dakota.potts
New member
I decided recently to really get more serious about my shooting. More reading, working out (especially upper body), and a lot more practice.
Problem is I can't get to the range very often and I can't afford the ammo.
What I can afford is dry fire practice. I did some reading and worked on my stance first. I found that, drawing from a strongside OWB holster (if you can even call a $12 Gunmate nylon thing a holster), it really feels smooth for me to go into an Isoceles stance. I've also founds that this works well to aim with my left eye as I am cross dominant. I don't really have to cock my head that way to aim.
I also worked on my grip. I have a full size gun so this was interesting but over all ended up being easier than a pocket pistol, even with my small hands. I focused on really getting a good cant with my left hand to maximize grip area.
Then I drew. And drew. And drew. When I was done drawing I would then pick a good backstop (like a full 55 gallon water barrel) and dry fire. Both double and single action. Only focusing on the smooth pull and break without jerking the gun. I probably did 200 draws and 300 trigger pulls over the course of a couple of days.
Then the fun part -- I finally got to go back to the range.
With the proper grip and stance, everything got on target much better. Recoil was much easier to control. I think the best part was that dry firing removed the association of the trigger pull with the jump and the noise. I stopped the little flinch that I had, to the point that I could watch the action of the slide going up and back into battery and even catch the muzzle flash sometimes. I suppose this means my eyes are still closing but I'm making progress.
I was having no problem hitting steel silhouettes at 25 yards and saw an improvement in accuracy and trigger control at these distances.
I also got to shoot my dad's compact .45, an ATI Fatboy. I had previously struggled with a .40 of about the same size and weight, but the little .45 was a lot of fun. I'm not sure I would have had that perception if I hadn't learned proper grip and stance to control the weapon.
My long term goal is to become a competitor and a teacher at some point. I saw tangible progress towards some of the fundamentals that will help me get there.
I can definitely say, for someone looking to bring their game even further, dry fire practice is something that is absolutely beneficial if done right. I doubted its effects at first but did it simply because I wanted to be with the gun and learning. I was very surprised how quickly I saw improvement. I'm still not a bullseye crackshot but I'm better than I was a week ago
Problem is I can't get to the range very often and I can't afford the ammo.
What I can afford is dry fire practice. I did some reading and worked on my stance first. I found that, drawing from a strongside OWB holster (if you can even call a $12 Gunmate nylon thing a holster), it really feels smooth for me to go into an Isoceles stance. I've also founds that this works well to aim with my left eye as I am cross dominant. I don't really have to cock my head that way to aim.
I also worked on my grip. I have a full size gun so this was interesting but over all ended up being easier than a pocket pistol, even with my small hands. I focused on really getting a good cant with my left hand to maximize grip area.
Then I drew. And drew. And drew. When I was done drawing I would then pick a good backstop (like a full 55 gallon water barrel) and dry fire. Both double and single action. Only focusing on the smooth pull and break without jerking the gun. I probably did 200 draws and 300 trigger pulls over the course of a couple of days.
Then the fun part -- I finally got to go back to the range.
With the proper grip and stance, everything got on target much better. Recoil was much easier to control. I think the best part was that dry firing removed the association of the trigger pull with the jump and the noise. I stopped the little flinch that I had, to the point that I could watch the action of the slide going up and back into battery and even catch the muzzle flash sometimes. I suppose this means my eyes are still closing but I'm making progress.
I was having no problem hitting steel silhouettes at 25 yards and saw an improvement in accuracy and trigger control at these distances.
I also got to shoot my dad's compact .45, an ATI Fatboy. I had previously struggled with a .40 of about the same size and weight, but the little .45 was a lot of fun. I'm not sure I would have had that perception if I hadn't learned proper grip and stance to control the weapon.
My long term goal is to become a competitor and a teacher at some point. I saw tangible progress towards some of the fundamentals that will help me get there.
I can definitely say, for someone looking to bring their game even further, dry fire practice is something that is absolutely beneficial if done right. I doubted its effects at first but did it simply because I wanted to be with the gun and learning. I was very surprised how quickly I saw improvement. I'm still not a bullseye crackshot but I'm better than I was a week ago