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.

 

[hereinaz]

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.

Interesting, I found it helped me.

It also helped me to do drills to build and break my position to learn how to reduce my wobble and get a clean trigger break without disturbing the rifle.

Spend your way out of a flinch easily with a suppressor if you can buy one in your state…

It’s the concussion that your brain really hates.

 

[hereinaz]

You won’t ruin a Savage by dryfiring.

I have heard of pins in various rifles breaking after ten thousand dry fire and thousands of rounds.
If you shoot that much, a new firing pin for a Savage is chump change.

 

[atmat]

Just to clarify: I think dry firing is a great practice. It just didn’t do anything for me regarding flinch reduction.

 

[Turkeytider]

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.

In no way will you harm a center fire rifle by dry firing. Matter of fact, most recognized shooting instructors and experts are proponents of dry firing. Some have commented that they dry fire far more than actual live fire. You can also use a snap cap.

 

[atmat]

In no way will you harm a center fire rifle by dry firing.

No one said you would? I dry fire daily. I’m confused about your response.

 

[Matt5266]

Dry fire all you want. Even if you ever had to buy a new firing pin it will be worth the improvements in the long run. It's not just about the trigger break. You also get reps on getting behind the gun, cheek weld, hand position, breathing, and running the bolt. There is huge benefits to dry firing in my opinion.

 

[AshleyWY]

Thanks for all the responses, guys! This helped tremendously!

 

[hereinaz]

Just to clarify: I think dry firing is a great practice. It just didn’t do anything for me regarding flinch reduction.

Yeah, I think its individual what benefit comes. I also wonder whether it matters that I had a suppressor by that point. Maybe that's a difference. I didn't think of that.

 

[Turkeytider]

',

No one said you would? I dry fire daily. I’m confused about your response.

My bad. I was thinking of the OP’s possible concern for damaging his rifle through dry firing it.

 

[Qpski]

On many .22 lr firearms, dry firing can be bad because the firing pin strikes the top of the chamber, peening the top of the chamber. Some .22 firing pins have a block to keep this from happening. But for center fire firearms, this is not an issue. But some might recommend using a snap cap in the chamber to cushion the firing pin strike anyway. Not a bad idea, especially if you do thousands of dry fires. Few shooters dry fire this much, so I wouldn't worry about it for occasional dry fire practice.

 

[Wolfshead]

My Tikka manual recommends not dry firing your rifle.

 

[khuber84]

I dry fired my PRS rifle prob 5k times a season the first few years I played that game. I took it far too seriously. Now I just go shoot for fun, but my scores are far less competitive. However, nothing ever happened to my rifle, and it did improve my shooting. I did change my FP spring between season 2 and 3.

 

[JimGa]

Continue to dry fire, it is extremely helpful. Get a friend and do ball a dummy work. Friend loads rifle and hands it to you. Rifle is cold or hot depending on what the friend puts in the chamber.

 

[General RE LEE]

My Tikka manual recommends not dry firing your rifle.

Rule follower

 

[The Harbor Master]

You can order a pack of snapcaps for less than $20. These will protect your firing pin when dry firing, and as mentioned above, can be mixed in with live ammo when practicing to really help identify and improve your flinch.

 

[fatbacks]

A suppressor is a good option to help with flinch. Pair a suppressor with a smaller cartridge and it's like shooting a rimfire.