Do you practice shooting offhand?

[The Lone Haranguer]

When I think of "offhand" WRT handgun shooting, it is of the target shooter's position - body "bladed" toward the target, shooting arm/hand fully extended and unsupported, and the other hand (which can also be called the "off hand" - note the two words) relaxed by the shooter's side or stuck in a pocket. I don't do this, not being "into" that kind of shooting. However, if you get really good at shooting this way, you will be absolutely deadly at shorter ranges and with both hands.

I do about a third of my shooting practice one-handed, similar to this:

http://content.ll-0.com/valhalla/word_images/9906324_image004.jpg

You may not always have both hands available. I keep the distance shorter for this, typically 15 feet or so.

 

[possum]

i shoot strong hand, weak hand only constatntly and try to better myself all the time. there are many reasons why you should parctice and more than that train to shoot one handed, and especially weak handed. easiest reason why? your dominant hand is hurt , or that arm, there are a million reasons.

 

[BobbyQuickdraw]

I never shoot a handgun from a rest because the odds of me ever having to shoot a handgun in real life dictate that I will not have a rest available.

If you can hit offhand, you can hit from a rest. I think shooting from a rest is pretty useless and I'm not impressed by great scores from a rest. But that's just me and I don't mean to offend anyone who does so.

It's a different skill than I aim to possess and if you have fun with it, by all means continue. But shoot offhand from time to time.

I haven't shot weak hand lately, but aim to increase my training time.

 

[MAURICE]

I try to put a couple of magazines worth downrange with my weak hand whenever I can. You never know when you wont be able to use your strong hand. We also have to shoot weak hand through part of our qualification at work. Drawing from right side, transitioning to left side, etc etc...

 

[YZR]

I always shoot offhand and try to shoot weak hand every now and then.

 

[Clipper]

I shoot from a rest to zero a new gun or ammo, and to find out how accurate that gun/ammo is...After that, I shoot unsupported, the goal to approach as closely as possible, the rested groups. As to terminology, I have always seen the 'offhand' position illustrated as one hand, standing, unsupported, arm fully extended, body at right angles to the target, empty hand is optionally placed in a pocket. The two-handed holds are usually refered to by their names, isoceles (which i never use, as I find it the least steady hold there is. I can actually shoot better offhand.), Weaver, and modified Weaver, any of which can be used weak-hand.

Also, I see many shooters who do not use rests properly, and get different target results, and erroniously think a rest will throw off their aim. Don't use the rest to support any part of a handgun, especially the barrel! Support your forearms on the rest, near the wrist, so the gun and it's natural recoil will not bring it into contact with the rest, which will alter it's natural reaction to the shot, and thus alter point of impact. There should be no change in impact on or off the rest.

 

[Mad Magyar]

Here is a thread on a similar vein...If you don't want to bother reading any of it, I say it's a waste of time & money....The research about LEO's reluctant in using the weak hand, btw, was from Massad Ayoob....
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=264734&highlight=Mad+Magyar

 

[1911 guy]

I shoot offhand and off hand!

I shoot off hand quite a bit. Not that I would win any contests doing it, but it's a usefull skill. Learning how to clear and cycle an auto with one hand is a must.

I also shoot offhand, standing unsupported. With both rifle and handgun, this is an important part of using them.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I thought 'offhand' referred to shooting with the non-primary hand alone, for a while (you know - using your 'off' hand to shoot).

The term "offhand" was originally coined by riflemen, and meant "not from a rest." It retains that meaning when applied to pistols.

 

[dewidmt]

I'm sure the OP meant "weak-handed". Be that as it may...if you shoot IDPA you will usually run into at least one stage per match where you will shoot weak-handed. Even the basic classifier has a weak-hand stage. I always thought it was a great idea. You should at least be able to hit your target at 7 yds with your weak hand only. A lot of cops at one time used to practice "wounded officer" drills where they had to fire and reload with one hand. I've practiced it quite a bit, just in case. If you ever actually get into a gunfight (God forbid), you are probably gonna take a round as well as hittin' the bad guy(s). I even had a tactical instructor in a carbine course that trained us to shoot and reload long guns one handed as well....

 

[shep854]

When I go to the range, I rotate; 1 gunfull right hand, 1 both, 1 left hand. I am left-handed, left-eye dominant, and extremely near-sighted in my left eye. By default, I am a right-eye shooter. One-handed shooting is great for developing the fundamentals of pistol shooting-trigger control and sight picture. A two-hand hold can mask trigger errors. Besides, it adds variety to offset boredom.

