Dry Firing Rifle

[AshleyWY]

After spending some time at the shooting range with my Savage 7mm-08 last October, I learned that I have a terrible trigger flinch. The only thing that seemed to solve it (at least temporarily) was to dry fire my rifle over and over, making sure to keep both eyes open, squeeze the trigger slowly, try not to anticipate the click or "recoil," and to follow the "shot" all the way through by continuing to look through the scope well after the trigger had been fully depressed. As soon as I felt comfortable doing that, I hit every target at the range in all shooting positions and it felt like a breeze.

Now, however, it's been four months since my last hunt on the mainland, and I just went hunting here in Hawai'i a few days ago. I got two shots off, but was disappointed in that I am pretty sure my trigger flinch was the reason I missed the deer in the field. (That, and it was possible I was shooting at a longer range than I had anticipated. I am grateful that I did miss the deer altogether, though, rather than injuring and such.) Anyhow, when I was out in the field with the guys taking me hunting, I told them that I really needed to do some dry firing to get rid of my trigger flinch, but one of the individuals told me that he thinks that doing so can damage the firing pin. I have never heard this before, and though they are completely different beasts, the guy who told me this is an avid bowhunter, and I remember always being told not to dry fire a bow as well (and I never did).

Does anyone have any further information on this topic? I don't want to damage my rifle, if possible, but I REALLY don't want to damage any wildlife... I have plenty of ammunition here, but am having a little difficulty accessing a shooting range. (I am beginning to be pointed in the right direction, though.) Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated!

 

[83cj-7]

If you can damage a firing pin(or any other component on the rifle) by dry firing, you need to get a different rifle. Nearly all my rifle and pistols get dry fired as much as they get shot.
As a general rule, the only thing you should not dry fire is a rimfire. However some of them have are designed not to cause damage if dry fired.

 

[atmat]

Dry firing isn’t a great fix for a flinch. If anything, I found it taught me exactly where my trigger broke and anticipated recoil even more.

What helped me was using mags mixed with real bullets and snapcaps.

I’ve also heard that having someone else pull the trigger behind you (like with a string) works wonders on eliminating it, too.

 

[General RE LEE]

I've heard it is a good practice for those wanting to improve their shooting to dry fire the rifle more than you actually fire it.

I dry fire two rifles with two different trigger types everyday.

I'll quit when I start playing golf here in a few weeks.