As we all know, dry firing is probably one of the best bangs for the buck (see what I did there?) that you can get for training. That said, there are some important things you need to consider, and certain optimizations you can do to make the best use of your time.

ITS Tactical recently published an article written by Chris Sajnog regarding “dry fire” training and is one of the most complete guides I think I have ever read (I’ve seen various pieces of this knowledge scattered thorugh forums over the years, but nothing consolidated).

The article has ideas for training for both Pistol and Carbine, and breaks down drills you can effectively do with Blue Guns, Laser Trainers, Airsoft or Real guns. The carbine section also differentiates drills that you can do with optics vs iron sights.  Personally I’ve been using Benny Cooley’s Safety Mags for years for my dry fire efforts.

Obviously some of Chris’ recommendations require additional gear, but as expensive as it can be to go the range these days, spending some cash on training aids may pay off in the long run, allowing you to more effectively use your live ammo. So who here practices by dry firing? How has if affected your shooting?