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For the defensive shooter, it means practicing drawing, getting the empty gun up and ready for firing or actually firing at an aggressor. For competitors it means aiming at a target and functioning the firearm as in competition. Dry firing is simply functioning your empty firearm as if it were loaded. However, if you are serious about shooting better and getting more competitive in matches or surviving a gun fight, you should consider lots of dry firing drills. There are probably more boring things to do than dry firing-not sure what they might be though. Army Rangers say: “Train like you fight-fight like you train.” This is the first installment of author Jim Shults’ two-part series on the importance of dry fire practice. Editor ’s note: Consistent winners dry fire and most really good ones do it a lot.
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