Dry Fire Help

Originally Posted by ar15m4guy

Im not sticking to my sights because in a combat senario who has time to sight in your target. This gun is one of my carry guns and I want to be precise if I ever use it to defend me or my family. This is not for competition reasons. The baby glock is not the weapon I would use for that. Muscle memory is what I am after. I am curious what exercises would help me with that. Its so hard to find 9mm ammo so I cant really just get out and pop off all the rounds I have put up. Thanks for the suggestions, tips, and links.

Look, I understand where you are coming from and there are multiple schools of thought on combat shooting. Rob Pincus with Combat focus shooting (or ICE or whatever he calls it) isn't so much a fan of the sights and teaches more of an improved index. He has a class in Knoxville at CCA in a week or two, maybe check it out. On the other hand, Kyle Lamb, (check him on youtube) absolutely advocates using the front sight. I fall in the use the sights school of thought.

While I know you aren't competing with it, USPSA/IDPA shooters spend hours on their draw, many with a 90/10 split of dry fire to live fire. They want as fast a shot as possible as well and arguably are the best at getting shots on the target quickly. Consider investing in what i mentioned above, or shoot, even use Matt Burketts free cpu shot time on his website with a target. Determine a goal such as a 1.0 sec draw and work to it.

I wouldn't spend time with the dime/casing/quarter on the front sight as that is generally about trigger control and not having a smoking draw (and besides, good shooters anticipate the recoil AFTER the shot is fired making this drill somewhat dubious).

Finally, airsoft can be a great idea, I use that alot for improving my uspsa shooting (though with sights). If you find you don't want to use the sights, this is a cheap way to practice throwing shots around until you hit your target.

Funny I was just practicing this last night, quick draw aim to a point and dry fire, then try to hold steady and see where the sights are. I have to say I was impressed at just how close my aim was. I'm using a mini 1911 and it points naturally, like others have said this may be a bit of a struggle with the Glock grip angle. That is why I carry what I do, because it is such a natural point for me. It takes little to no adjustment on the sights after just pointing either one or two handed. Keep practicing it will come, or consider something with a more natural point for you and it should be much easier. JMHO. Good luck!

I always hear people say that a Glock doesn't point naturally......this is really strange to me because my Glocks point better naturally than my EMP does. I've been shooting Glocks for 20 years so maybe that has something to do with it......although they really always seemed to point naturally for me, even with my first gen. G17.

I can draw and aim at something with my G23 or G27, hold it steady, then look though the sights and I'm always within 2-3" or less from POA. I tried this with my EMP when I first got it and I was like 6-8" off......I am getting better on the EMP now though.

Point instinct shooting saved my life. I am not an expert or a trainer but I will offer what worked for me.
I shot on the PD pistol team. My Sergeant was our Range Officer and team leader. He always said that target shooting is a game and that is all it is. Defensive shooting is totally different; the two require different mindsets.

Target shooting obviously involves using sights, light, and no one shooting, or attempting to shoot back at you. I enjoy it and that is about all I do anymore. But I do not practice it thinking that it will help in a deadly force confrontation.

Point instinct shooting prepares you for the real world scenario. I did not have the time or the light to use sights. Point instinct shooting is for very close distances; like 20 feet or less. Any farther than that and you probably have other options; like cover.
Your goal is to place your rounds in center body mass without missing the suspect and hitting innocent bystanders (that you may not even be able to see).

I do not think that dry firing will help you any. Sorry, but this whole concept is about eye/hand coordination and where your rounds go.
Practice it in the daylight. Keep both eyes open and on the target. You will be able to see where your rounds hit and adjust accordingly. The more you practice this the better you will get at it. Then, should you find yourself in a shooting situation, in the dark, with the adrenalin pumping like you have never experienced before; you might have a chance.

The stuff about balancing all kinds of stuff on your gun will help you with trigger pull, but you have already been doing that if you can hit what you want while target shooting.

When the price of ammo jumped up I even bought a full size .22 so that in addition to shooting my carry guns I could shoot hundreds of rounds without going broke.

It’s all about practice and mindset. I remember that after a shooting I was surprised that I didn’t even think about the mechanics of drawing my weapon and firing; I did exactly as I practiced.

Good Luck.

Originally Posted by DaveTN

My Sergeant was our Range Officer and team leader. He always said that target shooting is a game and that is all it is. Defensive shooting is totally different; the two require different mindsets.

Which of course is why Bill Jordan, Skeeter Skelton, Col Charles Askins, Jelly Bryce, and Jim Cirrillo were champion bullseye shooters.

Point instinct shooting prepares you for the real world scenario. I did not have the time or the light to use sights. Point instinct shooting is for very close distances; like 20 feet or less.

It is a tool for SOME real world scenarios. It works well beyond 20ft.