In my last article, I talked about how dry firing was the quickest way to become proficient with a firearm. I will write articles on specific dryfire drills that I use but before we get to that, I have to address how a proper dryfire area should be set up.
A dryfire area should be set up that adheres to the 4 rules of firearm safety. The weapon must be pointed in a direction that would minimize damage in the event of a negligent discharge. No live ammunition should be allowed in this area to prevent this from happening. Targets should be used to get a proper sight picture.
Read on to learn how you should set up your dryfire practice area.
Safety
Let’s go over the 4 rules of firearm safety:
- Treat all weapons as if they were loaded
- Never point a gun at anything you do not wish to destroy
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire
- Always be aware of your target and what’s beyond
Because we are going to treat the gun as if it was loaded, it is important that you pick a wall (or direction) that will do the least damage in the event of a negligent discharge.
Using my house as an example, I dryfire at a wall that leads out to the back yard, which is bordered by a small patch of woods. Beyond the woods is the rear of a strip mall with concrete walls.
I can’t stress enough that the expectation is that you will not have a negligent discharge. But in the event that you do, you will mitigate damage as much as possible.
Choosing a safe direction incorporates rules 1 and 4 in your decision-making process.
Once you have the best direction picked out, pick an area that is clear and unobstructed. Ideally, you can dedicate a specific room where you will dryfire. But if all you have is a few feet of clear space, that will have to do.
The important thing is that absolutely no live ammunition enters that space.
None.
That means your weapon has to be cleared before you even enter that area to train. All magazines should also be empty or filled with dummy rounds (if used).
After this space has been determined, you can go ahead and put up aiming targets on the wall (more on that below).
Because you are still going to aim the weapon and pull the trigger, rules 2 and 3 are in effect. Only aim at designated targets and only pull the trigger with a proper sight picture on the target.
Mind the spaces above and below your practice area. That means if you are practicing on a top floor, try not to point the gun downwards if possible. If you are on the first floor or basement, try to avoid pointing the gun up.
Targets
Full Size
If you want to print out and aim in on “full size” targets, you’ll first need to measure the distance from the wall and where you will be standing.
From there, you can click on this link for PDF files that you can print out. If you plug in the distance to your wall and the distance you want to simulate (e.g 7 yards), it will tell you at what percentage (scale) you should print the file (see pic below).
For those not aware, when you print a file, you can go into the print settings and change the percentage of the full-size image to print out. In the example above, you would print the IPSC Classic target at 54% to simulate a target at 10 yards away that you are putting up on a wall 7 feet from where you stand.
Painter’s Tape
Don’t like the hassle of printing out files? Me too.
This is why I have squarish bits of blue painter’s tape set up at various spots on the wall. I can make the tape small enough that they are barely larger than the front sight of my Glock 19.
This is a personal preference because the smaller target forces me to really focus on making sure that the front sight does not move during the trigger squeeze. Small movements can be missed if you’re aiming at a larger target, especially if there isn’t much contrast between your front sight and the target color (e.g. black sights on a black target).
Also, blue painter’s tape is super cheap and comes off easily. That way when friends and family visit you don’t have to explain why there are little tape bits on the far wall.
Set Up Multiple Targets
One of the things you can practice is transitioning from one target to another. This is nothing more than shifting the gun sights from one target to another one.
I will be covering a specific drill on how to do that but it doesn’t hurt to try it on your own. You’ll soon learn that the front sight likes to wobble a lot.
Video Equipment
I am going to recommend that you start recording yourself when you are practicing or learning a new skill. If you’re like me, you might hate the way you look or sound on video but it’s still important for a number of reasons.
You may need to learn that there can be a marked difference in the way you feel like you are doing something versus how you are actually doing it.
In my experience it goes something like this: I will show a student how to do something, they will try and mimic it and to them, they feel like they are doing it correctly. But when I show them the video, they can readily see where they are straying from the demonstration.
When learning to handle guns, especially for self-defense, it is important to develop and maintain efficient movement. You should only move what is necessary to accomplish the act.
Why?
Because efficient movement equals speed.
All other things being equal, if you are faster than your opponent, you will generally beat them.
I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this article regarding efficient movement. That will be covered when I write about specific drills.
But if you want to see a great example of what I am talking about, check out this video of Scott Jedlisnki. I wouldn’t attempt his times as a beginner – hell, I can barely get his times now. Scott hammers the point to his students that speed comes from efficient motion.
Timers
Timers can be a touchy subject depending on which trainer you talk to.
Some don’t bother with them because they’ve never seen one at a gunfight. Other trainers swear by them because they are an objective measure of improvement.
I can see both points of view and agree with them up to a certain point.
No, I’ve never seen a timer go off in a gunfight either but I think it’s important to measure improvement.
I also understand that just because someone has improved their skills does not mean they are ready for a gunfight. Being fast in training is pointless if you don’t have the spirit to fight when it counts.
For a new shooter, I think you should use a timer. You should keep track of your improvement but temper it with knowing that it guarantees nothing in a real gunfight.
Personally, I have an old Android phone with the IPSC Shot Timer application. I can set the mic sensitivity for dryfiring and for live fire. So far, it has served me fine and I haven’t felt the need to go out and buy a dedicated device. I’m a cheap guy and I hate to buy something if I already have something else that will do the job.
Training Log
If you keep a training or range log (and you should), you should also incorporate your dryfire practice into it. This is especially the case if you hit a training milestone that you want to make a note of (e.g. sub-2-second draw from concealment).
A training log makes it easy to track improvement over time. You can also keep track of the amount of ammunition you’ve run through your gun so that you can be aware of parts that have a service life (e.g. barrels, springs, extractors).
And finally, you plan your range sessions with a logbook to maximize your time and ammunition expended. Instead of just putting up a target at 10 yards and blasting away at it with your handgun, you can practice specific drills to improve your skills.
Smartphone App (Optional)
There are free and paid smartphone apps out there that when paired with a laser can help you improve your dryfire training.
At this time I am evaluating several of these apps and have no opinion to post. I do think they can be useful but keep in mind the theory doesn’t always fit the reality. Anything that relies on software can be prone to glitches that may or may not have an easy fit.
It might be frustrating for the new shooter to try and work on skill improvement but get hampered with technical issues.
Try them out, if you find one that works for you, stick with it. If it becomes too big of a hassle, ditch it. If you paid for it, ask for a refund from the developer and lt them know why you didn’t like it. A lot of times they will be willing to refund your money for the feedback.
Just remember to keep focused on conducting the training and not on the specific tools you are using.