Muscle Memory

[Michael Dean]

For the past few weeks I've been practicing dry firing off of my tripod. I thought it was nonsense shooting of off a tripod in your family room. After three weeks I've got to say I'm now a believer. Muscle memory is real. Dry firing off my shooting sticks every day has given me a much better feel for the rifle and the target. Practice every day cause it works. After three weeks I'm much steadier and can pick out a target in seconds. THe more you do it the better you become. Africa is still six months away but with this practicing, I'll be ready.

 

[Philip Glass]

I have my son doing exactly the same thing. Dry firing off sticks in the living room! I have a very understanding and supportive wife.

 

[Ridgewalker]

No one really gets it until they work at it. Good job getting yourself the discipline to do it! Your a perfect example of what it achieves!
Now if only I can get that self discipline to practice offhand before my lion hunt!

 

[Michael Dean]

I have my son doing exactly the same thing. Dry firing off sticks in the living room! I have a very understanding and supportive wife.

When they're in the living room practicing, have them focus outside a window a block down the street at a distant target, it helps you to focus.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Now get out and see what recoil does to you on the sticks.

 

[CAustin]

Keep practicing sir!

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

I think the same as CAustin.

 

[Newboomer]

It works. I set up my sticks at the end of the hall and taped a target to my fridge a couple weeks ago. It gives me about 30 feet. I went to the range today and shot better after dry firing at home. I use dummy rounds for my long action so I get used to fully working the bolt and not short stroking. My speed has increased quite a bit for acquiring and following up. Of course recoil slows me down some but the motion is there.

 

[Mekaniks]

For the past few weeks I've been practicing dry firing off of my tripod. I thought it was nonsense shooting of off a tripod in your family room. After three weeks I've got to say I'm now a believer. Muscle memory is real. Dry firing off my shooting sticks every day has given me a much better feel for the rifle and the target. Practice every day cause it works. After three weeks I'm much steadier and can pick out a target in seconds. THe more you do it the better you become. Africa is still six months away but with this practicing, I'll be ready.

Perfect. Now take it all hunting. Nothing builds confidence like actually using your rifle under actual hunting conditions. Hog hunting, varmints, deer hunting whatever you can find.

 

[bruce moulds]

one thing people can forget with shooting is follow through.
shooting rifles that kick can harm a good follow through.
shots then become a "flinch".
dry firing assists in controlling flinch, as you can fire, and count to three after the click while still holding on the aiming mark.
the good habit established from this can sustain a better hold with a kicker for a number of shots.
john taylor reportedly dry fired many shots while walking around in the bush, and felt it was of great benefit to his shooting.
like every form of practice, perfect practice is the only way, as this is what makes good habits.
no point in ingraining incorrect procedure.
perfect practice takes much effort, and can be quite exhausting.
better to do a little correct that a lot wrong.
as you do more dry firing, you develop a "fitness" that allows more dry fires correctly done.
bruce.

 

[Newboomer]

At FTW Ranch they kept telling us to "ride the bull". That means keeping your eye on the crosshairs, maintaining cheekweld and running the bolt during recoil so when the rifle comes back down your eye is on target. Nearly everyone has a tendency to look up and "admire the shot" as they told us. The term used was booger picking and you didn't want to hear it more than once. It costs you time to reacquire target for a follow up shot. Quite apropos when hunting DG.

The instructors there were former Navy Seals and they have a wealth of knowledge and experience for nearly everything pertaining to gun handling, breath control, sight picture, trigger control, etc. One of their favorite tricks was to set up a rifle on bags, take a shot, get up, lie back down and take another shot without moving the gun. Two shots that could be covered with a dime at 100 yards. That is control.