 

[nwilliams]

I was taught to practice opposite hand (still two hand grip) as a way to get back in the zone and I find it very helpful. Shooting with your weak hand will help you feel the trigger a little more and think a little bit harder about your grip and sight alignment. It slows you down mentally and physically and is a great stadegy when youre on the range and things are falling apart.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I practice with either hand both two handed and single handed.
Why?
Why not.

 

[ZeSpectre]

double tap?!?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I shoot two handed, strong hand only and weak hand only almost every time I shoot at the range. I also shoot PPC at my gun club just to force myself to get better at all three.

As to the reason.... One reason is if you are injured or shot in a way you can't return fire with your strong hand it would be a really good thing if you can shoot with your weak hand accurately. Your life might depend upon it.

 

[Mad Magyar]

I do about a third of my shooting practice one-handed, similar to this:

This is where dedicated "point shooters" using their index finger & limited sights have an advantage in this area...I say this because so many pistoleros I've observed, including my shooting buddies, only rely on a two-hand grip even in CQ shooting drills...
As mentioned, many competitions require a stage for weak-hand shooting so practice is almost a no-brainer...However, in a CQC scenario, where quick reactions might be necessary, try using your weak-hand in a quick Weaver. You've Lost!
Imagine yourself as a kid playing "cops & robbers" using your hand-fingers pointing at the BG...Instinctively, you're on the right-track for the "weak-hand" shot....BTW, the last tidbit I credit to my mentor, Brad Steiner....

 

[shep854]

Shooting from a retention position has been mentioned. This is when you hold your gun back against your side, to make a grab for the gun difficult. Imagine having the pistol held against your side, as opposed to pressing your elbow to your side. It is unnerving, with the muzzle at or nearly on the same plane as your face when you trigger a shot. The report and blast are startling from that position (I don't want to think what a ported gun would be like! ) I don't plan to do that much...

Practice NOW, so that if the "unthinkable" occurs, you will have the option!

To belabor the obvious: Be VERY careful where you hold your opposite hand when doing this. The chance of getting that hand in front of the muzzle AND SHOOTING IT are much greater.

 

[SEMO Shooter]

The trainer at the facility where I go is an expert marksman with rifle and pistols, and teaches law enforcement officers advanced and SWAT tactics. At his advanced and tactical handgun classes he suggested shooting with the weak hand just enough to make sure that you know how shoot and reload with the weak hand . He said after he had spent many hours shooting weak hand he figured out that he was never going to be very good with his weak hand so he might as well use training time for something more effective. He was not advocating never shooting weak hand, but doing that very sparingly.

 

[Doctor Suarez]

If you mean offhand as in "not benchrested" then ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS EVERY SHOT.

If you mean one-handed with your weak hand, also yes.

My 1911 is my night-time weapon, because I find the design ideal for shooting one-handed, particularly when compared to a thick double-stack or the long trigger stroke of a revolver. So about 1/3 of my practice time with the Kimber is one-handed, with at least one mag alone in my weak hand.

 

[peacemaker45]

I come from the perspective of SASS competition. When I first started, I was a completely right handed shooter. However, SASS requires the use of two pistols, and has a number of restrictions on how a crossdraw rig can be used. I decided not to bother with the cross draw, and went with a left and right rig. I naturally started practicing shooting the right gun right handed, and the left gun left handed, both with the "Traditional," two handed grip. Later, I found out that nearly no one else does this, almost everyone else that uses a double rig does some sort of transfer, switching the weak gun into the strong hand.

My way, "double traditional," as I've heard it called, has a pretty steep learning curve. A lot of my early matches, I'd get done, and the spotters would be holding up five fingers. I'd missed all five shots from the left side.

Nowadays, I'm actually more accurate left handed, probably because I'm left eye dominant, but still a little quicker and surer with the right hand.

Anyhow, all that background in place, when I got into defensive shooting and 1911s and such, it just seemed like a good idea to learn the gun with both hands. As such, not only do I shoot right handed isoceles, left handed isoceles, right hand only, left hand only, etc, but I also practice running the gun all four ways, as well.

~~~Mat

 

[SuperNaut]

Weak-hand rarely, I'm too lazy. Off hand often.

 

[Hikingman]

Weak hand? Yes, practice it plenty. Recently, an instructor was working with two ladies and an airweight revolver. Neither lady could handle shooting it with the weak hand....hmmm.