Weak hand pistol shooting

[Gunsmoker]

Do you practice weak hand pistol shooting?

Have any of you successfully switched shooting with the opposite hand permanently?

I ask because I'm left handed, but my pistol selection is very limited. I was thinking about learning to shoot with my right hand.

 

[Gunpacker]

Weak hand shooting

It is easy enough to learn to shoot with your weak hand, and just takes practice. Some types of competition requires (PPC for one) very accurate shooting with the weak hand, and many IPSC and probably IDPA require weak hand in stages. Yet, unless you absolutely quit shooting with your strong hand, I suspect that it will always feel more natural to shoot with your strong hand. It will also be more instinctive, I would guess.

 

[slzy]

i don't know if succesful is correct,but yes. and i practice both sides with a rifle,too.

 

[Geronimo45]

I'm right handed and I shoot better left handed (when using one hand). I use a regular 1911. The safety must be thumbed down, but the trigger finger can set safety on. Maybe that's why the PPK has the safety it does... for lefties.

 

[baranjhn]

Well, I'm left eye dominant and right handed. This posed a problem when was in the Army. I couldn't hit the 300 and 400 meter targets (bad right eye). Needless to say, it was shoot left handed, left eye, or out I was . Well, I learned, and it was awkward as hell, but I did it. I shoot with both hands now.

Now, I am a firearms instrusctor, as a federal officer, and I preach learning "off-hand" shooting.

 

[XD Fan]

I have the right-handed/Left eye dominant problem too.

I learned to shoot long guns left handed as a teenager. Did not take that much effort. It was pretty easy for me. However, yesterday I shot handguns with my left hand for the first time. I felt incredibly awkward. I hit the target okay, but it felt so unnatural!

I also shot from an isoscoles (SP????) position for the first time yesterday. It really made the left eye dominance problem better.

 

[Srigs]

Every time I go to the range. I generally always carry my second or backup on the left side.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Weak hand should be trained also

Every time you go to the range shoot both hands and make sure you do it,
It is training! So practice many things, I see guys load up the mags all the way boom, boom, boom.
A hundred rounds in a few minutes, crummy groups.

Did not practice with eyes closed (to simulate dark and can't see) the removing of mag. or reloading much, handling with both hands, loading with both hands, nada... Waste of time and money and bullets etc..

You need to practice all stages of what it takes to shoot and stay alive if it ever comes to that. Practice makes perfect and under stress the training helps big time.

HQ

 

[pax]

Of course.

I practice strong hand, weak hand, strong hand only, weak hand only. I practice shooting left handed around left side cover and right handed around right side cover (so more of your body stays behind cover).

I have taken firearms training classes while wearing my gun on my non dominant side, and doing everything mirror image from the way I would otherwise do it. Learned a lot, improved my shooting with both hands. Would do it again in a heartbeat. After all, anyone who carries a gun for personal defense is one sprained wrist away from needing to carry on the non dominant side.

It's all good.

pax

 

[shooting on a shoestring]

More hands feel better.

Years ago I saw merit of the "Don't be a one-handed shooter in case you lose that hand" argument. Tried it, felt akward, kept at it, now I can do it. I've also added two handed stances switching between strong and weak hands pulling the trigger. I feel more confident now knowing that in an unexpected fight, if I can get a hand, any hand on a gun, I am compotent.

Also, I find as I age and muscle tremors occasionally invade me, its seldom that both hands are afflicted simultaneously. Sat. at the range, my right was jittery, my left was solid. I shot left handed until the right settled down.

I am still faster with my right, but generally shot tighter groups with the left pulling the trigger.

I also practice two eyes open for 25 yds and less. For revolver shots over 25 yds, I go one eyed, braced, rested, breath controlled, and watch the wind.

 

[10-Ring]

Yup, ever since I hurt my strong hand/ arm a couple summers ago, I put at least a mag or so weak handed.

 

[ghp]

I'm right handed, practice left hand shooting with my Walther PP and my Winchester, and, just for fun, I can load my Walther's mag with my left hand only. It takes time, though.

 

[gandog56]

Wouldn't want to try with any of my semi-autos. I believe I have tried with my .357 mag revolver. Changed back to other hand real quick.

