ORIGINAL: pawn256

Dry Fire.

First, do a little research and make sure that it will not cause damage to your weapon by dry firing it (it is okay for some, not okay for others). If you are unsure, you can buy dummy cartridges (snap caps?) that will prevent damage to your firing pin. USE SAFETY WHEN DRY FIRING. Never dry fire at anything you are not WILLING to destroy. People die from "dry firing".

My gun is a Remington Model 700 (.270). On the Remington website there is an FAQ that says that dry firing will NOT damage my gun. If you can't find this information for your weapon, error on the side of saftey.

Dry fire just like you would shoot at a real target. Practice breathing, squeezing the trigger (not jerking). Remember, ideally, the shot should come as a "suprise" to you.