Dry firing and flinching / target panic

[tamara]

Greetings all,

I've always been told that it is practically a mortal sin to dry fire any firearm. I was wondering if it safe to dry fire a cap lock, if I were to cover the nipple with a piece of leather or something to cushion the hammer blow.

A little while ago, I acquired (by inheritance, unfortunately ) a .50 TC Hawken that my grandpa built from a kit probably 30 or more years ago. I haven't shot it yet, but plan to start practicing soon because I drew a cow elk tag for September. My issue is that I've developed terrible target panic when shooting a longbow, and I want to do everything possible to prevent that from happening with regard to shooting a rifle.

I have been doing certain drills to help with the archery target panic, and I was considering incorporating them into my rifle practice from the very beginning, to hopefully stave it off. I was thinking that frequently dry firing whilst doing these drills would be helpful to prevent target panic and/or flinching from the recoil.

Let me know what you think.

 

[Black Hand]

I made a thick leather donut that fit on the nipple (think leather piece with a hole punched in the middle that is as thick as the nipple cone is tall). It protects the nipple from impact when dry-firing....

 

[RADeO]

Ditto what Black Hand said. You can also use a faucet washer to fit over the nipple. Completely cushions the hammer blow and will last for years.

I have been doing certain drills to help with the archery target panic, and I was considering incorporating them into my rifle practice from the very beginning, to hopefully stave it off. I was thinking that frequently dry firing whilst doing these drills would be helpful to prevent target panic and/or flinching from the recoil.

Practice always helps, but as far as the "target panic" of which you speak, I think you will have to examine just what it is that disturbs your concentration and then very consciously work on overcoming that particular cause.

 

[brpc]

Tamara:

As Acorn Mush says, get a 3/8 faucet washer. About 47 cents at Ace Hardware. Take the nipple in with you so you can get the right fit.

You mentioned drills that you are doing....exactly what?

Jim

 

[cowpoke1955]

Sorry to hear about your grandfather. By using his rifle to hunt with you are honoring him. He would be proud to know you are hunting with his rifle. For elk I would work up a good load with T/C Maxi-Ball or Maxi-Hunter. They will do the job. Just work on that target panic. Wish you the best of luck :thumbsup:

 

[robertdale]

a practice/live fire technique that i used to good advantage is a breath in....let 1/2 out...count down from 9..and pull thru trigger some where between 6 and 4. this cured a firelock flinch and made me a good (winning) shooter in days past. good the old gezzer shakes now but still pull out a good shot now and then.
rev. ironjaw.

 

[musketman]

I was wondering if it safe to dry fire a cap lock, if I were to cover the nipple with a piece of leather or something to cushion the hammer blow.

If you just lay a piece of leather over the nipple and fire the action to practice, what you basically have created is a leather punch and you could plug the nipple's hole with leather.

I have used an old semi-sharpened nipple and a stout cap lock for just that purpose, to punch holes in leather for laces while making moccasins.

 

[longcruise]

If it's a conventional TC Hawken, it probably has double triggers. The rear being a set trigger and the front to actualy fire the gun. If so, you can put the hammer all the way down on the nipple and dry fire by setting the rear trigger and firing the front trigger. Only the trigger is functioning this way and the hammer never drops. If only one trigger, then the things already suggested say it all.

Here are two links to articles that will help you with your shooting without ever leaving the house. It is, however, advisable to actually fire the gun occasionally. :haha:

The Tubb articles are by a national champion who knows how to shoot.

The Lawton article is on holding drills. If you work on these holding drills for two weeks, I guarantee you will see huge progress. The system itself will show you how you have prgressed. You'll understand after you read it.

On "target panic"! I too shoot long bows and know how difficult this can be. OTOH, you will probably find that shooting your ml will not bring up problems analogous to target panic. Have never had a target panic situation with ml. OTOH, with ml your are not drawing back 40 to 70 lbs and trying to maintain concentration and muscle control.

David Tubb shooting tips

Lawton Holding Drills

Forgot to mention! Holding Drills are not dry firing drills. Two different things.

 

[Dphar]

Greetings all,

I've always been told that it is practically a mortal sin to dry fire any firearm. I was wondering if it safe to dry fire a cap lock, if I were to cover the nipple with a piece of leather or something to cushion the hammer blow.