 

[S&Wfan]

Like any other motor skill, weak hand shooting can, and should, be practiced and mastered by all who shoot firearms.

In lots of handgun matches these days it is not uncommon for the courses of fire to include some weak hand shooting, as well as one-handed shooting from both hands.

It will be hard at first, of course, but in fairly short time anyone can master this. Also . . . and harder for many, is to then add shooting in all ways WITH YOUR NON-DOMINANT EYE!

If one is ever in a gunfight, the chances of bullet spatter, flying glass or splinters, or other things kicked up by the bad guy from his near miss of your head MAY GO INTO YOUR DOMINANT EYE! A time like that is NOT the time to call "Time Out" while you figure out how to shoot with the eye you have left!

Same in the deer woods . . . practice beforehand shooting rifles from BOTH shoulders . . . and alternating eyes too. Otherwise, that trophy buck will come up behind you on the "wrong" side and you'll never be able to pull of the shot of a lifetime!


This is all logical to do, if one thinks about it . . . sadly . . . we all sometimes forget to incorporate these elements into our practice sessions. I think a lot of time it is because we want to shoot the tightest group on each target with our "best" eye and hand. Yep . . . I forgot to do it myself last week!!!

 

[CZ223]

Your not a real cowboy if you dont

I started shooting cowboy action about 4 years ago and I had always seen the cowboys in the movies using either or both hands so I thought that was the way you were supposed to do it. It turned out that most do not shoot like that but after a while I came back to it. I don't shoot "gunfighter", one gun in each hand at the same time, but rather, I shoot double duelist, left gun in left hand then right gun with right hand. You may find, as I have, that while you might shoot a little slower with your off hand you might actually be more accurate with it. Actually with practice, I have become quite fast with either from the holster and susequent shots. I like it so much that I am determined to buy all my handguns in pairs from now on. Yes I am serious. If one is good two is better right. Rather than carry a spare mag on your off side why not just a second gun. My next hangun will be another glock in 40 S&W probably the model 23 like the one I have or the smaller version. As to shooting the rifle with the weak hand I could probably manage to hit the barn from the hip with the gun in the wrong hand but, from the shoulder as in aimed fire not achance if I cant put it on my right shoulder.

 

[Brian Dale]

I'm right/right and I practice with my left hand; I need a lot more practice. Shooting with my non-dominant left eye is hard; I need to start doing that regularly, too.

Shooting a rifle with left hand and left eye is not so much difficult as slow; I'm like a centipede deciding which foot to move first.

 

[RustyShackelford]

weak/strong hand wepons use

I'm left handed and shoot firearms left handed. You can find pistols that can be used left handed(Walther P-99, HK P-2000, etc) and you can get M-4/M-16 rifles in 5.56mmNATO from StagArms that are made for left handed shooters, .

I would keep shooting with each hand at the range, you never know when weak handed shooting may be required .

Rusty S

www.stagarms.com

 

[RioShooter]

Wouldn't want to try with any of my semi-autos. I believe I have tried with my .357 mag revolver. Changed back to other hand real quick.

What would you do if your stong hand was injured?

You should practice as you would fight; and you will fight the way you practice.

 

[Black Knight]

On my police force we qualify twice a year. Two familiarization (fam fire) and two quals. We have two sections where we shoot weak hand. The weak hand is tough but we all manage to do it.

 

[kir_kenix]

i should seriously start shooting w/ my left. i guess i really never thought about it until i started reading all the posts here. ive tried a few different times just to see if i could show up my gf, but i must say that i really suck on the off-hand. im going to make it a point from now on to empty a few mags left handed everytime i go out. again i thank everyone on thr for making me both a more compitent shooter and a more paranoid individual...lol.

 

[Abby]

I've dragged myself into the "learning" phase of this. Whenever I go to the range, I put a magazine (or two) through with just my strong hand, and a magazine (or two) through weak hand (supported).

Right now I'm just doing the "non-preferred" at 7 yards. And taking it SLOWLY (to try to ensure I'm doing it RIGHT), but eventually I'll start moving the target back and start firing UNsupported with the weak hand.

There's always something new to practice in order to be more prepared. Mr. Murphy is ALWAYS lurking out there somewhere...