DryFire: a brief outline
The full version of the video below may be seen on the overview page.
Introduction
DryFire is a cost effective way to practise clay shooting in the comfort of your own home.
Using your own gun you can practise with any type of target (single or doubles) using exactly the same skills and movement you use outdoors. Acquire, swing, lead, shoot, follow through - all exactly the same.
The big difference is you get accurate feedback after every shot - to the nearest fraction of an inch. Fail to allow for lead and you will miss behind, too much lead and you will miss ahead.
Space at a premium?
DryFire is designed to work with any wall (or screen) 10' (3m) or wider. Kitchen wall, in the dining room across the dining table, in a spare bedroom across the bed, against the inside of the garage door, in the attic, in a garden shed - almost anywhere will do.
Please click here for DryFire space requirement.
DryFire versions
DryFire comes in two versions - both support singles, on report doubles and simultaneous doubles:
- The laser version.
This is the original DryFire system with targets appearing as moving laser spots on the wall in front of you - the spot doesn't change shape or size with distance but represents the leading edge of the clay.
- The projection version.
This is an optional upgrade to the laser version with targets displayed as moving clay images against a photo-realistic background. The clay images travel along the same angular trajectory, and at the same angular speed, as real clays outdoors and they change shape and size depending on their angle and distance. Targets fit within the boundaries of the projection screen.
The projection version requires a PC data projector (not supplied by Wordcraft.)
A record of success
Since its invention in 2002 the DryFire shooting simulator has helped thousands of shooters worldwide to improve their skills and, more importantly, improve their scores. DryFire is in daily use by club shooters and world champions providing accurate targets and accurate feedback.
DryFire is for serious shooters who want intensive practice with their own gun and with a level of feedback impossible outdoors. (It's also fun - but that's just a bonus!)
DryFire lets you practise clay and game shooting in the comfort of your own home - using your own gun.
DryFire targets follow exactly the same angular trajectories, at exactly the same angular speeds, as targets outdoors.
DryFire requires: hold, "Pull", acquire, mount, move (swing), shoot, follow through - with exactly the same angular "lead" as outdoors.
DryFire tells you exactly where each shot went: above, below, ahead, behind - to the nearest few mm!
DryFire builds muscle memory because gun movement indoors is exactly the same as outdoors
DryFire provides intensive practice - hundreds of shots every evening if you wish.
DryFire supports all national, International and Olympic disciplines (Skeet, Trap, Sporting, etc.).
DryFire supports all clay types, cartridges and chokes.
DryFire accurately simulates wind direction and speed.
Skills come through practice
Shooting is a skill - so is turning an egg - and all skills require regular practice - lots of it!
Go to a country show or craft exhibition and watch a woodturner in action. Ask her to make you an egg - it will look simple. Now have a go yourself - things will go pear-shaped in seconds!
Note the parallels with shooting:
- The woodturner is relaxed.
- Everything happens smoothly - almost in slow motion.
- The woodturner can even chat to you as the egg takes shape.
- Years of hand/eye coordination and practice means the woodturner is on auto-pilot - like riding a bike.
- The brain has taken over the task of performing the skill in the background - leaving you to concentrate on external events or things that may go wrong - like driving a car.
The bad news is that this doesn't happen overnight - it requires intensive practice to acquire the skills and keep them honed to perfection.
The path to skills is strewn with mistakes - pear-shaped eggs and low scores!
DryFire solves the problem of intensive practice
DryFire provides the practice and feedback that builds muscle memory and hand/eye coordination. DryFire allows you to make mistakes, in the privacy of your home, along the path to acquiring top level shooting skills. With DryFire you know you have made a mistake, you know where your shot went as a result of bad technique or lack of concentration. If you fail to concentrate outdoors you will miss, if you fail to concentrate with DryFire you will miss.
DryFire is ideal for use between coaching sessions. Your coach can see what you are doing wrong and help you do it correctly by improving your technique. Then you need practice, lots of it, ready for the next coaching session.
Each week you may shoot a couple of rounds outdoors - 50 targets.
Over a year you may shoot 2,000+ targets - often under pressure or in poor weather conditions.
With DryFire you can shoot 200 targets every evening.
With Dryfire you can fit a year's pressure-free shooting into less than two weeks!
With DryFire you can concentrate on the targets that you find hard. Breaking the easy ones makes us feel good but practice with the hard ones, and then breaking them outdoors, makes us feel a lot better!
Fast crossing or quartering doubles? Sneaky bouncy rabbit? Full Olympic Trap competition with 15 traps and 9 setting tables? No problem after practising with DryFire!
We can't guarantee to make you a world champion but we can guarantee to help you reach the peak of your personal ability.
Eye dominance
Right-handed shooters instinctively shoot right-handed, left-handed shooters shoot left-handed. You have a problem if your dominant eye doesn't match your handedness.
You can try to fix the problem with gadgets but the best long-term solution is to swap handedness.
The downside is your scores will drop like a stone and you will get frustrated. You could spend a small fortune practising outdoors over months until your scores creep back up or you could practice every evening for a week with DryFire and get the job done quickly.
Please click here to read our article on eye dominance.
More eggs
Of course, when turning an egg, there are some clever ideas to help before you perfect the skill.