfortably do it at 2.75 (although the 2.2 looks cool) but how I feel that day, how my visual patience is working THAT DAY and AT THAT MOMENT and go from there. |
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Thanks for the tips so far, guys.
I've still been reading at Enos' boards, and have been reading his book. I also found some cool pages at Matt Burkett's site with timers and different targets. It's been helping. My reload times have increased quite a bit. I do need to get out to a range where I can practice all this though, to ensure I'm not learning bad habits. It's one thing to 'Click, reload, Click' in 2.5 seconds. I have a feeling when I do it for real at the range, I'm not going to be as quick. 
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