Dry fire training is practicing firearm handling, manipulation, and shooting without using live ammunition. In other words, it is the practice of going through the motions of discharging a firearm without actually firing a bullet. This type of training has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for a good reason. There are many benefits to dry fire training, including increased skill and accuracy, improved muscle memory, and increased safety.
One of the primary benefits of dry fire training is that it allows you to practice your shooting skills in a safe and controlled environment. I train dry fire every morning at my home using a Sig p320 and a Mantis X10
. In the past couple of years, I have racked up over 76,000 trigger pulls. For most people, that kind of training would be cost-prohibitive with live fire.
Mechanics
Another benefit of dry-fire training is that it allows you to focus on your shooting mechanics, Technique, and form. This is important because without well-polished mechanics you will have a difficult time being consistently accurate. When you are shooting live ammunition, there can be a lot of distractions. Such as The noise of the shot, recoil, and even others at the range. With dry fire training, you can eliminate these distractions and focus on your technique and form. This allows you to improve your shooting skills much more quickly than you would be able to with live fire only.
Muscle Memory
Dry fire is also a great way to build muscle memory. Muscle memory is the ability of your muscles to remember a specific movement or action repeatedly, your muscles become more efficient at performing that action. This is why athletes and musicians practice their skills over and over again. In shooting a good shooter practices until they get the mechanics right, and excellent shooter practices until they can not get it wrong.
Confidence
In addition to improving your shooting skills, dry fire training can also help to increase your confidence. Shooting can be a daunting task, especially for beginners. By practicing your skills through dry fire you can build your confidence and become more comfortable with handling firearms. This can be especially helpful for people who are new to shooting or who have had a negative experience with training in the past.
Dry fire training is also a great way to save money. Shooting can be expensive especially live fire at the range. By practicing dry fire training you can save money on ammo and range time and improve your shooting skills. This can be especially beneficial for people who are on a budget or who want to practice their shooting skills more frequently without breaking the bank.
Safety
Finally, I cannot stress enough that safety is of the utmost importance always inspect your firearm to insure that it is unloaded, and keep all live ammo out of your training area. I also recommend seeking instruction about safe firearms handling from a certified instructor.