Dry Firing

[jon12]

I have heard that dry firing is good trigger control practice, which makes sense, especially for me since i dont have the chance to go shooting all the time.

My question is is it damaging or hard on the rifle in any way to snap it a bunch.

My other question is this: I do dry fire my rifle some, but I have noticed that no matter how hard i concentrate, no matter how gentle i am with the squeeze of the trigger, i blink whenever it snaps. It is not a big exagerated movement, just a quick little blink, the the cross hairs usually move just a tiny bit and i have to believe that it is affecting my shooting some, since i dont exactly shoot MOA groups all the time with stuff that i know should. I am careful about getting really steady, careful about my breathing, and very careful about my gradual preassure on the trigger, so this is the only thing i can think of that i am doing wrong. I only notice it when i am dry firing. I keep denying that i have developed a "flinch" but i guess thats what it is.

What can i do to get control of this. I seemingly cant not blink when i snap the rifle, unless i pick my head up away from the gun. What have yall done to stop this kind of thing, and what would yall think works best.

Thanks.

 

[Brent]

Jon,
It is a flich, slight one but, still a flinch that'll take you off target some.

Practice dry firing, but apply pressure very gradually until it builds and finally breaks... do it like your life depends on doing it right while maintaining that target image in the scope... with the crosshairs still on bull, dead center. That my friend is follow through. When you can do that repeatedly resisting the urge, it will slowly become less of an impulse. Practice perfect makes perfect. This takes undenyable focus and effort to gain this skill, but you can do it, just takes your determination and perfect practice to accomplish it.

I'm sad to say, I broke my first firing pin here lately on a Savage Striker of mine while adjusting the *** trigger on it. Blow the tip right off of it from severe vibration I'm guessing. A Snap-Cap or even filling a primer pocket on an empty case with a trimmed pencil eraser might work to dampen to shock to the pin. I still dry fire my others, but I think I'll resist the urge on, or before a hunt from now on...

I know people who've broke the extracter and pulled the bolt handle off their Remingtons, but never have heard of broken firing pins from dry firing them or a Winchester either one. Maybe Savage is a little more prone to this, I don't know. Seems poeple don't talk about it much, or I've missed all the talk.

This Savage is honestly the first I've heard of breaking, just so happened it was on mine...

 

[NotEnoughTriggerTime]

I bought a set of "snap caps", and soon figured out that I could make the same thing for a lot less $.

Just take a fired case, knock the primer out, and fill the primer pocket with clear sillicone. Let the silicone set up for a week or so, until it is totally set up. The case is headspaced to your rifle, and the silicone dampens the firing pin.