A little while ago, I acquired (by inheritance, unfortunately ) a .50 TC Hawken that my grandpa built from a kit probably 30 or more years ago. I haven't shot it yet, but plan to start practicing soon because I drew a cow elk tag for September. My issue is that I've developed terrible target panic when shooting a longbow, and I want to do everything possible to prevent that from happening with regard to shooting a rifle.

I have been doing certain drills to help with the archery target panic, and I was considering incorporating them into my rifle practice from the very beginning, to hopefully stave it off. I was thinking that frequently dry firing whilst doing these drills would be helpful to prevent target panic and/or flinching from the recoil.

Let me know what you think.

You can dry fire the set trigger by simply putting the hammer down on the nipple than dry firing using just the set trigger. DO NOT fire teh set trigger with the lock in 1/2 cock you will eventually break the sear or 1/2 cock in the tumbler.
Its really good offhand practice. I put a wooden flint in a flintlock with a single trigger. This works well. Dropping the hammer on a percussion takes something pretty durable to resist the battering.

Dan

 

[paulvallandigham]

Go ahead and dry fire. O-rings, and faucet washers are the cheapest "stops" to put over a nipple to protect the hammer face, and nipple from being beaten up.

As for Target Panic, its called lots of different things depending on the sport or activity. Performers call it " stage fright". Golfers call it " the Yips". It is the failure to concentrate on the job at hand, and allowing yourself to be distracted by other things and people and sounds.

A National Champion Trap shooter, teaching my best friend to shoot Doubles Trap back in the 1970s, told him, when he asked, " Well, First you shoot the first target, and then you shoot the second target"! :surrender: :rotf: That sounds so simple it sounds " simple minded". But, in truth, when you get rid of all the other baggage, that is how you shoot Doubles.

Now, how to concentrate on the target and your sights, etc. is what escapes most shooters, regardless of the sport. There are plenty of great shooters who shoot great scores in practice, but fall apart in competition. They let everything bother them, and instead of thinking about THIS SHOT at THIS TARGET, they are thinking about a target they missed, their overall score, someone else's score, how many more targets or shots they have to shoot in the competition, etc. The DEFEAT THEMSELVES.

That is target panic. I have seen it all my shooting life in other shooters, some of whom I really respected after watching them practice.

You will develop a stance, mount, breathing, aiming, firing, and follow through routine or regimen, that you will use a shooter of a gun, just as you have as an archer. It takes at least a year of constant practice to get " smooth " as a shooter with your routine, and then another year of practice before you forget all about what you are doing, and simply begin focusing on that next shot. I would like to tell you that you can learn this faster, with some trick, but I don't know any. And, as an instructor, I have tried. As a shooter, I tried. I am still pretty new to shooting Sporting Clays, and I have not shot enough to have developed a rhythm and routine at that sport, so I still struggle. But, I don't get distracted, or panicked at the shot itself. Its the "Smooth" part I am still trying to acquire. I suspect I am going to have to go out to the range on a slow day, as I did to learn Skeet shooting, from a low mount position, and just shoot target from one position at a time all day long, until I feel I have mastered the point, and movement to break those targets at that station. I may have to shoot 500 targets at a station before I feel I have that shot licked, but if that is what needs to be done, That is what I will do. There is enough difference in sporting clays courses that you can't memorize shooting positions, or " spot shoot " your targets, as you can in Skeet shooting. But, I am not working on muscle memory, but on confidence in my ability to swing on the target correctly, regardless of where it flies.

Here are some personal tips that work for me:

When shooting a handgun or rifle, that requires aiming a sight, I focus not only on the front sight, but on an imaginary line I put down the middle of that sight, no matter how small or narrow the slight blade is, or how large or small the target is. The distance the target is from my barrel is irrelevant. Only wind speed, and direction as they may move my ball or bullet is of concern as I apply " kentucky" windage to put the projectile on the target. Slow fire shooting, differs from speed shooting, ONLY , in that in speed shooting, I do all my routine used to slow fire aimed shots FASTER! And doing speed shooting in practice will help you learn to be a better slow fire shooter, and vice versa.

Challenge yourself at the end of each day's practice. By that I mean, shooting at smaller targets, or at targets at a longer range. The harder targets will make standard targets seem easy in a shooting match.

Do what you like to do to get your mind off NOISE in the background. I was trained as a musician as a kid, so I hum quietly to myself some of the hardest music I learned to play, to busy my brain with this complex activity, and distract it from noises, and movements of people around me.

