Dry Firing Rifle

[HandgunHTR]

My Tikka manual recommends not dry firing your rifle.

And the T3 that I bought back in 2004 has been dry fired thousands of times without issue.

 

[vvarvnn]

Dry firing a centerfire rifle will not damage it, to my knowledge. In fact, many respected shooting instructors and experts advocate for dry firing as a valuable training tool. Some even mention that they dry fire more frequently than they actually shoot live rounds. Using a snap cap is also a good option to protect the firing pin. How about using some of those laser based practice cartridges?

 

[TaperPin]

I was curious since most guns can be dry fired until the cows come home - looked up a manual for T3x.

 

[ETtikka]

Has anyone ever seen issues after dry firing a tikka ?

 

[actionshooter]

Already been mentioned a bunch, but your rifle will be fine.. dry firing won't hurt it.

It's also an excellent tool for better shooting in general, shot anticipation (flinch) can be hard to get past... concentrate on the trigger break and sight alignment.. you should NOT be surprised when the trigger breaks (some say you should, old wives tale) after a little practice, you will be able to "call your shots". Knowing exactly where your shot goes after the rifle goes off is a cool talent.

I've been competing in different shooting sports a long time, I have a little experience in breaking shot anticipation.

 

[atmat]

Has anyone ever seen issues after dry firing a tikka ?

No, and I do it a lot.

 

[Turkeytider]

My Tikka manual recommends not dry firing your rifle.

I’m more comfortable dry firing with a snap cap.

 

[ReddingArcher]

Has anyone ever seen issues after dry firing a tikka ?

I have dry fired my Tikka's countless times and havent seen any damage.

 

[TaperPin]

Flinching is a human thing, not the end of the world - a little work and you’ll be back in action. Essentially you’re desensitizing your brain to the shot.

A shoulder pad takes all the discomfort of a firm recoil pad away. Ear plugs and muffs can take the most sound away.

Just being near guns going off is good.

Dummy rounds or having a friend load or not load the gun each time are ideal.

Lower weight bullets have less recoil

Shooting standing up seems to take a lot of anticipation away.

 

[6mm Remington]

It won't hurt your rifle to dry fire but.........................I still use an A Zoom snap cap just to reduce the chance of any harm to the firing pin. It can't hurt.

A-ZOOM Action Proving Dummy Round, Snap Cap 7mm-08 Remington Aluminum

The A-Zoom Action Proving Dummy Snap Caps are precision machined from aluminum to exacting tolerances. They feature a hard anodized finish that provides...

www.midwayusa.com

Something I have found to help also when I have helped get newer folks into shooting and even ones who have done it a long time is to make sure they have soft plugs underneath quality ear muff protection. Lessening the explosion that happens every time the trigger is pulled goes a long way into lessening how a person reacts to shooting and the recoil that comes with it. As folks have talked about before me also is to get some A Zoom snap caps and mix them up in the rifles magazine and shoot. You don't have to require someone else to load your magazine. Put 2 snap caps and 2 loaded rounds on the bench and mix them up. Don't look at them and load them into the rifles magazine and cycle a round into the chamber pointed down range and shoot the rounds while shooting slowly for a group.

 

[vvarvnn]

It won't hurt your rifle to dry fire but.........................I still use an A Zoom snap cap just to reduce the chance of any harm to the firing pin. It can't hurt.

A-ZOOM Action Proving Dummy Round, Snap Cap 7mm-08 Remington Aluminum

The A-Zoom Action Proving Dummy Snap Caps are precision machined from aluminum to exacting tolerances. They feature a hard anodized finish that provides...

www.midwayusa.com

View attachment 833052
Something I have found to help also when I have helped get newer folks into shooting and even ones who have done it a long time is to make sure they have soft plugs underneath quality ear muff protection. Lessening the explosion that happens every time the trigger is pulled goes a long way into lessening how a person reacts to shooting and the recoil that comes with it. As folks have talked about before me also is to get some A Zoom snap caps and mix them up in the rifles magazine and shoot. You don't have to require someone else to load your magazine. Put 2 snap caps and 2 loaded rounds on the bench and mix them up. Don't look at them and load them into the rifles magazine and cycle a round into the chamber pointed down range and shoot the rounds while shooting slowly for a group.