ONe of the worst situations any shooter can face is being SHOT AT. I hope you don't experience it ever. But, It puts a huge load of adrenalin into your bloodstream, which causes tunnel vision, and auditory exclusion, dry mouth, sweaty hands, and FEAR of being killed!

If in practice you can create stress that lets you experience any of these sensations, you will be better prepared if something or someone scares you half to death, and you are required to shoot to save your life, or the life of another innocent person.

To add stress, enter every contest you can. Shooting against better shooters is the only way you are going to improve. If you don't expect to win, and just shoot for the fun of competing, you will sneak a win some day that will surprise both you and the other shooters. My best friend had a standing $1.00 bet with another shooter who always wanted to beat him at Trap. Tom was an excellent Trap shooters, but he never got past the Target panic. If he missed a target, he was destroyed for the rest of the round. MY friend didn't let a miss bother him. He had missed thousands of targets over his years shooting Trap, including dozens of first, or last targets to end up shooting 99 out of 100 targets. Can you imagine how frustrating it is to miss the very first target, and then break the next 99 targets straight?? But, he got past it, finally, And broke lots of 100s.

You won't learn much shooting against shooters who are poorer shots than you are. Shoot against the big boys, and watch how they shoot. Study every part of their routine, and take lessons from the best of them all. Not everything they do will work for you, but give it a try in your practice sessions. Eventually, you will figure out what it is that you have to do to avoid Target panic, and to " Get 'er Done". :blah: :grin: :wink: :thumbsup:

 

[29caliber]

You can also cut a section off a small diameter rubber hose that just fits over and extends beyond the end of the nipple on a percussion rifle. Also, I use a piece of wood instead of a flint in one of my rifles and take a couple of "shots" every time I go into the room where I keep the rifle. It's good practice for getting used to the trigger pull and follow through.

 

[tamara]

Thanks for all the great feedback, everyone. I'll have to hit the hardware store it sounds like. It is a traditional Hawken, so it does have a set trigger. Pop-pop started taking me hunting as soon as I was old enough. I remember not being able to sleep the night before deer season opened, I was so excited! It will really be cool to use Pop-pop's rifle.

Thanks also for the links to the articles! Good stuff.

As for the target panic, what I experience with the longbow is like freezing up. It is almost as if I physically cannot make my bow arm move towards the bullseye. The result is a herky-jerky mess, where I'm lucky to be anywhere in the vicinity of the bullseye. I used to actually shoot half decent, but now every shot is an excruciating struggle. It really sucks. :shake: That's why I put in for a ML tag this year. I'm no longer confident in my archery.

There is a book called "Traditional Archery Insights" by Jason? Kidwell that has methods for fixing target panic. Basically, it is "unconditioning" yourself by repeatedly (like a zillion billion times) acquiring and then leaving the bullseye / shot picture without letting go (using a very light bow of course). It is tedious and takes a lot of work. But at this point, I feel so miserable about my archery that I'm more motivated to do it. My only other option is to give it up, and that would be terribly sad.

Anyway, thanks for all the advice and suggestions! Sorry to make this sound like a sob story. It's really not. If my less-than-stellar archery is my biggest worry, then life is actually pretty dang good! :wink:

 

[musketman]

There is another way to pratice, first make sure the gun isn't loaded, then place a percussion cap on the nipple, cock and fire.

You can do this all day (or until your caps run out), what you have is a really expensive cap gun.

You will just need to do a little cleaning when done but other than that, you will gain pratical experience with semi-dry firing.

 

[BrownBear]

I'll toss in that for pure marksmanship training, nothing beats a decent quality air rifle and a 15-20 foot indoor range with reduced targets at your house. 20 or 30 offhand shots a night will do more for eye/hand, breathing, stance, and holding practice than anything I know. You simply do lots more because it's so easy and convenient. No the balance and trigger pull won't be the same as your muzzleloader. But more important in my experience is the immense need for followthrough with air rifles, just as in muzzleloaders.

Any time my accuracy skills are suffering with muzzleloaders, I go back to the air rifle range at home. A week of steady shooting there will do more than once a month or once a week range trips with a muzzleloader.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The way to work through the target panic with your bow, is to concentrate on a routine, where , unlike standing at the line at an archery range, you are NOT facing the target. Start with your two feet together, as if you stopped to locate a noise. Purposely stand facing to the right or left of the target, so that you HAVE to make a slight correction in your stance to be on target.

Now, Turn to face your target as you bring the bow and arrow up. Next, move your Left foot 1/2 STEP forward, so that the toe points to the target, regardless of where your right foot is pointed.

Shift your weight to the forward foot, and make the adjustment needed to comfortably put the right foot in position so that you can shift backwards to divide your body weight between the two feet.

Practice releasing the bowstring as soon as you draw the arrow back to " full draw", and the sigh t picture is correct. Don't hold the draw. This will condition your mind to move smoothly, and fire the shot quickly, but not in a jerky, hurried movement.

Expect to miss a lot doing this the first 500 times. That is part of the timing you have to learn to do this well. But, by concentrating on your foot placement, and then weight distribution as you raise the arrow to your eye, and draw the bowstring back, you won't be thinking about when to release the arrow. You will learn to just do it.

And, that half step forward is essential to do every time, because it more accurately imitates the movements you are going to need to make in the field in real life. It forces you to put your feet under your shoulders, but not wider, so if you target moves right or left, you can easily pivot on your feet to bring your arrow on target.

When You feel comfortable shooting this way on a range, Go out into the woods and shoot " stumps" or targets of opportunity with your old arrows- the ones that are on their way to the trash anyway, and you won't cry over if they break, or get bent hitting something hard.

Some people call this " Snap shooting", but to my way of thinking, " Snap" infers some fast, jerky motion. I want to see a smooth movement without any stops, from beginning to address the target to release of the arrow. ( Read Byron Ferguson's "One With the Arrow" )

{ An archer friend of mine claimed that the Native Americans actually pushed the bow away from their face, while holding the arrow in its nock on the string back by their face. We tend to draw the string backwards, rather than push the bow away from us. I don't know the truth of this, but I tried the movement with my bow, and it actually contributes to smooth movements to the target. It feels and looks as tho' I am trying to hit the target with my fist. This works with stick bows, and recurves, but I doubt it would feel smooth using a compound bow.}

Best wishes. Paul

 

[29caliber]

Brownbear...Thanks for reminding me that I've got a perfectly good air rifle that I could put to good use by shooting in the garage. With squirrel season coming up in a couple of months, it would be a whole lot easier to shoot at home than drag my muzzleloading stuff out in the country and shoot off my F150. Besides, my .22 caliber air rifle is legal for squirrels here in Illinois.

 

[29caliber]

Tamara...Don't give up on the longbow!! I used to have the same target panic problems you described and overcame them by going to lower poundage bows that I'd picked up at yard sales so that I could work on my form and not be concerned with pulling it back and hitting my anchor. It only took a few weeks to build back up to my 55# longbow. You can break your old habits through perfect practice. If you need some coaching, traditional bowshooters are very much like traditional muzzleloading people in that they are very giving people and will be glad to offer their help.

 

[renovato]

Dry firing is one of the best ways to commit good shooting habits to muscle memory and overcome flinching. There are only a few guns that can't safely be dry fired, and all modern guns (excluding certain rimfires) can be.

To dry fire a percussion gun only requires protecting the nipple from being hammered flat. I snipped a piece of oil line that I had laying around. I slip it over the nipple and it cushions it perfectly.

Like you, I had no idea how to dry fire a percussion gun safely and these folks gave me a lot of ideas. I just happened to have the tubing handy or I probably would have just punched a hole in a scrap of leather and used that.

I dry fire religiously and have for years. I makes a big difference in my shooting skill. I hope it works as well for you.

 

[MikeChapin]

I have used plastic hose over the nipple to protect it while dry firing. You could also get a new nipple for the rifle and use the old nipple with the leather padding to dry firing.

Dry firing helps with stance and follow through in shooting. It also helps build the back and arm muscle strength that you need to shoot well all day.

The club I was in years ago used to be terrible on harassment. The only rule was that you could not touch the shooter. Shooting with that bunch gave me the ability to blot out everything around me and concentrate on the target.

As far as target panic goes, most of it goes away with doing a lot of shooting. Some people never completely get over it but with most people it goes away after a few target sessions.

 

[DutchmanDick]

I bought one of the Nepalese P1853 Enfields from IMA last year, in shootable condition (lucked out there). One of the accessories I bought for it was a replica of the issue nipple protector, which is attached to the rear sling swivel with a chain. These protectors served a dual purpose: to keep debris and moisture out of the nipple, and to act as a snap-cap for dry-fire practice. The Enfields, as far as I know, were the only guns issued with these items, but I have seen numerous dug relics of field-improvised protectors carved out of musket balls. You might try something along those lines...