Great advice! I completely agree that using both ear plugs and muffs together is a game changer, especially for new shooters or even those who’ve been at it for a while. The reduced noise helps prevent flinching and can make the whole experience a lot less stressful, both physically and mentally. Also, the idea of mixing snap caps with live rounds is a brilliant way to work on trigger control and recoil management without worrying about anticipating the shot. It's a great way to develop muscle memory and stay relaxed, knowing that you won’t always get the bang you’re expecting. It really helps build confidence, especially for beginners, and reinforces good habits with the trigger. Thanks for sharing that tip, I’m sure it’s going to be really helpful for people just starting out, like me!

 

[vvarvnn]

Flinching is a human thing, not the end of the world - a little work and you’ll be back in action. Essentially you’re desensitizing your brain to the shot.

A shoulder pad takes all the discomfort of a firm recoil pad away. Ear plugs and muffs can take the most sound away.

Just being near guns going off is good.

Dummy rounds or having a friend load or not load the gun each time are ideal.

Lower weight bullets have less recoil

Shooting standing up seems to take a lot of anticipation away.

Great points! I completely agree that flinching is a natural response and not something to be overly stressed about—it’s part of the learning process. The key is consistent practice to desensitize the brain and get back into a smooth, controlled rhythm. The shoulder pad idea is spot on, too—comfort plays a huge role in reducing the fear of recoil and helps you focus more on technique. I also like how you mentioned just being near guns going off as a way to acclimate to the sound and the environment. That’s often overlooked but definitely a useful way to reduce anxiety for beginners. Using dummy rounds or having someone else load the magazine is a fantastic way to break the anticipation cycle and really focus on the fundamentals, especially when you’re trying to keep that flinch in check.

 

[vvarvnn]

I was curious since most guns can be dry fired until the cows come home - looked up a manual for T3x.

View attachment 832667

Good to know!!

 

[SloppyJ]

I'm with everyone here who says invest in a suppressor. The concussion is the biggest contributor in my book. I've been lucky that I've never developed a flinch. Using Triggertechs, there's also no creep in the trigger so there's not much anticipation. It's only based on the pressure you're putting on the trigger, no movement.

I think a can will be your biggest asset in your fight against flinch. Even if you have double ear protection on, the wave to the face always makes me blink and lose my sight picture. With the suppressor and the attenuated "push", it's easier.

Have your buddies load you mags and mix in a couple spent shells. That's the cheap man's snapcap. I do this to my skinny buddy with a 338LM and he's all over the place. It's quite funny.

 

[Cannonball]

ive often wondered if dry firing with a spent round/case would be better than an empty chamber. Last i looked there weren't 7prc snap caps available but that may have changed

 

[atmat]

ive often wondered if dry firing with a spent round/case would be better than an empty chamber. Last i looked there weren't 7prc snap caps available but that may have changed

Dry firing is a moot point. Dummy/snap caps/empty shells are valuable for their use in Ball and Dummy drill

 

[Tmac]

The only rifles I don’t dry fire are my Springfield 03-A3’s and rimfires. I suppose some designs can have the pin smack the inside of the bolt pretty hard, so some manuals say don’t do it. I don’t dry fire a bunch anymore, I do take high desert/varmint trips June - August and pop off a couple thousand rounds pre hunting season.

If one is worried about it and snap caps are not available, take a fired case, decap it, and glue in a rubber “primer”.

Best flinch fix medicine I know is a 2 person game. Shooter never knows what is loaded, live round or snap cap. Partner loads rifle while shooter has back turned. Shooter shoots. Snap or bang is the question. Start with lots of snaps and progress to more bangs.

I also use a recoil pad on my shoulder at the range, always, as I hate recoil. For some reason I handle recoil well, mental game I suppose, but I dislike it. Am moving all my rifles to be suppressed, helps tremendously with the bang and the punch.

 

[wind gypsy]

223 through 243 or smaller 6mm + Suppressor = less flinching.